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Experience the latest VELVET SOUND products with Daishin Kashimoto, the First Concertmaster of the Berlin Philharmonic
As the First Concertmaster of the Berlin Philharmonic, Daishin Kashimoto is at the forefront of the international music scene. In June of 2023, Kashimoto-san visited AKM's audio room to listen to our new flagship DAC solution, AK4191 + AK4499EX, which features our 64-bit conversion technology.
He also took the time to visit AKM's Garage Lab and experience our new VELVET SOUND for Cars in-vehicle automotive sound design processing.
What is the sound of 64-bit conversion?
Tomonori Sato:
It's been a while, Mr. Kashimoto. Today, I would like you to listen to a demo of our 64-bit audio conversion technology, which we demonstrated at the High End Munich show in May.
You may be new to the concept of 64-bit conversion, but the AK4191 calculates and then modulates the data coming from the CD player with 64 bits of precision. That information is then sent to the AK4499EX for the final conversion to analog. Please listen to the first movement of Shostakovich's Symphony No. 9.
Daishin Kashimoto:
The sound indeed becomes more realistic, though it's hard to tell without directly comparing it to the sound of 16-bit.
Sato:
I believe that the sound image and sound field are different. When I say "sound image," I mean the sense of depth, which is greatly enhanced by 64-bit. And by "sound field," I mean the 'location' of the sound. This is clearly better with 64-bit. Although the source is 16-bit because it's a CD, the resulting sound is quite affected by the amount of error - or lack of error - in the calculation.
Kashimoto:
But does any information over 16 bits actually come from the CD?
Sato:
Ultimately, when you calculate and do various things, the data does not fit perfectly into 16 bits. When you run calculations with a digital filter, there are fine data points that fall below the decimal point, so to speak. When you calculate these data points, which is possible with the higher resolution of 64 bits, actually much more sound comes out. By calculating these without leaving anything out and then playing them, you will hear additional audio information. So, although the original data is limited to 16 bits, when you perform the calculations correctly to prevent any errors and then make it into sound, the result is the subtle detail that you're hearing.
Let's try playing some other sound sources while we're at it. (Plays Kreisler's self-performed collection)
Kashimoto:
It's totally different. It sounds like older content might reveal even more of a difference. I was surprised to even hear the source noise more clearly.
Experience VELVET SOUND for Cars
Wataru Naruyama (Senior Audio Technology Professional):
Today, we would like you to experience our audio sound design for cars. For automobiles, we not only provide ICs, but also proprietary algorithms for audio processing and tuning.
Kashimoto:
So, this car is equipped with standard speakers?
Naruyama:
As you mentioned, it is equipped with perfectly normal standard speakers.
Kashimoto:
The car I drive has high-end speakers from a famous overseas brand, and people say the sound is really good. I chose the car for its sound quality.
I was surprised that the sound is as good as what I'm used to hearing in my car.
Naruyama:
We aim to provide an audio room-like experience in the car. We optimize the soundstage based on the concept of placing instruments and vocals on the dashboard inside the car and simultaneously recreating the sound of a concert hall.
Kashimoto:
Incredible. It's totally different. It's really amazing. If the genre of the music weren't classical, I bet the difference would be even bigger.
Critical listening in the car is more common now
Kashimoto:
Nowadays, I guess people listen to music in their cars more often, don't they? At home, they listen to it while doing something else.
When I want to focus and listen to a song I'm interested in, I would like AKM to do it in my car.
Profile
Daishin Kashimoto
Violinist Daishin Kashimoto
First Concertmaster of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
Winner of five prestigious international competitions including the Fritz Kreisler and Long-Thibaud international music competitions. He has performed with many orchestras in Japan and abroad, under famous conductors such as Maazel, Seiji Ozawa, Jansons, P. Järvi. In chamber music, he has performed with Kremer and Tsuyoshi Tsutsumi among others. Currently, he leads the 'Le Pont International Music Festival - Akaho, Himeji' as the Music Director in Hyogo Prefecture. His main CDs include the complete collection of Beethoven's Violin Sonatas (Warner Classics). In 2010, he officially became the First Concertmaster of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. He is active at the forefront of European music scene, both as a soloist and an ensemble player. He studied under Kumiko Eto, Naoko Tanaka, Zakhar Bron, and Rainer Kussmaul. He uses the 1744 Del Gesù 'de Beriot', loaned from Crisco Co., Ltd.
Tomonori Sato
Tomonori Sato, Audio Meister
Sato-san joined Asahi Kasei Corporation in 1998.
In 2009, he was appointed Audio Meister of Asahi Kasei Microdevices, and has since led the development of DAC chips such as AK4490R/AK4493S/AK4499EX as part of the VELVET SOUND series. He also developed our demo system, which has been used to evaluate forthcoming audio products and delight many of our customers.
Wataru Naruyama
Wataru Naruyama, Senior Audio Technology Professional
He joined the company in 2010. Since then, he has been involved in the development of audio integrated circuits (ICs) for a wide range of markets including smartphones, Bluetooth earphones, and automotive applications. Building on the techniques inherited from audio masters, he provides high-quality audio experiences across various fields and boasts numerous design-ins.。
About VELVET SOUND
VELVET SOUND is both the brand and philosophy of AKM's highest tier of audio devices.
An authentic listening experience must be free of added noise and distortion. VELVET SOUND technology strives to eliminate those distractions in the pursuit of Real Live Sound: a faithful re-creation of the original experience, as if you were there.
* VELVET SOUND ™ and VELVET SOUND | VERITA ™ are trademarks of Asahi Kasei Microdevices Corporation in Japan, Europe and the United States.
velvetsound.akm.com
by ASAHI KASEI MICRODEVICES
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