Interview with Siegfried Nehls in HFi-Today
Interview with Sigfried Nehls from Klangatelier Berlin
HiFi-Today 12/2022 Author: Frank Wacker
An interview with the retailer Klangatelier Berlin, which specializes in hi-fi accessories. There is hardly a hi-fi shop in Germany that offers such a large range of accessories and can draw on almost 50 years of experience as the owner Siegfried Nehls, Website .
Frank Wacker (HIFI TODAY): Mr. Nehls, at over 70 you are one of the longest-serving hi-fi dealers in Germany - and you still sparkle with enthusiasm. How come?
Siegfried Nehls (Klangatelier Berlin): It's just great fun to amaze music lovers. When amazed customers come into the store with a smile and a thumbs up after trying something, I feel really good.
Frank Wacker: They now sell almost exclusively hi-fi accessories. What led to this decision?
Siegfried Nehls: We've been in the hi-fi business since 1974 - and we're celebrating our 50th anniversary the year after next. Around the turn of the millennium, we noticed more and more that our customers here in Berlin had good hi-fi equipment. It was difficult to sell them something that sounded better - especially since the MKII version was usually only able to set itself apart minimally from its predecessor.
We would then have had to take the old device in part exchange – and then both sides just waste money. Instead, we looked for ways to unleash the full potential of the existing chain. With a good power cord, many a CD player has surpassed significantly more expensive new devices from higher classes.
Over the years we kept discovering new ways to improve the sound of the existing models - but of course they had to be good from the start. A carrot remains a carrot even with top accessories. Around 13 years ago we decided to focus fully on accessories and only stock a few collector's devices that I really like. The majority of our customers like their system, but want to get even more out of it.
Frank Wacker: Is there a »ranking« of which measures bring the most benefit?
Siegfried Nehls: I'm generally very careful with such statements, because it depends on the situation on site, the expectations and ideas of the customer. We get a very precise description of what kind of devices and loudspeakers are playing, what the spatial conditions look like, and whether the owner is basically satisfied with his system.
If he says yes and just wants to take a step forward, you can achieve a lot in the field of electricity: starting with fuses in the distribution box optimized for hi-fi, through high-quality mains cables, power strips and power conditioners to special fine-wire fuses in the devices. Their effect can blow you away. The optimization of the room acoustics also brings you audibly further. The interference suppression technology comes in third place.
Frank Wacker: suppression technology? Can you please explain that in more detail?
Siegfried Nehls: Many of our customers find that their system has degraded in terms of sound over the years, or they have have lost the joy of listening to music – although nothing has changed in the hi-fi chain. However, the environment does: mobile phones, WLAN routers and DECT telephones as well as LED lamps have just as negative an effect on the perception of music as the switched-mode power supplies installed in almost all modern electrical devices.
A simple way to try this is to turn off everything in the house you don't need and then listen to music. Of course, no one wants to modern, and life
achievements, so we offer ways to reduce the negative impact - we call this interference suppression.
The following example shows that there are sources of interference that most people don't even have on their radar: Two customers who were close friends had the same systems, loudspeakers and cables. Then one of them tried a new cinch cable between the CD player and amplifier, which really impressed him - and immediately recommended it to his friend. He borrowed it from us - and was amazed at the small difference. In no way did this justify the investment.
In a longer conversation with him, it turned out that he was sitting directly in front of a radiator. Only after we had suppressed it with a Phonosophie Aktivator Stab 300 (Activator rod from Phonosophie - HiFi test), he had similarly positive experiences as his friend with the new cinch cable and kept it.
Another important finding from this experience is that the individual sequence of the tuning measures plays an immensely important role. And that only becomes clear in a personal conversation with a good dealer. He should have a wide range of accessories, know the effect of the individual products based on his own experience and make them available to try out - either free of charge or with a money-back guarantee if something doesn't suit you.
The greater the wealth of experience, the more accurate the advice. We have almost no returns because we take a lot of time in advance to find out as much as possible about the existing system, the room, the sound and any change requests.
As a rule, you first have to make the customer aware that not only the system plays an important role in good sound, but also the environment. We are happy to provide the Vortex Hifi Iraser 4 Sigma (Test report Iraser 4 from VORTEX HIFI), a degausser and recommend wiping down the glass table and windowpanes in the music room before the next listening session.
Most customers are completely amazed at how much better the system sounds afterwards. This sensitizes them to the extent to which the environment affects the sound. The Vortex Hifi antistatic spray achieves a similar effect and most of the time customers ask about the positive experience, what else is there. Basically, we have found that all products from Vortex Hifi or Phonosophie really bring a lot. In a personal conversation, we clarify what the customer expects, what amount he wants to spend and make sure that he can systematically understand our selection in order to give him security.
Frank Wacker: Are there differences between the various manufacturers of interference suppression products - and can they be combined?
Siegfried Nehls: Basically, all energetic accessory products have an effect. However, we advise against the combination. Under certain circumstances, this leads to negative interactions that slow down further sound progress. Manufacturers who offer a wide range of interference suppression products such as Vortex Hifi or Phonosophie have an advantage here.
You can see the different sources of interference such as WLAN, LAN and DECT telephones, modern smart electricity meters, smoke detectors, switching power supplies, window panes, radiators and even geopathogenic interference zones (GeoPath by VORTEX Hifi – Hifi Test) and offer a wide variety of products tailored to the disruptors. These intertwine and this is how synergy effects are created: You start at one point, then the next step follows, which takes you further.
With every additional measure, progress is made - and without brakes and negative interactions. Amazingly, there is no limit to improvement. It just keeps getting better - which also gives us security as a retailer. We know that if we give the customer something, it will work.
I am impressed by how systematically Vortex Hifi boss Norbert Maurer or Ingo Hansen from Phonosophie approach the issue of suppression. There are also plenty of reasonable explanations on their websites that are made very understandable. If you want to find out more there, you can spend hours, days and weeks doing it. Norbert Maurer has been dealing with this topic for decades - and it's really amazing what he has developed during this time. There is nothing comparable on the market.
In fact, manufacturers also pursue different sound philosophies in this segment. Ingo Hansen from Phonosophie prefers a very live-like sound, which can sometimes be too much for systems that play very directly or people who want to cuddle while listening to music. A very reserved chain, on the other hand, really blossoms. Vortex Hifi products lead to a highly musical, pleasantly warm sound.
Frank Wacker: How many interference suppression products do you sell compared to classic accessories such as cables, power strips and the like?
Siegfried Nehls: It depends on the customer. Anyone who has solved the issue of power supply and device placement well takes a huge step forward with interference suppression accessories. With them, interference suppression technology plays the most important role. With good reason, for example, the Vortex Hifi Ground Optimizer has been a hit for years and is one of our most successful parts.
It eliminates the ground disturbances of the system. If you order a Ground Optimizer for testing, you keep it. This shows me that all stereo systems in the world in every price and quality class have the same problem, even under the most varied of conditions. And the Ground Optimizer solves that – which I find sensational.
With the new ones available now MKII versions, the Oscillation Alignment Ground Optimizers, Norbert Maurer has again significantly improved the bestseller. They are rock hard, but also have bad side effects (Siegried Nehls grins – editor's note). If someone has an "old one," they want the "new one." And then we have to take the predecessor in part exchange - which we don't really like doing. After all, we can then offer beginners a cheaper product.
There is also an option to tune the existing Ground Optimizer. For example with the Vortex Hifi Oscillation Alignment Antistatic Spray - that brings a lot. You can also use the contacts with the Vortex Hifi Oscillation Alignment Contact Oil treat, because strong interference occurs directly at the contacts. You can hear that too. Of course, it doesn't work as well as an Oscillation Alignment Ground Optimizer.
To be honest, you don't necessarily have to put your money into a new ground optimizer if you already own one. You should first tackle the many other sources of interference, because the basic rule applies to interference suppression: it is better to eliminate as many problem areas as possible with your budget than to just concentrate on one problem in order to improve it as much as possible.
Frank Wacker: Can you give our readers a summary of the most important basic tips when it comes to interference suppression products?
Siegfried Nehls: The first thing I would advise is to look for a good local dealer who has a wide range of interference suppression products, knows them from personal experience and is available to try them out. It's no use just reading something. The author of a test report knows neither your system nor your premises and your listening taste. These points are just too individual and different. Only a personal exchange with a competent dealer can help.
If something does not work as expected, you should talk to your dealer about it. Sometimes there are a few pitfalls to be aware of. The interference suppression accessories in particular only develop their full potential after a few days. Classic reconnecting, as is known from normal cables, devices or loudspeakers, rarely works here. Sometimes it's enough to turn the power plug 180 degrees or change its position in the power strip and it works really well.
Many customers also have to get used to the change. After three or four days, people often come up with comments like "I suddenly hear three voices instead of two on one of my favorite tracks" or "I can now distinguish front and back much more clearly". When this gain in perception happens, they don't want to go back. Our brain often just needs time to adjust to the new impressions. If I perceive more details of a recording, then I not only hear the positive things, but also the recording errors. And that can be confusing.
In addition, our experience shows that the effectiveness of interference suppression lies in the density of measures (Article "Interference suppression products in practice"). We can't eliminate all disruptors 100 percent, but the more places we attack, the greater the gain in sound. So you can always take a step forward with a small investment - until more and more goosebumps appear. That's exactly what we want to achieve.
Frank Wacker: Mr. Nehls, thank you very much for the interview and the many tips. I'm very excited to try the new Oscillation Alignment Ground Optimizers.
Here you can find the offprint as a PDF: