Fanfare review by a typical bloke

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   As there is not as much reading material around about the Gram Amp 3 Fanfare and a fait bit of that is past it's use by date,  I thought I'd  add my own recent observations. For reference my (13 days in use) Fanfare, replaced my 11 year old much used and enjoyed NAD PP2 and is fed by a standard Denon DL-103R.
Elsewhere, the measured noise is referred to as being high and other reviewers "can" hear it impacting the sound. Well yes, some hiss is there, BUT, only if I go looking for it by sticking my head next to the speaker as per the NAD. Nothing to hear from my listening position. (If only the rest of the room was as quiet, ceiling fan, air conditioning, insects chirruping away after sun down).

The other regularly mentioned concern was mobile phone interference, within these forum pages,  Graham has described it as spreading faster than the dreaded Giant Hogweed, but he has since conquered it. As I've never experienced it, I therefore tried to provoke the Fanfare by leaving my phone next to the turntable for 3 listening sessions. I'm clearly not cut out for this reviewer job as I failed to get any response.

I next tried to get it to pick up hum from other equipment, this also failed and thus meant I could position the unit where it looked best.  A commendable note here is the small and not overly bright power indicator LED.

Now on to what I can hear! Fresh out of the box I got bucket loads more of everything that you want! Right across the range from a deeper fuller bass through to a crisp clean treble. The tautness of the drums, the crash and then shimmer of the decaying cymbals were immediately evident. Lots more detail, vocals are so real and clear! Everything so familiar is now different in a good way! Then after a few days and many albums, realization that on some noisy records surface noise was reduced and pushed into the background, this resulted in a long ignored album being dug out, then played completely and enjoyed for the first time in years.

But the greatest difference is the sum of all these improvements and which really came into focus after about 9 days, when I close my eyes and remove the visual input, my speakers almost disappear! I'm sat in a wide and deep soundstage so real I feel I could get up and walk through it. I now understand when people refer to instruments appearing in their own space.

Obviously named "Fanfare" reflecting it's abilities at a modest price, but it delivers far more than that. "A fanfare (or fanfarade or flourish) is a short musical flourish". This Fanfare gives you the whole performance with a standing ovation! It's a brilliant little Musical Box!

So having now made two references to Genesis's Nursery Cryme Album, I'm going to go give that another play whilst enjoying another brilliant Yorkshire export, Theakston's Old P. Then I can finish by miss-quoting an old Acoustic Research slogan, "Hearing what I've been missing!"

Cheers all, enjoy your music. 

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JADinOZ Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List New Member Joined: 13 Apr 2018 Status: Offline Points: 16	Post Options Post Reply Quote JADinOZ Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Topic: Fanfare review by a typical bloke Posted: 24 Apr 2018 at 2:58am
	As there is not as much reading material around about the Gram Amp 3 Fanfare and a fait bit of that is past it's use by date, I thought I'd add my own recent observations. For reference my (13 days in use) Fanfare, replaced my 11 year old much used and enjoyed NAD PP2 and is fed by a standard Denon DL-103R. Elsewhere, the measured noise is referred to as being high and other reviewers "can" hear it impacting the sound. Well yes, some hiss is there, BUT, only if I go looking for it by sticking my head next to the speaker as per the NAD. Nothing to hear from my listening position. (If only the rest of the room was as quiet, ceiling fan, air conditioning, insects chirruping away after sun down). The other regularly mentioned concern was mobile phone interference, within these forum pages, Graham has described it as spreading faster than the dreaded Giant Hogweed, but he has since conquered it. As I've never experienced it, I therefore tried to provoke the Fanfare by leaving my phone next to the turntable for 3 listening sessions. I'm clearly not cut out for this reviewer job as I failed to get any response. I next tried to get it to pick up hum from other equipment, this also failed and thus meant I could position the unit where it looked best. A commendable note here is the small and not overly bright power indicator LED. Now on to what I can hear! Fresh out of the box I got bucket loads more of everything that you want! Right across the range from a deeper fuller bass through to a crisp clean treble. The tautness of the drums, the crash and then shimmer of the decaying cymbals were immediately evident. Lots more detail, vocals are so real and clear! Everything so familiar is now different in a good way! Then after a few days and many albums, realization that on some noisy records surface noise was reduced and pushed into the background, this resulted in a long ignored album being dug out, then played completely and enjoyed for the first time in years. But the greatest difference is the sum of all these improvements and which really came into focus after about 9 days, when I close my eyes and remove the visual input, my speakers almost disappear! I'm sat in a wide and deep soundstage so real I feel I could get up and walk through it. I now understand when people refer to instruments appearing in their own space. Obviously named "Fanfare" reflecting it's abilities at a modest price, but it delivers far more than that. "A fanfare (or fanfarade or flourish) is a short musical flourish". This Fanfare gives you the whole performance with a standing ovation! It's a brilliant little Musical Box! So having now made two references to Genesis's Nursery Cryme Album, I'm going to go give that another play whilst enjoying another brilliant Yorkshire export, Theakston's Old P. Then I can finish by miss-quoting an old Acoustic Research slogan, "Hearing what I've been missing!" Cheers all, enjoy your music.

Graham Slee Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Admin Group Retired Joined: 11 Jan 2008 Location: South Yorkshire Status: Offline Points: 16280	Post Options Post Reply Quote Graham Slee Report Post Thanks(1) Quote Reply Posted: 24 Apr 2018 at 9:27am
	Thank you John. I don't think "others" realise the amount of work that goes into obtaining..., err..., let me just quote you... "Fresh out of the box I got bucket loads more of everything that you want! Right across the range from a deeper fuller bass through to a crisp clean treble. The tautness of the drums, the crash and then shimmer of the decaying cymbals were immediately evident. Lots more detail, vocals are so real and clear! Everything so familiar is now different in a good way! Then after a few days and many albums, realization that on some noisy records surface noise was reduced and pushed into the background, this resulted in a long ignored album being dug out, then played completely and enjoyed for the first time in years. But the greatest difference is the sum of all these improvements and which really came into focus after about 9 days, when I close my eyes and remove the visual input, my speakers almost disappear! I'm sat in a wide and deep soundstage so real I feel I could get up and walk through it. I now understand when people refer to instruments appearing in their own space." They don't realise the real headaches involved in designing a product to do music instead of the noise performance they are so obviously preoccupied with. There's another post on here where the worry such reviews cause, has got to another customer. Having said that, it is almost always when a Fanfare is used with a particular amp... It's not that things aren't auditioned in development with quiet music; Led Zeppelin's Moby Dick has Bonham playing drums so quiet that they probably totally disappear with some kit. I have explained how dead and lifeless low-noise circuitry sounds till I'm blue in the face, and all the scientific knowledge on the subject says the same - but the hi-fi fraternity have developed a science of their own and they like to avoid the science I, and the rest of the world, work with. So thanks for being brave enough to have the faith to buy one. Faith in this case was rewarded. The name springs from Arron Copland's "Fanfare for the common man", me being common, being also a typical bloke (no airs and graces).
	That none should be able to buy or sell without a smartphone and the knowledge in how to use apps

JADinOZ Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List New Member Joined: 13 Apr 2018 Status: Offline Points: 16	Post Options Post Reply Quote JADinOZ Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 29 Apr 2018 at 2:48am
	Thanks Graham, yep, that's the difference summed up very concisely! "Dead and lifeless" verses alive and kicking, dynamic, vibrant etc. etc. A few more days and many albums later, I've never enjoyed my music so much. I'm growing accustomed to the Higher Fidelity but still astonished at how much more music I can hear. I regularly play the same album or side back to back as I can't believe the improvement. I wonder if my previous statement about the soundstage coming into focus after 9 days was more a user issue. i.e. I couldn't hear the music as I was too busy listening to individual instruments! As for being brave, not really, anyone who has read Geoff's (member gmbd) 2009 experience can buy with confidence! Cheers

JADinOZ Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List New Member Joined: 13 Apr 2018 Status: Offline Points: 16	Post Options Post Reply Quote JADinOZ Report Post Thanks(2) Quote Reply Posted: 16 Nov 2023 at 10:46pm
	It's been 5 years since I got my Fanfare and it's now time to say farewell. In that time a lot of my system has been seriously upgraded, for the last 12 months my "Entry Level" Fanfare has been fed by a Cadenza Blue. Whilst many would stress about the Blue being held back, I have instead just listened in awe of how good the Fanfare can be, even if it is the apparent weak link. Today, records I've played 20 times or more in the last 12 months still amaze me with the extra detail and realism. The backing vocals can easily be identified as 2 or 3 separate voices and the soundstage is presented in even more 3D. But, it is with much anticipation that I await delivery of my Accession MC/Enigma (now in Australia). Lots of the reviews of this describe exactly what has impressed me about the Fanfare as being improved over their old Reflex C etc. I'm sure that shortly I will be even more amazed! So once again. Thank you Graeme, your products make the music of the "Kings" available to the "Common Man" Cheers

Fanfare review by a typical bloke

Cadman Enterprises Limited
7 Kirkstall Close
South Anston
Sheffield S25 5BA
England

+44 (0) 1909 568739
+44 (0) 7947 107188

john at gspaudio.co.uk

Fanfare review by a typical bloke

Cadman Enterprises Limited7 Kirkstall CloseSouth AnstonSheffield S25 5BAEngland

+44 (0) 1909 568739+44 (0) 7947 107188

john at gspaudio.co.uk

Cadman Enterprises Limited
7 Kirkstall Close
South Anston
Sheffield S25 5BA
England

+44 (0) 1909 568739
+44 (0) 7947 107188