It has taken a long time to complete the Cello Chorale preamp and Master power supply. Longer than I would have ever imagined. However, their availability at the end of this month finally allows us, along with the previously available Cello Rhapsody amplifier and Cello Strings cables, the opportunity to promote, in a meaningful manner, Matthew James and our version of Cello products.

On the homepage of our web site it states:

In the 17th and 18th centuries, Italian master instrument makers developed and virtually perfected what we regard today as the modern string instruments. The name, Cello, embodies the spirit and concept of our products. We are dedicated to furthering the art of music reproduction by designing and building equipment of only the very highest quality in limited quantities by hand. Although we are developing and utilizing new technology, Cello is really continuing a very old, traditional approach used by artisans for hundreds of years.

Cello products are built by people committed to exploring the furthest limits in performance and quality. Because of this attitude, Cello does not follow the style - Cello sets the standard.

The justification for a great music system is the same as for a great instrument: it makes possible a musical experience that cannot be duplicated by lesser means.

This philosophy is evidenced completely in the Chorale preamp and Master power supply. They have been designed to provide sonic quality, consistent performance and reliability. Their development has centered on the desire to create an ideal analog interface using technology from the audio, aerospace, biomedical and computer industries.

In the Chorale and Master, low noise, extremely stable parts are used throughout for highest clarity and maximum resolution. Beyond unsurpassed performance, we demand from individual component parts reliable implementation and longevity. Following their initial selection, we subject these parts to rigorous performance and reliability tests before they are assembled into the components.

All printed circuit boards use traces that are drawn by hand, all parts are inserted into the board by hand, and individually soldered to the boards by hand, as each of these provide tremendously improved reliability and absolute maximization of performance.

All internal signal cabling is hand-made from solid silver, and is shielded and grounded with extraordinary care. All told, it requires 85 hours of labor to build, assemble and test a completed Chorale and Master.

We spent the greater part of two years exploring various remote controls and found nothing we could use that did not compromise the sound of the Cello 59-position output level control. Our partner in Matthew James is the James Ippolito & Co. They are involved in both precision manufacturing for the defense and medical instrumentation industries, and they are also a completely functioning machine shop for metal. The association with James Ippolito, and various other companies through them, has allowed us to make much more precise metal parts in this output control than those previously used in Cello products.

Additionally, we have changed the contact material of the wiper in this control to a silver alloy that contains 10% gold and 10% platinum developed for guidance systems for military hardware and satellite communications. Its resistance to corrosion and tarnish made it attractive to us and it is guaranteed for 50 years of continual service with stable contact resistance for low noise. The latest generation of this control is incorporated in the Chorale and continues to set the standard for sonic excellence, reliability, and precision tracking as it has for more than 20 years. Remote control of any kind diminished performance and so could not be included.

This decision, freeing us from consideration of remote control, in turn led to our being able to consider large, hand-soldered rotary switches for input selection and monitoring. These switches offer superior performance and reliability through positive indexing and electrical contact systems. While other types of switches allow for sources to be selected and volume to be controlled via remote control, none of these offer the sonic excellence of the switches chosen. Again, any convenience, which detracted from sonic performance, was not considered for inclusion in the Chorale.

In the process of designing the Chorale and Master, we developed the circuitry so that it would be retrofitable into Suites, Palettes and original Encore preamplifiers, thereby allowing the thousands of owners of those classic Cello products to have an upgrade path while maintaining a portion of the value inherent in the products they already own. With a similar intention, any current owner of the Audio Suite, Audio Palette or Encore preamplifier can purchase the new Master power supply with a stunning offer.

Current owners of these classic Cello products, who have their audio circuitry updated, and purchase a new Master power supply, will receive a new 5 year warranty covering the complete product, both the upgraded components and the remaining original components from their original product. This is a unique offer, bringing a new level of performance, and a new 5 year warranty, to components that may have been manufactured as long as 20 years ago, by a company that has been out of business for more than five years.

The Chorale preamplifier is built on three levels of circuit boards. The first level is a motherboard that contains the ground and power supply routing. Extensive ground plane techniques minimize interference from radiated energies. Large printed circuit paths for DC power reduce detrimental voltage drops caused by resistance and inductance.

The second level is a second motherboard that contains precision parts and circuit wiring. The active circuitry is built on individual boards that make up the third level of circuitry and mount on standoffs made from extremely pure copper flashed with silver through which the signal flows to and from the motherboards. This practice minimizes any losses and distortions of the signal, while improving contact reliability. Non-magnetic hardware, used throughout the Chorale, insures that signal flow will not be disrupted by magnetic interference.

The Chorale has a total of six inputs including phono, a balanced line input, and four single-ended line inputs. It contains a total of ten audio amplifiers, and four power supply regulators in addition to the external power supply.

Four (4) single-ended, line level stereo inputs, all with a 1 MegOhms input impedance, with very small amounts of capacitance in parallel for RF filtering and circuit compensation, are provided. The 1 MegOhms input buffer amplifiers allow all line level sources to perform with the lowest distortion, maximum clarity and depth of imaging. These buffer amplifiers, which accept the signal from the input selector and drive the Monitor control switch, prevent recorders or processors, connected to the Chorale's fixed outputs, from adversely affecting the performance of line level sources.

The gain and input impedance of the phono section are programmable to accommodate any cartridge. Phono performance is enhanced since the RIAA circuitry is buffered from all loading by the 1MegOhms buffer amps. The Chorale may be ordered with or without phono section activated.

There are two sets of single-ended outputs (RCA-type) and one set of balanced outputs (XLR-type) controlled by the 59-position volume control in 1dB steps. The balanced output contains four individual, discrete amplifiers for the plus and minus signals for each channel, providing Class A, symmetrical output to drive power amplifiers with balanced inputs.

As with the balanced line amplifier circuitry of the Chorale, the output level control has been designed to allow its use in existing Audio Suites, Audio Palettes and the original Encore preamplifier. Again, details of update programs will be announced shortly.

The left and right output amplifiers have switchable gain from 1 to 10dB in 1dB steps, controlled individually, by channel, from the front panel. For the most efficient systems 0dB line gain is ideal. For systems with less efficiency, or amplifier input sensitivity, 10dB gain is more appropriate. The ability to add left and right gain individually allows for channel balance control as well. From a sonic point of view, the individual gain controls permit the optimization of system performance. There are also two sets of single-ended fixed outputs, designed to drive an audio recorder or processor's inputs.

The external Master power supply includes a mu-metal shielded 350VA transformer and initial regulation stage which produces + 30VDC. The DC signal is again regulated within the Chorale to provide + 25VDC individually to the input and output sections through separate regulators. Precision 10 turn trimpots allow exact calibration of tracking voltages. DC voltages are transported from the Master to the Chorale via substantial copper cables terminated with a heavy duty connector at the Chorale and silver/rhodium spades at the Master. Existing owners of Audio Suites, Audio Palettes and the original Encore preamplifier can purchase the Master power supply, DC cabling and the Chorale Regulator boards separately as a system upgrade.

The chasses of both the preamplifier and power supply are manufactured with heavy aluminum plates on all six sides. Front, top and side panels are of the traditional clear anodized finish that has been used in Cello products for the past 20 years. The machining of the internal side of both the top and front pieces provides performance benefits by reducing the destructive influences of eddy currents, as well as electrostatic and thermodynamic flows.

Three specially designed feet, utilizing ball bearings of hardened steel and a precision coating, eliminate the possibility of surface-borne disruptions from affecting the performance of the circuitry. The feet are made from hardened stainless steel that has been treated with a low-temperature multi-state process of electrocoating based upon chrome plating technology. The process involves cleaning and removing the matrix on the metals surface by chemical and mechanical means. The proprietary process causes the metallic elements to permeate the pores of the metal, actually becoming a part of the metal itself, and insuring a positive lasting bond between the basis metal and the surface. The precision coating is a deposit of chromium with the addition of spherical diamond particulates one ten-thousandth of an inch thick, bonded to the stainless steel substrate, with a hardness factor of 98Rc. Between the surfaces of the feet are the 3 stainless steel ball bearings, whose tops and bottoms are the only points upon which the Chorale and Master (and also the Rhapsody amplifier) rest.

The feet reduce the broadband intermodulation distortion generated when the component is moved however slightly, and is effective down to a frequency of less than .5Hz. They are located at specific points under the components to maximize their effectiveness at isolation and allow performance to be unhampered by the environment.

This finish was, until recently, only used in military and aerospace applications, but is now also used on devices in medical/surgical environments where long life expectancy, extreme wear protection, and low frictional characteristics are important. Available separately in a set of three, these feet can be used with benefit under any piece of electronics or transducers in an audio system.

The knobs of the Chorale are hand milled from solid rods of brass and specially processed to offer operational ease and enduring cosmetic appearance. As a final touch, all nomenclature is hand engraved and filled for elegance and longevity, imparting a level of craftsmanship reflective of every other aspect of the product.

Matthew James, L.L.C. has also developed the next generation of Cello Strings Interconnect and Speaker Cables. The immediate impression, listening to these cables, is the tonal neutrality and lack of veiling. The ability to create a sense of depth and space, along with ambience and detail retrieval, recreate the likeness of a concert stage. In our experience, the characteristics of speed and harmonic richness have been mutually exclusive in cables, either the cable is fast with a bit of leanness, or it is not lean but seems a bit slow. The Cello Strings disprove this theory, as they manage to capture the full harmonic richness of recordings while maintaining speed. The macrodynamics and microdynamics are exemplary at both the ppp and fff ranges of the dynamic scale.

Designed with the basic presumption that the ideal conductor of electrical signal is both wide and flat, Cello Strings are constructed using flat conductors of very pure silver for the interconnects and copper for the speaker cables. The conductors in both cables are quite substantial, AWG 13 for the interconnect cables and AWG 10 for the speaker cables. In both cables the conductors are very close to each other, separated by ultra-thin layers of polyester terepthalate, insulated with kapton, and twisted together within a jacket of Lexan polycarbonate polymer. The effect is that the cables are very insensitive to distortion from AC line or RF interference. Though the cables are not shielded in the conventional sense, having two ribbon conductors, one on top of the other, makes the cables resistant to electromagnetic interference (EMI) and RFI.

The Cello Strings Speaker Cables are low inductance (4nH per foot) and low impedance (@3 ohms) and have a loop resistance of 1.1mohms per foot. Low inductance is of paramount importance in speaker cables-inductance rolls off high frequencies-while capacitance (unless it is extremely high) matters less. The low impedance matches as closely as possible the impedance of speakers, eliminating the signal reflections that are the result of mismatches between cables and speakers which add distortions to the upper midrange and high frequencies, as well as the lower midrange via entry into amplifier feedback loops. Cello Strings Speaker Cables are terminated with high quality Rhodium plated copper spades.

Cello Strings Interconnect Cables incorporate the same type of flat, solid conductors, although in this instance, manufactured in silver, and insulated with a micro-thin dielectric film of kapton. For complete EMI and RF noise rejection the interconnects include a ground plane placed between the two signal carriers. Cello Strings Interconnect Cables are available in single ended configuration, terminated with RCA connectors, or in a balanced configuration, terminated with either high quality XLR or Fischer connectors (for use with Cello products previously manufactured by Cello, Ltd.).

In comparison to the original Cello Strings, owners of those original cables, when making the change to the current Cello Strings from Matthew James, will find the highs audibly smoother, a much better mid-bass, improved harmonic richness and definition, as well as an enhanced sense of ambient air about the low frequency instruments. Regarding the deepest bass, the original Strings have a shade more wallop and impact, but we find the current Strings to sound the more satisfying overall in the lower frequencies because of their improved articulation of the mid-bass and the sense of definition on extremely low note fundamentals.

Finally, we continue to regularly manufacture the Rhapsody amplifier, now completing our third year of production without a single electrical service incident. In the Rhapsody amplifier all performance decisions were made in order to provide a wide dynamic range, to resist overload, and to remain stable under demanding situations. The Rhapsody amplifier is designed to maintain the lowest possible levels of distortion under actual use and to perform well under the complex resistive, reactive and regenerative loading which loudspeakers present to an amplifier. The design approach has been to place importance on the requirements of actual music and film sound reproduction, as opposed to simply measuring well on a test bench.

All electrical connections for signal flow within the Cello Rhapsody are accomplished via flat silver cables (AWG 10) insulated with Kapton, or by heavy, solid copper buss bars. The chassis is manufactured with heavy aluminum plates on all sides. Three specially designed feet, utilizing ball bearings eliminate the possibility of surface-borne disruptions from affecting the performance of the circuitry. A new style of 700VA torroidal transformer has been developed and utilized to improve efficiency and reduce the possibility of noise under all conditions.

The input stage of the Rhapsody amplifier remains under control under any overload condition. The design tactics were chosen because they provide wide dynamic range and provide a greater measure of resistance to overload, before loss of control, than other possible choices.

Considerable effort has been made to reduce low frequency errors, because most of the energy in music and film sound reproduction is present in this part of the frequency spectrum. It is crucial to maintain low intermodulation distortion of low level, high frequency information in the presence of large low- and mid-frequency signals under complex loading. In the Rhapsody, the driver and output stages are set to have the lowest distortion at small signal levels and to gradually increase with signal level. While this results in slightly higher total harmonic distortion measurements at full power levels, it conversely allows for the lowest possible distortion under actual listening conditions. Again, the requirements for accurate music and film sound reproduction have taken precedence in all design decisions.

The output stage of the Rhapsody employs six pairs of 250 watt, metal case, bipolar output devices per channel. The number and type of devices were chosen because they remain stable with a less complex circuit, requiring less negative feedback, and are easier to match to each other than other possible choices for this stage. The choice of devices, the location of devices on the heat sinks, and the heat sinks themselves, were carefully considered to minimize the temperature variations among the output devices. The power devices are mounted with all metal hardware, compression washers and special graphite and metal composite gaskets to insure maximum thermal conductivity and full utilization of the output devices. Once again, consistent performance, stability and reliability under normal conditions of actual use were the driving factors in the design.

The location of the transformer was carefully considered relative to the other circuitry in the amplifier that can be affected by the magnetic fields that it generates. Heavy nickel plated copper buss bars have been utilized to improve grounding and power distribution within the amplifier. The signal from the amplifier's audio channels is delivered to the speaker buss bars via flat silver cables (AWG 10) insulated with Kapton. Special high temperature filter capacitors, with high current terminals are used to insure the utmost in performance.

The dedicated master musician insists on using an instrument made by a great craftsman. To reproduce music faithfully and exquisitely requires nothing less than the very best audio equipment. Each product from Matthew James is a blend of proven principles from the past and new technological understandings. Something new is added only if it proves meaningful in performance. The value of each component lies in its ability to reproduce music with extreme accuracy and reliability over many years.

I remember reading in the abso!ute sound magazine 25 years ago about that "rare and valuable breed: namely those highly skilled craftsmen who stress perfectionist like quality over mere commercial concerns… a last fortress against pervasive encroaching waves of mass produced mediocrity". This quote, possibly more than any other, has shaped my view of Cello and Matthew James' role in the world of high end audio.

Each of the incremental improvements brought to the Rhapsody, Strings, Chorale and Master transform familiar recordings into new discoveries. The unaltered reproduction of the original attack, decay, harmonic structure, temporal relationships, and dynamics of a performance, reveal the true tonal quality of instruments and voices. The air and space around the instruments are preserved and the exact location of every performer is discernable. Even the most complex musical passages are reproduced effortlessly, retaining the most delicate nuances. This level of performance is only attained by combining advanced technology with a purist's approach to design and execution.

In each completed product, superior quality has been assured, first by meticulous planning and design, next by the choice of the finest materials, then by highly skilled hand construction of each unit, and finally by exhaustive testing and sonic evaluation.

Music, for thousands of years, has been the inspired expression of human emotion and possibility. Over the centuries gifted artisans like Amati and Stradivari have enabled composers to more clearly articulate their vision through the perfection of musical instruments.

Only in the last century have musical performances been recorded and for the past 50 years a dedicated group of people in high end audio have set out to create audio instruments which could flawlessly reproduce those recordings. We feel that this can only be achieved through an inspired fusion of talent including knowledge of musical performance, the mastery of electronic engineering, and the craftsman's ability to translate design into a functionally beautiful product. Working together we seek to produce impeccably crafted electronic instruments of enduring design. Every day we seek to create new levels of musical enjoyment as the central purpose of our labors. Jim McCullough, Managing Partner Matthew James, L.L.C. jimm@matthew-james.net

Matthew James 84 Long Hill Road Middlefield, Connecticut 06455 USA 860 349-5999   Fax 860 349-0579 Email - jimm@matthew-james.net