转自：HiFi+编辑部
原标题：HiFiMAN Shangri-La Junior electrostatic headphone and valve-driven amplifier
原文链接：https://hifiplus.com/articles/hifiman-shangri-la-junior-electrostatic-headphone-and-valve-driven-amplifier/
Many audiophiles and music lovers dream of owning the best audio components, but don’t want to shell out as much as a luxury automobile to get them. While no-holds-barred systems advance the state of the art, they are out of the reach of most audiophiles and music enthusiasts. What I like to find are components that approach the state-of-the-art, but are much more affordable, like HiFiMAN’s amazing Shangri-La Junior electrostatic headphone system ($8,000 US, £7,998 UK).
许多音响发烧友和音乐爱好者都梦想着拥有最好的音响设备，但并不想花买一辆豪华汽车的钱。而顶级的音响系统确实提升了技术水准，但它们却是大多数音响和音乐发烧友所无法企及的。我更喜欢寻找的是接近最顶级的设备，但又更便宜，如HIFIMAN推出的令人惊艳的“小香格里拉”静电耳机系统，价格为8000美元或7998英镑。
Electrostatic transducers have captured my attention since I first heard the original Quad loudspeakers several decades ago. I have owned several pairs of original Quad ESL57 and ESL-63 speakers, and still enjoy a set of refurbished ESL57s. The Quads bring the musical event closer to me than most other transducers, but they can be somewhat difficult to drive and typically don’t plumb the subterranean depths as do many loudspeakers sporting dynamic drivers. However, I find myself coming back to electrostats time and again because of their transparency, coherence, lightning quick and focused transient response, clarity, and their natural-sounding harmonics.
几十年前，我第一次听到原厂的Quad音箱，静电音箱系统深深地打动了我。我拥有几对原厂的Quad ESL57和ESL-63音箱，并且仍然很喜欢其中一套经过翻新的ESL57。Quads带来的听音体验比大多数其他扬声系统都更讨好我，但他们或许有点不易驱动，通常也不会下潜很深，不像那些动圈喇叭的音箱。然而，我还是发现自己一次又一次地回归静电扬声系统，因为它们的透明度、协调性和闪电般迅捷的瞬态响应，绝好的清澈度，以及它们那听起来自然天成的和谐。
The Shangri-La Jr. electrostatic headphone system, including a valve-driven amplifier, comes very close to the best audio systems I have heard, including HiFiMAN’s own Shangri-La and Sennheiser’s HE-1. Both those state-of-the-art contenders cost over $50k, so the fact that the ‘Junior’ gives up very little in terms of sonic performance is quite an achievement!
小香格里拉静电耳机系统，也包含有一个静电耳机放大器，已经非常接近我曾听过最好的音频系统，包括HIFIMAN自家的香格里拉静电耳机系统和森海塞尔HE-1。而这两个最旗舰的竞争者售价超过5万美元，所以事实上，“Junior”即便是对音频性能指标上做了一定程度的取舍，也显然是一项相当了不起的成就了！
Like the reference Shangri-La (which I’ll call the ‘Senior’), the Junior uses an ultra-thin, very low mass diaphragm suspended between two oppositely charged stators that are rapidly charged and discharged to move the diaphragm back and forth, producing remarkably coherent sound that only a single driver system can provide. While a lot of the technology in the Junior headphone unit is similar to the reference Senior, it uses a smaller driver or diaphragm. According to designer Dr. Fang Bian, HiFiMAN’s Founder and CEO, the Junior’s smaller circular-shaped driver is actually a bit faster than the Senior’s larger oval-shaped one. The nano-particle coating on both ultra-thin (less than 0.001mm) diaphragms is very evenly distributed to avoid hot spots, and the stators share similar materials. Both use sophisticated micro-mesh wire stators working in close proximity to the diaphragm to increase openness and minimize distortion while allowing extended frequency response from 7Hz to 120kHz. Overtones in the high frequencies are undistorted, enabling voices and instruments to sound more natural, while deep tones are extended and controlled.
对比参照大香格里拉，小香格里拉使用了超薄，超轻的振膜悬挂在两个相对安装的的定子之间，同快速充放电来回震动震膜，产生非常一致协调的声音，只有特殊的耳放系统可以驱动。虽说许多技术在初级耳机单元有类似的参考项，但是小香耳机使用一个更小的驱动单元或振膜。据HIFIMAN的创始人兼CEO边仿博士介绍，小香耳机上的圆形单元实际上比大香的椭圆形驱动器响应速度更快一些，两个超薄(小于0.001mm)振膜上的纳米粒子涂层非常均匀地分布，以避免热点，而且固定片使用相似的材料。两者都使用精密的微网钢丝定子，在接近振膜的情况下工作，以增加开放性和减少失真，同时允许频响从7Hz扩展到120kHz。高频率的泛音是不失真的，使人声和乐器声听起来更自然，而声音下潜也是延伸和可控的。
The Junior’s attractive amplifier is more compact and less ambitious than the awesome amplifier provided with the Senior, but it is a honey. It shares a similar circuit structure with the larger Senior model’s amplifier and also uses a stepped attenuator volume control to keep the signal pure. While certainly not portable, the Junior’s amplifier is easily ‘luggable’ and fits comfortably on a desk, tabletop, or nightstand. Its input stage, using four matched 6SN7N valves, produces a wide soundstage and musicality in spades. The Junior amp is a hybrid, mating a Class A output stage with the valve input stage. It is able to drive difficult loads and at the recent AXPONA show, it drove both the Shangri-La Senior and Junior simultaneously via its two five-pin electrostatic headphone jacks. Some show attendees plugged their Stax headphones into the amp and reported very good results. The Junior’s amp (available separately for $5,000 US, or £4,399 UK) is worthy of a separate review—it’s that good!
小香格里拉静电耳机系统的耳机放大器很具吸引力，比大香格里拉所提供的令人惊艳的耳机放大器更紧凑，也显得没有那么夸张，但它是一个宝贝。它使用一个类似的电路结构高阶的耳机放大器，也使用了一个阶梯式衰减音量控制，以保持音源信号纯净。虽然它并不便于携带，但小香的耳机放大器更容易放置，可以舒适地放在写字台、桌面或床头柜上。它的输入部分，使用4个匹配的6SN7N管，产生一个宽广的声场和音乐味。耳机放大器是一种混合体，配合A级输出与真空管输入。在最近AXPONA音响展上，它通过两个五针静电耳机插孔同时驱动着大香与小香，一些到场的烧友将STAX静电耳机插入耳机放大器，也展现了非常不俗的效果。小香的耳放部分也提供单独发售，售价5000美元（或4399英镑)，很值得单独来进行评测——它实在太棒了!
The Shangri-La Junior and Senior share a lot of the same outstanding sonic attributes—particularly ‘see-through’ transparency, startling clarity, low colouration, and lightning-fast transients without any smearing. It’s difficult to match the seamless coherency of the Junior with any multi-driver transducer—as is apparent on demanding vocal and piano recordings.
小香格里拉和大香格里拉对比，拥有许多相同的声学特性，特别是“无比纯净”的纯净度、令人惊叹的清晰度、低染色以及闪电般无任何噪点的瞬态，这是小香耳机搭配其他静电耳放，所无法匹敌的，尤其是呈现在特定的人声和钢琴录音上。
Indeed, the Shangri-La Junior system excels at reproducing piano recordings with addictive sonic realism. The Junior’s wide-bandwidth, transparency, clarity, openness, and explosive dynamics all come into play here to produce a highly engaging result. I found myself transported to the recording venue and was able to hear all kinds of subtle details, typically obscured by other transducers, like the natural decay of the notes, the pedaling nuances, and the hammers hitting the strings on both classical and jazz recordings like Vladimir Ashkenazy performing Rachmaninov: Complete Works for Piano[Decca] and Bill Evans on the brilliant MoFi LP reissue of Sunday at the Village Vanguard.
事实上，小香格里拉静电耳机系统在重现钢琴录音方面表现优异，具有令人上瘾的真实声音。小香的宽广频段、透明度、解析力、开放性和爆破性的瞬态响应都在此发挥着作用。我发觉自己被送到了录音现场，能够听到各种微妙的音乐细节，通常会被其他乐器所遮掩，比如音符的自然衰减、踏脚板的细微差别以及在古典和爵士乐录音中敲打琴弦的槌子，比如弗拉基米尔·阿什肯纳齐演奏拉赫玛尼诺夫《钢琴全辑》、比尔·埃文斯在MoFi LP重新录音发行的《周日在村庄先锋》。
Another difficult challenge involves reproducing human voices accurately and realistically and the Junior excels in this area, too. Listening to an SACD of Nat King Cole singing “Stardust” on Love is the Thing[Analogue Productions], I was reminded of how silky-smooth his voice was, as well as of its gorgeous timbre. Via the Junior, Nat’s clear diction and impeccable phrasing help to draw one into the music and performance. Female voices like Sara Vaughn’s on Ballads [Roulette Jazz] or Julie London’s on Cry Me A River[Liberty Records] are seductive and mesmerizing, and massed voices on Reference Recordings’ wonderful recording of John Rutter’s Requiemare close to the best I’ve heard outside of the concert hall. They’re spread across a wide and deep sound stage, the sound is rich and full-bodied, and one can clearly hear the ambience of the hall.
另一个艰难的挑战是精准真实地重现人声，而小香静电耳机在这方面同样很出色。听着纳特·金·科尔SACD在《Love is the Thing》(Analogue Productions)中演唱的《星尘》，令我浮想起了他柔顺的嗓音和华美的音色。在《少年时代》中，纳特清晰的吐字和无懈可击的歌词有助于将观众引领到音乐和表演中。像Sara Vaughn在Ballads中的女声，或着是Julie London在Cry Me A River中的女声都是无比迷人的，而在聆听John Rutter的《安魂曲》时，其中美妙录音中的人声，是我在音乐厅之外听到的最好表现。人声散布在宽广而深潜的声场中，声音丰富而浓郁，并且你可以清晰地听到大厅的氛围感。
With its extended frequency response and low colouration, the Junior is ruthlessly revealing of flaws in source material, cables, and associated electronics, and the Junior sounds better with well-recorded high-resolution tracks and LPs. As with many reference components, the better the ancillary equipment and cables you use the better the sound will be. My tube-based Modwright-Oppo player, aided by a Shunyata Research Alpha power cable, produced far better results than what I heard from the Junior at both CanJam SoCal and AXPONA. Specifically, the sound was significantly more neutral and natural with these better associated components and cables than in the trade show demos. (I suspect the noisy hotel power at both shows was the culprit).
其延伸良好的频响和低染色，小香静电耳机系统无情地暴露了有缺陷的音源、线材和相关的外设电子产品，小香可以更好的重现良好的高解码格式的曲目和黑胶。与很多参考级配件一样，辅助设备和线材使用得越好，声音也就越好。我的电子管Modwright-Oppo播放器，在Shunyata Research Alpha电源线的加持下，比我从南加州CanJam展和AXPONA展上听到的小香耳机效果要好很多。具体说，与展会上相比，这些搭配更好配件和线材的声音呈现明显更加素净和自然耐听。我甚至怀疑举办这两个展的酒店供电才是元凶。
One common criticism of electrostatic transducer designs is their lack of bass, but this is not true with either of the Shangri-La’s. The Junior has extended and well-controlled bass and can even reproduce the deep pedal tones of a church organ on recordings like Reference Recordings’ Saint-Saens Symphony No.3, the organ symphony. Better still, you don’t have to worry about over-driving your room reproducing those deep tones! The bass guitar on the late great Jaco Pastorius’ Word of Mouthalbum [Warner Bros.] was quite satisfying with phenomenal bass articulation and zero overhang. Sam Jones’ bass on Somethin’ Else[Analogue Productions’ Blue Note SACD reissue] sounds like the real thing without the additional bass bloat so often heard on other systems. Indeed, listening to this album featuring Cannonball Adderley and Miles Davis, places you right in the recording venue and the transient quickness, rhythmic drive, and clarity of Art Blakey’s drums add to the excitement of the performance. Another hallmark of the Junior is that instruments sound amazingly realistic and balanced, with true natural timbre. Both Cannonball’s alto sax and Miles’ trumpet sounded ‘spot on’ in this terrific recording.
对静电耳机系统设计的一个常见诟病，是指它们的低频表现不足，但这并不是香格里拉耳机的问题。小香的低频音质很赞，甚至可以圣桑的《第三交响曲》等管风琴交响曲中再现教堂管风琴的低沉低音。更赞的是，你无需担心你的房间会过度重放那些低沉音调!在已故伟大的Jaco Pastorius的“Word of Mouthalbum ”的低音吉他中，可以呈现相当惊人的低频形体感和结像。Sam Jones的贝斯在Something Else听起来非常真实自然，没有在其他耳机系统上常听到的低频过量。事实上，听着这张由Cannonball Adderley和Miles Davis合作的专辑，你就会置身于录音室现场，而Art Blakey的鼓点所带来的短暂快节奏、节奏的拿捏和清晰度平添了表演中的愉悦感。小香另一个标志性优点是器乐部分听起来令人惊叹的真切平衡，以及真实的自然音色。在这段美妙录音中，坎农鲍尔的中音萨克斯管和迈尔斯的小号听起来都是那么的“恰到好处”。
Did I mention that the Junior can also rock? It is able to reproduce wide dynamic changes so quickly that it can send chills down your spine! Additionally, percussion instruments are reproduced with amazingly clean and quick transients, propelling the music forward with excitement on albums like the reissues of Jimi Hendrix’s Electric Ladyland[Sony Legacy] and Led Zeppelin II[Atlantic]. I found myself listening to entire albums when I thought I would only listen to one track.
我有提过小香耳机也会适合摇滚吗？它能够揭示宽广的动态变化是如此之快，甚至于可以让你的脊背发冷！此外，打击乐器的再现与惊人干净而迅捷的瞬态响应，高效演示了优秀的专辑，如Jimi Hendrix的Electric Ladyland和Led Zeppelin II的重新发售。最终，当我以为只会听一首歌时，我却完整的听完了整张专辑。
If you covet the best headphone systems in the world but don’t want to spend more than fifty-large, the Shangri-La Jr. will get you very close at a fraction of the price provided you feed it well-recorded source material and clean power, and avoid lean-sounding DACs and cables. Given how close it comes to the best reference headphone systems, the Shangri-La Junior is a stunning achievement!
如果你渴望拥有世界上最棒的耳机系统，但又没有太多的预算，那么只需你给它提供录制优良的音乐和干净的电源，并避免搭配听起来很干瘪的DAC和线材。小香格里拉就可以说有一个很亲民的价格，特别是当它无限接近最棒的参考级耳机系统，小香格里拉委实是一个令人叹服的成就!
