Axxess Acoustics Forté 3 streaming amplifier
Axxess Acoustics is the entry level range from Audio Group Denmark (AGD), a company that already has the Aavik, Ansuz and Børresen brands under its umbrella and which brings out more new product than your average conglomerate. This is entry level Danish style however so we’re not talking beer budget audio here, the least expensive Axxess Forté 1 streaming amplifier costs £5,000 but it has the same high build quality and power output as the Axxess Forté 3 at twice the price.
This might be confusing to the uninitiated but reflects the approach seen in the majority of AGD products where the differences are not counted in features or power output but in noise reduction device count. We have reviewed a number of these products in the past including the Ansuz Mainz8 power distributor and the Aavik S-180 streamer and D-180 DAC, and in each case the form and function of each device was exactly the same as sister models, only the noise and resonance control devices within them varied. The Aavik 180 series was the forerunner of the Axxess designs, they too inhabited composite wood based cases and formed the entry level within the AGD hierarchy.
The Axxess models look a lot more sexy than those older models, the superbly machined and finished metalwork and glass front really set these designs apart, the build reflects the asking price that’s for sure. In true Scandinavian style it’s minimal when it comes to buttons when you consider that the Axxess Forté 3 is an integrated amplifier with a DAC and streamer onboard, in fact without the remote control I found it tricky to change inputs. Reading the manual did help however, revealing that all manner of functions can be adjusted with either front panel controls or the remote, the latter being the easier option, especially as it works without line of sight which is very useful if you’re not facing the system.
Under the hood the Axxess Forté 3 runs what AGD call a UMAC amplifier, this is a variant on Class D which is said to produce less high frequency noise and thus requires less filtering at the output than more common varieties of the technology. It does this by using what the company calls a resonant mode power supply which increases operating frequency to provide peak power when it’s required. This same tech is found in all AGD amplifiers including the Aavik I-880 integrated at £67,000. The Axxess Forté amplifiers produce up to 100 watts into an 8 ohm load. One notable bonus that this tech brings is cool running, this amp has some heat sinking down its flanks but you can leave it on all day and it barely gets warm. That has got to be good for longevity, utility bills and the planet.
The Forté 3 has more noise reducing devices onboard than the Forté 1 and 2, it also has a copper base plate to its chassis which is effectively a shield so a noise reducing element in itself. The Axxess Forté website shows how many tesla coils and dither circuits each amp has and in AGD world more is better because it is electrically quieter, in this range the Forté 3 has a total of 328 Tesla coils of three types and nine dither circuits. AGD call the Tesla coils noise cancelling devices and as far as I know this company’s products are the only ones employing them. Other brands use various means to keep noise out of the signal and some have great success but none make this such a core principal of their designs. That said the art of power supply design is to be able to deliver the required amount power precisely when it’s required with the minimum of distortion, which is another word for noise in this situation, and most electronics brands do this to some degree.
The Forté 3 incorporates a 1-bit DAC circuit that was developed in-house using an FPGA to eliminate switching from the digital to analogue process, this is a very ambitious undertaking to say the least. In AGD DACs all incoming signals are converted to a DSD512 format prior to filtering without conversion using a 32-bit chip. As a DSD sceptic this did not fill me with joy but the results have proved that when done well 1-bit systems can deliver exceptional results.
The streamer can be controlled with any UPnP control app and Roon there is a dedicated AGD streaming app that brings Qobuz, Tidal and Spotify integration as well as offering track sorting from local music libraries.
Input wise the Forté 3 offers a pair of analogue RCAs for line sources and another for connecting a separate power amplifier, otherwise it’s a digital affair with USB, coaxial BNC and optical inputs plus an ethernet socket for network connection. There is no wireless operation so Bluetooth and wifi are not catered for. It offers two USB A sockets for external drives and finally a RS-232 socket for multi-room integration. There is also a quarter inch headphone jack concealed on the front that is backed up by a dedicated Class A amplifier.
Sound quality
I first tried the Forté 3 with a pair of Saltwood Finisterre 140-9’ speakers, these are a two-way reflex design with a fairly rich but even handed sound, or at least that’s the balance you get with a typical Class AB amplifier. With the Axxess they turned into speed demons with remarkable grip, power and control, this amplifier weighs very little yet has uncanny levels of control over the drivers in partnering speakers. This is fairly typical of Class D amplifiers but the Forté 3 is a lot cleaner sounding than most of the examples I have experienced, and it’s a very thrilling sound especially with tracks that have plenty of bass.
One such is Queen Mary by Francine Thirteen, this has heavy synth bass that jumps from channel to channel; it has never jumped so quickly and cleanly as it did here. It’s as if overhang has been totally removed from the loudspeaker, the drivers are clearly stopping exactly when they should and not vibrating/ringing in the usual fashion. This makes the sound a little leaner but doesn’t make it lightweight, it’s just uncannily fast. Bob Marley’s No More Trouble (Jamaican Extended Instrumental, 2023) is a tight but loose reggae tune with occasionally deep notes and a languid bass line, this really perked up in the Forté 3’s hands, gaining a spring in its step and indicating that the recording quality is rather higher than I had experience in the past.
The mids and highs aren’t as smooth as a very good Class AB design but the nimbleness and lack of any apparent lag or blurring of timing is a pretty good trade off and one that many will enjoy. These results were achieved with the line input connected to a Bricasti M11 Classic DAC, moving over to the onboard streamer and DAC I was pleased to see that the Forté 3 displays both artist and track title if you so wish, alternatively the display can be extinguished after a few seconds or left at a dim setting. The Axxess works well as a streamer, I controlled it with JPlay rather than the AGD app because this JPlay provides better sound quality than most. Latterly however I also gave Qobuz Connect a try with my Lumin streamer and that upped the ante over JPlay.
As a streamer the Forté 3 is open, clean and with India Arie’s Brown Skin, as smooth as butter. This is quite a lush track and this amp did nothing to disguise the fact, it just delivered it in a precisely controlled manner that gave plenty of insight into its creation. With Liv Andrea Hauge’s piano trio the imaging capabilities became more obvious, here the piano was right up front and the drums well back in the mix, depth of soundstage is clearly a strength. Once again the immediacy of the Forté 3 was obvious, it really makes good recordings sound live thanks this quality, you almost get the speed and transparency of a single ended triode with the power of a beefy transistor amp, it’s an appealing combo.
Switching to PMC prophecy9 speakers which have a more neutral balance than the Saltwoods, the combination with the Axxess proved to be equally compelling, especially with the piano playing of Mal Waldron live in Grenoble, which while a less than polished recording allows you to hear the beautifully nuanced playing of this great musician. Likewise the Arild Andersen trio on Achirana, an ECM studio album from 2000, here the coherence offered by the Forté 3 was very much in evidence, producing a strong three dimensional image in the room and allowing playback at high level without discomfort.
I tried using my Rega Naia with Tom Evans’ latest Groove+ SRX phono stage into the Forté 3 and delved into the laid back grooves of Jeff Parker’s IVTet (The Way Out of Easy). Once again the space in the recording was obvious but so was the warm nature of this Nagra analogue tape recording, which is probably why the various instruments have such rich tone on this album. It’s safe to say that the analogue side of this amplifier is not compromised by its generally digital inclinations.
I also tried my Lumin U2 Mini streamer with Network Acoustics Origin power supply into the USB input, this is where it became apparent that Qobuz Connect is subtly better sounding that the same service controlled by a third-party app. With superb clarity and savage yet not hard edged electric guitar delivered with thrilling speed. The streaming service sounding a little more natural/focussed with no loss of scale or transparency via Qobuz Connect. The Forté 3’s 1-bit DAC is clearly no slouch, making everything played through it sound vital and true to its origins, not least electronic classics like Felix Laband’s Red Handed which pretty much filled the room with sound.
AGD distributor Signature Systems brought along a few Ansuz accessories to try with the Forté 3, first up was a set of four S3t Darkz feet with tungsten balls that interface with the metal feet on the amp. These stainless steel feet brought extra focus, shape and definition to the sound largely by reducing the perceived noise floor, this also improved timing, presumably by cleaning up leading edges. Next up was a Sparkz S3 stainless steel noise reduction device for the mains, this plugs into your power distributor or straight into the wall. I put it in the Plixir balanced power conditioner that feeds my system with very quiet mains, so it was surprising to hear this single device improve dynamics, increase separation and increase contrast because the noise floor had dropped that much further. Finally I tried Sortz S3 termination connectors on the line in and pre-out sockets plus another on the BNC digital input, this had a slightly different but equally appealing effect inasmuch as it relaxed the sound, adding air and purity to voice.
The combined effect of all three elements raises the Forté 3 into another class, they add not inconsiderably to the cost but the improvements in terms of detail resolution, imaging and depth of tone are not subtle. Having this type of incremental upgrades available is one of the things that separates AGD from the majority, it means you can hear more of what the amp can do without having to replace it.
Conclusion
Given that Axxess is AGD’s entry level if hardly budget range I am intrigued to hear the Aavik amplifiers that form the next range up in this company’s broad portfolio. The Forté 3 is a first class streaming amplifier that brings high build quality, broad features and thrilling sound to the table. If you enjoy the immediacy of live music and appreciate the qualities that well sorted streaming can provide it should be on your must hear list. If the price is too steep consider the Forté 1 at half the money, it’s bound to come very close in an equally well sorted package.