(published in 2013).

After many years of painstaking work I have developed my own approach to the problems of music transmission, which differ from the views of  most audio equipment producers and consumers.
The modern audio industry declared that their goal is  sound transmission with low distortion  either by measurements, and by ear. It seems logical that small distortion automatically must provide a listening pleasure.

Even before the Second World War there were held scientific research of hearing. They revealed thresholds of audio equipment  distortions audibility for ear. All their numerical values are well known sinсe then.

But science have never pursued the goal to provide the transmission of music performance as a work of art, that able to influence the mood of audience.
Because it was by default that  a reduction of all distortions below the limits of audibility must for sure give full  delight from listening .

In practice it has turned out, that it`s not so.
Presently, many people who wish to purchase audio equipment remains dissatisfied with the sound of modern branded acoustics.
A sufficient number of experienced music lovers noted that it isn't interesting and quickly becomes boring to listen to music on many kinds of audio systems, that have perfect performance.
Nevertheless, modern audio industry keeps convincing a mass buyer that high technical characteristics are the crucial aspect, which potential buyer should bear in mind selecting the audio for himself.
There also exist some exclusive branches in marketing that use the glorification of various sophisticated technological concepts embodied in an expensive and pretentious high-end equipment.
They may have their own, original and sometimes very strange notions about  ideal organization of sound equipment, but they also adhere to the idea, that technical  specifications have  decisive significance.

From my   own experience I have been  repeatedly convinced  that  over-commitment to  any technical concept inevitably leads to negative results in terms of  music reproduction. Technocratic approach surely will give dull sound.

Actually, any concept is an attempt to develop an algorithm to achieve the goal.

The most important is to answer the question, what is this goal?
Incorrect goal  will lead to negative results of the work.

So, the purpose of modern sound designers is to get perfect  tech specifications or amaze imagination of public by fanciful concept, often with precious and unexpected components. Well, it`s must be said that tech  specifications are really  perfect, while appearance of their equipment is  stylish and impressive.

But along with this, a purpose   to get pleasure from music listening is as a rule left aside. As a result they have  effective only at first sight, but really  emotionless, uninteresting sound.
Such are the   trends in the world audio industry  that have been existing  over the past three decades.
Until approximately 1980 in the audio industry there worked engineers, who were music lovers, admirers of music.
These developers were always taking into consideration the factor of pleasure from music in the process of configuring acoustic models.

Therefore, until 80s of the 20th century, most types of audio equipment sounded excitingly, people were eager to listen to music on such equipment, without getting bored for a long time.

Later the audio industry have  started gradually getting rid of that old specialists-music lovers. New models of equipment developed by other, new specialists, have had no ability to reproduce  music vividly.
It happened gradually. In their turn consumers are also gradually got used to sounding,  that is unable to transmit the very essence of  music, and they started considering it to be normal.

Like a broken leg, getting weaker and weaker during prolonged immobility, human  senses also atrophy, if they don`t work
After many years of listening to heartless sound of audio system, in part  there atrophies the ability to perceive music wholly.

This trends have  led to two consequences.
First, many consumers of  hi-fi  equipment got adapted to get some superficial pleasure from the effectiveness of  sound.
These people can be called audiophiles.

The second consequence of not interesting sound while playing on the modern equipment: - decreased sales of luxury audio. For example, over the past few years sales revenue at audio salons  decreased by approximately three times.

In these modern conditions I have set for myself rather unusual for the last 20 years objective: - the creation  of such audio systems that allow listeners to perceive not only sonic images, but also artistic images created by musicians, that are able to transmit music with all  it emotional wealth, lively and compellingly.

The fact is that the  most part of modern audio equipment  unacceptably distorts the artistic images.
Artistic images that as a rule  carry quite certain  emotional messages: merriment, grief, joy, sadness, hope, despair, anxiety, love and so on...
In spite of the fact that the modern acoustics  may be perfect in transmitting all the subtlest sound details of musicians performance - all this details  can`t create a single integrated  image and emotional message  remains  uncertain.
The language of emotions is universal.
As a rule, most people have similar impressions from acting of musicians. We may not know the language of any foreign song, but  we unmistakably   feel the mood of music. It`s usually quite definite thing.
But this aspect seems to be ignored by new audio developers.
The other intresting observation, connected with foregoing is the established in the modern audio community opinion that each person has his own original requirements to sound. From my experience I know  that this is true only for the modern habit to listen to music on emotionally poor equipment for the sake of  external effectiveness of sound details.
Because, in the absence of the very essence of pleasure from musical compositions, there nothing left to  audiophiles but to entertain themselves with different prettinesses. Such approach really cause a  great divergence in requirements to  sound.

This is not the case with connoisseurs of good music. They  present  another kind of audience. These people can be called music lovers. They are characterized by the similar demands to audio equipment sound, while in the other sides of life, these fans can be quite different and prefer the most various musical styles.

Why don`t they have any divergence while preferring a definite sound of audio equipment?
Because it is crucial for them to have  an equipment, which is capable  to transmit the main –  the entire artistic image,  transmit  it emotionally  accurately.
Precision that is necessary  for reaching such integrity in  music transmission    саn be compared  with  the precision of  a key, unlocking the right door lock. Do not happen different keys from one lock. Either key fits into a lock, or not. Music lovers intuitively search for such precision in transmission, that`s why they so similar in their audio tastes.
Once more about the difference between audiophiles and music lovers.
Music lover perceive   play of musicians as actors, the main emotional message.
Audiophile isn`t sensitve to this.   He gets his impressions from sound details,  from sound 3D  attraction with the effect of musicians presence in his room.
Therefore it`s almost all the same for audiophile whether to listen to  scales or to Mozart. He listens to separate sounds instead of listening to music.
Today  it`s difficult  for  true music lover to find  models with sound that is able to touch the soul. Possibility of a choice for music lovers is very small.
There are rare exceptions. Several small companies in different countries, which are held up by the enthusiasm of their creators still produce equipment for music lovers.

One such companies for more than 10 years have been successfully producing audio goods developed by Alexandr Klyachin.
This is a russian manufacturing company ZKI. Their leader and founder - Konstantin Zaparozhcev is a true colleague and partner of  Alexsandr.

The methods of achieving the set goal Klyachin builds on the law that was opened even  in ancient times by Aristotle. It says that  the whole  is always something more than the simple sum of its parts.
This is true for music and audio, and for any component of audio systems, for example - for loudspeaker.
So, combining in different ways cabinets, filters, drivers and other components of the sonic system, you can get as an unsatisfactory sound  so  a quite perfect one.
And all this is at the one and the same prime cost.
It is similar to  different  results of good and bad cooks, who worked at the same kitchen, using the same products.

It is similar to  different   results of good and bad cooks, who worked at the same kitchen, using the same products.
Real skill,  real  mastery in  any area  of  creativity as well as in area of invention is closely connected with a notion  «fine balance».
Only in each sphere, a qualified  master  searches for a subtle balance  of specific for this area factors.
In Russia there is known an expression of the famous russian singer Fedor Shalyapin: “In the art  “a little bit” is  everything”.
Speaking about  audio equipment the term «tonal balance» means correct correlation of sounds audibility in the different  frequency ranges. Bass accompaniment shouldn`t be louder than solo of instruments and voices that are located in midrange. Sibilants, whistling and hissing sounds of vocalists, high-frequency harmonics from the strings and percussion kits shouldn`t prevail over  midrange more  than when performed live..

Only during  the process of careful selection from the numerous versions of tonal balance across a  whole bandwidth and in each  frequency responses, it becomes possible to attain the most full, precise and  integrated transmission of artistic images, created by musicians.
Tiny, unnoticeable changes in balance  give a big difference by ear. The sound varies from emotionally monotonous to a compelling and fascinating one.

So this is a brief  report  that tells about the main distinctive feature of our products. The assortment  includes the extended range of loudspeaker and amplifier models  as well as the other components for  full-value home theaters, such as, subwoofers,  central and rear channels, turntables, corrector, preamplifier, audio cables, DAC, CD-player and accessories.

How to choose?(published in 2003) >>>