If you take a look at the components of the test systems in my listening and living room from time to time, you might have noticed that an Einstein The Poweramp provides power in both. Both sound the same but are equipped with different speaker terminals. The power amp in the listening room has WBT terminals that are insulated all around, while the one in the living room has copper threaded rods with red and black plastic knobs. Here also two spades find a place at the same time. Therefore I exchange the Einsteins so that FireBird ZERO and BASS can be connected in the listening room. As already mentioned in the article about the ThunderBird, the high-quality cables are assembled by hand in the premises of Audioquest Europe in Roosendaal and, according to Garth Powell, burned in for precisely 37 hours. The FireBirds then have at least twice that amount of time again to get used to my Goebel Epoque Aeon Fine. During the burn-in time I played Out of the Afternoon by the Roy Haynes Quartet, among others: In addition to the drummer, it features Tommy Flanagan on piano, Henry Grimes on bass, and Roland Kirk on various saxophones. The stereo recording from 1962 has been re-released as a "20bit K2 HQ CD". It shines with a very realistic spatial reproduction – especially around the drums – and a piano that is very low in coloration, considering the age of the recording. In terms of music, you'll find good mainstream with some songs from the Great American Songbook and some Roy Haynes originals. With his partly simultaneously played saxophones, Roland Kirk makes sure that it never gets dull: musically and sonically, this is a great (re)discovery!

Wholly different yet equally fascinating is the album Fis by Austrian bassist Peter N. Gruber, on which accordionist Otto Lechner accompanies him. On some of the songs with decidedly witty titles the duo is joined by a guest or two. The music is refreshingly unconventional and full of surprises, but joyous at all times. The sound is in no way less impressive: The instruments – recorded on analog tape, by the way – stand vividly in a credible space, and the dynamics leave nothing to be desired. Exciting! By the way, the bassist's highly recommended and more strongly to electronics turned album bzw is available on Qobuz.

As much as the albums selected during the burn-in time of the FireBird – and especially the two mentioned – impressed me with their energy in the bass, the never cold timbres, and the realistic impression of space: Without comparison or at least listening to familiar and some far too often heard songs, I am not able to say how big a part the FireBirds play in this enjoyment. After another round with my test classics, I am quite sure that I have not heard them with this little touch of warmth, not with such a wealth of delicate information and mostly not with an equally impressive spatial representation ever before. The FireBirds help the system to a little more pressure in the low-frequency range, but the bass does not seem slower or less defined than before due to the added saturation. On the contrary: It is incredibly precise and fast – simply fantastic!