Craftsmanship

Wrensilva Sound: Listening Sessions with Joe Harley

WhenBlue Note RecordsProducerJoe Harleymet us at our San Diego workshop, he was carrying a stack of his favorite jazz records, including a few from the label’s audiophile re-issues that bear his nickname – Tone Poet Series. Between wood cuttings and workstations, Wrensilva Co-Founder and head of audio Scott Salyer sat down with Joe for a final tuning session of the next generation Wrensilva Record Console Collection.

Joe Harley holds up a Tone Poet series Audiophile reissue during our listening session.

About Joe HarleyBlue Note Records Producer Joe Harley, nicknamed theTone Poet, understands the art of creating audiophile records like few others. That rare perceptiveness now guides the Wrensilva Sound towards a delivery that is faithful to the original recording.Earlier in his career, Joe served as Vice President for a leading HiFi audio cable and accessory company. He then spearheaded the company to form the record label AudioQuest Music with the express goal of creating leading audiophile records. This launched him into a production career with renowned jazz and blues musicians, using the most cutting-edge technology. Nearly 20 years later, President of Blue Note RecordsDon Wasasked Joe to join the label for an audiophile reissue series of their iconic master tapes — now known as the celebrated Tone Poet Series.

Joe Harley listens as a Blue Note record spins on the next-generation M1 record console.

Joe’s expert input, along with that of our entireWrensilva Creator Team, is a crucial step in achieving the our sound — as heard from the newWrensilva Record Console Collection. For us, it’s really about celebrating music in its purest form. That means crystal clear imaging combined with warm tones. You know the quality is good when it sounds like you’re in the recording studio as the band recorded their original performance.“I think you got the tonal balance spot on,” Joe said. “I really do. I noticed, and I’m sure you noticed, that everyone sounds like themselves. Guys that have a softer tone, have a softer tone. Guys that have a harder tone, have a harder tone. Where HiFi gets boring is when it sounds all the same to you. You might like chocolate, but you don’t want chocolate on your steak, right? Then it gets not so good. You don’t have one coloration poured over everything — which is how it should be.”

“The bass sounds right, piano sounds right, trumpet and drums sound right — the tonal balance is right.” — Joe Harley

The pursuit of the Wrensilva Soundis a constant endeavor for us. It began with our founders’ deep roots in music, sound engineering, and design. The first step was to handcraft every console with proprietary electronics and elite audio components. Another crucial step, however, is our collaboration with revered music creators to finetune the Wrensilva sound experience. Join the listening session as Scott and Joe discuss audiophile records, HiFi sound insights, and the experience of the Wrensilva sound.

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