現行のミメイシス22シグネチャー MIMESIS 22 Signature は6,900,000円（税別）する。ゴールドムンドのアナログプリアンプのフラッグシップ機だ。
同社は以前、今後はデジタル入力中心・デジタル出力のみのユニバーサルプリアンプ以外新製品を出さないと告知していたが、2年くらい前か『アナログ フラッグシップ プリアンプを開発』と告知していた。
すべてが現行のラインナップではないが以前、故障で集められなかった機種を除き当時のほぼすべてのプリアンプ／パワーアンプを集めて集中視聴したことがある。話が長くなるのでプリアンプのアナログフラッグシップ 22とユニバーサル（デジタル）プリアンプのフラッグシップ MIMESIS 30 ME（2,250,000万円 税別）とを比べて書くと、
正しい（であろう）音、正確（だろう）音は明らかにデジタル（ユニバーサル）プリのほうだった。空間に消えていく音とかスピーカーの位置に無関係に定位する空間表現とかに差があった。
単体で聴くとゴールドムンドのフラッグシップアナログプリは世界一透明でスピーカーが置いてある位置に無関係に定位する。
あのジェフローランドの最新プリアンプ・クライテリオンと比べても大きな差があり、Criterionがスピーカーの位置から内側に濃密な空間表現するのに対し、ゴールドムンドはスピーカーに視線を釘づけにして聴いてもスピーカーの外側にも無関係・無制限に定位する。またジェフローランドは特有ののつやっぽい独特の美音だがゴールドムンドのほうがニュートラルだ。むしろそっけない。味わい深さとか勝手に付け加えるのはオーディオ機器のすることではないといった感すらある。
ゴールドムンドのほうが大幅に高いので当たり前といえば当たり前だが機器の実力に大きな差がある。ユニバーサルプリのほうは（比較すれば）だいぶ安いように見えるがプリアンプの出力がデジタルになるのでほとんどのパワーアンプは同社のD/Aコンバーターでアナログ出力に戻してやる必要がある。
それほどの22シグネチャーでもデジタル（ユニバーサル）プリの30 MEと聴き比べると音が濁って聞こえるし空間表現も曖昧に分かりにくくなる。
ただ、聴いていたいという気持ちになるのはアナログプリのほうだった。
デジタルプリのほうは測定結果を見せられて説明をうけているような感じで全然楽しく感じない。ふつう、聞こえない音や他で表現できない空間表現をされるとスリリングで楽しくてしょうがないものだがそうならないところがある。
アナログプリもそうだがゴールドムンドの上位機は聴きづかれするところがある。カサカサというか潤いがない感じの、以前のゴールドムンドの二桁台の機器の共通の問題点だ。
今度のミメイシス22Hはどうなっているのか楽しみだ。
またこのプレスリリースでは日本ではまだ未発売のフラッグシップ ユニバーサル プリアンプ・Mimesis 32のアップデートも告知されている。
話は前後するうえ脱線するが、Jeff Rowland Design Group のクライテリオンは商用電源（コンセントの電源）、バッテリー充電しながらの商用電源と併用モード、バッテリ駆動モード、バッテリー駆動でコンセントへの電源コードも外した状態などいくつか駆動状態を選べるが例に挙げた後ろ側の方法のほうがクオリティが高くなる。空間表現についてはスピーカー間の内側が濃密になる感じで、外側も少しスピーカーからの音離れが良くなるがゴールドムンドのフラッグシッププリアンプのようにスピーカーの位置を無視して外側にも奥にも定位する、という感じにはならない。プレナー型スピーカーのような空間表現が好きならばゴールドムンドのほうだろう。
ジェフローランドのバッテリー駆動は音がきれいになりS/Nが良くなってモヤモヤ感が減る方向の変化だ。きれいで純度が上がるという感じだ。
http://www.goldmund.com/news#Article-90_historical-analog-preamplifier-from-goldmund-the-mimesis-22h
Historical Analog Preamplifier from Goldmund: The Mimesis 22H
Do you remember the Mimesis 22 in 1996? Maybe not; but you probably remember the Mimesis 22M in 2001, celebrated as “THE” Goldmund Analog Preamplifier. Since then, the Mimesis 22S was even more admired but probably not as celebrated. For 2011 and the 10th anniversary of the Mimesis 22M, Goldmund announces a very-limited series of the Mimesis 22H (History), the most achieved analog preamplifier ever announced by Goldmund, born from a combination of all the best circuits ever introduced in analog preamplifiers by our company.The main unit is mostly a Mimesis 22S, our lowest noise preamplifier. But what makes the biggest difference is the new much-improved separate power supply. It is twice larger than before and also makes the 22 heat less. In addition, the new power supply uses the double AC-Curator of the Eidos Reference and better capacitors. The preamplifier and its power supply are both built using the new Asymmetrical Mechanical Grounding construction so they can be stacked to look even more impressive.
The Mimesis 22H power supply is available as an upgrade for those who want to improve their Mimesis 22S.
The Mimesis 32: Latest Software Updates
The Mimesis 32 and the Mimesis 16 are receiving new software updates regularly. Here is a small point of the latest changes and current priorities for those who have lost track with the various recent releases.1 - We continue improving the 2-channel possibilities of the Goldmund processors especially on their USB input quality and on the various Proteus configurations they can handle.
The USB input quality is now practically undetectable compared to the best players when receiving, for example, an Apple computer USB output. This is the beginning of a serious change in the favorite audiophile sources, allowing use of the best (and cheapest) media Servers like Apple iTunes to play music and movies even in the top systems, without sacrificing quality.
For Proteus, the major progress we made recently is the possibility to introduce extremely complex filters in the Proteus configuration. With the continuously growing quantity of r speakers from other manufacturers we can handle in Proteus (now 8 models and numerous more coming), some special crossover shapes were unable to be properly recreated with the previous software. A new version of the speaker modeling transfer to the Mimesis 32 now allows us to implement all these special filters, making the Proteus results even more spectacularly accurate. This will be demonstrated during the coming shows in Tokyo, Singapore and Seoul where such speakers will be powered by a Mimesis 32.
2 - In multi-channel applications like multi-channel Proteus systems and the Goldmund Media Room environment, we currently upgrade the software in many directions where the changes in film mixing and recent Blu-ray players create new demands.
The most significant multi-channel change occurring these days is the growing number of real 7.1 mixing available. The first Mimesis 32 software releases made the channel mapping difficult or even (with some players) impossible depending on their setup menu. This is now working fine with all the units we tested and we will improve even more the panning possibilities and accuracy in the next releases to come, especially for very large rooms using many speakers, by modifying the configurator.
We are also improving progressively the audio playback through HDMI, especially for real 5.1 or 7.1 PCM sound tracks, the most accurate existing, but also the most demanding, specifically appreciated in high quality concert recordings. The various difficulties we (as many other manufacturers) found in some set-up (especially cable contacts problems) may sometimes be eliminated by software duplication and re-routing without sacrificing bandwidth as it is more commonly made (you would not buy a Mimesis 32 if you do not get the best performance). We expect a lot from the recent appearance of HDMI cables using an active circuit, a more professional solution. We tested them recently and very successfully in our room in Los Angeles. It may be more effective for the Video signals than for Audio ones, but it finally seems to solve some of the impedance accidents created by bad contacts. We also work hard at limiting the operating delays of a Blu-ray / HDMI combination, but our results remain too modest for our taste.
As for the format processing, we have not yet decided if we will or not implement a processing of the HD formats inside our processors, as we thought necessary a year ago. Today we do not see any reason anymore. The quality of such processing is quite doubtful (introduction of down-sampling, etc…). Today it would be probably quite detrimental compared to the better and simpler bit reconstruction made in the Goldmund players to play the Dolby and DTS HD formats.
Considering that the coupling of an Eidos 20BD Blu-ray player (or the Eidos Reference Blue) associated with a Mimesis 32 or 16HD can play all existing formats with more accuracy than any other solution, our best installations around the world are now using that combination which would made other possibilities unnecessary, or even confusing.
However, some future players (they make them cheaper and cheaper, you know!) may provide a quality of Dolby Digital and DTS decoding insufficient for the best systems, especially when the CD and DVD discs are not treated by a separate player. Then, these formats will need to be treated inside the Mimesis 32 (remember that decoding Dolby Digital or DTS is a real decompression algorithm and far more demanding in software audio quality than the HD formats simple lossless reconstruction. And remember how Goldmund made its supremacy with those in the Mimesis 24!). We currently have this working as a test in our latest release and it is also working in our Media Room in Los Angeles with extremely satisfying results.
Future will tell how these needs evolve.
