Isao Suzuki Trio/Quartet, Blow Up (Canyon Sound Wave Ocotillo)

Artist: Isao Suzuki Trio / Quartet Producer: Takeshi "Tee" Fujii Mixing/Recording Engineer: Yoshihiko Kannari Recording Location: Aoi Studio (Tokyo, Japan) Recording Date: March 29 & 30, 1973 Original Record Label: Three Blind Mice (Japan) Release Year: 1973 FEATURED LOUDSPEAKER AUDIO SOURCE • Loudspeakers: Canyon Sound Wave "Ocotillo" Two-Way Bookshelf Speakers • Cabinetry: Solid 3/4" hardwood construction with fully mitered joints and 1" Sonic Barrier damping • Aesthetic Centerpiece: Hand-selected native Arizona sandstone inlay front baffle • Binding Posts: Pure copper heavy-duty binding posts • Official Website: https://canyonsoundwave.com The playback audio in this test is natively reproduced through a pair of Canyon Sound Wave Ocotillo loudspeakers. Handcrafted by Phil in his workshop in Kanab, Utah, each cabinet features an incredibly organic, tactile surface finish and a distinct, natural desert sandstone inlay. Engineered with a net internal volume of 0.435 ft³, the Ocotillo is a true audiophile two-way design. It pairs the highly articulate Markaudio Pluvia 7.2 transducer with a premium 30mm Wavecor TW030WA10 Textile Dome Tweeter. Built on an ERSE base architecture, the network is precisely tailored to account for actual driver impedance, achieving a highly accurate effective crossover frequency of ~2,140 Hz. A custom LPAD circuit—utilizing 1% non-inductive premium resistors—attenuates the tweeter by -9.1 dB for a perfectly flat, fatigue-free response. Deep, authoritative low-end extension is achieved via a tuned 2" x 6.5" rear-facing port (Fb: 49.2 Hz), dropping to a remarkable F10 of 34.4 Hz to provide the punch and scaling of a much larger loudspeaker. ABOUT THIS RECORDING This video features the title track "Blow Up" from the Isao Suzuki Trio/Quartet’s legendary 1973 contemporary jazz release on the cult Japanese label Three Blind Mice. Highly coveted by audiophiles worldwide, this piece serves as a masterclass in dynamic punch, acoustic texture, and hard-bop improvisational interplay. The sonic layout of "Blow Up" offers an exceptional workout for any high-fidelity playback system, pushing transient response and micro-dynamics to their absolute limits. Meticulously captured by engineer Yoshihiko Kannari at Tokyo's Aoi Studio, the track is famous for its intricate double-bass and cello arrangement. With Takashi Mizuhashi providing a deep, steady double-bass foundation, Isao Suzuki is freed to play the lead melodic lines on a closely miked, aggressively bowed and plucked cello. This recording tests a speaker’s lower-midrange clarity and low-frequency grip as it moves from the chest-thumping weight of the low strings, into the quick, articulate piano and Fender electric piano chords of Kunihiko Sugano, and the crisp, splashy cymbal work of drummer George Otsuka. The legendary Three Blind Mice recording philosophy leaves no room for compression, ensuring the raw analog energy and spacious studio room ambiance coexist with flawless weight and holographic realism. AUDIO TEST & RE-RECORDING DETAILS This upload serves as an advanced stereo audio capture test exploring high-definition signal reproduction and close-proximity microphone dynamics. • Amplifier: WiiM Amp Ultra with the "Rock" preset EQ • Microphones: Røde NT5 Small-Diaphragm Studio Condenser Match-Pair • Microphone Technique: Spaced Pair (A-B) stereo configuration. Placed approximately 10 inches away from the loudspeaker cones, spaced 30 inches apart, and aimed directly at the center of the cones to bypass room reflections and preserve raw, uncompressed transient energy. • Audio Interface: MOTU M2 (2-Channel Studio Interface) • Digital Audio Workstation: Apple GarageBand (Mac) • Master Export Settings: Uncompressed WAV, 24-bit PCM Audio (Full Dynamic Range)