Immedia's Allen Perkins was running not one, but two Spiral Groove turntables. He was running the original SG1 ($20,000) with Continuum's new Copperhead tonearm ($12,000), but he was also debuting his new SG2 ($15,000) with a Triplanar Ultimate tonearm ($4200).

Differences between the SG1 and SG2 include aluminum motor pulley, platter ring, and clamp, rather than the SG1's stainless steel, and a three-layer aluminum/Sorbothane plinth rather than the five-layer in the original. It also employs a bolted-on armboard rather than bayonet fit. The SG2 weighs about 60 lbs.

"I learned some things building this table," said Perkins. "If it doesn't seem like there's a huge difference in price between the two Spiral Groove 'tables, it's because there's virtually no performance gap between them."

The sound, coming from the new Sonics By Joachim Gerhard Amerigo loudspeakers ($5500/pair), was astonishingly holographic and, well "smooth" isn't quite the right word—mostly I just wanted to fall right into the soundstage and get lost.