I had auditioned the Estelon X-Diamond speakers ($65,000/pair) at the 2012 Newport Beach Show, but the room there was not allowing the speakers to sound at their best. Driven by top-of-the-line, class-A Vitus amplification, these speakers, which use the 1.2" Accuton inverted diamond-dome tweeter, along with a 7" Accuton ceramic-cone midrange unit and an 11" Accuton ceramic-cone woofer, sounded much better at CES, even though the dem room was one of the infamous split-level rooms at the Venetian.

i listened to two tarcls for my Editor's ChoiceLiebestraum—and in both cases, the piano image was palpable, with smooth highs and delicate, extended lows. The recorded ambience—both tracks had been recorded in the same Albuquerque church—was also well audible, without becoming detached from the direct sounds of the instruments.