Finally I had a chance to hear the loudspeakers lauded by Stereophile equipment reviewers, the Voxativ Ampeggio Signature by Schimmel ($32,500/pair). This single-driver, ultra-sensitive speaker headlined an excellent line-up from Alfred Kainz's highend-electronics, Inc. that led me to write in my notes, "Beautiful. Remarkably close to natural sound. The highs are wonderful, especially the cymbals."

Making the Voxativs sound as good as they did were Kainz's own highend-electronics Music Server I ($995), a 64-bit device that runs on Windows 7; Synergistic Research's The Music Cable ($3599), a DAC which includes USB and interconnect cables; KR Audio P-130 preamp ($495); KR Audio VA 320 tube amp ($9950); Synergistic ElementCopper interconnects ($1200/1m pair); and Voxativ speaker cable ($3500/13ft. pair).