Apple Valley, California-based retailer and distributor HighEnd Electronics was showing the Voxativ Ampeggio, a single-driver horn-loaded loudspeaker from Germany ($29,750/pair), which will be reviewed by Art Dudley in the August issue of Stereophile. The KR Audio VA 340 MkII, a 300B-based SET handled the Ampeggio's light-weight, 100dB-sensitive load. A modified (by HighEnd Audio) Sony XA9000ES transport ($3000) fed an Audio Synthesis DAX DAC Discrete ($6000). Components sat on a Gregitek Stabtower 2 ($4790) and a Griegtek Stab 1 Platform ($765). Cables were provided by Synergistic Research—Galileo Universal Speaker Cell ($2500) and Galileo Universal Interconnect Cell ($1500). Power cables included the Audio Magic Liquid Air ($500), Synergistic Hologram D ($2600), and the Synergistic Hologram A ($2600). Power conditioning was courtesy Synergistic PowerCell 10 SE ($5000), Audio Magic Ground Disrupter ($700), and a Kemp SNS Plus ($195).

But wait, there's more—everywhere you looked there was controversy. I mean room treatment. There was the Synergistic Acoustic ART ($2995), Shakti Hallographs ($1125), and the HighEnd Novum PMR ($2190) which is the brass bowl-looking object staring at you from between the speakers. What with all this rabid tweakery, a science-minded guy or gal might implode simply upon entering the HighEnd Electronics room from outrage. On the other hand I believe one of those tiny bowls is meant to fend off powerful outrages.

I did note that vocals seemed to jump out from the mix a bit more than expected, but I may just be channeling Art Dudley, again. I've heard a number of single-driver loudspeakers and they do have a tendency to shout, yet I didn’t notice any with the Voxativ Ampeggios. However, that could have something to do with anything in the above list, or the room, or the recording, or my seating position, or none or all of the above.