There's nothing like a $118,600 system (excluding racks, Shakti Hallographs, equipment supports, and all the rest) to get the juices flowing. Such was the case in Jonathan Josephs' One World Audio room at T.H.E. Show, where the imposing redesigned Voce Audio VA-3 loudspeakers with Stillpoints Ultra Five supports ($35,635) were making beautiful music with MSB Technology's Analog DAC w/volume control ($7990), Data CD IV disc player w/power base ($7490), and 200W class-A 203 monoblock amplifiers ($27,500)—the things that look like huge space heaters.

I didn't hear the analog side of things, with components from Zesto Audio, Scheu Analog, and Soundsmith, but through a host of WyWires, which cost considerably less than the components, and the marvelous Auraliti L1000 music server ($5000), the 176.4/24 HRx version of Reference Recordings' recent issue of Delibes ballet suites had all the considerable impact, if not the ultimate lower midrange clarity, than this demonstration quality recording can deliver.

The Voce Audio VA-3 has a redesigned cabinet with almost 2" thick constrained dampened panels consisting of a Baltic Birch sandwich with a ¼" cork center. The speaker costs over $6000 less with custom spikes spikes, but I've been told the Stillpoints Ultra Fives add an astounding sense of air for an astounding price. I'd love to hear them again in a room that isn't so hard to control.