Fosgate Signature Debut

RMAF 2009

By Jason Victor Serinus • Posted: Oct 3, 2009

Is that Billie Holiday singing, I asked? No, it turned out to be Madeleine Peyroux, to these ears a Billie copycat who learned her lessons well. Singing "Don't cry baby" on the vinyl Original Masters release of Careless Love, the performance was as clear and colorful as could be. I just loved the sound of the Aesthetix Audio Atlas mono power amps ($16,000/pair), Reah Signature phono preamp ($7000) and Calisto Signature line stage ($7000), paired with Benz's new flagship LP S phono cartridge ($5000), Clearaudio Innovation Compact Wood turntable ($7000), Helius Design's new Scorpio IV tonearm ($950–$1100 depending upon length), and the solid-looking Hansen Prince speaker ($48,000/pair).

Then we switched to the Fosgate Signature tube phono preamp ($2500), whose first production run is about to get underway. Its seven tubes delivered a very different presentation from the Aesthetix, surrounding Peyroux with her combo rather than spotlighting her up front and center. Each preamp will have its partisans; it's all a matter of taste and perspective. With either one, the music was delicious.

Comments

Submitted by ACF on October 3, 2009 - 8:41am.

What is that highly interesting looking box to the rear left of the highly interesting looking Fosgate Signature? A 'Phono System Analyzer"? Where, Wen, How much?

Submitted by Peter on October 3, 2009 - 9:32am.

You didn't recognize Madeleine Peyroux? Tsk, tsk, she has a wonderful voice, very reminiscent of Billie Holiday. She's been around for over ten years. Her first (?) CD, Dreamland, is an HDCD disk. Very good sound and excellent music too!

Submitted by steve schmidt on October 3, 2009 - 8:34pm.

I was in that room and heard some of ms. Peyroux, and yes the sound was close to live, very, very nice. I could be happy for life with that system! How ever, after taking a quick look at the back and top of the "cabenet", the build qualty of the speakers was not on par with the cost.Not by $1000's.Back in the day { 1977 }, my high school shop teacher would have givin a B+ and a admonishment to try harder to work to full potential on the wood working. Maybe they were the prototypes...