When I opened the main box, I found two smaller boxes. The little brown one contained a fist-sized power supply in a chassis of extruded aluminum, with a label attached that said "AC/DC Hybrid Adaptor" next to a circle containing a sun cross symbol and the words "Designed, Engineered and Built in Switzerland" in capital letters circling its top edge. Below the circle was more writing: "Wattson Audioa CH Precision company."
The Wattson Madison LE's 2.3lb chassis was inside a larger white box with black block letters saying "Madison." Under that, written in cursive, were the words "Lounge Edition." The L in LE is for Lounge, not Limited as you might expect.
I've reviewed a few DACs but never one this small, light, and elegantly formed.
The hi-fi industry is evidently experiencing a shortagenot of parts or materials as during COVID and just after, but of qualified salespeople. As this column has pointed out, some hi-fi shops have closed, for various reasons, while some new ones have opened. Meanwhile, not just dealers but also manufacturers and distributors have reported difficulty finding qualified salespeople. Michael Manousselis, president of Americas for Dynaudio, stated as much in emailed responses to my questions. "I have heard more from dealers having a hard time finding experienced salespeople, that is for sure," he said. "We've seen some hire former customers, to groom them for sales."
What's going on? If people are passionate about this hobby, wouldn't they jump at the chance to get more involved in it professionally?
"Shot?", said Boris. It was more a command than a question. He poured Beluga vodka into my glass. "My father drank three shot every day," Boris said. "Lived to 87." Boris Meltsner is the owner of Amped, a very fine range of class-D amplifiers. I was visiting him at the 2024 Capital AudioFest (CAF) in Rockville, Maryland. Boris hails from "Soviet Union, not Russia," he said in an accent as thick as a potato-filled piroshki. "Was called Soviet Union when I left."
Visiting CAF is a joy for me. I recently sold my company, Music Hall, and I was already missing the camaraderie of my industry colleagues and the fun of playing and listening to music.
Within each category, products are listed by class; within each class, they're in alphabetical order, followed by their price, a review synopsis, and a note indicating the issues in which the review, and any subsequent follow-up reports, appeared. "Vol.48 No.3" indicates our March 2025 issue, for example. "WWW" means the review is also posted online.
