T.H.E. Show 2021

Folks were already packing up in the Wyred4Sound room when I happened upon an active display of their just-completed prototypes, none of which is listed on their website. If you total up the total cost of the Aura preamp ($2999, Aura GaN amplifier ($2999), MS i3 music server ($2999) with its outboard HCPS power supply ($999). Isolink USB reclocker ($399), 10th Anniversary DAC ($4499), and Reference Standard 1 speaker ($14,999/pair), plus cables and all the rest, you end up with a $31,213 system.

In this moderately priced system, speaker designer and recording engineer Tony Minasian paired his new Oriaco G6 standmount loudspeaker ($3500/pair with stands) with Denon and Marantz gear. "Most of the sound comes from the full-range driver," he told me. "The tweeter mostly acts like a supertweeter." From what I could tell, its impact is major.

This report could also be titled "My Visit with Cable Support Plate and A/V Room Service," but that's hardly as eye-catching. And catching your eye is my goal, because there was a lot of import at these two booths.

Voss Audio, a southern California-based brand new to me, made an extremely strong show debut with its Voss Steve Keiser Design Magnum Opus stereo power amplifier ($80,000) and Vitra preamplifier ($50,000). The amp’s designer, who died last year, was one of the founders of B&K components. John Voss’s company also manufactures the Vitus phono preamplifier ($45,000). Rather than showing it, he teamed up with Philip O'Hanlon's On A Higher Note (shown above) to use a Revox/SonoruS PR99 open-reel deck to play master tapes through Graham LS5/8 loudspeakers ($14,000/pair) with Townshend super tweeters ($1500/pair). Cabling was all Gryphon.

Lest you think I've left something out of this headline, I haven't. The 24lb Heavenly Soundworks active FIVE17 loudspeaker ($10,000/pair), shown at T.H.E. Show with matching stands ($1000/pair), needs only a computer or other streaming/choice and some cabling to do its thing.

I've always enjoyed Steven Norber's loudspeakers, but the pairing of his brand new Dhara (as in continuous flow) 40lb loudspeakers ($TBD) and Purna/Ma amplifier ($8950) with the late Tim de Paravicini's E.A.R. Phono Classic phono preamplifier ($1895 in black or $2395 in chrome) sounded exceptionally fine. Other brands deserve equal credit, but what's most important to know is that on an old Nonesuch LP of Schutz Motets, soundstaging, warmth, and beauty were supreme.

I wonder if France would have been the same had Marie Antoinette had access to a system like this. Dominating the view in this room, presented by San Clemente, California's Cake Audio (not the Czech audio manufacturer), was the joint US premiere of the striking Alsyvox Botticelli ribbon loudspeakers ($92,000/pair + $30,000 optional external crossovers) and Vitus SS-103 stereo amplifier ($40,000).