RMAF 2011

Wes Bender’s been in the hi-fi business for a long time and he’s finally decided to open up his own shop. Wes Bender Studio NYC is perhaps the newest audio salon in New York. I say “perhaps” because new hi-fi dealers seem to be popping up like mad around here. I can't keep up. This is a good thing. The more good places we have to listen, the better chance we have of growing.

Bender explained that manufacturers needed a place where they could display their products and where customers could hear those products. He currently represents Wavestream Kinetics, Hansen Audio, Redpoint Audio Design, Lindemann Audio, Kaplan Cable, Tri-Planar, Dynavector, and AudioQuest.

At RMAF, we heard a visually and sonically impressive system comprising Hansen Audio’s The Knight loudspeakers ($24,000/pair); Wavestream Kinetics Deluxe Phono Stage ($7995), Deluxe Line Stage ($8495), and V-8 monoblock amplifiers ($60,000/pair); a Redpoint Audio Designs MG turntable ($49,000), equipped with two Tri-Planar Ultimate Mk.VII tonearms ($5000 each) and XV-1t ($9250) stereo and XV-1s ($5950) mono cartridges from Dynavector. On the digital front, Bender utilized Lindemann Audio’s 825 disc player ($12,500) and an Apple MacBook Pro running Channel D’s Pure Music playback software ($129). Speaker cables, interconnects, power cords, and conditioning all came from Kaplan Cable. AudioQuest provided the Diamond USB cable ($695/1.5m).

We listened to a track from Dead Can Dance’s Into the Labyrinth (always a winner at hi-fi shows) and the sound was appropriately spooky, creepily realistic, spacious, and beautiful, with lots of jump factor. It packed the listening room.

Wes Bender Studio NYC is an appointment-only salon, but Wes’s hours are extremely flexible. Call him up or send him an e-mail, and arrange a time that works for you.