T.H.E. Show 2023

If you think high-end audio is dead, you haven't met designer Nick Tarnofsky (above), a touring guitarist and engineer with an Instagram presence who is in his second year of selling Black Ocean Audio speakers direct. This man is savvy enough to have set up an enigmatic display outside his room—a piece of driftwood with a light on it—to lure people in.

Pairing Black Ocean Audio [M] Stack loudspeakers (starting at $11,000/pair, depending on wood) with VTL 450 monoblocks, whose sound he loves, Nick played hi-rez Spotify files with an MPro Audio Controller connected by homemade cables. The sound was extremely fine. Mark Knopfler's "Boom, Like That" sounded quite nice indeed, with an alive and attractive top and smooth middle that was easy to love. Ditto for Boz Scaggs's "Thanks to You," which sounded as winning as I've ever heard it.

Black Ocean Audio's Design philosophy, which includes hand-selected natural hardwoods, is rooted in the principles of transparency, accuracy, and sustainability. One can only hope that more high-end manufacturers embrace the last of these concepts. The 2.5 way ported [M] stack combines two models, the 5.5" ported Le Chiffre on top and 2.5-way Pale King on bottom. Nominal impedance is 4 ohms, and frequency range 40Hz–20kHz. A passive crossover connects the two units.