Alex Sound Technology Shows Japanese SET (Takatsuki) and Digital (Sforzato), & German loudspeakers (Blumenhofer Acoustics)

As an enterprising Stereophile reporter, I do my homework. When I saw that Alex Sound Technology, of Windermere, Florida, was bringing the gorgeous Japanese Takatsuki 300B TA-S01 SET amplifier ($32,000, 8Wpc, new to the USA), along with new Japanese brand Sforzato (below), including their DST-050EX network transport ($4600), DSC-030EX Zero Link DAC ($9900), DSP-030EX Network Player ($9900), and PMC-015EX Master Clock ($4990), plus the Blumenhofer Acoustics Genuin FS 2 Mk2 horn-loaded loudspeakers ($22,850/pair), a bee flew into my Southern man's bonnet and I requested room coverage to major domo Jim Austin.

Along with handsome Takatsuki-tubed amplifier (below) and equally stunning Blumenhofer Acoustics loudspeakers (top), Alex Sound Technology included the Fidata Music Server SX20U ($7995), French-made Pachanko Server Constellation Mini-SE ($3600), with Plixir's BDC linear power supply ($1000) and BAC-400 balanced power conditioner ($1500). Cabling was provided by Alex Sound's own True Power Lab ($1100-$3300), fashioned from an alloy of copper, Palladium, Platinum and Osmium within a "densely packed, multi-layer, crystal lattice," noted the press materials.

While none of the assembled rig was inexpensive, compared to some luxury brands, it's perfectly, reasonably priced. And the sound produced by this SET-powered speaker system was thrilling, to say the least. The Blumenhofer two-way is comprised of a horn-loaded 1.4" compression driver with a Titan membrane, coupled to an Alnico magnet-powered, 12" paper-cone woofer, set into a 25mm birch plywood, floor-ported, bass reflex cabinet. Frequency range is a stated 36Hz to 11.5kHz; sensitivity 94dB. and impedance 8 ohms.

Time was running late, and I had to dash, but the system's rendition of Johnny Hartmann's I Just Dropped by to Say Hello, was of human scale, sweet, transparent and thoroughly, naturally human sounding. Magic.

COMMENTS
brw's picture

actually extends to 20kHz, according to their website (not 11.5kHz as reported). Thank you for your outstanding coverage Ken, it’s appreciated – and inspiring.

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