Alma Music & Audio Shows Boenicke W8 Speakers, Nagra Classic Amp and Pre, MSB Premier DAC, Innuos Statement Next-Gen, and more

It's been far too long since I've encountered Boenicke Audio loudspeakers. Organic in design, with their inner chambers carved out of wood, and sometimes abetted by Bybee devices, they're capable of throwing a huge soundstage from a relatively small footprint. The floating W8 ($8500/pair), used in one of three rooms from Alma Music & Audio of San Diego, include, in addition to what you see on the front, a side-firing woofer and a rear-firing tweeter.

Joined with an Innuos Statement Next-Gen music server ($21,700), MSB Premier DAC ($27,950), Nagra Classic Pre and Classic Amp ($18,500 each), Gigawatt PC-4 EVO+ power conditioner ($11,700), Kubala-Sosna Realization Cabling, and Nemesis Decorac Acoustic Panels (starting at $599), the speakers produced a huge soundstage and excellent, grounded sound with a standout midrange. I may not be a huge Leonard Cohen fan, but his "You Want it Darker" sounded stellar. Ditto for a 24/44.1 MQA file of Glenn Gould's second recording of J.S. Bach's Goldberg Variations, which remained compelling until Gould's singalong got too loud.

Here's hoping I encounter Boenicke speakers at another show before year's end.

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