Jason Tavares of New York's HiFi Loft presented not one but two instantly eye- and ear-catching systems. The big-rig system combined a Soulines tt42 turntable ($15,400 without arm(s) or cartridges) with Electrocompaniet electronics: the EMC 1 MKV CD player ($7200) and ECM 1 MKII streamer/DAC ($6000).
An Electrocompaniet ECP 2 MKII phono preamp ($3200) and a Soulines The Loop tube phono preamplifier ($2500) conveyed analog signals.
The Electrocompaniet EC 5 preamplifier (TBA) was also in the system—a US debut—accompanied by Electrocompaniet AW 800 M monoblock power amplifiers ($47,500/pair). Those amplifiers drove a pair of stunning Triangle Magellan Quatuor 40th Anniversary loudspeakers ($22,000/pair). A Modulum rack and Nordost cables completed the setup.
A second, smaller system contained an Electrocompaniet ECM 1 MKII streamer/DAC ($6000) feeding an ECI 6 MKII integrated amplifier ($6500), which drove Triangle Magellan Duetto 40th Anniversary loudspeakers ($7900/pair), with cabling by Nordost.
When a dealer stumps me with great music played on vinyl, I'm all in. Jason Tavares presented a handful of vinyl records, all of which took me by surprise.
Turned up loud, Kat Edmonson's "Summertime" (from the album Take It to the Sky from 2009) swung from a vast, sculpted soundfield, revealing opulent tonality with decay so convincing it was eerie. The presentation was full and massive, with needle-sharp drum and cymbal sustain, anchored by a titanic, rumbling piano.
This rig's playback of "Summertime" put me in mind of windswept Scottish coastal caverns. Totally Mild's Her was revelatory, its ethereal production layered and atmospheric density—a sonic gauze cake speckled with well-resolved vocals and keys. A captivating system.
An Electrocompaniet ECP 2 MKII phono preamp ($3200) and a Soulines The Loop tube phono preamplifier ($2500) conveyed analog signals.
A second, smaller system contained an Electrocompaniet ECM 1 MKII streamer/DAC ($6000) feeding an ECI 6 MKII integrated amplifier ($6500), which drove Triangle Magellan Duetto 40th Anniversary loudspeakers ($7900/pair), with cabling by Nordost.
When a dealer stumps me with great music played on vinyl, I'm all in. Jason Tavares presented a handful of vinyl records, all of which took me by surprise. 
