I strolled into this room not knowing what to expect but seriously intrigued by the pair of large, folded-horn speakers that looked like something from a Grimm's fairy tale.
This was the room of Charney Audio, in conjunction with HiFi Logic and Hapa Audio. The digital source was from two less well-known companies: a Lucas Audio Labs MiniMax server ($12,000) and a Charney Audio 4.1X SE DAC ($24,000)Amplification was also by Charney Audio, the L-3 SE preamplifier ($19,000), followed by the Charney Audio Kit-1 300B amplifier ($10,000). Those speakers? Charney Audio Lumaca IVs, in their US debut. The Lumaca IVs feature Voxativ AC-2.6 full-range drivers ($61,000).
The assembled system, including a funky Charney Audio sign, looked equally retro and space age—think a mad scientist's lab from a '50s movie. The sound was stellar.
I was unfamiliar with the Charney Audio components, but the large, folded-horn speakers use Voxativ full-range drivers, with which I am very familiar, as I reviewed the Voxativ Ampeggio horn speakers in 2024. All the characteristics of the Voxativs were present in spades, from the incredibly whole-cloth, speedy delivery to the full-bore bass and superbly transparent mids. The sound was natural, pure, and lifelike.
On Sting's "Practical Arrangement," the bass snapped into the room, taut and dense. Vocals projected a defined, physical center image. Other instruments were portrayed with serious weight, precisely placed on a cavernous soundstage that locked me in.
The contrasting artistry of Tony Joe White and Dominique Fils-Aimé tested the system's range. The noisefloor was low, and the resulting musical message was textured, palpable, and tonally rich. A top-five system at CAF.
The assembled system, including a funky Charney Audio sign, looked equally retro and space age—think a mad scientist's lab from a '50s movie. The sound was stellar.
On Sting's "Practical Arrangement," the bass snapped into the room, taut and dense. Vocals projected a defined, physical center image. Other instruments were portrayed with serious weight, precisely placed on a cavernous soundstage that locked me in.
The contrasting artistry of Tony Joe White and Dominique Fils-Aimé tested the system's range. The noisefloor was low, and the resulting musical message was textured, palpable, and tonally rich. A top-five system at CAF.
