T.H.E. Show Newport 2013

Damn. In the midst of my power coverage, my brief listen in the Perfect8/BAlabo room was so enjoyable that I resolved to return. But when I finished my final floor of the Hilton on Saturday, with just enough time for a return visit before I headed across the street to the airport, I found the door locked. Only later did I learn that the door had not been locked intentionally; if I had pounded hard enough, I could have gotten more of this equipment configuration’s wonderful sound.

What I did hear wasn’t perfect—there was some bass boom—but the quality of air and clarity elsewhere in the range, the lovely tonality and natural brightness of the horn, and, most of all, the sheer seductiveness of Shirley Horn’s voice on “It Had to Be You” suggested that his was one of the finer set-ups in the Hilton.

The eye-catching loudspeakers were the Perfect8 Point MK-II Evolution ($115,000/pair) with active 400Wpc subwoofer amplification. Perfect8 also provided the balanced XLR interconnects ($2500/pair). From BAlabo came the BP-1 Mk.II power amplifier ($88,500), BC-1 Mk.II control amplifier-linestage ($67,500), BD-1 DAC ($37,500), and two Absolute Zero signal grounding cables ($1875/1m, $8000/8m).

Zanden supplied the 2000P transport ($33,500), Blue Smoke Entertainment the music server ($7500), and Grand Prix the lust-over-‘til-I-die Monaco isolation stands ($13,250 in this configuration) and F1 Special amplifier platform ($3500). Argento Audio manufactured the FMR power cords ($6800, presumably each), and HB Cable Design the Powerslave Marble power distribution center ($8995). It is rumored that at least one visitor offered himself up as a power slave in exchange for this system.