What a difference the recording makes. When I first entered the room sponsored by Von Schweikert Audio, Jolida Inc. and United Home Audio, I was surprised to hear really bright sound from what I expected was a master tape played on a UHA Phase 11 open-reel deck ($22,000). But when we switched to another recording, Pat Metheny and Charlie Haden performing “Missouri Sky,” I truly enjoyed the beautiful midrange, edge-free highs, and big presentation of the system. “Very, very nice” was my ultimate assessment.
Doing the honors were Von Schweikert Audio VR-44 loudspeakers ($25,000/pair); Jolida’s soon-to-be-released Luxor dual mono preamp ($2899), Luxor monoblock amplifiers with separate power supplies ($8000/pair), and Fusion DAC and transport ($2299); and Master Built’s Signature interconnects ($3500/pair), bi-wire speaker cable ($6000/pair) and power cords ($3500/each).
