T.H.E. Show Newport 2013

EAR USA’s Dan Meinwald had more to share than two new products from Tim de Paravicini; he also opened the door on lovely tube warmth. Thanks to two new sources, the EAR Acute 4/DACute 4 CD/SACD player ($13,000) and Helius Alexia turntable ($5500), the latter equipped with the Helius Omega 10” tonearm ($3100) and Dynavector KX-1s cartridge ($5450), an LP of doo-wop, and a CD of The Persuasions singing the Beatles had great height and exemplary center imaging. A Chad Kassem test pressing of the Ray Brown Trio’s Soular Energy further exhibited lovely and warm tube sound.

Dan acknowledged that he had not been able to get the bass under control all weekend. But from the midrange up, the sound was fine, fine, fine. Other components in the chain included EAR’s 509 monoblocks ($15,700, presumably for the pair) and 912 preamplifier ($13,000); Marten’s Django L loudspeakers ($9000/pair), Jorma Origo interconnects ($5240/1m pair) and speaker cables ($7000/1m pair), Marten M. furniture, and a World Power Power Wing AC line conditioner ($2850).