Florida Audio Expo 2025

Reel Sound Distribution’s Jeff Garshon came fully armed to Tampa, with a Metaxas & Sins system that was both fantastic looking and sounding.

A Tourbillion T-RX reel-to-reel player and power supply ($52,000), atop a Tourbillion custom stand ($8000), traded analog duties with the Perambulator turntable, which features a hybrid solid aluminum/acrylic platter and an external motor ($29,000); it was coupled with a Combobulator tonearm, made of solid titanium with silver internal wiring ($9000).

A Solitaire integrated amplifier (150Wpc, custom color, $41,000) performed tag-team duties with the Ikarus integrated amplifier (50Wpc, custom color, $29,000), driving either the slim, giraffe-tall Czar loudspeakers (aluminum body, 14" electrostatic panels, $37,000) or the Prinze loudspeakers (aluminum body, 8" electrostatic panels, $24,000).

Crazy looking, Salvador Dali-inspired visuals certainly don’t inspire confidence in the system’s ability to play music. But it did—with incredible tonal earthiness and a sky-high scale that both relaxed and excited me.

Who says contemporary hi-fi is full of black boxes?