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On May 29, Adam Wexler's Resolution A/V, in Red Hook, Brooklyn, debuted new products from two heavy hitters in the audio world: Brooklyn's DeVore Fidelity and renowned Swiss brand Nagra.

"These brands have staying power," Wexler noted in a conversation after the event. "Nagra equipment is woven into our culture, having played a large role in music and film. DeVore has been around for a very long time as well. The speakers they design don't frequently change. When John designs a speaker and he says it sounds good, it sounds good, and then it sells for more than 13 years without any changes. None of this 'MKII' marketing stuff—it was made right the first time."

Nagra's René Laflamme was on hand for the world première of the new Reference line. Set up in the larger of two playback rooms, the system comprised the Nagra Reference Anniversary 70th Anniversary Limited Edition Turntable and Tonearm ($185,000) fitted with a Nagra Reference moving coil cartridge ($18,500); a Nagra Classic Phono Preamplifier and Classic Power Supply with a Nagra VFS Isolation Base ($42,950); and, for good measure, a vintage Nagra IV S reel to reel tape deck on an HRS Isolation Platform.

Amplification was also Nagra: a Nagra Reference Preamplifier ($95,000) and a pair of Nagra Reference Mono Amplifiers ($125,000/pair). The speakers were the new DeVore Fidelity O/Bronze ($30,000/pair). John DeVore was also present.

Cabling was all Transparent Reference. The electronics sat on a highly customized Box Furniture Heritage HT4W High Figure Walnut stand ($19,500) topped with a Box Furniture ITW High Figure Walnut ISO platform ($10,500).

A second system combined a Nagra Tube DAC with Nagra Classic Power Supply and Nagra VFS base ($48,500) and a Nagra Streamer ($5000).

Signal for that rig flowed through a Nagra Classic Preamp ($19,500) into Nagra Classic Stereo Amplifiers with VFS bases ($38,500/pair). The speakers in this system were the DeVore Fidelity Super Nines ($9990/pair; in for Stereophile review).

A Box Furniture Modular Rack ($3575), a Shindo Mr. T power conditioner ($2995), and a full loom of AudioQuest cable completed the setup.

The new DeVore Fidelity O/Bronze is specified at 96dB/W/m sensitivity and 12 ohms nominal impedance, with a frequency range of 26Hz–23kHz (no tolerance given). Standard finishes include American Black Walnut and Lace Walnut; custom finishes are also available.

Outwardly similar to the O/96, the O/Bronze differs substantially from its popular sibling. "The tweeter and woofer, cabinet, and rear ports are all in the exact same locations on the O/96 and O/Bronze, but each of these elements has been improved and optimized in multiple ways," DeVore said after the event. "The tweeter is the same model used in the O/Reference. While the textile dome is identical to that in the O/96, every other element is unique. The motor is an underhung design, meaning the voice coil is always within a stable magnetic field, improving linearity and dynamic performance. The magnet is a large rare-earth doughnut, creating a much more powerful and focused magnetic field, and the gap itself is nearly double the height of the gap in the O/96 tweeter. The faceplate and horn are cast and machined from bronze, increasing stability, decreasing resonance, and improving the precision of the horn loading."

"The woofer uses the same German paper cone as the driver in the O/96, but the linearity of the magnetic gap through which the voice coil moves has been increased significantly by means of a large copper Faraday ring. The ring is mounted directly to the machined bronze phase plug at the center of the cone to act as a heat sink, drawing heat out of the magnetic gap and decreasing thermal compression. The chassis itself is cast and machined from the same bronze alloy as the tweeter, further increasing stability and decreasing resonance compared with the cast zinc chassis used for the O/96 woofer. The rear ports are also cast and machined from the same bronze; they are mounted, as in the O/Reference, isolated from the cabinet to minimize the effect of vibrations on performance."

René Laflamme wears several Nagra hats—designer, director, and North American manager. "We wanted to launch products that have no compromise—a cost no object line," he explained.

The Nagra Reference Anniversary 70th Anniversary Limited Edition Turntable and Tonearm employs dual Swiss made, decoupled, brushless DC motors; real time calibration using a quartz reference; and a belt drive derived from the Nagra IV S tape machine. Other features include an Exium and clear acrylic platter; a chassis and sub chassis of aircraft grade aluminum and phenolic; and suspension pillars that use both a spring mechanism and a highly viscous fluid in a "diver/chamber" configuration.

The 10.5" Reference tonearm's wand is a dual concentric carbon fiber tube with an intermediate layer of wood. Its bearing is a CNC machined, hardened steel cone captured in a resonance isolating, silicone damped, polyethylene receiving cup. A low hung, saddle shaped auxiliary weight complements the main counterweight, adding stability and minimizing effective mass.

The cartridge is Nagra's Reference MC. It sports a ruby cantilever joined to a titanium structure coated with DLC (diamond like carbon). The stylus tip is a Swiss produced Fritz Gyger S profile, and the body is machined from the non ferrous alloy EXIUM AM.

Derived from the 2017 Nagra HD Preamp, the Reference Preamplifier features custom made capacitors, new generation high voltage power supplies with "Super cap" capacity, dual chassis supplies, and additional mechanical damping via a phenolic layer inside the top cover.

The Reference Mono Amplifiers, evolved from the Nagra HD Amp, now use uprated 2000V transformers potted in epoxy, adjustable resonance decoupling feet made of phenolic and pure copper, internal three stage mechanical damping, WBT Next Gen binding posts, damping factor controlled outputs, and cosmetics that match the rest of the Reference line. Nagra has yet to publish power output specifications.

Before the doors opened, René Laflamme cued up some of his own tapes. The sound was shockingly natural, with lightning fast transients, an exceptionally clear midrange, and superbly tight bass waves that filled the room.

Spinning Future Games by Fleetwood Mac on the Reference turntable, the system delivered a juicy, silvery top end on guitars and cymbals, with excellent crunch and weight on bass and drums. The openness, sense of filigree, and air were simply stupendous.

A Massive Attack LP was equally driving and sweet, with strong vocal images. Dire Straits sounded immediate and lush; King Tubby produced appropriately shape shifting electric bass; and Trentemøller's The Last Resort projected an immense, resonant halo of gauzy electronic textures atop intense synth bass drills that pressurized the room and made my stomach churn. The Nagra/DeVore rig was flat out remarkable.

"Over and over, we see our customers gravitating toward DeVore and Nagra," Wexler observed. "These products move them emotionally time and time again. In demonstrations, even the uninitiated audiophile gravitates toward these brands because, subconsciously, they're doing something very special . . . they can't always put a finger on it . . . but we know. It's that natural sound—that realistic sound—that brings the musical performance to them, or them to the performance."