At first I thought the spaciousness I heard from recordings of Steely Dan—the most frequently played rock group at the show—and Diana Krall was a mite artificial, but when I listened to my CD of Sarah Vaughan singing "Send in the Clowns," I realized that I was simply hearing everything that a particular recording could offer. This with speakers intentionally placed very far apart and close to the outer walls. I could have used a mite more top extension, but that's a small quibble about sound that, from such small speakers, was truly exceptional.
I did not receive an equipment list in time, but by checking the website of Gated HiFi, I believe we heard the Børresen 01 two-way monitor with ribbon planar tweeter, Ansuz Acoustics cabling, and Aavik U-300 integrated amplifier with phono and 24/192 DAC.
A beautiful warm midrange was the standout feature of a system that featured Luxman electronics and Harbeth loudspeakers. Indeed, playing Jennifer Warnes' "Too Late Love Comes," the system emphasized the midrange over everything else. Heard: Harbeth Super HL5 Plus loudspeakers ($7995/pair); Luxman's L-509x integrated amplifier ($9495), D-08u SACD player ($14,995), PD-151 belt-drive turntable ($3895), and 15000 series cabling; Melco's N1ZH60 music server ($4999) and D100 optical drive for CD playback and ripping ($1295); and TonTräger stands.
