CES 2016

Raidho principals Lars Kristensen, whose surname, thanks to his business card, I've finally spelled correctly after all these years; Mikkel Simonsen, who specializes in digital circuits, software, and PCB work; and Michael Børresen, the speaker designer/chief engineer who is responsible for overall concepts, visual and functional design, and analog circuitry; showed off the great, full-range sound of Raidho's new D-3.1 loudspeakers ($65,500/pair). Not the least bit shy at frequency extremes, the D-3.1 loudspeaker topped off a system that was equally at ease with fast, slamming percussion and naturally zingy piccolo.

Although I was told the speaker, which is designed around Raidho's unique magnetostatic tweeter, only descends to the low 30s, its exceptionally strong upper bass and lower midrange—defining factors of this system's sound—make it seem as though it reaches far lower. As for upper end extension, is 50kHz high enough for you?

The same people are also responsible for products from Ansuz, Aavik, and Scansonic. Also making their premiere were two new amplifiers from Aavik Acoustics. The Aavik P-300 "150W efficient class-A" power amplifier ($48,000) has many unique elements, including a 2400VA power supply; a non-switching output section, which Börresen and Kristensen explained is the closest you can get to class-A without the heat penalty; a one-stage design in which very short signal paths contribute to a feedback loop of "indefinite speed;" and a single transistor pair that is responsible for both gain and feedback. I hope I have that right.

The new Aavik Acoustics C-300 preamplifier ($36,000) has separate DSD and PCM DACs as well as a phono section. I should add that cabling was Ansuz Acoustics' new d. tc ultra high-end series. Is it any surprise that products from all three companies work synergistically? I really wish I could have spent more time in this room.