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On Thursday January 30th, the frigid landscape of Red Hook, Brooklyn, was the site of several audio-focused debuts. Adam Wexler's Resolution AV, a purveyor of high-end audio, celebrated its grand reopening, showcasing new products from Fyne Audio. Fyne Audio CEO Max Maud and Harmonia Distribution Vice President Jesse Luna were on hand to introduce the new products and answer questions.

Resolution A/V got its start as used-equipment dealer Stereobuyers, the subject of Art Dudley’s final column. While the event marked the grand opening of Resolution A/V's newly appointed listening rooms, it also celebrated a significant expansion for a company with deep roots in the industry. For nearly 16 years, Resolution A/V has designed and installed custom smart home, home theater, and high-end Hi-Fi systems in some of New York and Brooklyn's most prestigious residences.

Showcasing new equipment from manufacturers including DeVore Fidelity, Riviera Labs, Brinkmann, Well Tempered, Shindo Labs, Leben, Nagra, and Accuphase, Resolution A/V has two listening rooms as well as vintage stuff from brands B&W, EMT, Quad, Marantz, Wilson, Maas-Rowe Carillon (footnote 1), Stromberg-Carlson, Fisher, Jeff Rowland, Tektron, Dynakit, Thorens, Tannoy, Scott, Ampex, and Mark Levinson.

The packed crowd included, in addition to this correspondent, Stereophile’s John Atkinson, Michael Trei, Alex Halberstadt, and Herb Reichert. Also in attendance were DeVore Fidelity’s John DeVore, former Stereophilian Jana Dagdagan, Audiophiliac Steve Guttenberg, and Michael Lavorgna of Twittering Machines. I fought for a seat on the couch in listening room one where the larger Fynes held court.

This night’s action centered on new Fyne Audio loudspeakers. The Scottish loudspeaker company unveiled three new models: the Classic Gold XV SP ($19,999/pair), the Classic Gold XII SP ($15,999/pair), and the Classic Gold X SP ($12,999/pair).

The walnut-finished Fyne Audio Classic Gold XV SP is a two-way design with a downfiring port and a twin-cavity “BassTrax” Tractrix diffuser supporting its 15" multifiber bass-midrange “IsoFlare” driver. This driver incorporates FyneFlute surround technology, a 75mm titanium compression tweeter, and a neodymium magnet system. Crafted from high-density birch ply with internal bracing, this Vintage Classic Gold series model bears the signature of principal Fyne designer, Dr. Paul Mills, on its gold-accented trim.

The Classic Gold XV SP’s specified sensitivity is a high 97dB/2.83V/1m. The frequency range is reported as 23Hz–26kHz. The crossover, at 750Hz, is second order (low-pass and high-pass) type; crossover components have received Fyne’s Deep Cryogenic treatment. Biwiring and bi-amping are supported. The speaker has Energy and Presence controls of ±3dB covering the 2.5kHz–5.0kHz range. The XV SP stands 41.4" high × 25.6" wide × 21.1" deep and weighs 156lb (71kg).

The smaller Classic Gold XII SP boasts a 12" multifiber bass-midrange IsoFlare driver with the same “FyneFlute” surround, a 75mm titanium-alloy dome compression tweeter, and a neodymium magnet system. Like its larger sibling, this model utilizes a down-firing, twin-cavity BassTrax Tractrix diffuser and is finished in walnut veneer with gold accents.

The Classic Gold XII SP’s sensitivity is specified as 96dB/2.83V/1m. Its crossover shares the same specs as the Classic Gold XV SP (above). The high-density birch-ply cabinet stands 37.3" high × 21.7" wide × 16.6" deep and weighs 112lb (51kg).

Classic Gold X SP is built along the same lines as its larger brethren but is smaller still, using a 10" IsoFlare driver with 3" titanium dome tweeter, downfiring bass port with the BassTrax Tractrix profile low frequency diffuser. The specified sensitivity is lower but still high, at 94dB/2.83V/1m. It boasts similar front-panel adjustments and is also finished in walnut.

In the main listening room, a Brinkmann Taurus Direct Drive Turntable, RöNt III & 12.1 Tonearm ($32,290), EMT JSD Pure MC Cartridge ($4495), and Nagra Classic Phono Preamp ($21,500) played vinyl. A Nagra Streamer ($4950) with a Nagra Classic Tube DAC ($29,500) with the Nagra Classic power supply ($16,900) played digital. A Riviera Audio Laboratories APL-1 Tube Preamplifier ($26,000) and AFS-32 Hybrid Stereo Amplifier ($28,000) drove the Fyne Audio Classic Gold XV SP Floorstanding Speaker ($19,999/pair) plus those SuperTrax Super Tweeters ($4499/pair).

An HRS Custom M3X2 Isolation Base (for the Brinkmann Taurus, $3450) and a Nagra Classic VFS Iso Base (2)(for the Nagra DAC and its power supply, $2750) provided support. An AudioQuest NIAGARA 5000 Power Conditioner ($5900) filtered power. AudioQuest Dragon cables connected the works. Box Furniture Co. Heritage Series Triple Width Racks provided additional support.

The smaller listening space, which doubled as Adam Wexler’s office, held my preferred system. It included a Well Tempered Lab Amadeus 254 GT Turntable with LTD Tonearm ($8750) and an EMT HSD 006 MC Cartridge ($1795). Step-up duties were performed by a QVATTVOR PACTO MC Step-Up Transformer ($3995) from Prague-based Fonolab. A dCS Lina DAC ($13,650) turned bits into music. An Accuphase E-4000 Integrated Stereo Amplifier ($15,250) drove the Fyne Audio Classic Gold X SPs. Also in this system was a vintage EMT 930st turntable with a TSD15 cartridge.

Here, all the cables were from Wexler’s in-house brand, Tuneful cables. Wexler describes them as “a mix of Belden interconnects and vintage Western Electric speaker wire.” A Box Furniture Company Modular Series MD3S rack held the works.

On static display were Fyne Audio’s Classic Gold XII ($11,799/pair), Classic Gold VIII ($6299) and Classic VIII SM standmount ($4799).

I thought the smaller room, featuring the Classic Gold X SP speakers, had the most presence and impact. The music was clear, focused, with serious boogie factor. Records I picked up earlier at Benny’s Music Shoppe hit the Well Tempered platter and never came off. Every record I played was presented with excellent focus and force.

“The turnout was amazing,” Wexler noted after the event. “The enthusiasm for our different approach to a hi-fi shop was palpable. We had one couple drive four hours from Ithaca. Another drove two hours. Overall, the event was … a convergence of people who came to share their love for hi-fi and music and not pick apart what any particular system or component was doing right or wrong. This is very much in line with the culture I'm trying to create, doing it for the love of emotionally stirring music reproduction.”

FOOTNOTES
1 I had to look this one up. Founded in 1922, Maas-Rowe Carillon started out producing—you guest it—carillons. You know: church bells. The company homepage, at maas-rowe.com, says, “Maas-Rowe has provided church bells, chimes, carillons and tower clocks for many of America's most famous places. Maas-Rowe manufactures unique electronic carillons that employ struck metal "miniature bells" to produce an authentic live bell sound acclaimed by musical experts.” What’s the connection to hi-fi? At some point in their history they made tube amplifiers.—Jim Austin