Sonic Awakening: House of Stereo, Steinheim, T+A, Wolf Audio Systems, Synergistic Research

Located directly across from my berth 444, I fell out of my room and into 445, knowing not what was in there. I spied the handsome profile of Nexus Audio Technologies’ Walter Schofield, seated alone on a single padded chair, closely appraising a system of his own making. I grabbed a couple of donuts, poured myself a cup of Joe, and asked Walter to fill me in. He came out of his trance. “Ken!”

Here we had the Wolf Audio Systems Red Wolf SX Music Server ($9400) allied to a T+A SD 3100 HV Reference Streaming DAC ($36,390), feeding a T+A HV 3100 Preamplifier ($23,750) and a stunning tubed T+A M 40 HV Mono Amplifier ($31,425/each), which drove Steinheim Reference Ultime Two loudspeakers ($165,000/pair). An errant Phasemation EA-550 Phono Stage ($9600) joined the other components.

And there were cables and conditioners. Synergistic Research SRX XL SC speaker cables ($39,995), SRX XL IC Interconnects ($16,995), SRX XL Power Cables ($13,000), and an odd-looking Vibration SX antenna thingie ($3495) plugged into a Galileo PowerCell SX conditioner ($27,995).

This was day one, the system was still breaking in, mine and Walter’s brains still breaking in. But I heard tremendous potential in this mighty rig. And it wasn’t the free donuts.
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