T.H.E. Show 2022

Only as I was leaving this room did Theresa Merchant tell me that when she, her husband Sunil, and the Sunny Components team first encountered the abysmal acoustics in this room, they thought all was lost. Thanks to the set-up acumen of David Ellington, AudioQuest Director of Sales for Independent Dealers, and a bunch of acoustic paneling, the room was a major success.

First thought: That's Vinnie Rossi? Boy, he sure has upped his visual profile, with prices and sound quality to match. Through Vinnie Rossi's Brama preamplifier ($34,500; above) and Brama amplifier (also $34,500, and also above), an MQA version of Ravel's String Quartet in F major sounded absolutely gorgeous. Ditto for Gregory Porter's "Hey Laura." This was superior sound, even from the room's less-than-ideal back row.

As I left while another Duke Ellington track played—yes, Duke Ellington made music in as many rooms as AudioQuest at T.H.E. Show—I producd multiple mental cheers for the Meitner MA-3 DAC/streamer ($10,500) that I reviewed in June; Neodio Origine S2 Ultimate CD player ($24,900; above), Bowers & Wilkins 802D4 loudspeakers ($28,000/pair) with DB1D subwoofers (2 x $5899), AudioQuest Niagara 5000 power conditioner ($5500) and FireBird/Hurricane cable complement, and Harmonic Resolution Systems stands and accessories.