VANA Shows European Audio Team (EAT), Grimm, Atlas Cables, Ferrum, and Marten

VANA CEO Roy Feldstein worked a room at AXPONA, no bells and whistles, no crazy demos or static displays. Roy simply plays the kind of solid gear that he excels in distributing, including European Audio Team (EAT), Kyomi Audio, Grimm Audio, Atlas Cables, Ferrum, Jorma and Marten loudspeakers, and Rekkord turntables.

The exquisite EAT Fortissimo S turntable and F Note Tonearm with EAT Jo No 8 MC Cartridge ($13,799 w/o cart) fed an EAT E-Glo phono stage ($8999). The brand spanking new Ferrum Wandla "The DAC" ($2795) and Ferrum Hypsos PS ($1195), plus a Grimm MU1 Streamer ($12,500, Roon Core and Roon End Point integrated), played their roles, all commanding a dual-chassis Jadis JPS2 line preamplifier ($17,700) into a pair of 160Wpc Jadis J200 M ii monoblocks ($41,900/pair). These components have been around since the 1990s; Jadis has been quietly refining them in the background ever since.

The music found its final sonic destination in a gorgeous pair of Marten Mingus Quintet 2 loudspeakers ($74,995/pair, below), one of the finest-sounding speakers at AXPONA. Jorma and Atlas cables sealed the deal.

Listening to various choral music, jazz, and the like, my notes stated "warm, immediate, human" and "occasionally lit-up top-end." "Pungent strings, mad momentum, lovely layering." Heaven in glass bottles and silver and gold boxes.

COMMENTS
Glotz's picture

I really wanted to hear Marten speakers this AXPONA again. Darn.

Marten speakers = Best naming convention ever.

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