The Vinyl Revivers/Black Ice/Klipsch/Ortofon/Pro-Ject/Audio Desk System

Black Ice amplification joined with Klipsch speakers and a Pro-Ject turntable to create a high-octane rig that played contemporary pop, rock, and blues like Stevie Ray Vaughan riffing with '90s German techno.

A Pro-Ject turntable with an Ortofon 2M Red cartridge sent signal to a Black Ice Fusion F159 MM/MC phono stage ($1875), with two 6922/6DJ8 tubes and azimuth correction, Black Ice Fusion F360 preamp ($2500, above), using a 6SN7 dual triode with zero negative feedback in a Jim Fosgate design, Black Ice Fusion F100 power amp using four EL84s for 120Wpc ($7800; $8200 w/KT88s; below), or alternately, a Black Ice Fusion F35 integrated amp outputting 60Wpc via four EL34/6550 tubes ($3000), powering a pair of Klipsch Forte IV loudspeakers ($4998/pair). A prototype Black Ice DAC streamed files.

Playing lovely, misty folk-pop from Lucy Rose, bordered by brain-shaking techno from Germany's Purple Disco Machine, the Black Ice rig partied hard, and left me thirsty for more.

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