Munich 2023

After a lot of hard work, Vitus Audio arrived in Munich with a new Signature DAC, the SD-025 Mk.II (€26,500), and new SM-103 Mk.II monoblock amplifiers (€70,000/pair). Allied with other Vitus equipment (see below), the system offered bountiful color, snap, and excellent low bass on a CD of Mathias Heise performing "Quadrillion." Having just viewed a bit of a Heise's live performance of the piece, I find myself extremely grateful for the opportunity to close my eyes and focus solely on the music.

The SD-025 Mk.II includes a new streamer board that supports gigabit network streaming. Everything in the unit has been redesigned around that board. With Roon certification pending, users can currently choose between any software that plays UPnP. Streaming from Tidal and Qobuz is, as you might expect, de rigueur.

The SM-103 Mk.II succeeds a monoblock originally released in 2018. Much of the internals have been redesigned, with a new layout and component optimization resulting in a lower noise floor and additional nuance. "We re-evaluated every aspects of the amplifier, including the power supply, to enhance macro- and micro-dynamics and improve the signal-to-noise ratio," Alexander Vitus Mogensen told me.

Other Vitus components in this impressive system were the Vitus Audio C SP-103 (€40,000), C SL-103 (€36,000), and C SCD-025 Mk.II (€26,500). These babies joined a Hifi Stay Mythology Transform X-frame ($40,540), Doshi Evolution Tape Preamp ($35,000), Focal Scala Utopia EVO loudspeakers ($53,000/pair), and Artnovion Acoustical Treatment ($17,000).