T.H.E. Show 2021

Voss Audio, a southern California-based brand new to me, made an extremely strong show debut with its Voss Steve Keiser Design Magnum Opus stereo power amplifier ($80,000) and Vitra preamplifier ($50,000). The amp’s designer, who died last year, was one of the founders of B&K components. John Voss’s company also manufactures the Vitus phono preamplifier ($45,000). Rather than showing it, he teamed up with Philip O'Hanlon's On A Higher Note (shown above) to use a Revox/SonoruS PR99 open-reel deck to play master tapes through Graham LS5/8 loudspeakers ($14,000/pair) with Townshend super tweeters ($1500/pair). Cabling was all Gryphon.

Audience power conditioning and cables and Artesania racks also contributed to the luscious sound I heard in this room. When DJ O'Hanlon cued up Linda Ronstadt and Nelson Riddle's "What's New," Ronstadt's voice sounded like a heavenly dream. It was the voice that everyone used to praise but I could never fully appreciate, given my slapped-together, used sound systems in the 1960s and '70s. Colors were full, round and beautiful, both on this track and on some at-times sketchily played Beethoven from the Janaki String Trio.

John Voss, who is close to announcing a solid dealer network, told me that his amplifier is an Ultralinear class-A/B MOSFET design offering 150Wpc with an extremely wide bandwidth. I wonder how it or the preamplifier would sound with my Wilson Audio Alexia 2s. Color me extremely interested in hearing more, both from Voss Electronics and Graham loudspeakers.