AXPONA 2025

Mark Sossa of Virginia-based distributor Well Pleased AV brought a sweet lineup to Chicago, including the world-premiere Merason Mountain DAC ($20,000).

The DAC, the company’s first to eliminate output capacitors, is part of a new line that also includes Mountain Pre and Mountain Power amplification.

“By removing the caps, we’ve managed to tighten and deepen the bass response, delivering sound that is both more powerful and more precise,” Merason founder and managing director Daniel Frauchiger claimed.

Other upgrades include improved internal reclocking, an optimized power section that promises a lower noise floor, and a dynamic-range increase of at least 6dB.

The system in the Well Pleased room also included the Innuos ZENith Next-Gen music server ($20,250), the PhoenixUSB reclocker ($4349), and the PhoenixNET switch ($4349), feeding a Vinnie Rossi Brama integrated amplifier ($47,995) that powered QLN Reference 9 speakers ($45,000/pair).

Supporting accessories included MasterBuilt cables, a GigaWatt PC-4 EVO+ power conditioner ($14,500), and an SGR Model V Statement rack ($5000).

I’m a vinyl diehard, but this digital rig made me question my loyalties. Chanteuse Madeleine Peyroux’s performance was textured, full-bodied, and relaxed—traits not always associated with digital playback. Vocals, guitar, and viola had nuance and refinement; the music moved with unforced pacing.

Steely Dan’s audio-show warhorse Gaucho followed, sounding exceptionally clean, composed, and convincing. Digital glare and harshness were nowhere to be found—likely thanks to the Merason Mountain DAC.

Radiohead’s “Everything in Its Right Place” was appropriately dark and ominous, with sinuous textures that filled the small room. Guitar and bass lines decayed beautifully, with detail and separation more than holding their own. Digital done right is rare, but this was rarer still—digital I’d want to live with.