CAS 2011

From down the hall, I heard The Doors. Inside the Wells Audio room, a VPI Scout turntable (still just $1800 after all these years) was spinning “Riders on the Storm.”

The system: Usher Mini II loudspeakers ($4999/pair), Dynavector XX-2 phono cartridge ($1950), Wells Audio Innamorata power amplifier ($5500), ModWright LS100 preamp (modified by Audible Arts; stock price: $3500), Wells Audio Model PH10 phono stage ($3295), Music Hall 25.4 DAC (modified by Audible Arts; stock price: $600), Wells Audio power conditioner ($3995), MIT Z Stabilizer ($700), JPS Labs loudspeaker cables and interconnects, Solidsteel amp stands and racks.

The system offered a full-bodied presentation, with good low-end weight and impact and impressive spatial effects. I felt like I was a rider on the storm while listening to this system.