AXPONA 2019

Wharfedale Linton, Quad Artera Solus, MoFi Superdeck+U, Solidsteel, Finite Elemente, Cardas

John Atkinson  |  Apr 15, 2019

MoFi Distribution's Jonathan Derda was demming the Wharfedale Linton, 3-way stand-mounted speakers ($1498/pair with stands) using a neat little Quad Artera Solus integrated amplifier ($1999), both products making their US debuts at AXPONA. He played me "Sympathy for the Devil" from the Stones' Beggars Banquet album on a MoFi StudioDeck+U player ($1499 with MoFi UltraTracker MM cartridge) and a Tim de Paravicini-designed MoFi StudioPhono preamp ($299) and this relatively inexpensive system had this old geezer rocking.

And then Jonathan blew my mind. LP player and amplifier were sitting on Solidsteel 2-shelf stands from Italy ($699), supported by Finite Elemente Ceraballs ($299/4), which use a stainless steel housing terminated with a hard ceramic ball. When Jonathan played a track called "Cinders & Smoke" with Roon, feeding the Quad’s USB input, and took away the three Ceraballs from under the Quad amplifier, the system sounded flat and lifeless. When he put them back, back came the magic. Crazy, right? But I heard what I heard!

COMMENTS
Olson_jr's picture
Submitted by Olson_jr on April 18, 2019 - 4:46am

Interesting. Several of my friends had heard the Wharfedale Linton's at Axpona and were raving about the sound from these $1500 speakers. When I was in the room the system sounded flat and lifeless, but with a tipped up top end. I tried several different seats and but the speakers did nothing for me. I wonder if the Ceraballs were removed at the time I heard them?

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