It seems as if I came of audiophile age in the George Kaye era. The first <I>truly</I> high-end system I ever heard contained a pair of Julius Futterman OTL monoblocks that Kaye had "finished" after Futterman's death in 1979 (footnote 1). In the mid-1980s, I owned both an New York Audio Labs (NYAL) Superit phono section and a Moscode 300 amplifier&#151;two lovely examples of high-value high-end. Both components were far from perfect, but they were <I>fun</I>&#151;and, unlike most of the other components that were then highly regarded by magazines and listeners, I could afford them.

It seems as if I came of audiophile age in the George Kaye era. The first <I>truly</I> high-end system I ever heard contained a pair of Julius Futterman OTL monoblocks that Kaye had "finished" after Futterman's death in 1979 (footnote 1). In the mid-1980s, I owned both an New York Audio Labs (NYAL) Superit phono section and a Moscode 300 amplifier&#151;two lovely examples of high-value high-end. Both components were far from perfect, but they were <I>fun</I>&#151;and, unlike most of the other components that were then highly regarded by magazines and listeners, I could afford them.

It seems as if I came of audiophile age in the George Kaye era. The first <I>truly</I> high-end system I ever heard contained a pair of Julius Futterman OTL monoblocks that Kaye had "finished" after Futterman's death in 1979 (footnote 1). In the mid-1980s, I owned both an New York Audio Labs (NYAL) Superit phono section and a Moscode 300 amplifier&#151;two lovely examples of high-value high-end. Both components were far from perfect, but they were <I>fun</I>&#151;and, unlike most of the other components that were then highly regarded by magazines and listeners, I could afford them.

It seems as if I came of audiophile age in the George Kaye era. The first <I>truly</I> high-end system I ever heard contained a pair of Julius Futterman OTL monoblocks that Kaye had "finished" after Futterman's death in 1979 (footnote 1). In the mid-1980s, I owned both an New York Audio Labs (NYAL) Superit phono section and a Moscode 300 amplifier&#151;two lovely examples of high-value high-end. Both components were far from perfect, but they were <I>fun</I>&#151;and, unlike most of the other components that were then highly regarded by magazines and listeners, I could afford them.

It seems as if I came of audiophile age in the George Kaye era. The first <I>truly</I> high-end system I ever heard contained a pair of Julius Futterman OTL monoblocks that Kaye had "finished" after Futterman's death in 1979 (footnote 1). In the mid-1980s, I owned both an New York Audio Labs (NYAL) Superit phono section and a Moscode 300 amplifier&#151;two lovely examples of high-value high-end. Both components were far from perfect, but they were <I>fun</I>&#151;and, unlike most of the other components that were then highly regarded by magazines and listeners, I could afford them.

Though taller, narrower, deeper, more gracefully sculpted, and even more mantis-like than the MAXX Series 2 that I <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com/floorloudspeakers/805wilson">reviewed</A&gt; in the August 2005 <I>Stereophile</I>, at first glance the Wilson Audio Specialties MAXX Series 3 seems little more than a minor reworking of its predecessor with a major increase in price: from $44,900 to $68,000 per pair. But first looks can be deceiving. Take a closer, longer gaze&#151;or, better yet, spend some time <I>listening</I> (especially if you've spent time with the MAXX 2)&#151;and you'll quickly realize that while the familiar Wilson design concepts remain in play, the MAXX 3 is <I>far</I> more than a minor reworking of an older model.

Though taller, narrower, deeper, more gracefully sculpted, and even more mantis-like than the MAXX Series 2 that I <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com/floorloudspeakers/805wilson">reviewed</A&gt; in the August 2005 <I>Stereophile</I>, at first glance the Wilson Audio Specialties MAXX Series 3 seems little more than a minor reworking of its predecessor with a major increase in price: from $44,900 to $68,000 per pair. But first looks can be deceiving. Take a closer, longer gaze&#151;or, better yet, spend some time <I>listening</I> (especially if you've spent time with the MAXX 2)&#151;and you'll quickly realize that while the familiar Wilson design concepts remain in play, the MAXX 3 is <I>far</I> more than a minor reworking of an older model.

Though taller, narrower, deeper, more gracefully sculpted, and even more mantis-like than the MAXX Series 2 that I <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com/floorloudspeakers/805wilson">reviewed</A&gt; in the August 2005 <I>Stereophile</I>, at first glance the Wilson Audio Specialties MAXX Series 3 seems little more than a minor reworking of its predecessor with a major increase in price: from $44,900 to $68,000 per pair. But first looks can be deceiving. Take a closer, longer gaze&#151;or, better yet, spend some time <I>listening</I> (especially if you've spent time with the MAXX 2)&#151;and you'll quickly realize that while the familiar Wilson design concepts remain in play, the MAXX 3 is <I>far</I> more than a minor reworking of an older model.