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High End by Oz and United Home Audio joined together to present the US premiere of Vitus Audio’s SIA-030 30W class-A/200W class-AB integrated amplifier ($40,000) and AudioSolutions Virtuoso M loudspeakers ($32,000/pair). The speakers, which weigh 165lb each, claim a sensitivity of 92dB, 4 ohms nominal impedance, and an in-room frequency response of 25Hz–30kHz. Together with Vitus Audio’s SCD-025 MKII CD player/DAC ($25,200), United Home Audio’s Ultima 4 OPS-DC tape deck ($30,000), and Ansuz Acoustics cabling, this system was playing an interesting and unusual selection of music, including the…
Eye-catching as all get-out, Alsyvox Boticelli loudspeakers ($89,000/pair)—having arrived from Spain with their optional external crossover ($25,000) —made a useful connection with Italy’s Omega Audio Concepts DNA CDP disc transport ($12,000), DNA DAC ($9000), and DNA mono amplifiers ($20,000/pair complete with integrated preamps) to produce intriguing sound.
This system excelled at color and transparency, although it couldn’t completely transcend the space's diffuse presentation and overemphasis of the midrange at the expense of the top end. Focus and color improved when I moved farther…
I hadn’t planned to visit the Göbel/CH Precision/Kronos/Bending Wave USA room, having spilled a lot of ink on Göbel and CH products at Munich High End. But, given that I’d heard everything in the room before and was familiar with the excellence of its sound, I wanted to see if it could surmount the sonic difficulties posed by the Gaylord Convention Center's huge rooms.
This big, expensive system was comprised of Göbel High End Divin Noblesse loudspeakers ($220,000/pair); CH Precision’s M 1.1 power amplifier ($54,000), L1 preamplifier ($34,500), C1 DAC with USB option ($35,000), and P1…
Paradigm’s Canadian-designed-and-engineered Persona 7F loudspeakers, which have beryllium diaphragms, anchored a system that received additional grounding from the Paradigm Persona SUB ($6500). The sub’s six 8" woofers are powered by a 1700W “Ultra Class D” amplifier that, aided by DSP and other stuff, descends to a formidable 12Hz.
The room also featured the premiere of the production version of the Wolf Alpha 35X music server ($9295), which was previously shown at the Hong Kong show in prototype form. The company’s Joe Parvey told me that the 35X includes $1200 retail worth of…
In the Gaylord Hotel’s North Tower, where room after room, regardless of its size or layout, seemed conducive to good sound, Raidho Acoustics was making a major impression with the world premiere Raidho TD2.2 2.5-way loudspeakers ($46,000/pair in black). Designed by Benno Baun Meldgaard, who formerly designed loudspeakers for Gamut, the TD2.2 was intended for rooms just a bit larger than the hotel room in which it slayed visitor after visitor.
While the TD2.2’s exterior is similar to the previous version, the TD2.1, the drivers have a new motor design with better sensitivity (89dB), and…
Krell’s immensely energetic Walter Schofield was in the middle of a system description when I entered the room, so I didn't know exactly what I was hearing, but whatever it was, the fact that I’d just submitted my review of the Krell K-300i integrated before boarding a plane for Denver left me very eager to hear it.
Dean Martin’s voice, on LP, sounded drop dead gorgeous. The sound was open and inviting, with just a tip of bright edge on top. (It's OK; I’ve got a bright edge in my own system.) I could hear every overdone portamento, every little extra bubble of sentiment-laden vibrato. But…
What is this strange creature with an upper driver that looks like something from a Marvel movie? Is it benign, or is it the blob that obliterated Kansas?
Once my eyebrows had lowered enough to get out of the way of my ears, I discovered that Endow Audio’s prototype FS301 loudspeaker ($44,000/pair), whose price includes a patent pending outboard passive signal processor, delivered lovely sound on David Wilcox’s “Chet Baker’s Unsung Swan Song.” Paired with an integrated amp from Hegel whose model and price I failed to record because I was too busy listening, the FS301 conveyed an excellent…
Another speaker debut and another winner. Introducing the Vandersteen Kēnto Carbon ($37,500/pair), which, together with Vandersteen M5-HPA amplifiers ($15,800/pair), VTL electronics, and more sounded open and alive on top on a Mercury Living LP of Dorati’s rendition of Stravinsky’s The Firebird. Depth and color were so good that I found myself wishing for a bigger space in which to hear how great this combination can sound. (But not too big, like the rooms I complained about for the first half of the show.) If that doesn’t happen at RMAF 2020, it will be at least partly because everyone at…
My last exhibit in one of the multi-tower Gaylord Hotel’s 1500 rooms was sponsored by Portuguese music server manufacturer Innuos. I’ve been looking for a music server to review and, with Jim Austin’s approval, hope to tackle the top-of-the-line Statement ($13,750 for 1TB SSD up to $15,150 for 4TB SSD). Released last November, here at the show it reproduced music with impressive transparency, depth, color, and body.
Featured, however, was the world premiere of the company’s PhoenixUSB reclocker ($3149), which can be used with any device to reclock signals sent via USB and ethernet. When…
If you, like me, tend to associate MartinLogan with electrostatic transducers, you may be surprised to learn that their more traditional Motion line accounts for most of their sales. The upgrades on the Motion 35XTi speaker ($649.99 each) are subtle, and termed “housekeeping” by the company’s Peter Soderberg. Designed by their head engineers, they are claimed to carry over the electrostatic voicing that distinguishes the company’s other models. Together with MartinLogan’s Dynamo 800X subwoofers ($799.99/each), Benchmark’s D/A DAC3 B D/A converter ($1699), LA4 line amplifier ($2499), AHB2…