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This was one of my favorite demos at the show. It sounded so well balanced, it seemed to deliver everything in the right proportions. Bold but not in-your-face; tonally ripe but not too warm; detailed but not stringent; effortless but weighty, and so on.

In the setup I heard—there was also a Tidal-streaming setup I didn't hear—the source was a Stable 33.3 33.2 Mk2 turntable ($13,900) equipped with a Black Beauty carbon-fibre based tonearm ($11,500) and low-output Dynavector DV-20X2 MC cartridge ($1380), feeding a Luna Cables Red MC step-up transformer…

That's why I'm reviewing the CH Precision L1 line preamplifier ($34,500 in silver), which has been on the market for several years; meanwhile the company has launched a new, even higher-end preamp, the L10 (footnote 1). But when, recently, I wrote a follow…

CH Precision always sends one of its people to assist with setup—a good idea for a major review, since it guarantees that the setup is correct and the sound achieved is up to what the component is capable of. In this case, my visitor was Kevin Wolff, CH Precision's Seattle-based global sales director. Kevin went through the setup process as I looked on, paying attention some of the time. He turned off unused inputs, set input gain, chose DC coupling for the active inputs, and labeled them. Kevin activated a third channel for an experiment.

Kevin set the system to warm up and…

Description: Modular, dual-mono line-level preamplifier with an 800 × 480 pixel, 24-bit RGB AMOLED display, eight inputs (four balanced on XLR, two each single-ended on RCA and BNC); four outputs (two fully balanced on XLR; one each single-ended on RCA and BNC). Relay-based input switching; 20-bit R-2R–based analog volume control with 236 0.5dB steps. Switchable absolute phase and mono settings. Max levels, input and output: 16V RMS balanced, 8V RMS single-ended. Input impedance: selectable 94k ohms or 600 ohms balanced, 47k ohms or 300 ohms single-ended. Output…

Analog sources: SME 30/12 (original version) with Series V-12 tonearm. Phono cartridges: Ortofon Windfeld Ti, Ortofon Verismo; Lyra Etna λ Lambda.
Digital Source: Roon Nucleus+, Innuos Statement NewGen server/streamer, CH Precision C1.2 D/A processor.
Preamplification: Line: Pass Laboratories XP-32. Phono: Pass Labs XP-27, Sutherland Big Loco.
Power amplifiers: Pass Laboratories XA60.8 monoblocks, CH Precision M1.1.
Loudspeakers: Wilson Audio Specialties Alexx V.
Cables: Digital: AudioQuest Carbon, Cinnamon, & Coffee USB; CAD USB;…

Another room exhibiting an EverSolo product was that of IsoAcoustics, which used a DMP-A8 streamer/DAP/DAC/preamplifier ($2700) to feed a pair of 350W PS Audio Stellar M700 monoblocks ($4500/each) and Aspen FR10 speakers ($13,999/pair)—two pairs—actually, one on regular spikes, the other on IsoAcoustics Gaia 2 isolation feet ($349.99/pack of 4)—to allow for an A/B demonstration.

Rounding out the system were a PowerPlant 15 AC regenerator ($10,699) and cabling by Kimber Kable.

On a track by Pink Floyd, the sound with the Aspens on their…

You want big-toned, vivid, seemingly effortlessly dispersed sound with a knack for delivering some of the most stable and incisively air-sculpted, but not fatiguing, imaging I've heard at the show? Then step right up, into the Motet room, which was showcasing a powerful system comprising a pair of PS Audio ASPEN FR30 speakers ($40,000/pair), two 65Wpc, class-A Accuphase A-80 power amplifiers in bridged mode ($28,000/each), an Accuphase C-2300 preamplifier ($15,000), a Lumin P1 streamer ($13,500), a PS Audio PowerPlant 20 AC regenerator ($15,000), with cabling by…

You know how they say that after a while dog owners start looking like their pets? I doubt it's true, but on the premise that it is, I wonder if the same can be claimed about brand names or store names; example: if you opened the "Best Gear Ever" store, would you, even subconsciously, feel compelled to seek out and sell the best gear? Would you try to resemble the name, to live up to it?

By the same token, what if your store is called Sonic Artistry? Would you feel compelled to sell gear that's uncommon and makes music that…

Ontario retailer Hearken Audio always showcases systems made up of exotic products usually from distant lands by brands unfamiliar to me that, together, don't fail to be musical standouts at shows.

This year, Hearken demoed a particularly synergistic batch. Some exhibitors are very good at finding products that work optimally together, and I'd say that Matt Thomas, proprietor of Hearken Audio, is up there in being able to do that—he's got the audio-dealer nose for such things.

The demo this year was centered around products by Senna Sound, a…

Given that it has taken Devialet 14 years to issue an entirely new, up-to-date integrated, this was a major premiere in a relatively small package. Available in two colors, light bronze or (for a higher price) Opéra de Paris 23…