Before the show, Bierfelt wrote via e-mail, "The intent, since this is NYC and space is at a premium, is to take a lifestyle system but one without compromise. For digital streaming, you need one box (Klimax DSM) and two speakers that are modest in size. Yet this is an elite DAC and superb speakers that will perform as well as any $145,000 system and can fit in almost any NYC apartment."
Considering that many of the Hilton…
A Bergmann Thor linear-tracking tonearm mounted on a Modi air-bearing turntable ($18,100) bore a Hana Umami Red MC cartridge ($3950). The Hana cart was attached to a Soulnote E-2 VER2 phono equalizer ($9910), and the whole analog playback system sat on an eSseCi Design Relaxa 850 platform ($1925).
There was digitally…
A Rockna Audio Wavedream Reference Signature DAC ($27,000) and a Lumin U2X digital transport/streamer ($11,000) fed signal to a Trafomatic Audio Tara 30A class-A preamplifier ($80,000), coupled to WestminsterLab Rei bridged monoblocks ($35,000/pair), driving Von Schweikert Audio ULTRA.seven Foundation loudspeakers ($195,000/pair). MasterBuilt Audio cables and Solidsteel racks…
Vu's latest idea is of the DIY variety. His MooVu Speaker Kit ($499 plus cabinet cost) consists of four custom 6.5" woofers, two 1" soft-dome tweeters, two crossover boards, OFC copper wirings, and instructions. Cabinets in Redwood, Jujube Wood, and Brown Maple are sold separately by Iwistao Minimart for $350/pair…
The system included Orchard Audio owner/designer Leonid Ayzenshtat's PecanPi+ Streamer Premium ($1500) and Soundfield Audio 1212C active speakers ($16,000/pair). Kimber Kable Hero XLR interconnects ($562/pair), Kimber Kable speaker cables, and Kimber Kable PK10 Ascent power cables ($710/ea.)…
"This is the first showing of my RL 12 speaker system ($…
The records Jeffrey brought spanned a cosmos of sound: jazz, ambient, space-age travel-rama epics, and down-and-dirty blues. Titles included Casimir Liberski ReTRio's The Z Suites, Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio's Cold As Weiss, Širom's In the Wind of Night, Hard‑Fallen…
The system included the SPL Director Mk.2 preamplifier/DAC ($4700) and the Performer s800 stereo amplifier ($4350). Speakers were Herb's beloved Falcon Acoustics Gold Badge LS3/5a in Burl Walnut ($4850/pair), plus Falcon Acoustics F50 S/E in European Walnut ($2490/pair).
ArgentPur cables provided connectivity, including Athene RCA ($1400), Heracles RCA ($1900), Amen RCA ($2400), Athene…
A more temporal reason why 1975 was such a rich year for music is that by the middle 1970s, audio engineers had mastered the arts of recording on multiple channels and cutting and editing tape. Even more crucially, the profit motive still existed in music. Back when people bought vinyl LPs by the binful, it was still possible for musicians (and by extension record labels) to get…
To demonstrate that last point at the 2009 Munich High End Show, Leif Johannsen, the MC A90…