Analog sources: Thorens TD 124 turntable with Korf TA-SF9R tonearm/HS-A02 Ceramic Headshell. Cartridges: Kuzma CAR-30 MC, Ortofon 2M Black LVB 250 MM.
Digital sources: Tascam CD-200 iL CD player, HoloAudio May DAC.
Preamplifiers: Rogue RP7 (line). Tavish Audio Design Adagio, Manley Chinook, PrimaLuna EVO 100, Allnic DT-5000 (phono).
Integrated amplifiers: Riviera Labs Levante, Unison Research S6 Black Edition.
Power amplifiers: Air Tight ATM-1 2024 Edition, Rogue Audio Stereo 100.
Loudspeakers: Voxativ Ampeggio 2024, Volti Audio Lucera,…
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Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Atlantis Lab’s Yusuke Yasuda, and Decibel+’s Gabriel Andrés Toro brought one of the most surprising systems of the show, featuring Neoson tubed amplifiers and Atlantis Lab loudspeakers, both brands manufactured in France.
The system included also a HiFi Rose RS250A streamer ($2650), supplanting a misbehaving Audiobyte SuperHub ($4000). An Audiobyte Super Vox DAC ($4500), and two Neoson tube amplifiers were in use: the 10Wpc Genèse ($7885) and 20Wpc Evolution ($11,828). This front-end drove Atlantis Lab AT18 ($4960/pair) and AT31 ($14,194/pair) bookshelf speakers and AT16…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Belt-driven, two-speed turntable with AC motor, reviewed with 12" EAT F-Note tonearm with gimbal bearings. Pivot-to-spindle distance: 291.6mm. Effective length: 12" (304.8mm). Overhang: 13.2mm. Offset angle: 18°. Max, min null points: 125mm, 251.7mm. Height adjustment: 40–65mm. Cartridge weight compatibility: 5–15gm. Effective mass: 21.4gm. Nominal speeds: 33 1/3, 45rpm. Speed variance: <±0.09%. Wow and flutter: <±0.01%. Speed accuracy: <±0.09%. S/N ratio: 73dB. Comes with a record weight and a laser alignment tool.
Dimensions: 21.5" (…
In the 1990s into the 2000s, I had the pleasure of interviewing jazz drummer and composer Paul Motian for both Modern Drummer and DownBeat. Motian's playful yet cantankerous spirit shone through in both conversations. The first interview took place at the ECM Records offices in Midtown Manhattan. Motian was clutching The Harold Arlen Songbook, which he had just purchased at Colony Records, now sadly closed. The second interview, at a pizza joint next to the Village Vanguard, was a lively affair, with my friend the actor Ken Forman and guitarist Bill Frisell also in attendance.
Motian had…
Benny Audio's Tomasz Franielczyk and Supreme Acoustic Systems's Hiram Toro were on hand to present one of my favorite rooms of T.H.E. Show. SAS's room 219 was also no slouch.
The Benny Audio Odyssey turntable with its partnering tonearm ($45,340), mounted with a Hana Umami Red cartridge ($3950), all sat on an Esseci Design Equilibrium platform ($2955). An Air Tight ATH-2 Reference step-up transformer ($6975) raised the voltage and an Air Tight ATE-3011 phono amplifier $34,975) provided additional gain plus RIAA equalization.
An Audio Mirror WAVE tube DAC ($11,…
San Marcos, California's Audience AV and old friend Ralph Karsten of Atma-Sphere bought a fresh system to T.H.E. Show. The setup included an Exemplar Audio eXpression DUAL ES9028PRO DAC with outboard power supply ($5500) and a Sony UPBX-1100ES Disc Player ($700). Karsten's Atma-Sphere MP-1 Vacuum Tube Balanced Line Stage ($7850) and Class-D Monoblock Amplifiers ($6100/pair) drove a pair of Audience ClairAudient Bellare Loudspeakers in a debut ($36,000/pair).
An Audience Adept Response aR6-T4 power conditioner ($6900), Audience FrontRow Reserve HP PowerChord ($7600), Audience…
Verdant Audio's Scott Bierfelt and Linn business development manager Rachel Mackenzie presented a fine-sounding room comprised of Linn components.
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…
Sharp lines and sculptural forms defined Room 219, presented by Supreme Acoustic Systems, calming my frantic mind immediately upon arrival. Soulnote's Yhusuke Iwashashi and Hideki Kato were perfect hosts, settling my reporter's brain with placid expressions.
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…
"New Life Audio—Good For The Soul" adorned the entrance to Queens, New York, dealer New Life Audio Solutions's room. Owner Shawn Mathew's smiling countenance and gentle personality made me feel welcome.
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…
Vinh Vu, my first friend in this audiophile thing, has been a busy bee since we met in the 1990s. With his company Gingko Audio, he's marketed his unique isolation platform, Danacable, and the Sextet Modular Speaker System, among other products that have stood the test of time.
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…