T.H.E. Show 2021

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T.H.E. Show 2021
Time with the Big Boys #1: PBN, MR!777 loudspeaker, PBN Olympia amplification, PBN Olympia DX DAC, Kimber Kable
Jason Victor Serinus  |  Jun 12, 2021  |  8 comments
I almost lost my hearing in the PBN room. Well, not quite the room itself. I was approaching the large entranceway to this huge air-walled PBN room on the ground floor when my guardian angels, somewhat like the guardians of the temple in Mozart's The Magic Flute, declared "Zurück! This music is too loud for you to enter."
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T.H.E. Show 2021
Time with the Big Boys #2: Audio Limits, Audiovector R8 loudspeakers, Thrax Libra 300 preamplifier & Spartacus power amplifier, Tom Evans turntable, Weiss DAC
Jason Victor Serinus  |  Jun 12, 2021  |  0 comments
Darrin O'Neill's Audio Limits, located outside Las Vegas, showcased an impressive system that included the debut of the Audiovector R8 Arreté ($69,995/pair) and Thrax Libra 300 Differential Balanced 300B tube preamplifier ($57,500). The four-way speakers are claimed to have a frequency range of 22Hz–52kHz, 92.5dB/2.83V/m sensitivity, 8 ohm impedance, and the capacity to handle up to 500W power.
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T.H.E. Show 2021
Time with the Big Boys #3: High Fidelity Cables
Jason Victor Serinus  |  Jun 12, 2021  |  2 comments
Rick Schulz's High Fidelity Cables system threw such a huge soundstage that I needed to go back a row or two to take it all in. When I did, it sounded tremendous, as in positively three-dimensional with a smooth and pleasing top.
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T.H.E. Show 2021
Tonian Labs Oriaco G6 Loudspeaker with Denon and Marantz
Jason Victor Serinus  |  Jun 16, 2021  |  0 comments
In this moderately priced system, speaker designer and recording engineer Tony Minasian paired his new Oriaco G6 standmount loudspeaker ($3500/pair with stands) with Denon and Marantz gear. "Most of the sound comes from the full-range driver," he told me. "The tweeter mostly acts like a supertweeter." From what I could tell, its impact is major.
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T.H.E. Show 2021
Voss Steve Keiser Magnum Opus power amplifier & Vitra preamplifier; Graham LS5/8 loudspeakers with Townshend super tweeters, and more
Jason Victor Serinus  |  Jun 15, 2021  |  5 comments
Voss Audio, a southern California-based brand new to me, made an extremely strong show debut with its Voss Steve Keiser Design Magnum Opus stereo power amplifier ($80,000) and Vitra preamplifier ($50,000). The amp’s designer, who died last year, was one of the founders of B&K components. John Voss’s company also manufactures the Vitus phono preamplifier ($45,000). Rather than showing it, he teamed up with Philip O'Hanlon's On A Higher Note (shown above) to use a Revox/SonoruS PR99 open-reel deck to play master tapes through Graham LS5/8 loudspeakers ($14,000/pair) with Townshend super tweeters ($1500/pair). Cabling was all Gryphon.
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T.H.E. Show 2021
Wyred4Sound's New Aura Preamplifier, Gallium Power Amplifier, RS-1 Loudspeaker
Jason Victor Serinus  |  Jun 16, 2021  |  3 comments
Folks were already packing up in the Wyred4Sound room when I happened upon an active display of their just-completed prototypes, none of which is listed on their website. If you total up the total cost of the Aura preamp ($2999, Aura GaN amplifier ($2999), MS i3 music server ($2999) with its outboard HCPS power supply ($999). Isolink USB reclocker ($399), 10th Anniversary DAC ($4499), and Reference Standard 1 speaker ($14,999/pair), plus cables and all the rest, you end up with a $31,213 system.
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