The Hegel Room
Without further ado, let's jump right in, starting with the system in the Hegel room, which was bright, clean, and crisp—and that was just the room.
The Lemay Audio Room
The Lemay Audio room comes with a sweet story and a giant killer.
The MartinLogan / Planète Haute-Fidélité Room
I seem to hear and read less about electrostatic speakers than I used to.
The Moon by Simaudio Room
The Moon by Simaudio room was playing music streamed from the company's Roon-ready, DSD- and MQA-decoding Moon 680D streamer DAC ($13,000), connected to a 740P balanced preamp ($11,500), both connected to a two-output 820S optional external power supply ($10,000).
The Motet / Audio Présence Room
Rooms by distributor Motet always sound great, and this room, belonging to Motet and retailer Audio Présence, was no exception.
The Music First Room
The Music First room was playing some tasty music with eye-popping gear, including the Hungarian-made Bayz Audio Courante loudspeakers ($60,000/pair US with carbon fibre construction), a unique, patented, omnidirectional design.
The Nation Imports Room
I was surprised by the sound quality I heard in the Nation Imports room. Here was a relatively compact system that cost quite a bit less than most systems I heard at the show—yet not only did it hold its own against more expensive fare, in some areas, such as imaging, definition, and the portrayal of female vocals, it beat it.
The PS Audio Room
I'm going to go out on a limb here and assume that every single audiophile, in that moment when they heard the news that PS Audio was coming out with a loudspeaker—not just any speaker, but a statement product—felt a combination of incredulity and curiosity,
The Tri-Cell / L'Atelier Audio / Hearken Audio Room
You want sound that's narcotically intimate? Seductively expressive? Molecularly textured?
The Yamaha–Luna Cables Room
I like how Yamaha, a brand not known for audiophile products, has, in the last few years or so, been making audiophile products. I find it flattering, in a Sally Field kind of way: "You care, Yamaha. You really care."