PAF 2023

Entering Klaus Bunge's intentionally low-lit Odyssey room was like entering another dimension. Showgoers may have had no idea what the purpose of the room was—even I couldn't discern it from the display—but they could not possibly have been less than fascinated.

If you spent a while in the room, peered beyond its candlelit fantasy, and could get Bunge (above) to talk about audio rather than politics or his sheer exhaustion from his huge journey, you learned a bit about his $4200/pair loudspeakers—speakers that aren't even listed on his website, but that expand on his Kismet Reference Monitor into the Kismet floorstander (below).

You also might have learned that he was using a VPI Avenger turntable with an old arm, van den Hul cartridge, Magnan cabling, and Symphonic Line electronics. Bunge's association with the latter extends back to 1989, when his original company, German Acoustics, began importing and distributing them. Eventually Bunge began manufacturing and distributing Symphonic Line electronics from his home base in Indianapolis.

Those who entered this room and sat in the nearfield discovered a presentation that, while not perfect, conveyed the voices that precede Satchmo's entrance in "St. James' Infirmary" with uncanny realism. But even if you never sat down, you left feeling all the better for being there.

May you soon find the next place to call home, Klaus. The world is better for your presence and happiness.