Ken Micallef

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.

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.

Robert Lighton's custom rig included his prototype turntable with a rosewood armboard and customized 10" Audio Note tonearm with a Miyajima Madake MC cartridge. An Audio Note S9 step-up transformer ($28,000) and M9 phono preamp ($185,000) did the analog business. An Audio Note CD 4.1x ($16,000) made music from shiny silver discs.

"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.

Aaron Sherrick of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania’s Now Listen Here is an old hand at making show systems sing. He pulled off his magic trick in Jersey as he has at shows far and wide, as well as inside his Harrisburg storefront.

Norm Steinke, Burmester sales manager for the US, presented two complete Burmester Audio systems at T.H.E. Show in New Jersey. Both systems were composed of components drawn from Burmester’s tiered product lines: Signature Line, Reference Line, Top Line, Classic Line. The two displayed setups featured an assortment of components divided among these categories.

It's been said before, but the essential truth remains as shiny as a new 2A3 tube: A well-made, good-sounding integrated amplifier is a sonic marvel, a triumph of audio engineering.