No US audio show feels complete without hearing Acoustic Zen cables, interconnects, power cords, and loudspeakers connected to Triode Corporation electronics. Acoustic Zen’s Robert Lee deserved to smile, because his set-up showed everyone’s equipment at its best. Upsampled to 192kHz, a violin CD sounded gorgeous, and the low organ pedals on Saint-Saëns’ well-known “Organ Symphony” were equally convincing. Lee’s Crescendo loudspeakers ($16,000/pair) descend down to 22Hz (–6dB), and mated superbly with Tri’s TRX-M845 monoblock amplifiers ($22,500/pair), new TRX-2 tube preamp with MM/MC ($5000), TRX-DAC 1.0 tube ($2500), and TRV CD55E tube CD player ($3200). I noted some midrange emphasis on piano, but it may have been that particular recording, because everything else sounded just right.
