Pretty eye-catching, eh? Such was the class act from Göbel High End, who even brought their own room treatment panels to the show.
I initially sat in first row center of this room, but then CEO Oliver Göbel urged me to move a row back, where the sound was ideally coherent. We began with Al Di Meola, John McLaughlin, and Paco de Lucia’s “Mediterranean Sunday / Rio Ancho” from the LP, Friday Night in San Francisco and moved on to an LP of the Bizet/Shchedrin Carmen Ballet Suite. In all cases, the system did an excellent job of conveying air around instruments and reverberation in the recording venue. It scored a 10 for its ability to convey large images with weight and authority. Perhaps due to all the room treatment, the sound was midrange-strong.
After telling me that Göbel (the company) now has distribution in the US and is looking for potential dealers, Göbel (the man) explained that the company’s Divin Noblesse loudspeaker (164,000/pair) stands in the middle of the Divin line. Boasting a sensitivity of 95dB, the Divin Noblesse is based on bending wave technology. A single driver conveys 160Hz-32kHz with separate bass drivers handling lower frequencies. [Editor's note: CEO Oliver Göbel has informed us that there was a misunderstanding in this intervicew. The Divin Noblesse incorporates bending wave technology in its midrange driver, which crosses over from the bass drivers at 140Hz and then crosses over to the AMT tweeter at 1600Hz. The specifications listed above refer to a different line of speakers, the Epoque, which have no tweeter.]]
Of eye candy, this room had an abundance. Dominating the front of the room, between the speakers, sat the Engström Eric power amplifiers (120,000/pair). On side racks a sizeable distance away sat Engström’s Monica preamp (40,000), along with three pieces from Wadax—the Atlantis DAC ($69,000), Atlantic Transport ($45,000), and Atlantis Server ($19,500).
Keeping them company were Kronos’ Pro Turntable ($42,000), Black Beauty tonearm ($9400), SCPS Power Supply ($15,000), and Kronos Reference Phono preamp ($45,000). Cartridge was the Zyx Universe3 ($9000). Everything was held together and powered by Göbel High End Lacorde Statement cabling, whose prices include 12,500 for a pair of 2m speaker cables, and Göbel Lacorde Ethernet and USB cables.
Of eye candy, this room had an abundance. Dominating the front of the room, between the speakers, sat the Engström Eric power amplifiers (120,000/pair). On side racks a sizeable distance away sat Engström’s Monica preamp (40,000), along with three pieces from Wadax—the Atlantis DAC ($69,000), Atlantic Transport ($45,000), and Atlantis Server ($19,500).
Keeping them company were Kronos’ Pro Turntable ($42,000), Black Beauty tonearm ($9400), SCPS Power Supply ($15,000), and Kronos Reference Phono preamp ($45,000). Cartridge was the Zyx Universe3 ($9000). Everything was held together and powered by Göbel High End Lacorde Statement cabling, whose prices include 12,500 for a pair of 2m speaker cables, and Göbel Lacorde Ethernet and USB cables.
