How this Oakland resident has lived all these years without knowing about the Profundo distributors in El Cerrito, just two cities over, is beyond me. Regardless, I'm sure glad I got to meet them, because their combination of Transfiguration, Trenner & Friedl, and Heed was making extremely mellow sound. Whether it was Norah Jones singing "Not Too Late" or Bruce Springstein's LP,
Ghost of Tom Joad, the system sounded beautiful, smooth, and extremely musical.
Auditioned were the Transfiguration Orpheus L phono cartridge ($6000), paired with a Basis 2800 table and Vector 4 arm; entry-level but hardly entry-level–sounding Trenner & Friedl loudspeakers ($4250/pair); Heed Obelisk DT (digital transport—$1850), DAC ($1850), Pre ($1850), and PM monoblocks ($4000/pair). Everything was connected by Cardas Clear Beyond cabling. Not auditioned were the more expensive VivA electronics.
When a subwoofer (I'm not sure which) was switched in, the percussion on soprano Karina Gauvin's recording of Canteloube's
Songs of the Auvergne had ideal weight and slam. The system could not capture all the air and depth of the recording in a room so small, but what it did convey was immensely gratifying. This is definitely a set-up that I hope to explore in greater depth when I finally get it together to visit my neighbors.
