This year, the surprising lack of SRV (and overabundance of easy listening) made me glad to hear his perennial cover of “Little Wing” through Sony’s new and more “affordable” SS-NA2ES floorstanding loudspeakers ($10,000/pair) through Pass Labs amplification. Last year’s system impressed me thoroughly, striking a balance between romance and detail. This year’s system favored speed and attack accenting flourishes I had never heard before in SRV’s Hendrix cover but sounding a bit cool on “Breaking Silence” by Janice Ian.
The Sony crowd listens attentively in the well-lit room.
From left to right: The Sony SS-AR1 (reviewed here by Kal Rubinson), the Sony SS-AR2 reviewed here by John Atkinson), the SS-AR2 framework, and little brother to the NA2ES, the SS-NA5ES ($6000/pair)
Sony’s SS-NA2ES loudspeakers costs $10,000/pair. JA will be reviewing these for Stereophile in the near future.
