Voss Audio, a southern California-based brand new to me, made an extremely strong show debut with its Voss Steve Keiser Design Magnum Opus stereo power amplifier ($80,000) and Vitra preamplifier ($50,000). The amp’s designer, who died last year, was one of the founders of B&K components. John Voss’s company also manufactures the Vitus phono preamplifier ($45,000). Rather than showing it, he teamed up with Philip O'Hanlon's On A Higher Note (shown above) to use a Revox/SonoruS PR99 open-reel deck to play master tapes through Graham LS5/8 loudspeakers ($14,000/pair) with Townshend super tweeters ($1500/pair). Cabling was all Gryphon.
Audience power conditioning and cables and Artesania racks also contributed to the luscious sound I heard in this room. When DJ O'Hanlon cued up Linda Ronstadt and Nelson Riddle's "What's New," Ronstadt's voice sounded like a heavenly dream. It was the voice that everyone used to praise but I could never fully appreciate, given my slapped-together, used sound systems in the 1960s and '70s. Colors were full, round and beautiful, both on this track and on some at-times sketchily played Beethoven from the Janaki String Trio.
John Voss, who is close to announcing a solid dealer network, told me that his amplifier is an Ultralinear class-A/B MOSFET design offering 150Wpc with an extremely wide bandwidth. I wonder how it or the preamplifier would sound with my Wilson Audio Alexia 2s. Color me extremely interested in hearing more, both from Voss Electronics and Graham loudspeakers.
Audience power conditioning and cables and Artesania racks also contributed to the luscious sound I heard in this room. When DJ O'Hanlon cued up Linda Ronstadt and Nelson Riddle's "What's New," Ronstadt's voice sounded like a heavenly dream. It was the voice that everyone used to praise but I could never fully appreciate, given my slapped-together, used sound systems in the 1960s and '70s. Colors were full, round and beautiful, both on this track and on some at-times sketchily played Beethoven from the Janaki String Trio.
John Voss, who is close to announcing a solid dealer network, told me that his amplifier is an Ultralinear class-A/B MOSFET design offering 150Wpc with an extremely wide bandwidth. I wonder how it or the preamplifier would sound with my Wilson Audio Alexia 2s. Color me extremely interested in hearing more, both from Voss Electronics and Graham loudspeakers.
