Cube Audio Mini Nenuphar Loudspeakers, EMIA Audio Electronics, TW Acoustic Raven GT Turntable with Schroeder Reference SQ and Schick Tonearms and Soundsmith Sussurro and Ortofon SPU Royal N Cartridges
Herb Reichert
Tekton Moab, McGary Audio SA-2 Integrated Amplifier, Exogal Comet DAC and Ion Power DAC, Anticables
I like speakers with dark wood finishes. My friend Sphere loves speakers painted red. My partner “bb” prefers blue ones that match her room. Tekton Design makes speakers in these and many other colors and finishes. Tekton speakers, though, also have many tweeters, which gives them a distinctive look.
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Legacy Audio Studio HD Loudspeakers, Rogue Audio Sphinx v3 amplifier, NAD C658 network player/preamp/DAC
It pleases me beyond words when modestly priced audio components overperform immodestly.
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MC Audiotech Forty-10 Loudspeakers, VPI HW-40 Turntable, Luminous Audio Arion Phono Preamp, Pass Labs XP22 preamp, Wolf Audio Alpha 3 Music Server, PS Audio DirectStream DAC, Parasound A23 Amplifier, Symposium Foundation Rack
Two friends whose taste and hearing I respect—and who visited every room at this show—told me they thought the $35K/pair MC Audiotech Forty-10 loudspeakers made the best sound at CAF. No question, these almost five-feet tall decorator-friendly midcentury-modern-looking beauties sounded even better they look, and they look very nice.
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Genesis Maestro Loudspeakers, Merrill Audio Christine Linestage and Element 116 Monoblocks, EMM Labs DAC2x, Genesis Racks, Cables, and Power Cords
Do you know why New Yorkers are always depressed? Because the light at the end of the tunnel is New Jersey.
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Triangle Signature Delta Loudspeakers, Tsakiridis Orpheus Monoblock Amplifiers, Alexander Line Stage, and Zeuss Phono Preamp, Soulines Kubrick DCX turntable with SME Tonearm, Cabling by Analysis Plus
Every time I encounter a system with Triangle speakers, I stop and take serious notice of their refined but lively sound. As I did Sunday in the room sponsored by The Antal Audio Group.
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Luminous Audio and the Pure Audio Project
I mentioned earlier how uncolored, detailed, transparent, and image-specific an open baffle loudspeaker can sound. Unfortunately, not all open baffle speakers are created equal, and making a coherent and musically satisfying open-baffle speaker is much more complex than just bolting a few drivers to a sheet of plywood. The question any loudspeaker designer must ask is, how far should I go? When is done right?
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Basis 2200 Signature turntable, Calibrator Base, Reflex LP Clamp, and Vector 4 Tonearm; Lyra Delos Moving coil cartridge; LKV Research Veros One Phono Stage and Line One pre-amplifier
I have always admired Bill Hutchins, the chief designer at LKV Research, because to me he embodies the true amp-builder’s spirit.
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Spatial M3 Sapphire Loudspeakers, Linear Tube Audio Z10 Integrated Amplifier, Lampizator Amber 3 DAC, Anticables
My three-day reconnaissance suggests that Mark Schneider and his company, Linear Tube Audio, scored big at CAF, downstairs in the Headphone Lounge and with a room I and many showgoers thought was a candidate for Best Sound at Show.
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GT Audioworks Loudspeakers, Pass Labs Electronics, Basis Audio Turntable and Tonearm, Mosart Cabinet
The other big room with spectacular sound on the Rockville Hilton’s atrium level featured products from Pass Labs, GT Audioworks, and Basis Audio.
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