T.H.E. Show – Newport - 2011

The Vandersteen VLR, a coaxial design with a 6.5-inch woofer and 1-inch alloy dome tweeter.  Available with or without magnetic shielding.  This was one of the first and one of the best sounds I heard.  I can't recall the last time $1195 went this far.  The center image created by these speakers was staggeringly life-like.

Large-scale dynamics from the slim 3-way Nola Contender and PrimaLuna amplification.  Initial impression of the Nola was WOW, a genuine bargain at $3400.

The impressive looking and sounding Nola Metro Grand ($25,000), featuring an open-baffle midrange and tweeter, said to reduce coloration. Amplification courtesy of PrimaLuna.

The mighty Marten Coltrane, EAR amplification and digital, and a Townsend turntable.  This system really deserved a larger room.  The finish on these speakers can best be described as rich-guy nice, which I'd expect for the rich-guy price ($70,000/pr).

The Monaco 1.5 turntable by Grand Prix Audio.  Only in a room with Wilson, DCS, and VTL, does $23,000 (without arm) worth of carbon fiber seem normal.

Fabulous-sounding set up featuring Jolida amplification, Von Schweikert speakers, and $15,000 of reel-to-reel magic by United Home Audio. 

In the same system, Jolida's Glass FX DAC, $250, 24/96 USB, tube output stage, and look-at-me casework.

The Acoustic Zen Crescendo ($16,000/pair) impresses with speed, dynamics, and warmth.

Powering the Crescendos was the the Triode Corporation's TRV-845SE, 20wpc, Class A, integrated amplifier ($6000).

Upfront, Harbeth's Compact 7 ES3 speaker (starting at $3650/pr), old-school looks and a natural, listen-to-them-all-day sound.

The Wilson Audio Sasha ($27,900) appeared in a few rooms, sounding Wilson-y, I guess.

One of the bargain all-stars. Napa Acoustics hybrid integrated ($399) fed by an iPod astonished, paired with . . .

Napa's tiny NA-208S speakers ($199/pr).  The expectation-shattering sound was an order of magnitude better than the price and size suggested.

Consonance electronics are pretty!

Another off-the-charts bargain, the horn-based HSU Research HB-1 MK2.  It's basically free considering the sound quality and the price ($179 ea). 

Paired with the HB-1 MK2, the HSU Research VTF-15H ($879 in black) can provide a ton of enjoyment.

The Kiss from Vienna Acoustic was explosively dynamic, rich-sounding, and fabulous looking ($16,000).  It can also Punch!

The 2+2 from Audience. Yes, that's the front.

The 2+2 from the side. 

The MBL gear was as impressive sounding as it looked ($ ifyouhavetoaskyoucan'taffordit).

The Spendor A3 may look plain, but sounds positively captivating ($4300). I wanted these speakers until I heard the Magico V2.

An Exposure integrated amplifier and CD player along with a DAC from Chord were a brilliant match for the Spendors.

The Magico V2 ($19,500) was jaw-droppingly good.  Ugh, now I have to buy these. I hate those guys.

The Magico's friends included SonicCraft amplification (Opus Signature amplifier and Opus preamplifier $3,450/ea) and Esoteric digital (K-03 CD/SACD, $13,000 and G-03X master clock, $5,000).  This system was put together with considerable skill and positively sung.

Silverline's terrific SR-17 Supreme ($6,000/pr).

In case you win the lottery or some crazy lawsuit, the Focal Grande Utopia EM awaits your $180,000.

Like a jack-in-the-box, the Utopias require you to wind them up before the real fun begins. Well, sort of.  The crank is for adjusting the angle of the multi-piece cabinet, which is still pretty cool, just not as cool as a jack-in-box, but then again, the JM in JM Lab stands for Jacques Mahul, so maybe you get your jack after all.

The Revel Salon 2 ($22,000/pr) needed a bigger room, but sounded great with Mark Levinson.

TAD's Reference One ($25,900), powered by TAD electronics was easily among the best speakers I've ever heard.

A rack of TAD electronics.  I'm out of pithy expressions. See below.

The Estelon XA, not your ordinary loudspeaker ($42,000).