T.H.E. SHOW Newport 2018 – Day 2 & Awards

If you’re looking for a power cord with fantastic weight and timbre…the Furutech DPS-4.1 would be it. If you don’t want to DIY, check out Zenwave Audio.

Busy busy. It’s all about the music at PranaFidelity.

Two Raidho D-1.1 loudspeakers…kissing.

A revisit to chat with Alex of San Diego’s Alma Music and Audio. YG Acoustics Sonia XV Jr ($189,600/pr). Dan D’Agostino Momentum M400s ($65,000/pr). Stromtank S 5000 HP ($39,000). Kubala-Sosna Realization and Elations cabling.

Raidho D-1.1

Aurender N10 Music Server ($8,000), HB Cable Design Powerslave Marble MK2 ($16,500), Stage III cabling, Wilson Benesch A.C.T. One Evolution ($36,500), Ypsilon electronics.

Ypsilon AELIUS II Push Pull Mono Amps ($39,000)

Ypsilon PST 100 MK2 Valve Preamp ($37,000)

Metaxas

HB Cable Design PowerSlave Marble Mk2 ($16,500)

Audio Note, Triangle Art, Voss Audio, and Audience

Triangle Art Master Ref ($39,990), Concerto ($4,990), Ref Tube remote preamp ($18,998), Ref Tube MC/MM phonostage ($12,995), Ref Mono blocks ($73,000/pr), Osirius 12″ arm ($5,800 + $8,000 Apollo cartridge). Usher Audio BE-10 DMD Diamond speakers ($16,950/pr). Crisp and resolving system, especially for orchestral recordings. Lines are very well-delineated and impactful at the micro levels. Voices were very detailed but lacked a bit of lushness.

Usher Audio CP-8571 Diamond ($10,500)

A beast of an amp. If it’s in the recording, you’ll not only hear it. You’ll feel it.

High End by OZ – This room is always busy. Vitus Audio, Ansuz Acoustics, DTC Cables, and MBL 116F loudspeakers. One of the most transparent and articulate systems at the show. Incredible depth behind speakers.

Rembrandt Model V powered speakers ($3,500/pair). The source was an iPhone…

Ms Vandersteen is naked!

Vandersteen Treo CT, PrimaLuna Dialogue Premium Preamp, Dialogue Premium HP Amplifier. Meridian 218 Digital streamer. AudioQuest Earth ICs and Oak speaker cables. With Roon and Tidal on a laptop as the source, Audio Concepts demo’ed the differences between MQA and non-MQA. The differences with the chosen recordings were easily audible. More forward, focused, full, and overall more musical.

Ocean Way Audio Monterey Loudspeaker – Designed by renowned Grammy award-winning engineer, producer, and studio owner Allen Sides.

This is an AGD Vivace GaNTube solid-state monoblock by Albert War. The Gallium nitride power MOSFETs are integrated in a vacuum tube.

AGD Vivace Monoblock GanTUbes – Solid-state tubes…

Ocean Way Audio Monterey and AGD Vivace Monoblock GaNTube (Class D).

The Audio Association – Evolution Acoustics EXACT Series Maestoso loudspeakers ($18,900), Dartzeel electronics. Wave Kinetics NVS Reference turntable.

Dartzeel NHB-18NS Reference preamp

Wave Kinetics NVS turntable with Durand Tonearms Tosca prototype.

Dartzeel LHC-208 integrated amp

Dartzeel NHB-108 Reference amplifier

Dartzeel’s intriguingly exposed crossover network for the Evolution Acoustics EXACT Maestoso loudspeakers.

Handcrafted in California – The Ryan S610 speakers driven by a Pass integrated. Soothing, warm, and smokey.

Melton Audio – One of the (few) best sounding rooms at the show. Melton Tube amplifiers and cables. High-efficiency JBL Everest DD67000 speakers. This system had enormous scale, depth, density, and warmth. Never harsh, bright, or thin. Everything sounded fantastic in this room.

Melton Archangel