Best Sound of Show
This is my favourite part of any show report. Sometimes, clear choices, sometimes, much more difficult. TAVES 2013 highlighted a few great sounding rooms, some of which improved as the show went on. We attended all three days. The following choices, however, were evident from Day One.
Best Sound of Show — Digital
bel canto/Vienna Acoustics/Transparent. An easy first choice. Listening to Glenn Gould and Rimsky Korsakov orchestral music was a humbling experience. The new bel canto ‘Black’ is a complete digital/amplification system ($55,000) and was heard at length through the marvellous
Vienna Acoustics ‘The Kiss’ Loudspeakers ($18,500/pair). The ‘Black’ system includes three boxes — the C1 Controller and the PMD1 Power DAC monoblock (x2). We’ll be getting the bel canto system for review soon.
Best Sound of Show — Analogue
Bergmann Audio/Raidho Acoustics/Audia Flight/Sutherland Engineering/Transparent. Walking into this room was like an audiophile oasis. A Gene Ammons LP was on the the Danish-made Bergmann Magne Turntable ($12,999 incl. air bearing arm). Ammons’ breathy tenor sax was in the room sounding like live music. Beautiful, balanced, defined, rich, present. And, when listening to the incredible Esoteric LP reissue of Kertesz/Vienna New World, the tingle meter jumped through the roof. It was so refined. Sitting next to Audiophilia writer James Norris (another conductor and a brilliant violist) was instructive. We just kept smiling at specific moments where the sound reproduction transported us from hotel room to concert hall. World class. The sound had the power and the might, but with a velvet glove. I’m already planning negotiations with my wife after the upcoming review.
The Magne Turntable (and the more expensive Sindre and Sleipner turntables) are modern, Danish designs of simplicity and sophistication. A difficult achievement, but it’s what great designers do. The Bergmann Audio air bearing, tangential tracking arm (included with the ‘table) is a big cherry on the cake. It looks and feels amazing. Tolerances are microscopic and, when sliding the arm’s tube over the air stream, feels perfect. Complementing the Bergmann were the Sutherland Engineering Power Block phono stage ($11,000), Raidho Acoustics D-1 Loudspeakers and the Audia Flight Strumento pre/power combination. The Raidhos and AF kit are very well known to me. You can find our recent, very positive reviews of both Raidho Acoustics and Audia Flight in a quick search on Audiophilia. All the manufacturers make excellent musical bedfellows with the sexy Bergmann.
The Bergmann Magne 'table is fantastic, the arm even better. If that's possible?
Best Sound of Show — Budget
Magnepan. Another easy choice. The Magnepan 1.7 Loudspeakers. We’ve already mentioned the idiosyncrasies, but at $2,000/pair, a steal.
The Maggies sang beautifully, but hooked up to a very expensive stack-o-Mac.
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