I have been in Florida this past week and had the opportunity to make a brief stop in Mike's new store while passing thru Sarasota. Mike was more than gratuitous to take time to meet me for about an hour Wednesday afternoon andd walk me thru his operation.
One can imagine the planning that went into the facility as you move between the 3 rooms. The acoustical treatments look great and from the sound I heard are contributing to the overall presentation. We spent most of my limited time in the main room listening to the M3's powered by those beautiful Soulution amps. We jumped between the Aurender A10, the Chord Dave and the Berekely DAC. Each of those units had different strengths and it would take more time to make a decision as to which I preferred. I have no idea how much Jim Smith's set-up contributes to the overall SQ in the room so I will take Mike's word that it was worth every penny. The set-up and gear come together to offer a beautiful soundstage with clear vocals, powerful bass (both with and without the sub-woofers engaged) and great depth to the music. Mike's set-up reinforced my belief that getting speakers far into the room is one of the most effective means of insuring great sound from most speakers. It makes me want to move my gear into one of my larger rooms.
Mike should be proud of what he has done in such a short time. The store looks great, the sound from the main system is mesmerizing and we know Mike is a fun to be around. Next time I will drop my wife at the nearby Mall and really get to experience all the store has to offer.
Thanks again Mike!!
