While audiophiles kvetch over the future of this thing we love, rest assured, young audiophiles are growing in number, evidenced by AXPONA halls streaming with under-30 types. Upscale Audio’s Kevin Deal, one of the savviest of distributors, introduced me to his young Analog Manager, Kat Ourlain, who discussed not only specs, but brought two terrific-sounding LPs to play on a tricked-out PrimaLuna/Tannoy system.
While a US debut pair of Tannoy Sterling III LZ loudspeakers ($12,500/pair) sat statically in another Upscale Audio room, Kat spun vinyl on a system that included a Dr. Feickert Trio SE turntable ($8000), Triplanar U2 black tonearm and Soundsmith Hyperion MKII cartridge ($7999), into another US debut, a PrimaLuna Evolution phono stage ($3695, below). A PrimaLuna EVO 100 DAC ($3395) and Lumin U2 Transport/Streamer ($2400) sung digital tunes, all into a PrimaLuna Evo 300 Hybrid integrated amplifier ($7295), which drove a pair of Tannoy Kensington GR loudspeakers ($20,000/pair). An AudioQuest Niagara power conditioner and Cardas Audio cabling completed the system.
And the records! Kat played Morphine’s Cure For Pain and Tool’s Fear Inoculum, two sonically impressive records with zippy performances, which I added to my iPhone want-list on the spot. Morphine throbbed and thumped, a rock trio of the old school kicking within a dense, gruff, widespan soundfield. Then Kat placed Tool on the Feickert platter, which greeted me with sticky synths and oozing womb tones, soon invaded by drummer Danny Carey’s artistic, wraparound tom rolls, turning into a full blown drum circus that soared around the room like a punch-drunk tornado. The Tannoys rocked harder than I thought possible, abetted by the extremely low noise floor of the PrimaLuna Evolution phono stage. Magical power-metal synth rock!
In another Upscale room, Cabasse global sales director Jean-Michel Polit debuted what is essentially a scaled-down version of the company’s popular The Pearl Pelegrina Wireless Active Loudspeaker, which sells for a hot $35k/pair.
Cabasse’s Rialto Powered Wireless Bookshelf Hi-fi System ($3995/pair) very nearly matched the performance of its larger beady-eyed siblings, seen at last year’s AXPONA. An all-in-one class-D powered speaker with internal DAC and streamer, the Rialto boasts a reported frequency range of 30HZ–27kHz for its three- way driver system, consisting of a 5″ coaxial mid-tweeter, and on its butt end, a high-excursion 6.7″ woofer. Its meager dimensions, 10.2″ by 7.9″ by 9.4,” belied its 43lb and powerhouse presentation.
The Rialto uses a separate class-D amp for each driver: treble: 300W, 600W peak; midrange: 300W/600W peak; bass: 450W/900W peak. Its noise floor as dead as a mortuary, the Rialto presented stomping sounds that seemed to suck every bit of air out of the room. There was an odd alien quality to these amazing speakers, which included a mad scientist-like touch-screen dial on top of the right mother speaker to control Cabasse’s cool-headed internal DEAP technology.
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