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Feature<br />
Wilson Benesch<br />
Discovery speakers.<br />
A discovery for me too.<br />
Actually, <strong>the</strong> real source as far as I am<br />
concerned remains <strong>the</strong> original recording,<br />
and I witnessed that with <strong>the</strong> superb<br />
Fidelio audiophile recordings. Playing<br />
through <strong>the</strong> jewel-like Nagra PL-L<br />
preamp and MPA amp and streaming<br />
through a pair of Verity Audio Parsifal<br />
speakers, <strong>the</strong><br />
percussion recording was superb,<br />
as remastered through Ed Meitner’s<br />
DSD process, as was later Hamadryade,<br />
<strong>the</strong>ir remarkable SACD recording of <strong>the</strong><br />
Marc Vallée Trio.<br />
Sonus Faber Cremona speakers<br />
from Italy were matched to a quiet and<br />
powerful Stadium 3 subwoofer ( by<br />
Subbass Systems, England) and Christian<br />
McBride (Getting to It) appeared in<br />
<strong>the</strong> room, right <strong>the</strong>re, with <strong>the</strong> help of<br />
all-Classé components, CDP-10 player,<br />
CP 47.5 preamp and CA-101 amp.<br />
In <strong>the</strong> adjoining<br />
room, I was struck<br />
by <strong>the</strong> music as I walked in.<br />
The score of The Red Violin<br />
was starting, <strong>the</strong> tension of<br />
<strong>the</strong> music and <strong>the</strong> playing of<br />
Joshua Bell’s violin filling <strong>the</strong><br />
air through JMLab AltoUtopia<br />
speakers, AudioResearch<br />
tube VT100 amp and LS 25<br />
preamp, <strong>the</strong> CD handled by<br />
an interesting combination of<br />
an Acoustic Arts CD Player<br />
1 transport and Nagra DAC.<br />
Waiting its turn, a silent and<br />
beautifully designed Gyro SE<br />
turntable by J.A. Michell.<br />
Québec-made Verity Audio<br />
offered me a rare experience,<br />
with a special arrangement of<br />
<strong>the</strong> music of <strong>the</strong> Beatles as sung<br />
by <strong>the</strong> King’s Singers accompanied<br />
by Erich Kunzel’s Cincinnati<br />
Pops on an SACD mutichannel<br />
recording. The polished piano black<br />
Tamino X2 speakers, Tamino C2<br />
centre and back speakers and Rocco<br />
subwoofer were recreating <strong>the</strong> event<br />
around me through a Classé integrated<br />
amp a n d <strong>the</strong> Lexicon multiformat<br />
CD player which also<br />
plays <strong>the</strong> DVD Audio<br />
format.<br />
Speaking of<br />
multiformat, I was<br />
quite impressed by<br />
Linn’s demonstration<br />
of <strong>the</strong> new<br />
Unidisk player,<br />
producing amazing<br />
sound and images<br />
through an SACD<br />
<strong>version</strong> of Miles Davis’<br />
Sketches of Spain, or a<br />
DVD-Audio live concert<br />
by David Gilmour on<br />
guitar at <strong>the</strong> Royal Festival<br />
Hall in London.<br />
In a totally different<br />
setting. I enjoyed <strong>the</strong><br />
refinement of <strong>the</strong><br />
new Québecm<br />
a d e<br />
LammPipe<br />
super efficient speakers,<br />
each fed by a Tenor 15Wi<br />
integrated tube amp (volume bypassed<br />
for <strong>the</strong> occasion), and an Audio Aero CD<br />
player. Eva Cassidy’s voice was sweet and<br />
her image appeared perfectly clear in <strong>the</strong><br />
wide open space.<br />
Ano<strong>the</strong>r local success was <strong>the</strong><br />
Pierre Gabriel Acoustics Series A speakers,<br />
recreating <strong>the</strong> warm, natural voice<br />
Clockwise from upper left: <strong>the</strong> DPS<br />
turntable with Allaerts pickup; Oracle’s<br />
Jacques Riendeau with a speaker<br />
prototype; Oracle’s CDA200 player;<br />
<strong>the</strong> Roksan Radius 5 turntable; <strong>the</strong><br />
Lexicon RT-10 universal player and<br />
MC-8 preamplifi er-processor.<br />
ULTRA HIGH FIDELITY <strong>Magazine</strong> 29