A winning team, the American and not New Zealand, all blacks. The massive VTL S-400 II was driven by the company’s top of the line TL 7.5III pre amp. Avior II speakers by Rockport, in the only color Henry Ford recommended to his clients (that would be black) and analog front end by VPI, a beautiful Avenger fitted with a Lyra Etna and finally the VTL TP 6.5 phono stage.
In a sea of unknown Polish or eastern European brands, many of which were plain knock offs this was a very familiar room, aesthetically and sonically alike. You might think that reporters like me might be a bit tired of listening to certain well known combinations and you would be right, only if it wasn’t that this particular set up made wonderful music. Female voices were sublime, big scale orchestras were bold and meaty.
Ah, forgot, cables by Transparent, and you guessed it, still black.
looks like a lyra kleos ?
delos is gold.
Etna actually.
Those are Rockport Avior II’s not Cygnus.
True! Corrected, tnx!
“In a sea of unknown Polish or eastern European brands, many of which were plain knock offs….”
Gee, condescending much?
The audio industry in general is a sea of knock offs, no?
I’m sure a lot of readers would be much more interested in learning how many of those Polish or Eastern European brands SHOULD be known, rather than rehashing the “well known combinations”
Just sayin’
Totally agree, not much originality even with some US and European brands.
That said, up to now we had coverage from Closer Audio (Pl), Sveda & Lampizator (both Pl), 8mm (Estonia), ESA (Pl) and tomorrow I’ll be “introducing” a great turntable company from Poland, a few other Polish brands will follow.