Whittlebury Hall makes a great show venue, the rooms are large and the tea and coffee are free, as for that matter is the sparkling wine given to visitors on arrival. Audio Show Deluxe is almost the opposite of the Bristol Hi-Fi Show, there is plenty of space and it’s easy to get around and spend plenty of time in each room. The show is more about getting to hear high end systems than launching new products, as a result it’s a more relaxed affair for the press and enthusiasts alike. I enjoyed the Saturday and managed to sit down in many of the rooms to see what kind of sound exhibitors could make, the overall standard is very high with several companies delivering quality that I would be happy to get at home.
This is the third year for Audio Show Deluxe and visitor numbers seemed to be higher than they were in the past. Most of the exhibitors were familiar names but a couple are new to the UK, or at least to shows here.
Boyer Audio
One room that several keen eared folk made positive comments about was that run by Guillaume Boyer, he was using a Wadax Studio streamer/DAC with a Network Acoustics Tempus switch, Engström Lars valve power amps and Kroma Atelier Jovita loudspeakers, the Orpheus Labs A Four I200 integrated alternating with the monoblocks. I heard the tube powered system and was enchanted by its calm, precise delivery to the extent that people coming in out of the room started to get irritating, which oddly enough is a good sign. This is a high end system with a high price tag but not the highest at the event by any means.
Living Voice
The emphasis in the Living Voice room is always good music and their dem at Audio Show Deluxe did not disappoint. The system consisted of very similar SJS tube electronics to their last outing at the Munich High End with a Kuzma R turntable, 4Point 14 arm and CAR50 cartridge (below) into a Consolidated Berlin copper monster can step up transformer. Speakers were the Living Voice R80 that we reviewed last year and the sound was as warm and juicy as you like, especially when playing Scientist Dubs Culture into a Parallel Universe but likewise with Mari Samuelsen’s high pitched violin and Cage2 by Bertrand Chamayou, the latter consisting of prepared piano pieces that could so easily sound harsh on many systems. The system was powered by an Audes DT3600 mains conditioner (£10,000) which sister company Definitive Audio distributes, apparently it 73kg mass is worth its weight in mains filtering.
Kog Audio
Distributor Kog has some nice brands in its portfolio and had assembled a system consisting of a Transrotor Bellini turntable, Soulnote E2 phono stage, A3 integrated amplifier and S3 SACD player with Fink Team Borg Episode 2 speakers sitting on Franc isolation feet and connected with Tellurium Q cabling. This system had a musical, upbeat sound that managed to deliver blues renditions of Beethoven piano pieces in surprisingly coherent fashion, whether this particular album is likely to appeal to many listeners is another question.
Henley Audio
Henley brought a distinctly upmarket system to Audio Show Deluxe as befits the event, with an EAT Fortissimo turntable and E-Glo II phono stage, Rose RS130 streamer and RD160 DAC with Roon Nucleus Titan server, Musical Fidelity Nu-Vista Pre and PAS monoblock amps and Piega Coax 811 speakers. This combo was appealingly smooth and relaxed with the digital source but I was distracted by tittle tattle about bikes, again.
Music Works
This accessory specialist and distributor brought a very tasty system built around Accuphase electronics including a DP-770 SACD player, C-3900 preamplifier and A-300 monoblock power amps, these were driving Peak Consult Sonora speakers from Denmark. The sound was extremely open and transparent with Patricia Barber’s Romanesque, I asked Larry Ogden what made these speakers tick and he said it comes down to an extremely solid cabinet and proprietary drivers.
Oneiros Audio
From the men behind Falcon Acousts comes this cost no object high tech behemoth. With a carbon fibre composite monocoque cabinet, a curved aluminium front baffle and graphene pre-preg mid and bass drivers allied to a diamond dome tweeter this is clearly a tour de force. The tech come from Formula 1 suppliers and the £695,000 price wouldn’t look out place on an F1 car but the sound was very impressive, the more so for it being a show setting. The system consisted of a VPI turntable with DS Audio Grand Master Extreme optical cartridge and phono stage, Audio Research preamp and BAT monoblocks.
House of Linn
Brian and Trevor brought a Kudos Sigao active system to Audio Show Deluxe using Linn Klimax SDSM/3 streaming preamp with three Klimax Twin power amps, an Exaktbox sub and two REL Carbon Special subwoofers with a Melco N1 server and S1 switch via the Kudos Titan 808 speakers. This produced an extremely powerful and dynamic sound that really kicked hard with Wookie’s heavyweight Sunshine of Your Wub, those guys are still headbangers it seems.
Audio Group Denmark
With the four brands making everything but turntables in their portfolio AGD brought along a relatively modest system consisting of the Aavik U-288 amplifier and streamer (£25,00), Ansuz D3 network switch (£5,800), Ansuz C3 power distributor (£5,500) and Borresen C1 speakers (£14,995). This delivered Dean Martin’s rendition of Blue Moon with considerable authenticity, you can’t beat a good vintage analogue recording.
High End by Oz
I reviewed a Viva Solista MkII integrated monster tube amp last year and this amp was used to power the mid and treble sections of Viva’s new Verticale horn speakers (£120,000). The bass section was powered by a hybrid tube/transistor amp that is part of the speaker package. This is a substantial design with four 10 inch bass drivers per channel, a compression tweeter in a housing that can be adjusted front/rear for room integration and a birch ply cabinet with various finish options. Source is an Innuos Zen Next-Gen streamer/server with a Viva Numerico DAC and the sound was the most immediate at the show with extraordinary dynamic potential.
Puritan Audio
Puritan Audio had set up a pair of tablet screens to demonstrate the effect that their mains cleaning PM136 mains purifier had on measured mains distortion, the difference it made was not small and if memory serves this distribution box does indeed enhance system sound as well, albeit my experience was of an earlier less sophisticated version. My attention was caught by the ‘origami’ folded casework of a 4-way power brick in stainless steel, this entry level power filter costs £570.
Storgaard & Vestskov
This relatively new company from Denmark had finished two of their models in British Racing green in honour of Audio Show Deluxe’s proximity to Silverstone race track. With machined T6 aluminium front baffles the floorstanding Gro (€18,995 in high gloss black) made a solid, clean and bodacious sound with plenty of bass weight playing some classic Boz Scaggs via Moon electronics. The standmount Frida is €15,750 in the same black finish but also offer high gloss woof veneer cabinets.
Swansong Audio
Newcomer from the US Swansong unveiled its Integrated Amplifier ($16,000), a battery powered Class A, headphone/speaker amplifier and DAC with processor control. This compact but beautifully executed unit adapts its power output to suit the load it needs to drive, reducing output for headphones and increasing it for speakers. Swanson also make some extreme headphones called Transcend for $2,350, the laser cut circular ends of the cups can be changed to create a different sound depending on the material chosen.
Last stop was in the bar where Hans Theesink was entertaining visitors with his crisp steel string blues, the end to a very enjoyable Audio Show Deluxe and one that other show organisers should seek to emulate.
Jason Kennedy
Lowther open weekend
A 20 minute drive from the Audio Show Deluxe in Northampton, Lowther Loudspeakers hosted a hi-fi open weekend at their listening room. Featuring a host of new products including the production Field Coil Drive Units, the latest Voigt 4ft 1924 cinema horns, the new Reference Drive Units, new PX4 amplifier and the Corner Acousta loudspeakers. A new super tweeter was also on dem. The quality of construction and finish of all the new products was exemplary.
With so many great new products to listen to it’s difficult to come up with single highlight, but I believe the Field Coil Drive Units are very significant. Installed in the Voigt 4ft horns for an authentic 1920’s speaker, the sound was so right and completely immersive.
Mike Blackmore