The music source was the latest high resolution flagship streamer, the ND555 which a panoply of features such as high-res UPnP™ high-resolution streaming, AirPlay, Chromecast built-in, Bluetooth (aptX HD), Spotify Connect, TIDAL, ROON compatibility, vTuner internet radio and multi room streaming as well as digital and USB inputs and not least, DSD playback.
The ‘focal point’ of the high end system was the latest and major iteration of the well regarded Focal Grand Utopia Be flagship, with the new beryllium IAL2™ (Infinite Acoustic Loading) tweeters, mass damper driver suspension, low inductance motor systems, and further reinforcements to the cabinet structure. The installers had to work hard micro tuning the Grandé Utopia EVO 3’s Focus Time™ alignment which they say allows for 1,458 possible adjustments to optimise sound quality in situ. The installers also had to deal with that great weight of 265kgs per channel. The Utopias ably drove a decent sized space and at generously impressive but thankfully not excessive sound levels. Driving that focal point was nothing less than the one horsepower (750W) per channel Naim Statement tower monoblocks working with the matching S1 Statement preamplifier.
Audionote found a quiet corner off a corridor to set up an effective system, making crisp, dynamic and well timed sounds from LP, especially from an old Jacques Loussier jazz record, no, not the Bach series, but his own improvisation, titled Pulsion. The audio components are several thousand pounds each, but not bonkers prices, and you did not want to leave this modest room such was the compelling musical entertainment on offer...... |
AVM distributor PMC also showed many AVM products including a fetching acrylic platter turntable with suffused platter illumination in blue, this Evolution R 5.3 with 10 inch AVM tonearm.
Apologies to all those I was not able not visit in my available time slot.