RMAF 2015 Page 3

Joe Jurzec of Purity Audio Designs and Bill Artope of Dynamic Design delivered stellar sound at this year’s RMAF!



I’m always in awe of the fact I cannot detect nothing but music that comes by way of the Daedalus Ulysses V.2 ($16k) multi-driver loudspeaker. Like the Legacy Audio speakers, I just have a problem staring at multiple drivers thinking I can hear something out of sorts. But I cannot and am not ashamed to admit it. In fact, the Daedalus sound as sensitive to the soft passages of a song as they do when recreating loud dynamic shifts. This was my first time hearing the Purity Audio Design Reference pre and PSE300 mono amp combo ($15k/$22k) sourced through a Modwright Elyse DAC ($7k) using a modified Oppo 105D CD player. The system was wired with Dynamic Design’s new Titiana series cables throughout and our own Bill Wells was quite impressed by the performance of their AC cords ($2,500 – review forthcoming). I left this suite very impressed by the overall ease and delicate flow of the music and the choice of the music selection as well. There’s no denying that there exists a synergy these components provide that even some loftier priced systems here at the show could not match.    

Sean McCaughan of ESP loudspeakers was standing tall at this year’s RMAF.

Attempting to explain my fondness for the soundstaging capabilities of ESP loudspeakers would take up too much space. Twenty years ago, as a young snotty-nosed neophyte, I had the luxury of hearing the ESP Harps at the home of audio guru and mentor Bill (The Brass Ear) Brassington. I will never forget that chance encounter with these odd-triangle-shaped transducers as I had no idea who ESP was, or what made them special enough for the Brass Ear to pride himself on owning a pair. One listen to Lofty’s Roach Soufflé from Harry Connick Jr’s CD self-titled CD, through a pair of BAT Audio VK-60 tube mono amps and a Levinson digital front-end, was all it took to hear what ESP can do that have become part of their legend 20 years later. The ESP Harp’s virtually left the room in their wake left a soundstage full of energy, magic and pin-point accuracy from left to right of the listening room. After a few hours of listening I became mixed with emotions that ranged from envy, jealousy and happiness. I owned a very nice system too yet, they seemed worlds apart in terms of overall quality. The Brass Ear had me second guessing my choices all the way back home. It took years to find out, but I eventually did come to realize the ESP speakers were responsible for much of the magic I heard that memorable evening. The ESP are transducers of the highest order and take a lot of the guess-work and indecision out of finding a great pair of loudspeakers to call your own. Unfortunately, the hi-fi world doesn’t care much about great loudspeakers as much as it does about the “press and accolades” for a specific brand. How these incredible transducers remain hardly known is still a mystery to me. Especially now, with newly updated enclosures, drivers and crossovers/parts. 

Audio legend Scot Markwell of Elite AV Distribution (left) and importer extraordinaire Victor Goldstein of Fanfare International. 

 


You may, or may not be aware that Scot Markwell was a long-time setup man for the late, great Harry Pearson. What you also may or may not know is that HP was quite the discerning listener and I am certain this gave Markwell fits. The good news is some of this has obviously rubbed off Markwell who now sells high-end wares through his own company Elite AV Distribution. For example, the HRT Stage loudspeaker system, which includes an amp and internal DAC, retails for a mere $999.00. However, leave it to Markwell to take matters into his own hands. Markwell had some speaker stands made to order by Sound Anchors for which he stacked four pair of HRT loudspeakers and ran them in series using Furutech cables throughout. Markwell contends the HRTs are capable of all the way down to 40Hz before a pair of REL S3 subs kick in for added low-end measure. Using a Kuzma Stabi M turntable ($20k), Kuzma 4Point arm ($6675) and CAR-30 MC cartridge ($2250) as the source, I was surprised at how easy these multiple drivers formed one cohesive wall of sound that was both musically rewarding and more dynamic than I would have imagined. As impressive as this system sounded I couldn’t believe the asking price, minus the Kuzma ‘table, was less than $6k including the amplifiers! We have a review request already out on the HRT system and hope to report our findings in the not too distant future.     

The esteemed audio designer Peter Madnick is back at Audio Alchemy!