Best Sound - Cost No Object - From "The Absolute Sound" article on the RMAF Show

Posted by: winkyincanada on 14 October 2016

Best Sound (Cost No Object)

Apex Audio’s installation in the Bianca Peak room (pictured below)  included Stillpoints Aperturepanels arranged and set up by Bob Hodas. It featured the Focal Stella Utopia ($97,500/pr.), Naim Statement System ($270,000), one Naim UnitiServe SSD server ($4600), one Naim NDS Referencenetwork player ($13,000), two Naim NAPS555-DR power supplies for NDS ($11,500/each), one NaimFraim rack ($4700), one pair of Naim Super Lumina interconnects ($3600), one pair of Naim Super Lumina speaker cables ($3300), one Naim Burndy power supply cable ($1850), and five NaimPowerline AC cables ($1000/each), twelve Stillpoints Aperture panels ($750/each) and four stands ($600/each). The total system cost was $426,550.

Posted on: 14 October 2016 by Emre

ıt should be all black fraim with this set up....

Posted on: 14 October 2016 by hungryhalibut

The Fraim pales into insignificance next to that hideous carpet. 

Posted on: 14 October 2016 by GraemeH

I wonder what the big electrostatics behind the Focals sound like?

G

Posted on: 14 October 2016 by Bob Edwards
GraemeH posted:

I wonder what the big electrostatics behind the Focals sound like?

G

Better than the Focals! 

You have to get past the speakers to hear what the electronics could do, even with sub-par setup.

Posted on: 14 October 2016 by hafler3o

I've got that very speaker cable in my livingroom (going to my identical finish Focal Chorus 806 Ws). Round these parts it is called Linn k20.

Posted on: 14 October 2016 by Bob Edwards

I thought the two best sounding rooms at the show were the AA room, with ARC and Vandersteen; and the Nagra/Avalon room. 

Posted on: 14 October 2016 by hafler3o
Bob Edwards posted:

I thought the two best sounding rooms at the show were the AA room, with ARC and Vandersteen; and the Nagra/Avalon room. 

I'd love to trial Vandersteen Treo CTs (nothing with an active sub mind) I wonder if they'd be a good match with a 300DR?

Posted on: 14 October 2016 by ChrisSU
winkyincanada posted:

Best Sound (Cost No Object)

Your opinion or theirs? Just curious.

Posted on: 14 October 2016 by Bob Edwards
hafler3o posted:
Bob Edwards posted:

I thought the two best sounding rooms at the show were the AA room, with ARC and Vandersteen; and the Nagra/Avalon room. 

I'd love to trial Vandersteen Treo CTs (nothing with an active sub mind) I wonder if they'd be a good match with a 300DR?

Never heard that combo, but a 250 or 135s were absolutely spectacular on Vandersteen 2 (any vintage) or 3 (ditto). 

Posted on: 14 October 2016 by winkyincanada
ChrisSU posted:
winkyincanada posted:

Best Sound (Cost No Object)

Your opinion or theirs? Just curious.

Sorry. Theirs. I didn't go.

Posted on: 14 October 2016 by ChrisSU

Thought so!