LATEST ADDITIONS

Audiophile dream team Mike Pranka (Dynavector, Well Tempered Lab, JM Reynaud) and Charlie Schnyder (Stereo Haven) transformed room 624 into a sonic oasis. Their meticulously curated equipment delivered a performance defined by precision, subtlety, and exquisite nuance.

I jumped at the chance to review T+A's $47,900/pair Solitaire S 530 loudspeaker for a few reasons. First, because T+A is a well-established company with an approach I like and respect: They make hi-fi equipment of the highest quality but with prices that, though substantial, are in line with their technology and execution. Their stuff is very handsome with impressive industrial design, but T+A doesn't do audio jewelry. What's more, though T+A is aggressive in R&D—their "Company" webpage says, "Actually, we're scientists ..."—but they are selective in the use of new technology. The third reason I was interested in reviewing a product from T+A is that their prices and technical level place them in a market segment I know well.

What I didn't know until recently is that T+A makes loudspeakers, and they're quite different from the loudspeakers other companies make. I only learned this when I started hearing about the S 530 and its larger sibling, the S 540, from friends—friends whose ears I trust.

Clayton Shaw Acoustics’ Caladan Speakers ($3000/pair) were the sleeper hit of Capital AudioFest, so I made a beeline to the fifth floor (slow motion elevators not withstanding).

It’s become a virtual axiom of show reports: With Jeremy Bryan doing set-up, MBL invariably sounds excellent. In the sweet spot—MBL speakers definitely have one, and it’s not very wide—sound was ideally focused, warm, and pleasing.