Not quite the simplest system of the show, but this system consists of modest looking components, doesn't call attention to itself and can be accommodated in a reasonably small space. Innuos Zenith server / streamer fed the modest looking Merason frerot DAC with its optional pow1 upgraded PSU. Another appearance by moor amps with the Angel Pre and their smaller Angel 4 stereo power amplifier. Finishing off the system is the Epos ES14N - said to be a revitalisation of the original ES14 from the 1980s, but its really a completely different design from a cabinet and driver perspective - they come with their own dedicated stand. Its distinctive in a kind of 70s vibe kind of way, but their low height probably make them acceptable in more homes than larger products. Circa £25k in value for this system.
This is the second of the 2 rooms that I spent the most time in over the weekend of the show. It was positioned directly across the corridor from a system that really emphasised just how differently music can be presented and how there are clearly customers looking for different experiences. This was definitely a "sit back" kind of room. Track after track I found myself starting out listening to the system's characteristics but then getting to the end of the track and realising that I'd forgotten to do that without consciously doing so - I was listening to the music itself. Oh, except some of the more "challenging" jazz that my fellow visitors chose - some of that was just too impenetrable for my more simplistic tastes!
How to describe the sound here? A tough one because there was no defining sound. Pretty much everything is there in the right (or should I say perceived right?) order, good drive without fatigue, articulation in the bass, clear and intelligible vocals, lots of information in the treble (ooh, there's a point, it was information, not data!) and a flow that didn't grab your attention, but rather allowed the music to grab your emotions.
Great stuff.
