UK Audio Show Deluxe 2025 - Boyer Distribution Takes Sound of the Show Award with Wadax, Engstrom and Kroma Atelier

 

When you go to a show such as Audio Show Deluxe, and you know about the cost of the systems on demonstration, you might hope to be bowled over by the experience in every room.  If you've been reading through the full report, you'll know that this is not a given.  In fact, even at this level, it is still the exception. And here is the exception.

Here is a system that instantly grabs your attention. Not in a by-the-throat kind of way, but in a thats-so-much-more-believable kind of way. Its not that easy to describe a sound that's both outstandingly separated (each instrument or voice is distinct in its on right) whilst being a fully coherent part of the whole musical message. Clarity without being obvious or over emphasised, may be that's the way to explain it?  There's something here that's different - the ability to suspend disbelief, maybe? Sit back, relax and drink it all in.  As a veteran of tens of shows, its perhaps easy to become a little jaded, waiting for that room that you want to spend time in.  Over the weekend I probably spent nearly 2 hours in this room.  That's very disproportionate when there are 30 rooms and only 10 hours spent at the show.  One track that really stands out in the memory is Dim by Syml - its recorded in St Mark's Cathedral - on the Boyer system the acoustic is immense, giving a sense of the sheer scale of the venue - I listened to this tonight on my own system and it seems the Cathedral shrank when it came down my connection to Qobuz.

What goes to make up this experience?  A number of brands that many will not have heard of, never mind had the chance to listen to.  Wadax provided the CD player used as a streamer, being the Studio Player, launched this weekend. Power amplification is from Engstrom - the stunning looking LARS valve monoblocks.  Cables and power were provided by Shunyata Research. Finishing off the system is a pair of Kroma Atelia Jovita speakers in a dark blue finish. At times over the weekend, the amplification duties were delivered by the Orpheus Labs integrated in the front of the pictures.

If you wonder about paying 15 pounds to attend a manufacturer showroom such as Audio Show Deluxe, just consider the value for money you'd get from spending 6 hours in this room and you're sorted...

Audio Show Deluxe, Whittlebury Hall, March 2023 - High Commended - Boyer

Some very good looking equipment in this room - a refreshing change to see modern looking minimalist valve amps that avoid the steam punk or overly ornate "gold plated everything" aesthetic.

Engstrom Arne integrated amp on static display

Engstrom Lars power amps on static display

The playing system featured this ethernet switch and power supply combination

Vitus provided the DAC for digital files from the Taiko server

Eric Encore Power Amplifiers were playing on our visits

A different approach to cable lifting

A selection of Kroma speakers

On the FalkenOhr rack at the back, the burnt orange box on the left is the Monica pre-amp, that on the right either the power supply or the M-phono stage

The line up here is a Taiko server feeding a Vitus DAC playing into Engstrom Monica pre-amp and Eric power amps through Kroma Stella Extreme speakers notable for using a mid-range driver similar to those recently enjoyed in Lyngdorf speakers at Bristol and a bass driver similar to those in many a speaker from Wilson Benesch. A quick bit of loose arithmetic, excluding cables, tells me this system is in the region of £400k, so suiting the Audio Show Deluxe brief very well. Shunyata was also deployed in this system for power management and distribution. I noted some of the colourful finishes available on the static display Kroma speakers along the size of the very well presented room.

This was a big room for moderately sized speaker but they did a good job. I enjoyed the music in this room and sat through a good few tracks - despite its physical appearance this is not a "show off" system in the way it performs, but neither does it underperform like so many beautifully built products can do.  It is unassuming, effective, unobtrusive in terms of letting the music through to the listener. A room worth going back to for more.