Bristol Hi-Fi Show Report 2023 - Part Two

Welcome back to the extensive and possibly most comprehensive show report of the 2023 Bristol Hi-Fi Show. In Part Two we take you through brands L to Y.
LINN
Regular presentations by the proudly Scottish brand were often left with people squeezing into the room's doorway - proof that the Glaswegian brand is still doing something right even in its fiftieth year.
Rachel guided the room through listening sessions featuring the company's Selekt DSM edition hub with Organik DAC (£16,950), Selekt LP12 (£10,570) and a pair of Kudos Titan 505 (£9,750), where we heard, amongst other things, Bob Seger's Main Street and the great Bill Withers' Who Is He (And What Is He to You)? Both tracks showed that Linn has plenty to offer the music fan, whether digital or analogue.
LOCKWOOD
As with most rooms, I visited Lockwood on more than one occasion, and I am glad that I did, as the first visit saw three pairs of speakers vying for position at the end of the room.
Even though Paul's enthusiasm for the brand was contagious, the positioning seemed lacking given that this brand was founded in the 1930s and worked closely with engineers at the BBC to develop what would become the Lockwood Monitors. These legendary loudspeakers were used during the recording and mixing of bands such as The Beatles, Pink Floyd, The Rolling Stones, Queen, and Led Zeppelin, to mention just a few of the noteworthy world-renowned artists.
Thankfully, upon another visit, the large Lockwood LE1 flagship floorstanders equipped with 15-inch drivers bookended the Lockwood Academy with 12-inch drivers with the other options, including the 10-inch drivered Lockwood Mini out of the way. My session heard the Academy attached to a Quad amplifier this time, and the classic recordings played through them sounded great and had me wondering how they'd cope with more current releases.
LYNGDORF
From the post-war aesthetics of Lockwood, we now transport you bang up-to-date with the stunning Lyngdorf Cue-100 loudspeakers (£9,499), looking every inch a prime example of contemporary design thanks in part to their satin black cabinets and solid wood tripod stands.
These are the first commercial loudspeaker to use Purifi drive units, a company better known for its excellent Class D amplification modules found in the Kii Three BXT loudspeaker system. We're told that the ultra-low-distortion long-stroke aluminium woofers feature a "mountain ridge" design ring and partner Lyndgdorf's AMT tweeter. The speakers are available in black or white, with pine or oak stands and five all-around fabric covers by Gabriel from Denmark. These were one of my sounds of the show and would be perfect in a modern room setting.
MARTIN LOGAN
Martin Logan's UK distributors, PMC, held a press show-and-tell on Friday morning, demonstrating three of the nine-strong Motion series of loudspeakers.
Priced from £1,600 for the standmount to £6,500 for the large F200 floorstander. The Motion range encompasses the Motion and Motion XT lines that also include centre and ‘architectural’ speaker options. The Motion Series features black Gen2 folded motion tweeters alongside woven fibreglass mid-frequency drivers, whereas the XT series opts for Nomex-reinforced woven Kevlar woofers. The presentation emphasised the damping and bracing built into the speaker's construction and within the structure of the bass port.
A demonstration of the F10 (£2,995) floorstanders driven by an AVM CS5.3 streaming CD player/ amplifier proved them to be effortlessly adept at stereo presentation playing Fink's Trouble's What You're In, even in this show environment. The CS5.3 claims 2×350 watt output and can stream up to 384kHz/32bit and DSD 256 audio. The AVM Evolution range of all-in-one devices is based on the AVM X-Stream Engine and the new RC X app.
Any doubts that these would be resigned to purely home cinema duties were swiftly resolved. A clear and articulate upper and midband bolstered by a musical low end makes a good argument for the F10 offering plenty of speaker for your money.
MIAN AUDIO
LEEMA/ ELAC/ SERHAN SWIFT
Mian had a couple of rooms to show off its Leema electronics. One was home to the Welsh company's new Quantum range powering a pair of ELAC Vela 404 (£3,000) loudspeakers, whereas the other paired its Libra DAC/pre-amp fed by the new Melco N1 (£12,000) going into a Hydra Anniversary power amp and out to the consistently excellent Serhan Swift mu2 MkII speakers. Both rooms were making good use of Solidsteel stands and Ricable cables.
I really enjoyed the 2-way ELAC standmounters whose cabinet is bolstered by a heavy mass aluminium base section that minimises vibration and adds to the modern aesthetics. The ELAC’s JET 5 tweeter and "Crystal Membrane" 180 mm mid/bass unit crossover at 2.4kHz, resulting in a claimed 38 – 50kHz frequency range and 87 dB at 2.83 V/m sensitivity. A dub version of Riders on The Storm followed by Sublime Reggae Kings' cover of the Artic Monkeys' Why'd You Only Call Me When You're High? proved that the ELACs were no slouch regarding the low end.
The Quantum range is a new series of components we first met at the NWAS 2022 and features the Electron CD player, Positron streamer, Neutron DAC/pre-amp, and the Graviton power amp. The pricing remains a mystery; however, the Neutron sports an onboard MM/ MC phonostage and balanced/ unbalanced inputs; the Graviton power amp is a Class A/ B design rated at 150W per channel. Meanwhile, the Electron CD player has a SABRE ES9018-based DAC and boasts a headphone socket. Again, none of your expected audiophile tunes here. Instead, we had Holy Ground by HAEVN and Lost In A Supermarket by The Clash, covered by Dub Spencer and Trance Hill; both sounded huge through the Mu2 mkIIs. If the Welshpool Wonders can keep the new components in the sub-£2k arena, they should fly off the shelves.
MICHELL
There still seems to be much love for one of the most recognisable turntable designs, as Michell's room drew crowds throughout the weekend.
Once inside, you could get up close to the iconic Gryo, Orbe and Tecnodec. The latter was in action sporting a T2 improved arm loaded with a Goldring E3 cart. This was plugged into a Trichord phonostage and Audia Flight FLS10 integrated and out through ProAc Response D2R loudspeakers. Gorgeous!
MOOR AMPS (and speakers!)
Moor Amps travelled up from Devon with a pre-production sample of its new three-way floor-standing Angel Ascalon-8. Dressed in a stunning blue finish and boasting a Volt midrange dome and bass units, it certainly looked and sounded the part.
I was told that Tim Narramore paid particular attention to the heavily-braced 24mm birch-ply cabinets and that the rear port had been tuned to deliver controlled bass without overhang. We should see the Ascalon-8 land later this year and expect an £11,000 price tag or thereabouts. Also in action were the Portland-based company's Angel 6 (£11,000) and Angel Pre (£3,000).
NEAT ACOUSTICS/ LATERAL AUDIO
Neat's Elite Classic floorstander (£3,250) stopped me in my stride as they played The Doors' Riders on the Storm ably abetted by an Atoll SDA300 streaming amp (£3,995). The new Neats borrow their 168mm mid/bass driver from the brand's Ultimatum and employ a down-firing port combining in a hugely enjoyable result.
Meanwhile, literally performing a supporting role in the toom was Lateral Audio's British-made isolation products in the form of the new Arena APX support pucks (from £315) and Cadenz speaker stands, the latter featuring several top-plate options to accommodate most if not all, standmount speakers. Arena APX, we're told, has been designed to be used in conjunction with the original feet or shelves you have while bringing in optimal mechanical earth points. Here, a stainless steel case houses a viscous substance presented to the component by a carbon fibre interface. Finally, the fourth decoupling stage is a "proprietary tactile substance that absorbs high-frequency vibrations".
ORIGIN LIVE
Although here to check out the latest turntable developments, it was the AVI DM10 active monitors that caused one of our party to point and declare their presence.
After a brief reminiscence focused on the brilliance and foresight of one Martin Grindrod and enjoying how well these standmounters integrated perfectly with the David Rusby-made subwoofer it was on with the job in hand and the Mark-V Sovereign-S turntable (£8,300) outfitted with an Agile Mk 4 tonearm going into an Origin Live Discovery phono.
This latest model features a newly designed multi-layer platter and a new power supply. The top surface of the new platter was developed empirically for months before the ‘thousand cut’ design was finalised. Apparently this contols and dissipates unwanted vibrations rather than reflecting them as with conventional hard platters. In the wings was the new Voyager at £24,000 and £3,700 Calypso sporting the same enhancements. There were also heavy hints that what was to become the new Swift turntable to fill the gap between the Aurora and Calypso was on its way.
PINK TRIANGLE/ FUNK FIRM
It has been a couple of decades, but Pink Triangle made a surprise comeback at this year's Bristol Hi-Fi Show with its 7th Heaven turntables previously previewed under the sister brand Funk Firm. However, Arthur Khoubesserian has rightly resurrected the Pink Triangle brand to showcase complete turntables leaving the Funk Firm name offering the many and varied upgrades for decks from Linn, Rega, Technics and more.
The new turntable employs features that have defined recent Funk Firm developments following Khoubesserian's 'Isolation Bubble' concept and his "Closer to the Master Tape" mantra. The 7th Heaven series sports a solid walnut plinth with attractive coloured resin inlay sitting on Bo!ng isolation feet. Additionally, the turntable's vector drive consists of two pulleys and one motor offering minimal contact with the sub-platter. The glass platter also features a bonded Funk Achromat. The model on show was dubbed 'Purple Rain' for obvious reasons. Priced at £8,000 with K-Drive power supply and 'zero resonance' FZ tonearm but without a cartridge or £10,500 bundled with a cartridge and Akutrak phono stage, which corrects for cartridge frequency response errors, both developed in-house.
PMC
Next door to the aforementioned Martin Logan demonstration, PMC displayed its own twenty5i series loudspeakers with the assistance of an AVM Ovation CS 8.3 Black Edition all-in-one streaming CD player, which we met at its launch in Munich last year. The high-end compact unit is capable of 2×500 watts output via valves reserved just for this model.
The CS 8.3 also utilises the company's X-STREAM Engine handing it Roon Ready certification and AirPlay 2 support among its many streaming skills in addition to a slot-loading CD player. Also on stand-by was Bryston's BR-20 pre-amplifier sat atop a 7B³ mono power amp.
Even though it was the smallest member of the twenty5i family, the 21i (£2,395) doing the business in a relatively large room, paired with the Ovation all-in-one, it is no wonder why this room took home the Clarity Awards for Best Sound at the show even when you consider the general hubbub and chat going on around us. This little box has superb imaging and projection, a well-integrated top and midband, and a nicely focused low end generating more than expected thanks to the brand's ATL tech.
PROAC
Another British company with professional and consumer heritage spread between two rooms (if you omit the D2R in Michell's room) at the show was ProAc, which demonstrated two models from its premium K Series.
One room featured the K1 standmounters (£7,240 + £1,045 for the stands) loaded with a 6.5-inch Kevlar coned driver crossing over at 3KHz, which hands off to the ProAc ribbon tweeter, featuring an alnico magnet and a damped rear chamber. Claimed sensitivity is 90 dB linear for 1 watt at 1 metre, and the frequency response 28Hz to 30Khz. They both looked and sounded the business in their Tamo Ash finish on the purpose-made stands at the end of an Audio Research CD player and Trilogy amp.
Meanwhile, the large K10 (£38,105) three-way design loudspeakers were making their presence felt elsewhere. Here, a pair of 8-inch bass drivers fitted with pure polymer-impregnated and polished weaved Kevlar cones delivered controlled and visceral lows. At the same time, two 3-inch domed mids bookended a ribbon tweeter bringing clarity and air to vocals and strings. While not inexpensive, these are massively (in every sense) dynamic speakers who remain composed even when played at volume in a compact room. I can only imagine how great they'd sound in a larger, better-treated space. The front end of the show system was a Michell Orb turntable, and an Accuphase phonostage going through an Accuphase E800 amplifier sat on a lovely-looking Atacama rack.
QOBUZ
The official music sponsor of the Bristol Hi-Fi Show 2023 was French-based hi-res streaming service Qobuz. Chief Hi-Res Music Evangelist David Solomon and a team of advisors attended this year, helping interested parties navigate the packages and services the platform offers.
Having been a subscriber for several years (not quite fifteen, though), it has been greatly satisfying watching the service develop and witnessing even the most technophobic reviewers who initially dismissed streaming slowly get to grips with it and realise the benefits of streamed hi-resolution audio. Regarding developments, Qobuz recently announced Qobuz Club, which aims to bring the social aspect back to music discovery.
QUALIO
Polish brand Qualio was an unfamiliar name that I knew I had to check out at the show, and I was not disappointed. The company's £5,000 IQ loudspeaker made a swift first impression owing to its bass output from the 9.5-inch Satori woofer housed in the cabinet, which is said to plumb down to 28Hz.
This is balanced by a Mundorf AMT dipole unit as a super-tweeter (up to 31kHZ) and a full-range driver (running up to 15kHz) on an open baffle fitted to the bass cabinet. A laptop, Lampizator Amber DAC and Naim SuperNait 3AN were the only other elements required to impress in this room with these fun and dynamic speakers. Interestingly, I was told that you can self-adjust the crossover thanks to a set of super-tweeter terminals at the rear, enabling you to connect various Mundorf copper-nickel resistors and tweak the response curve to your personal taste - kind of an analogue DSP; I guess. I expect to see more from Qualio in the future.
REGA
Naturally, the biggest surprise from Rega at the show came in the form of the Naia turntable (£9,200 or £12,000 with an Aphelion 2 MC cartridge), which we have already excitedly covered in its own news article.
Of course, there were loads more to see from Rega, including their 'You Are The DJ' experience, where you could select a record from the wall of LPs to play on the Rega System One entry-level bundle, which comprises a Rega Planar 1, an io integrated amplifier and a pair of Kyte loudspeakers. All in, including cables, it costs £999 and makes a great sound and great sense for anyone looking for a vinyl playback system without the headache of shopping around.
REL
REL had a showroom displaying its ten new subwoofer offerings, while its demonstration consisted of its excellent No. 31 reference subs alongside a pair of KEF Blade 2 with Hegel 590 and Anthem providing amplification, and a Rega disc spinner providing tunes, all supported by HiFi Racks furniture.
For me, the two-channel demonstration resulted in more jaw drops, with one listener exclaiming, "With the subs in the system, it was the mid and upper frequencies that actually sounded better". Which hit the nail on the head.
Most will expect subs to simply add more bass; however, in a well-integrated system, the addition can even free up accomplished designs such as the KEF Blade 2 to perform more relaxed and focused whilst giving the overall result of a richer and more expansive performance.
ROGERS
Rogers had the LS5/9 speakers creating an excellent sound on the end of a Rogers E20a/ii amplifier fed by an AudioNote UK CD 0. The new Class A E20a/ii was designed to complement the 'Reborn' LS3/5a Classic and LS5/9 Classic loudspeakers.
Thanks to an updated circuit design, we're told that optimising the transformer and matching the LS3/5A's impedance dramatically improves the performance of the LS3/5A and the LS5/9 Classic. Also displayed was an early example of the new Rogers Cadet V Line tube integrated amplifier, alongside an original from the 1970s.
Offering 5W of pure Class-A from single-ended PCL86 valves, the weighty design features an aluminium chassis and just three controls. However, it allows you to select the standard 8 Ohm speaker output or the 15 Ohm one, the latter being ideal for use with Rogers' LS3/5As. The 15 Ohm option also now appears on the E20a amplifier. Finally, an Opus3 turntable was also in action running a Decca Reference cartridge which has gone into production and should be available this summer for ~£5,000.
ROTEL
Celebrating its 60th birthday. Rotel was demonstrating its Diamond Series DT-6000 DAC Transport and RA-6000 Amplifier, which were partnered with Bowers & Wilkins 700 Series loudspeakers and joined by Chord Company cables. Another consistent crowd-puller, and for a good reason.
Also on the rack was the S14 integrated network player, which offers you a 'just-add-speakers' solution without sacrificing audio quality.
A delightful system that I could've enjoyed for longer if I wasn't so conscious of the number of people trying to get into the room to hear it for themselves.
SENNHEISER
A display of soundbars and headphones by Sennheiser interested many. As well as the popular classics, the HD 660S2 (£499) generally had a queue of people waiting to test them out. So, on day two, I made this room my first stop and enjoyed a couple of tracks before the first punters came by.
The latest HD 660s do a lot right for the money for my ears. These open-backed cans boast 42mm dynamic drivers coupled with a 38mm diaphragm resulting in fulsome low-end performance. Made in Ireland, the HD 660S2 felt like a premium item, and I really liked the bronze accents, which also added to the overall sense of quality. You can read David Price's full review for more insight.
SOLIDSTEEL
These noted Italian makers of exquisite high-end hi-fi supports were in attendance.
Although I managed to catch Antonio a couple of times, whenever I passed the stand, the head honcho, Gaetano, was deep in conversation with someone. It is heartening to see so much interest in the Italian brand, and rightly so! As well as the stunning Hyperspike racks, which were also spotted in use around the show, Solidsteel was presenting its latest VL (Vinyl Library) series alongside its excellent S4 and S5 ranges. Hopefully, there'll be more time to chat in Munich.
SOUND FOWNDATIONS
Whenever Sound Fowndations demonstrates its wares, you can guarantee two things: 1) The equipment on display will be top-notch 2) The music will both surprise and delight. One criticism oft levelled at hi-fi shows is that the demonstrations either use the "wrong choice" of music (i.e., not to somebody's particular taste - really?!?) or it's the same "bland handful of tracks".
These tired tropes can never be rolled out where Chris and team Sound Fowndations are involved. Upon my visit, Lobo's Caribbean Disco Show (12) was spinning on the Clearaudio turntable. Suddenly anyone entering the room involuntarily smiled, shoulders relaxed, heads nodded, and feet tapped.
The Kerr Acoustics speakers sounded tremendous and produced dance-inducing lows from the DS Audio optical cartridge system going into a Kondo G-70 on loan from Brook Audio/ MCRU's David Brook.
SVS /PRIMARE/ SYSTEM AUDIO
This 7.2.2 surround sound system was put together by Karma AV to show that such a rig doesn't have to be megabucks.
Powered by a Primare SPA 25 integrated amplifier (£5,000), a pair of System Audio Saxo 40 floorstanders (£999) and a Saxo 10 centre (£300) supported by super-slim saxo 16 (£400 each) and saxo 6 (£300 each) wall-mounted satellites. This was also bolstered by a pair of SVS Micro 3000 subs (£899 each).
The Hanz Zimmer Live recording sounded huge in this small space, showing how well this system performed and the care taken in putting this temporary multi-channel listening room together. Finally, however, the scene from Ford v Ferrari sealed the deal for me as it thoroughly drew me in - so much so that I forgot to take photos of that bit!
TECHNICS
This storied Japanese brand still seems to have to work hard with some to be seen as anything other than DJ kit or an 80s memory where friends would talk in hushed tones about someone's older brother who owned a "Technics separates system".
Nevertheless, there is much love for the brand here at StereoNET and hearing The Twinkle Brothers Live from Sunsplash playing Babylon Falling and the full 12-inch version of The Sugar Hill Gang's Rapper's Delight (thanks, Simon!) spinning on an SL-1210G (£4,000) and out through a pair of SB-G90M2 floorstanders (£4,000) via a SU-R1000 integrated (£8,000) was thoroughly enjoyable. Moreover, this system would certainly hold its own against more expensive esoterica.
TOWNSHEND
Townshend Audio was typically entertaining, thanks to a thoroughly engaging combination of equipment and music choices. The former featured a The RockDoc-restored Townshend Rock turntable fed into a Long Dog Audio MCJ3 phono stage (£1,400), then to an Allegri Reference pre (£8,000) and out through a brace of Sugden MPA-4 Class A power amps (£12,748 per pair) to drive a set of Kerr Acoustic K320 transmission line speakers (£7,329), occasionally assisted by Townshend Super Tweeters (£1,200).
Naturally, most elements were supported by Seismic bases. Power was supplied via an IsoTek Aquarius unit. The digital side included a dCS Bartok, Auralic Altair G2.1 and the enigmatic pre-production "Jeff DAC", which already sounds quite a special thing. We'll definitely be keeping tabs on how this latest Townshend offering is progressing.
Regarding tunes, during my visits to the room, I heard the somewhat expected Aja by Steely Dan, but also You Look Good To Me by The Oscar Petersen Trio, followed by tracks from The Cure and Ozric Tentacles.
TRIANGLE
Arguably even more faff-free than Rega's entry-level system, Triangle demonstrated a pair of its AIO Twin active speakers alongside a turntable collaboration with Pro-Ject that features an MDF top, aluminium tonearm and an Ortofon OM-10E cartridge. All in, this bundle costs £999.
As well as offering a MM phono stage, the Triangle AIO Twin supports Ethernet, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0 aptX, multiroom and hi-res (24/192) streaming. While £1,000 is not exactly impulse purchase territory for many, Triangle does produce some proper grown-up sounding kit for little outlay and deserves more attention - check out its Borea passive and active ranges, for starters.
TRIANGLE/ IOTA
Triangle's £400 Applause Award-winning Borea BR03 standmounters were hooked up to Iota's VX range of components. This British-based company's products are designed in Europe (UK, France and Germany) and built in China, which no doubt helps keep the asking price down, allowing the NP3 streaming stereo pre-amp/ CD player/ DAB and FM tuner to come in at under £600. This seemingly do-it-all box features Wi-Fi, aptX Bluetooth, and wired ethernet, handing it UPnP/ DNLA smarts.
Next in the stack was the SA3 (£450) stereo integrated amp, boasting 50W @ 8 Ohms and 100W @ 4 Ohm or bridged 180W. This featured five RCA line-level inputs alongside an MM phono stage. Additionally, there are optical and coax digital inputs and a sub out. Finally, at the bottom sat the PA3 power amplifier (£399), which sports the same output measurements as the SA3, it being based on the same Class AB modules.
These are good-looking and decent-sounding components at very reasonable prices.
TRIANGLE/ MANLEY
SCV Distribution is now handling the Manley brand in the UK and saw a range of the Californian-based maker's components supplying Triangle’s gorgeously-finished Magellan 40th Duetto standmounts (£5,500), while the Cello 40th (£11,000) floorstanders were brought into action later.
Manley provided its Steelhead RC phonostage with an outboard power supply (£12,000), which also worked as a pre-amplifier for the Innuos Statement two-box streaming server (from £12,700), which was hooked up to a Chord DAVE DAC (£10,500). This then went out to a pair of Manley Snapper monoblocs (£11,300 per pair) that utilised EL34 tubes.
Playing Dido's This is Love via the Innuos, there was a sense of space and scale with plenty of detail and rich, warm lows. Not a budget system by any stretch of the imagination, but then, I've heard more expensive pairings that have failed to impress me as much as this did.
VIVID AUDIO
Vivid Audio. Never has a name more aptly been given than to the Lawrence Dickie-designed loudspeakers, as they are no shrinking violets aesthetically - and that's before the striking paint finishes. Even the baby Kaya S12 (from £6,000 + £1,500 for the stands) at the show has a touch of 'other-worldliness' about them. We're told that the number suffix in the Kaya range reflects the injection moulded organically curved cabinet's capacity in litres, so twelve in this case. Incidentally, Kaya is Zulu for "home", so we are informed.
The Kaya S12 is a two-way reflex design with a long-throw driver and tapered tube-loaded tweeter which is a common theme across the Vivid range. In addition, the cabinet design includes an "internal omni diffuser" comprising ten exponential ports that annihilates the common distortion all other two-way monitor designs suffer from, states Vivid.
The Kaya S12 was demonstrated at the end of a HiFi Rose duo of HiFi Rose RS250A Streamer/ pre-amp (£2,350) and RA180 integrated amplifier (£5,500) alongside an external CD drive. No matter what your eyes told you to expect, the sound was natural and pure but filled with dynamics and detail. Even a dose of Leftfield, as punchy, urgent and tight as it was, failed to ruffle the S12's feathers.
VON GAYLORD
Californian-based Von Gaylord Audio hosted by Ray Leung had its Legend Reference 2-way bass reflex stand-mount loudspeakers (£13,500) sweetly nudged along by a pair of Nirvana triode mono amplifiers (£8,750) connected to a Harmony pre-amp.
The triangular-shaped speakers have a stated 91dB sensitivity and are capable of plumbing down to 24Hz. Meanwhile, the triode-mode valve amps dish out 45W via a quartet each of 6550 and 6SN7 tubes per channel. The amplifiers also feature self-adjusting auto-bias and hand-soldered point-to-point wiring. Jazz was the order of the day here, and my notes simply read "relaxed and supremely engaging". Moreover, the ex-demo show deal of the mono amps and speakers for £9,995 had me seriously thinking about it!
VOXATIV
Voxativ's stunning Ampeggio-X speakers (£11,500) have been re-launched to mark the company’s tenth anniversary.
Featuring an 8-inch AC1.9 full-range driver and back-loaded horn design cabinet made at a well-known piano factory, owner Ines tells us that they boast an incredible 110dB efficiency rating which translates low power into massive dynamics and scale, not to mention a wonderfully punchy response down to a claimed 60Hz as proven at the end of an 11W T211 triode valve amplifier (£19,400).
Need something a bit more neighbour-friendly? Voxativ's rather smart-looking and impressive-sounding package includes a pair of 5-inch drivered Hagen loudspeakers featuring internal DSP and a Das Absolut Box streaming amplifier for £7,900/ €11,900. Sehr gut!
WILSON BENESCH
South Yorkshire-based Wilson Benesch launched its A.C.T. 3zero loudspeaker (£31,995) from the Sheffield company’s new reference Fibonacci Series. Although the ones on dem were not in the striking purple finish used in the promo materials, that's as far as the disappointments went.
I generally have a soft spot for Wilson Benesch designs, but this year's Bristol Show demonstration truly hit a chord with me. Was it down to the speaker cabinet's monocoque construction using “next-generation biocomposite materials technology”? I can't say. However, these new 2.5-way floorstanders at the end of a pair of Ypsilon Aelius II Special Edition mono amps (£44,500 each) and a PST-100 pre (£45,500) sounded lively, in an orchestral way, rather than boisterous. There was a wonderful sense of composure and 'rightness' about the system's presentation. The 3zero has a claimed 34Hz - 30kHz frequency range, but it was more about the unfussy, unstrained way it went about things aligned to a great sense of insight and transparency that impressed me most - and that's at a hi-fi show demo!
The system also featured digital niceness in the shape of CAD's 1543 DAC, CAT server and assorted ground controls. While the turntable wasn't Wilson Benesch's GMT One (that's being officially unveiled in Munich in a few weeks), the one used in Bristol was plugged into an RCM TheRIAA phonostage (£13,500).
YAMAHA
Yamaha builds high-end pianos, outboard motors, motorbikes, guitars and also some pretty fine hi-fi, as it so happens.
At Bristol 2023, the versatile company demonstrated the NS-2000A three-way floorstanding speakers hooked up to an R-N2000A stereo receiver to impressive effect. We've already reviewed the R-N2000A, so you can see what we thought here.
BRISTOL HI-FI SHOW 2023 VERDICT
This was perhaps the busiest and most enjoyable Bristol Show I have ever encountered. Was it simply a case of absence makes the heart grow fonder or something more profound? I think it is a mixture of many things. There is no denying that having such events taken away from us for a couple of years has made us appreciate these get-togethers more. Additionally, there has been an increased interest in home entertainment in its broader sense, with both two and multi-channel audio being a distinct focus.
Moreover, there seemed to be a younger contingent present than before - and this is not just from the aspect of someone who is getting older. There were actual groups of teens and twenty-somethings roaming around untethered! So perhaps there's hope for the audio industry after all?
Til next time, Brizzle.
Did you go to the show? Why not share your thoughts in the FORUM, where you'll also find the full photo GALLERY.
BRISTOL HI-FI SHOW 2023 REPORT - PART ONE

Jay Garrett
StereoNET’s resident rock star, bass player, and gadget junkie. Jay heads up StereoNET as Editor for the United Kingdom and Europe regions. His passion for gadgets and Hi-Fi is second only to being a touring musician.
Posted in: Hi-Fi | Headphones | Home Theatre | HiFi Show
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