The Story

Meeting Bob of Bob’s Devices on Thursday in the atrium marketplace during setup hours I had a great time pestering Bob about his presence in the audio show circuit. Though I don’t often get to hear his product in demo rooms, he guided me towards hearing the Dr. Vinyl room where one of his famed step up transformers was in employ. Now on my shortlist of rooms to visit, I make my way in on Friday. Spartanly decorated, seating all along the long wall, and the system also along the long wall, I’m visually left wanting more. A few people are in the room and happily engaged in the music. We move around a few tracks and no one leaves. Why would they?

The Sound

Everything I am hearing is “monitors out in the room”, but what is obvious is that these aren’t monitors, these aren’t out in the room, and there really is no room. Detail is coming at me by the barrel full. Is this the overachieving Hana SL? Probably in part, but what I am hearing at the speaker level is uncongested and free. If ever there were that “the cartridge is attached with 1m of cable to each speaker” feeling, this was it. Scale is what was to be expected for such size speakers, so no trickery there. The quality of the sound is what stood forward in every moment of listening. Hugh Masekela’s “Stimela” (The Coal Train) from Hope had those eerily accurate live qualities that only the best rendering of components can muster. Diminutive in visual nature, this system’s audible abilities are not. Definitely a killer room at the show.

The System

Pear Audio Blue Reference Preamplifier ($6,495 USD)
Pear Audio Blue Reference Amplifier ($6,495 USD)
Pear Audio Blue Kid Howard Cornet 2 Turntable ($4,995 USD)
Pear Audio Blue Small Platform ($795 USD)
Larsen 8 Orthodynamic Speakers ($6,995 USD)

Hana SL Moving Coil Cartridge ($750 USD)
Bob’s Devices Sky CineMag 1:20 Step Up Transformer ($1,225 USD)

WireWorld Matrix #2 Power Strip ($150 USD)
EnKlein Cables 7ft Zephyr II Power Cord ($1,850 USD)
GamuT Power Cables Reference ($2,990 USD / 1m)
GamuT Reference RCA ($2,990 USD / 1m)
GamuT Reference Speaker Wires ($3,790 USD / 1.5m)