During the Florida Audio Expo last February I waxed rhapsodic about the new EMT 928 II turntable in the MoFi Distribution room, only to be blindsided by a couple of readers who said “What about the Piega speakers in the system?” I’m not sure why I gave all the attention to the source–I do seem to have sort of a EMT obsession going on these days–but I know Piega. I’ve heard Piega. They’ve been around for a long time. Why didn’t I say anything about them?
Words and Photos by Marc Phillips
Two things happened after the show in Chicago. First, I’ve been talking to MoFi Distribution about reviewing several products to round of the rest of the year. One of those products, indeed, is a pair of Piega loudspeakers from Switzerland. Second, I spotted the Piega room at Munich 2023 and told myself that I was going to sit down and focus on the speakers. I was going to rectify my sloppy error at AXPONA.
Piega certainly made it easy to do that. This was certainly one of the simplest room systems at the show–just a pair of Piega Master Line Source 2 Gen 2 loudspeakers, a T+A all-in-one and a Linn Sondek LP-12. (Before you ask, no LPs were played during my stop.) The Source 2s ($100K/pr) feature line source ribbons, an aluminum baffle and a stunning architecture for the rear panels: “As a striking design element, the rear lamellae elegantly accentuate the technical capabilities and give the speakers a timeless and sophisticated appearance.”
Yes, I had to look up “lamellae.”
The sound of the Piega system was fast and clean, with razor-sharp transient edges and loads of inner detail. At the same time, these transducers were inherently musical–especially through the midrange. I tend to think of a realistic natural midrange as more of a softened thing, but these Piega loudspeakers had two feet planted firmly in both worlds, and suddenly I’m excited to have that pair of COAX 411s on their way to my house.
I’m sorry, Piega. I’ll never ignore you again!
If you would like to hear even more coverage from Munich 2023, check out our recap report and highlights from our audiophile-oriented show The Occasional Podcast. You can stream the episode direct from the embed below, or from your favorite podcast platform including iTunes, Android, Google, Deezer, Spotify, iHeartRadio and more.
Also don’t forget to check out our latest collaboration – a solid bronze record weight available only for a limited run. This 800g of solid bronze features the PTA roundel on the top which also acts as a 45 adapter. You can purchase direct from the PTA Approved Store here on the site.
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