Paperclips, carabiners, and plumbing are just some of the things I have heard people call Zoltan Bayz’s (Pronounced Bay-ze) $160k Counterpoint 2.0 speakers. The Bayz Audio speakers are definitely a unique shape, something to start a conversation, but once the music starts the conversation will change to looks of disbelief and gaped mouths.
Words and Photos by Marc Smazik
These six-foot-tall carbon fiber tubes just disappear in the room. Even while standing next to them it is still very hard to tell where the music is originating. This feat is not achieved by the Bayz Audio speakers alone, as some of the finest electronics were chosen to drive these sculptures–a single VAC Master 300 amp ($42,000), VAC Master Pre amp ($30,000), Aurender A20 streamer ($12,500), and Esoteric N-07XD SACD/DAC ($8,000). The cables were also made by Bayz Audio.
Let’s start with the elephant in the room–there was way too much speaker for the little hotel room. It took only a few presses of the volume to wildly overpower the space. These Bayz Audio Counterpoint 2.0s want some room to breathe. These are omnidirectional speakers, but they do not seem to be encumbered by the same issues of other omni systems. There is a dead locked center image, and a limitless sense of space.
This is owed to a few factors, one of the major ones being the patented cylindrical tweeters designed by Bayz Audio. As I mentioned, it is hard to localize the origin of the sound. I have heard the Counterpoint 2.0s once before in Munich, where they were running on just 80 watts per channel– they definitely preferred the 150 watts per channel of the Master 300. Tonally, the system was balanced and impactful. A fun anecdote about the Bayz Audio speakers is that without the platforms, each channel only weighs about 60 lbs–which is about 5x less than anything else that size.
I have the distinct joy of living with a VAC Master 300 amp. It is a profound experience to hear music on any gear that bears the Master name from VAC, and I highly recommend it if given the chance. The whole room experience–from Zoltan’s warm personality to the wonderful sound stage and tonality–prompts me to recommend that you please find a Bayz Audio room at any future audio event and enjoy them.
