The Very Definition of POSH

Naming a speaker POSH? This would all seem silly if the system in the Gershman Acoustics room didn’t offer a luxurious and exceptional sound. Ofra and Eli Gershman were showing off their new POSH Statement loudspeakers ($129,000/pair), powered by a VAC Statement 405S amplifier ($46,000) and a VAC Master preamp with phono ($40,000), with a VPI turntable using the hottest new thing in phono cartridges, the Audio-Technica AT-ART1000 ($4995). All cabling was from Nordost. Two more modest Gershman speakers were being rotated in and out of the system, but I was treated to the POSH, and the sound was every bit as opulent as the name implies.

Most Gershman speakers have a graceful design—these tall, curvy enclosures seem to be swaying in the wind. The POSH, however, has a solid and modular industrial design to it, although the bracing for the separate enclosures retains those beautiful flowing lines. Those lines visually soften the incredibly strong and rigid enclosure which include ½” stainless steel panels which help to eliminate vibration. The POSH includes point-to-point soldering in the crossover, the finest Mundorf caps and m-Resist Supreme resistors available and Furutech wiring throughout.

Getting off the Merry-Go-Round

The overall sound was vivid, clean and energetic, with oodles of detail, but at the same time I kept thinking of the word gentle, and how this system presenting music with such an open and relaxed feel. That’s what the best gear does—it lets you wander deep into the soundstage where you can feel everything that’s going on, but it also does that in a soothing way, like a dream. I always refer to this as “getting off the merry-go-round,” obtaining a sound that will satisfy you for the rest of your life as opposed to making you worry if you should keep upgrading.

Thanks go to both Ofra and Eli Gershman, who were funny and warm and welcoming. They laughed at my stories and made me feel right at home. Their system was welcoming as well, with a warmth that’s rare these days.