stereophile.com n August2019 19
sterophilr.ecpm“This year, Silbatone’s un-
obtainable-ness reached a new
high with the Racon/Amplion
papier-mâché theater horns
from 1930-34 (on the floor).
These are rarer than Venus
figures from prehistoric caves
and make a touchable sound
only equaled by the sheet-metal WE
22A horns above them. All the wide-
range horns in the photo are powered
by WE 555W field-coil compression
drivers and augmented by WE 597A
horn tweeters. All this deep-state WE
exotica is powered by a Morrison-Bae
WE 205D tube–MOSFET amplifier
that puts out 20W and features a 3:
silver wire/silver foil Hitachi Finemet-
core output transformer. Folks, this
stuff is un-believable.”- The Dynaudio Confidence 30
loudspeaker ($20,000/pair) has a new
Esotar3 tweeter, which the company
says includes a Hexis inner dome to
help dissipate back-wave energy and,
with the other new drivers in the
speaker, uses new “ultrapowerful”
neodymium magnets. Also new: a
“horizon surround” on the Confidence
30’s midrange, downward-firing ports,
and a baffle made from “Compex,” a
composite material that Dynaudio’s
Michael Manousselis describes as
“completely inert.”
In a system that also included
Simaudio’s Moon 780DV2 DAC
($15,000), 740P preamp ($9000), and
760A monoblocks ($16,000/pair), the
system demonstrated an outstanding
top end and excellent dynamics, ac-
cording to Jason.- It’s rare to see three 300B tubes in
one amplifier. Jason almost didn’t see it
himself—he couldn’t get close enough
because of the crowd surrounding it.
Fortunately, there was another one on
the other side of the room, on passive
display. It’s Octave’s new Jubilee 300 B
(€54,000).
10.Another trophy system, this one in
the Believe Hi-Fi room: Aries Cerat
Symphonias ($125,000/pair) with the
Aries Cerat Erevus 5 passive basshorn
system ($105,000/pair) amplified by
the Aries Achilleas Legend Series
SET amplifier ($350,000) and Impera
II Reference preamplifier ($35,000).
The digital front end almost touched
$100,000, and the analog cost almostence, so it accounts for the interaction
between the amplifier and the loud-
speaker. Another Krell advance, which
the company calls XD, is a method for
reducing output impedance in its am-
plifiers; chief designer David Goodman
told me the company has found that
“lowering the output impedance below
traditional norms” results in “substan-
tial sonic improvements.” I believe
that. On static display was a matching
phono preamp to be released in the
coming months—price TBD.
- Another big system, this one is
centered on the Von Schweikert Ultra
Reference 9 loudspeaker, which sells
for an impressive $200,000/pair,
and VAC’s 4'-tall Statement 450iQ
integrated amplifier, which boasts 14
vacuum tubes, a multi-input phono
stage, and a $150,000 price tag. The
9 is currently the middle speaker in
the Ultra series, Von Schweikert’s
cost-is-no-object line; it sits below
the $300,000 Ultra 11. Also in the
system: Acoustic Signature Invictus Jr.
turntable ($85,000), Air Tight Opus 1
cartridge ($16,000), Esoteric Grandioso
P1 CD transport ($38,000) and Gran-
dioso D1 monoblock DAC ($19,000x
= $38,000), and the Esoteric N-
network audio player ($20,000).
If it’s bass response you’re after,
consider this: The Ultra 9 is spec’ed at
-6dB at 10Hz, and—these are un-
verified specifications—essentially flat
down to 16Hz. In part because the 9
includes a powered subwoofer (utiliz-
ing a 15" driver), it’s a relatively easy
load, rated at 4 ohms nominal with a
sensitivity of 92dB. - For audacity and unalloyed joy,
nothing in Munich could touch the
demo by South Korean company
Silbatone, which manufactures, in
Herb Reichert’s words, “exquisite pure
tube and hybrid audio amplification
that’s specifically engineered to be
un-conventional, un-compromised,
and un-affordable.... It’s un-affordable
because it’s not for sale.” Literally, you
can’t buy it.
Silbatone collects vintage Western
Electric movie-theater equipment.
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