Don't cut yourself! The VAC room was
fronted by the angular Scientific Fidelity Style-Lust speakers, which were appearing in
prototype form. Driven by a VAC Phi Beta integrated amplifier ($19,000), with a Bluenote
CD player as source, the speakers perfectly placed Joni Mitchell's voice on
"Summertime." Jason Thorpe thought the performance on this track was the best
he's yet heard. The Phi Beta isn't just a pretty face; with a phono stage, and balanced
inputs and outputs, 12V triggers, a separate power supply, and an illuminated logo that
tracks the room-light levels, this VAC integrated amp offers a lot of performance and
features in a small, very stylish package.
