The UK's Audio Acoustics made a splash with the Sapphire
Ti-C SE loudspeakers ($69,000 per pair). The construction was heroic, the finish quality
spotless, and the technology impressive. And that sound! It was ethereal. Female
vocals floated effortlessly between the speakers in a way that seemed completely detached
from the system reproducing them. The highs were sparkling and free from glare, and the
speakers seemed to work great despite the small room. The rest of the system comprised
Wavac 833 monoblock amplifiers, a dCS Verdi SACD transport, a Weiss Medea DAC, and Wow
Resonance cables by Audio Acoustics. This was one rare case where a hideously expensive
system sounded like a million bucks. Although this is the first commercial offering from
Audio Acoustics, we hope to see -- and hear -- more.
