Without question, some of the best sound at Florida Audio Expo came from the Danish trio of Aavik, Ansuz, and Børresen. This combination of electronics, speakers and cabling, expertly set up by industry pro Lars Kristensen, managed to overcome room-related problems and deliver some of the most spacious sound heard over my three days in Tampa.
At first I thought the spaciousness I heard from recordings of Steely Dan—the most frequently played rock group at the show—and Diana Krall was a mite artificial, but when I listened to my CD of Sarah Vaughan singing “Send in the Clowns,” I realized that I was simply hearing everything that a particular recording could offer. This with speakers intentionally placed very far apart and close to the outer walls. I could have used a mite more top extension, but that’s a small quibble about sound that, from such small speakers, was truly exceptional.
I did not receive an equipment list in time, but by checking the website of Gated HiFi, I believe we heard the Børresen 01 two-way monitor with ribbon planar tweeter, Ansuz Acoustics cabling, and Aavik U-300 integrated amplifier with phono and 24/192 DAC.
A beautiful warm midrange was the standout feature of a system that featured Luxman electronics and Harbeth loudspeakers. Indeed, playing Jennifer Warnes’ “Too Late Love Comes,” the system emphasized the midrange over everything else. Heard: Harbeth Super HL5 Plus loudspeakers ($7995/pair); Luxman’s L-509x integrated amplifier ($9495), D-08u SACD player ($14,995), PD-151 belt-drive turntable ($3895), and 15000 series cabling; Melco’s N1ZH60 music server ($4999) and D100 optical drive for CD playback and ripping ($1295); and TonTräger stands.
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