The Bugatti system isn’t perfect. I could ask for more scale and a more developed acoustic. I’m sure it’s possible to deliver more weight and even wider dynamics. There are things that I heard from the big Divin Majestics that I didn’t hear from the Bugatti – but I’m not at all sure I wouldn’t hear those things from the Bugatti under different circumstances (or if I played the same music). This was just a quick listen and not the full-on immersion I enjoyed at Göbel. That comes later. But even this brief exposure demonstrated that this speaker system is a game changer. It offers a new solution to existing customers and new customers alike. I started out this article by pointing to a speaker like the AvantGarde Trio G3 as a product that redefines the price of what is possible. The Tidal For Bugatti system costs more and does more. It does it with no clutter and less fuss. It’s no great stretch to see customers who wouldn’t remotely consider the established route to a high-end system, one using conventional components, embracing the Bugatti system with both alacrity and enthusiasm. Is this the future of high-end audio? In many ways it goes above and beyond what we might currently consider as high-end, in both conceptual terms and in terms of performance. The Bugatti system definitely represents one possible future, and it’s one that you can buy now: for the small matter of €405-large!
As the old ad line goes, the future’s bright, the future’s orange – or red, or green or black, or in this case, any other colour you can come up with… This speaker/system finally seems set to alter not just our expectations, but the way that high-performance audio reaches its customers. There’s been a lot of talk about the luxury sector and how to actually sell high-end sound. We’ve waited a long time for somebody to deliver this product. Well, it’s here: I wonder how long it will be before others try to follow its path?
Evolution Of A Show System
One of the problems of setting up for shows is the constantly evolving nature of the system itself, as it warms up and beds in. There are two, closely linked solutions to the problem: time and care. The bigger and more complex the system, the more time and the more care it takes to get it right – and the easier it is to get it wrong. Systems don’t come much bigger or more complex than the one in the CH room. This involved a complete, dual-mono 10 Series amplification chain (along with a P1 phono-stage for purposes of comparison with the new P10), full-range, modular loudspeakers (with subs) and two air-bearing turntables. That’s a total of 18 boxes of electronics (including power supplies, compressors and an active crossover). Just building the Grand Prix Audio Monza racks for that lot is a seriously time-consuming process! Nor does it stop with the system. The room needs to be dressed and acoustically treated; furniture, publicity materials, lighting and display items all need to be installed and arranged – all of which impact the sound of the system.
