The Vytrum Virtuoso ‘Table Radio’
By Roy Gregory
Overspent on your latest audio extravagance? Need to score partner-points to preserve your health and wellbeing? Swiss company Vytrum offer an answer, in the distinctive shape of their Virtuoso speaker system. A standalone unit that offers DAB tuning, wireless streaming via blue-tooth and an auxiliary analogue input, the two-way speaker is built into a blown glass enclosure, mounted on a rounded, rectangular metal block, with minimal controls. It’s unmistakably ‘special’, without being gaudy (unless you go for the gold-plated version). At €15K each (!) that’s a lot of “Sorry”. But if even that’s not enough, you can always opt for solid gold metalwork!
www.vytrum.com
Vienna Acoustics Schubert Grande Sonata
By Roy Gregory
Home team Vienna Acoustics showed up with a new budget range, a great sounding system and the best room décor at the show. The Schubert Edition consists of three models, sharing the clean, simple and attractive aesthetic of the Mozart Infinity. Most affordable is the €1,600 Serenade, a two-way speaker that follows in a long tradition of excellent bookshelf models from VA. The two-and-a-half way, floor-standing Opus (this year’s most popular new model name) is priced at €2,900 and might be considered the spiritual successor to the popular Mozart model. The show system featuring the top-of-the-line Grande Sonata model (€4,500) paired with an Advance Paris A12 amplifier (€3,500) utilizing its streaming option. Both units were supported on the excellent Mont Audio rack and hooked up with the same company’s cables. All three speakers feature VA’s impressive, proprietary spider Cone technology, helping to add refinement and a rich tonality to the sound. This was a great little system at a great little price! Music was clean, clear, relaxed and engaging, the amp/speaker combination happy to work within its comfort zone, not trying to do anything it couldn’t – often a recipe for long-term satisfaction. The result was a system that was versatile, easily accommodated and, musically speaking, punched way above its price-point.
But as impressive as the musical performance was, it was matched by the backdrop. Four, rotatable panels could switch between a calm, classy, brand-led display and a psychedelic, Beatles-inspired vista. It certainly helped make this room especially memorable.
Under New Ownership – Part 3
The Chord Company
By Roy Gregory
Over the last few years, Chord has been quietly transitioning through a management buy-out, a process that’s now complete. This was the company’s first international outing since the new team took over and it was marked by both continuity and a higher profile.
They were running a small CH Precision-based system (D1.5 CD/SACD player and I1 integrated amp, driving Peak Sonora speakers) on which they were demonstrating the ascending historical hierarchy of their cable lines, showing the musical benefits that come with steps up in shielding, termination and the introduction of their (unique) Taylon insulation. It was a structured demonstration that really underlined the solid value(s) that underpin(s) the different Chord cables and the predictable price/performance benefits that they offer.
