17 Dec 2011: Apostolos Raptis

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The past. The present...the future...

No matter how many times I listen to these speakers I keep forgetting the capability I have of forgetting how great they are. It might be due the simple fact that it does not scream love me or even look at me...it has one purpose and that is to play music the B&W way. The way which extremes are not extended in either direction or fashion. Just like its owner.

The peaks of 50 watts or less were pure painstaking moments because it is there where I realize how incredible older speakers are compared to newer and supposedly more technologically advanced speakers are. The cello Bach Starker was an absolute jaw dropper to prove that exact point.

The auditioning…

Then the CD was turned on, the church organ as breath taking while the speed was so easily reproduced it proved beyond any point that these are speakers that will never die.

Of course the front end with Audio Research was the perfect match to the very complicated circuitry the boards might have, but to the listener it always comes out so simple and unpressured. As if it is all so easily done...when in fact it is so impossible to get the lines and planes in symmetry between each other.

It is rather hard to get complete symmetry in any system..but as Apostolos told us in ACAs documentary proved to be a fact and a reality...he honestly does find it easy to accomplish what others have fought to do for decades with no avail.

The music…

The Spanish guitar in Torentule Tarantella was so .....Spanish as i have never heard it before...does that make sense at all??? How can a CD sound Spanish? Well one might think it can be through the entire feeling or how it changes the senses.
Whatever the case may be it was as passionate as a French lover...without being soft in the middle...

Next up was Tosca which forced me to close my eyes and deeply succumb to the operas vocals and tremendous heart and soul.
It was a trip with no return ..I wish I could take it with me forever in my memory banks since I don’t think i can take the system with me when I leave.

The awards…

We thank Apostolos for the evening and it might be worth mentioning that during this meeting we had awards given to the people who helped ACA so much this year. That being our two members who helped with the ECM project and our new site creator.

System Description...

Analog Source: Goldmund Studio with Goldmund T3 and VDH Colibri XGP
Digital Source: Audio Research CD3
Amplification: Audio Research SP10 (phono stage) and Audio Research LS5 MkII (line stage), driving a pair of Audio Research VT150 SE
Speakers: B&W 800 Matrix
Cables: A variety of silver cables from VDH, and Siltech
Rack: Custom made metal and granite

The final word…

The evening was as sweet and beautiful as it could be and the fireplace on was just a reminder of how music and FIRE simply complement each other sublimely.

See you next year!