Here’s the thing—when you go to hifi shows and dealer events, the best possible outcome is “I want to hear that! at home!”. To my mind, this is way better than any Best Of list which is the equivalent of picking a best film based on a few still images in a poorly lit room.
Last Thursday I put on my favorite going out uniform—Levis, white shirt, black cardigan, boots—and headed into Red Hook to attend an event at Resolution Audio Video to hear the new Fyne Audio Vintage Classic Gold XV SP loudspeakers. At least that’s the short story.
I arrived early to get some photos of just the gear and the place before the crowds arrived.
I met up with my pal Jana Dagdagan who you will be hearing and seeing more from in the near future which is great news for anyone who loves artfully done videos that tell real hifi stories in words and images. Once finished with my pics, we headed out to dinner to meet up with a few more dear friends and to say I was excited to be out and about is a gross understatement. While I’ve absolutely nothing to complain about, any place can begin to feel like a cage if you never leave and the Barn mice have stopped talking to me but they won’t say why.
My plan was to take more pics of people once we got back to the event, and the place was packed and jumpin’, but as you’ll see I failed. My excuse—I was swept away seeing and talking to more favorite people including Ken Micallef (Stereophile), Alex Halberstadt (Stereophile), Herb Reichert (Stereophile) Mike Trei (Stereophile), Steve Guttenberg (The Audiophiliac), John DeVore (DeVore Fidelity), Anthony Abbate (Box Furniture), and John Atkinson (Stereophile) to name just a few.
And of course Adam Wexler (that’s him), host of the evening’s show at his fantasy island of a place, the Resolution AV showrooms in Red Hook. Adam is a rare breed as he and his top notch staff are able to run three businesses like champs—audio dealer, high-end audio, video, and home automation integrators, and purveyor of boat loads of used and classic gear. You may recall that Adam & Co. helped orchestrate another recent Road Tour, the Common x Pete Rock Record Release Event at The Compound that featured a smashingly great hifi pumping out Common and Pete Rock’s latest album The Auditorium Vol.1.
Resolution AV resides in Red Hook inside a pre-war brick, stone and timber former warehouse that has more character in its little finger than most of the glass milk cartons you can see across the East River just north of Lady Liberty who looked kinda forlorn (it may have been the weather).
Film buff’s may recognize the surrounding cobblestone streets and what docks are left from Elia Kazan’s stone cold classic On the Waterfront featuring Brando in his prime and Eva Marie Saint in hers. I coulda been a contender. I coulda been somebody.
The System:
Brinkmann Taurus Direct Drive Turntable Package with RöNt III & 12.1 Tonearm: $32,290
HRS Custom M3X2 Isolation Base for Brinkmann Taurus, Low Frequency Feet, Black: $3450
EMT JSD Pure MC Cartridge: $4495
Nagra Streamer: $4950
Nagra Classic Tube DAC: $29,500
Nagra Classic PSU x3: $16,900
Nagra Classic VFS Source Isolation Bases: $2750/each
Riviera Audio Laboratories APL-1 Pure “Class A” Tube Preamplifier: $26,000
Riviera Audio Laboratories AFS-32 Pure “Class A” Hybrid Stereo Amplifier: $28,000
Fyne Audio Vintage Classic Gold XV SP Floorstanding Speakers: $19,999/pair
Fyne Audio SuperTrax Super Tweeter: $4499/pair
AudioQuest Dragon cables throughout
AudioQuest Dragon and Thunder Power Cables throughout
AudioQuest Niagara 5000 Power Conditioner: $5900
Box Furniture Heritage Series Triple Width Rack: Custom
During my comings and goings into the big listening room on Van Brunt I heard digital and analog sources, the later spinning some classic Led Zeppelin.
It’s funny—as time goes on and Roon Radio is largely responsible for selecting many a tune in Barn while I’m working more than listening, some once-favorite music has become a definite pass while others beg for more attention. A few of these attention-grabbing bands that have stood the test of my time include Zeppelin, the Allman Brothers, Sonic Youth, and early PJ Harvey.
I think we all know of my affection for every piece of Riviera Labs gear that has come into the Barn (and unfortunately left like the Levante intgrated and APL10/AFM25 pre/power combo) so I was very excited to see and hear their new separates power the Fynes. Getting back to fun versus work, I did not screw on my reviewer’s listening cap tightly enough so it flew off with a big gust of winter Bay air on the way back from dinner.
Nonetheless, here are a few observations I can share with complete confidence—someday I’ll hear that! in Barn including a pair of Fyne Vintage Classic Gold, those lovely Riviera separates, and I look forward to my next visit to Adam’s fantasy island.
