All of our customers want to be sure they’re getting the most performance for their money. What is the point of diminishing returns for my budget?
And that’s our goal at Audio Emporium. No matter how much you decide to spend, whether on a component, cables or a full system, we’ll help you get the best bang for your buck.
For this hypothetical, let’s use $4k as our shopping number.
No Thanks To China
For openers, I’m not buying anything substantial from China. Even if you ignore their politics and 996 labor practices (manufacturing employees typically work 9am to 9pm, 6 days a week at $1.82 per hour), they screwed the market during Covid. Production of N American and Euro companies fell to a trickle and the Chinese production houses flooded the market with loads of mediocre gear. Since our N American and Euro companies are back at full strength, the Chinese can kiss off. The N American and Euro gear is better, and sometimes not much more expensive as is the case here.
Speakers
Axiom M60s, $2000 Per Pair
While every component is a vital link in the chain, nothing is more important than speakers. The difference between two integrated amps at a given price is much less than the difference between a couple of pairs of speakers.
Bryston contracted Axiom to build its speakers over a decade ago. The project was a home run and the companies merged. The resulting company is simply called Bryston.
Bryston makes its toughest speakers with 20 year warranty under the Bryston brand name. Bryston has created a less expensive line with the moniker Axiom. The Axiom speakers are outstanding in their own right, but don’t have Bryston’s extreme power handling capability.
Rest assured that M60 is the toughest speaker with the deepest strongest bass for $2k per pair. They’re made in Canada with a five year warranty.
Virtually every competing speaker at $3k and under is coming from China. Whether the name on the face is B&W, Kef, Monitor Audio, Dynaudio, Martin Logan… they’re all made in China, and not to the standards of Bryston made speakers. There are a few American and Euro models in this range. They don’t have Axiom’s bass, power handling, reliability or efficiency. Keep in mind, Axioms are built in house in Canada, just as Brystons are.
Axioms use the same Titanium tweeter diaphragm as Brystons. The top end is smooth without bite. The bass is deep and powerful. Bryston’s A3 ($3300pr) is more taut and stronger due to larger magnet structures and a more advanced cabinet design with superior bracing.
When you hear M60s in our showroom you’ll be happily surprised at how powerfully they can produce a drum kit or stand up bass fiddle. The Chinese made alternatives are flimsy in comparison.
Integrated Amp
Atoll IN50 Signature, $1200 (50×2)
Built in France with a 3 year warranty, IN50 is a sports car compared to its competition. Virtually everything else out there at this price is a pile of chips tied to a tiny transformer without courage. IN50 will drive M60s quite well due to its substantial toroidal transformer, generous filter caps and matched MOSFET output transistors. Don’t let the modest power rating deter you. It’s a muscle car.
IN50 like all Atolls are A/B amps that run a large chunk of power at Class A. We prefer IN50 to its Chinese competition that has dominated the market for years. Atoll with its A/B topology out slugs the Chinese D amps with switching supplies quite noticeably. This includes brands like Yamaha, Denon, Sony, Marantz, Hegel, NAD, Parasound, Cambridge, Rotel and many more.
IN50 comes in line stage form at $1200. You can add DAC or phono modules if you want to expand its capabilities.
CD Player
Atoll MD100, $900
Don’t forget your silver discs! CDs SOUND BETTER than streaming. Even if you want to add streaming for easy access, please considering sticking with your silver discs for the best sound- and still- ridiculously easy access…
Atoll’s MD100 CD player comes in a smaller chassis form factor so it can fit more easily than a full sized component. Don’t let that fool you. It’s a serious musical player with multiple transformers and good sized filter caps. Its transport mechanism is fast. Its sonic flavor is warm and rich compared to all the skimpy Chinese guys. And yep, it’s made in France with a 3 year warranty.
Dotting The I’s And Crossing The T’s
While you can run your electronics into a Home Depot bar and use generic cables, you can’t reach your full potential by ignoring the use of a proper Mains Conditioner and running quality speaker cables.
Isotek makes its line conditioners in Europe, not China. Pricing runs $900 for the Isotek Polaris V5 which will give you a nice sonic improvement over the Chinese built options out there. Polaris takes line noise of approximately 1000 units and knocks it down to single digits. I recently got a sample of a $700 competitor to compare. It did NOT reduce line hash by one drop on its amplifier powered outlets!
Speaker cables matter. You don’t need to buy expensive jewelry. We carry Kimber Kable made in Utah. Great Kimber Kables run $224 for 10’ lengths with great banana plugs. Braided kables to eliminate RFI are a must to achieve top tier resolution.