House of Stereo (link) a Jacksonville, Florida High-End Audio dealer specializes in creating experiences in audio that rival the live-in-concert experiences. Here at the Florida Audio Expo, we have nothing less. Big glossy horn loudspeakers, tube amplifiers, vinyl on call. What more does one need to have oneself transported to both the time and location of a recording? Joe Parvey’s (CEO of House of Stereo) phone number is a start. Directions to their newly renovated showroom another.
Reporting by Eric Franklin Shook
On Display, and in the flesh: Avantgarde horn speakers, Phasemation tube electronics, a Wolf Audio Systems media server, turntable by VPI Industries featuring a DS Audio cartridge, and no compromise Synergistic Research cabling throughout.
It bears repeating, but “in the flesh” is the name of the game here. “Tubes, Horns, and Vinyl” lend themselves to producing a more transportative audio journey than most other technologies on the market. Yes, they are old school, but sometimes old school knows best.
From the German based Avantgarde Acoustic, the new DUO GT which stands for “Grand Twin” and represents the third evolutionary step of a horn system that has been in Avantgarde Acoustic’s portfolio since 1993. Both enveloping and seductive, the horn loudspeaker brings the listener closer to the individual elements of the composition. Sometimes you feel like you can touch the music, sometimes the music reaches out and touches you — in a good way.
The DUO models are available as a passive or self-amplified speaker, or a hybrid of the two; meaning that you can indeed have it your way when assembling the sound you most desire. Color finish options are almost endless. Retail is reported to start at $58,000 a pair USD.
From the American based VPI Industries, the Titan turntable, though not a debut, this turntable isn’t seen out in the wild enough for my tastes, so it’s appearance here is a noteworthy one to report. Building on the legacy of the Avenger turntable, the Titan is designed to handle up to three tonearms of any make or length. Utilizing a machined acrylic-aluminum-acrylic sandwich-design chassis on top of a pneumatic air-suspension isolation footers, the Titan is set to be the most stable, and isolation-oriented turntable in the VPI quiver of decks. Retail is reported at $51,000 USD.
