All of us on the INDULGR team have become accustomed to the phrase “the jury is still out on this one“, meaning that enough data points have not been collected over time to say one has formed an opinion worth sharing. As far as new products go this is the norm, and especially so when a known entity is reaching for new markets. As is the case with both YG Acoustics and Bel Canto here at Axpona 2023.

Reporting by Eric Franklin Shook

Whereas YG Acoustics (Colorado based) is reaching towards a more price conscious audience with their new Peaks series, Bel Canto (Minnesota based) is simultaneously reaching upmarket with their new Black series. Oddly enough, they’ve found each other on even ground.

The exhibit system featured the new Black DAC System ($40,000 USD) a two chassis affair, and Black EX Dual Mono Amp ($10,500 USD) powering the Peaks Talus (reported $14,200 pr USD at launch in 2022) two-way tower, and itself debuting the self-powered Peaks Descent (price unknown at publishing) subwoofer.

Our first audio show outing with the Peaks series involved a pair of Peaks monitors, and left us wondering if bass would be the sacrificial lamb in engineering terms when it came to YG Acoustics scaling down to a more affordable level. And while the jury is still out on the monitors for us, the Talus floorstander and Descent Subwoofer leave nothing to be desired in the lower realms.

What struck us most was the way the new Black series products from Bel Canto elevated (or were themselves elevated in this pairing) with the Peaks loudspeakers. Nothing about the sound would lead you to believe that either company was treading into new territory with a freshman effort. The aggregate display of sound was both refined, dynamic, and ultimately high-end prowess without noticeable compromises. A damn good showing for both rookies.

The jury is in, and the verdict is: impressed.