Evolution Acoustics/darTZeel/Wave Kinetics/Durand - T.H.E. Show 2019

[Ron Resnick]

Jonathan Tinn, Kevin Malmgren and Joël Durand hosted Blue Light Audio’s and The Audio Association’s room, which was fronted by the Evolution Acoustics EXACT Series - Maestoso loudspeakers ($18,900). The darTZeel NHB-108 Model Two stereo amplifier ($44,000) and an NHB-18NS MK. II preamplifier with built-in phono stage ($44,000) powered the signal from a Wave Kinetics NVS turntable ($45,000).







Kevin's outboard cross-over was on full display, and an audiophile never grows tired of looking at that piece of electronic artwork.

















Joël showcased the production version of his incredible-looking and sounding gimbaled Tosca tonearm ($15,000). The tonearm was extremely polished-looking, more so than the prototype I remember from last year.

The sound was very good, with greater dynamics and weight than one would expect from merely looking at the slim loudspeaker towers, but I think this year the room was not doing the system justice.

Early reports from audiophiles who have purchased the Tosca are very positive. I am seriously interested in the Tosca for my personal stereo system.

 

[dminches]

Looks very much like the setup they had at Axpona. Their room sounded very nice there.

 

[Mike Lavigne]

Thanks Ron.

looks to me a better room than at Axpona (where the gear was sitting on a dresser), but......the sound was surprisingly good for the room situation.

wish i could have been there.

the Tosca is the real deal!

 

[Steve Williams]

Personally I thought Jonathan’s room was in my top 5 rooms. If anything I thought the sound was much better than previously.

 

[PeterA]

Ron, thanks for the photos. The arm looks great.

This is just a guess regarding VTA adjustment: That seems to be a scissor jack like device (between the arm base and arm rest platform) for raising and lowering arm height. Is that correct? Does one crank it up or down by inserting and rotating an allen key? The challenge seems to be to raise and lower the arm without affecting the sideways tilt or overall rigidity of the arm base. I wonder if it can be disengaged by lowering it a turn while the arm remains higher and locked into place. It looks pretty clever, but hard to understand from afar.

 

[Mike Lavigne]

Ron, thanks for the photos. The arm looks great.

This is just a guess regarding VTA adjustment: That seems to be a scissor jack like device (between the arm base and arm rest platform) for raising and lowering arm height. Is that correct? Does one crank it up or down by inserting and rotating an allen key? The challenge seems to be to raise and lower the arm without affecting the sideways tilt or overall rigidity of the arm base. I wonder if it can be disengaged by lowering it a turn while the arm remains higher and locked into place. It looks pretty clever, but hard to understand from afar.

yes and yes.

it is a scissor jack and you do insert an allen key. however, there is great precision in how it works, and a separate level is provided to resolve the sideways tilt issue and a flat spot on top of the bearing halo where that level rests. then soft tipped screws secure that brace to secure the mechanism.

i know that the engineering of this design aspect of the arm was very elaborate and time consuming.

and the focus, dynamics and bass performance of this arm are second to none in my experience.