Maurice Jeffries comments on the Positive-Feedback website: "My other BOS pick in the ne plus ultra category provided, for me at least, a more introspective, soul-searching experience. While not as dramatic as the VSA/VAC room in terms of raw scale and grunt, it rivaled and perhaps bettered the former in its ability to capture the underlying dramatic tension and electric currents embedded in the music. If one were to equate the VSA/VAC experience to receiving a bracing splash of crystal-clear, ice blue water in the face in the early morning hours (the proverbial "wow" moment), then the Voice That Is/Tidal experience, my next pick, felt a bit like one feels when you wake up in the middle of the night and finally get—and I mean really get—what that difficult conversation you had with a close friend, lover or parent twenty years ago was all about (the proverbial "ah-ha, now I see" moment).
A Malcolm Arnold Lyrita LP sounded simply superb, with 3D imaging and staging. Tonality boasted classic Tidal values—speed, liquidity, finesse and slam. I commented to the irrepressible Doug White that the Akira's were the finest sounding Tidal's I had heard to date and he didn't try to argue the point. If you have the scratch, this baby will cure your itch. From minimally recorded classical to densely layered, highly processed pop and soul, the Akira revealed all, but in a seductively inviting manner that drew one into the recording and the recorded space. On cut after cut, the Akiras elicited from me that elusive "ah-ha moment of clarity", that point in the performance where I felt I could genuinely divine the deeper intent of the musicians, recording engineer, and composer. Think of the Akiras as $219,000 time machines that defy the Laws of Physics by taking you back to the recorded event across multiple intersecting vectors. A stunning achievement (and my personal show favorite)!"
