Alma Music & Audio, Wilson Audio, Luxman, Innuos, MSB, Kubala-Sosna – T.H.E. SHOW 2019
Alma Music & Audio of San Diego brought to T.H.E. SHOW 2019 one of the more exciting small room exhibits at the show. Alma Music & Audio is a full-service high-end audio dealer that services all of southern California. At the show, Alma was displaying their Wilson Audio and Luxman products. Both of which have upped their game in the last ten years, and this small but exquisite sounding system is solid proof of it.
Standing tall in a stunning matte red finish were the Wilson Audio TuneTot ($9,800 pr USD) monitors. Launched by Wilson in late summer of 2018, the TuneTots are still on making their rounds throughout the audio show circuit and hi-fi press. Including a first listen (read HERE) with my fellow Part-Time Audiophile comrade Lee Scoggins.
The Wilson Audio TuneTot is indeed the smallest Wilson’ but surely not a small sounding speaker. At home on a desktop system, or leading the way in a small two-channel system. The Tune Tots, despite their size and rank in the Wilson lineup leave little sonically to be aspired to. The Tune Tot is loaded with options above standard, including upgrade paint colors which add $700 USD, ISObases which are $2,100 pr USD, the TuneTot Ring at $649 pr USD which goes around the mid-bass driver, and finally grills at $299 pr USD. The various options are centered around fitting the TuneTot best into its environment. For example, the TuneTot Ring is ideal for those who prefer the TuneTot sans speaker grills. The ISObase to assuage unwanted resonances for those who install the TuneTot on a desktop, bookshelf, or cabinet.
The Luxman 509X Integrated Amplifier ($9,450 USD) is the culmination of a nearly two decade mission to create the ideal integrated amplifier. Loaded with proprietary technology developed in-house to render the new 509X as good as any true separate components. Technical features include a power output at 120-wpc / 8-ohms (220wpc / 4-ohms), proprietary ODNF amplification feedback circuit, 600 VA EI-core-type power transformer and independent left and right channel large capacity blocking capacitors (10,000μFx4 per channel), a discrete buffer circuit, proprietary LECUA1000 computerized attenuator and volume control.
Delivering up the digital nutrition in this small system were the Innuos Zen Mini ($1,250 USD) and relayed to analog by the MSB Technologies Discrete DAC ($10,000 USD + options). All cabling was provided by Kubala-Sosna from their Elation series. Stands were provided by Kii Audio.
By Eric Shook
