Chicago-local dealer Peter Mulligan brings good sound with him wherever I see him. His AXPONA setup included KingSound Electrostatic King III loudspeakers powered by Purity Audio’s Reference Linestage and Harmonia 300B tube buffer, which filled the downstairs room with authority. While not the most real estate conscious rig on the planet, those with space to spare can reap the rewards of the detailed and vibrant large electrostatic panels. Purity Audio’s Joe Jurzec let me know that they have even more big plans for their amplifiers and tube creations coming down the pipeline, so keep an eye on this company in the near future.
In addition to the King III’s on display Roger DuNaier of Performance Devices brought along a pair of H-3 electrostatic headphones, which we have previously auditioned and [posted about]. Paired with the M-10 solid state amplifier, a consumer can get some very pleasant electrostatic personal audio for only a fraction of the cost of the popular Stax (both headphone an amp ran close to $1k at the show). This lively combination offers up a very interesting proposition where value and performance meet. More to come on this new pair of ‘phones, stay tuned.
