Lots of new gear on hand!

Thanks to Dan Muzquiz of Blackbird Audio Gallery, I have lots of new toys on hand to review. First up is the Heed Audio Obelisk SI integrated amplifier with the outboard X2 power supply. Dan sent along a pair of Oyaide Tunami power cords to use with the Heeds--he says they provide a synergistic match.

Dan also sent the Achromat and Achroplat mat and platter from the Funk Firm to use on my Rega P3-24. The Achroplat is a new version designed for Rega users like me who have opted to use the machined subplatter from GrooveTracer.

I had everything set up within a half an hour. The only obstacle was the fact that the Heeds are a bit on the small side, and yet I'm hooking up a bunch of very thick power cords, interconnects and speaker cables to the now very crowded back panel. (Aside from the Oyaides, I'm using Cardas Audio Clear Light throughout the system.)

Initial listening tests indicate that this is a spectacular system, as the Heeds are known for making a spectacular pairing with my Trenner & Friedl ART monitors. Or, as someone well-known in the industry said to me after I had everything dialed in, "This is what an extremely expensive system sounds like!"

Now that I have better amplification in my system, I'll be able to provide more formal reviews of the ARTs and the Clear Lights in the near future. That said, my Rega Brio3 integrated (which is now seeing service in the music server system downstairs) did a fantastic job of holding down the fort until the Heeds arrived. I'm still undecided whether the Brio3 is a fantastic little amplifier that outperforms everything at its price point, or if the ARTs are an incredible speaker that makes everything sound great even with modest ancilliaries. I'm sure it's a little of both.