Pow!
I walk into this room, and got sucker-punched by the Music Monster!
VAC is, of course, very well known to me. Kevin Hayes has been hitting tubular grand slams for many (many!) years now. And with a VPI Titan in our reference stereo listening room, a relationship with VPI that goes back into the ’90s, and a long-time friendship with Mat Weisfeld, VPI’s virtues aren’t lost on me.
But Gershman Acoustics and I haven’t crossed paths…until now.
The Gershman Acoustics Grande Avant Garde X Loudspeaker
Unfortunately, I never received a complete equipment and price list from Gershman for this
room. What I’ve been to piece together is the following:
- VPI Avenger Turntable
- VPI Voyager Phono Amp
- VAC Statement 450S iQ Dual Mono Amplifier
- VAC Master Preamp, including Internal Phono Board
- Gershman Acoustics Grande Avant Garde X Loudspeaker ($13,000 per pair)
- All cables were Nordost (prices vary)
The electronics and analog source were really fine, of course, and so one could debate the
source(s) of the qualitative experience that I had here. Regardless, the Gershman speakers really
filled the room with satisfying, soulful sound, reflecting very high sonic values. Given the
relatively modest price point of the speakers, I was astonished at how rich, how deep, how wide,
and how organic the harmonics here were.
The VAC Statement 450.S iQ Stereoblock Amplifier
VAC’s Master Preamplifier, with the VPI Voyager Phono Preamp perched below
Ofra Gershman of Gershman Acoustics, with her Grande Avant Garde X Loudspeaker: a moment
I spent some time talking with Ofra about her speaker and how well the room sounded. I had to
confess my surprise and pleasure that a speaker of this size and price should be such a killer
performer.
She just smiled.
Give her a well-deserved Audio Oasis! Award…done!
