Approximate system cost: €60,000.
Auralic’s flagship four-box streaming transport, upsampler, DAC, and master reference clock were paired with the legendary ATC SCM100 active monitors. Together, they delivered a supremely transparent and emotive sound. Listening to Vangelis’s glorious “I’ll Find My Way Home” only a day after his sad passing brought tears to the eyes with its intensity. This system demonstrated detail without harshness, superb bass control without bloat, and unfailing neutrality to the source recording. It’s understated in the same way that an Aston Martin is understated, but then somebody hits a bass drum pedal and pictures fall off the wall.
Jonathan Gorse
Senior Contributor, SoundStage!
