I’ve been in this business for over 25 years now, and I like to think I’m jaded enough to avoid being drawn in by a component’s looks alone. For the most part, I am. But every once in a while, I find myself captured, fascinated, like a magpie, by a shiny component. It’s got to be something spectacular, but it does happen.
Today’s shiny bauble was the Monaco tube integrated amplifier from Westend Audio Systems, which is based in Munich, Germany. I can’t recall hearing about this brand before, and I sure as hell would remember if I’d seen one of these things.
I mean, look at this amplifier. So much chrome, so cleverly sculptured. And it lights up! The KTM-orange illumination of the transformer, the matching orange lights on the controls—holy hell, is this amplifier a work of art. I could imagine having one of these on a pedestal near my balcony door, not even hooked up to anything.
Once I’d had the chance to lift my jaw up off the floor, I sat down for a listen. This system featured Alumine Five SX floorstanders (€99,000 per pair) augmented by a pair of tidy-looking Alumine S10 subwoofers (€18,500 each). I’ve heard these speakers on other occasions and they’ve sounded fantastic. The turntable, a Thiel IWD 01 (€61,000) fitted with a Thiel TA01 tonearm (€14,000), was new to me. This nifty-looking pivoted, tangential-tracking ’arm emulates perfect linear tracking, while the turntable is also interesting, given that its drive system uses two separate idler wheels, each with its own motor.
But that amp. Did I mention that it’s extremely attractive? The chassis is made from polished aluminum, with thick, substantial metalwork concealing toroidal transformers. The Monaco, (€29,000 as shown, custom finishes are available at varying costs) is microprocessor-controlled and, via a USB update, can be configured for use as a power amplifier. The Monaco runs two mil-spec E130L tubes per channel for 100W into 4 ohms.
I suppose I should talk about the sound in this room, because that’s what is most important, right? Like I said, the Stenheim speakers were delightful. Smooth and rich, with a delightful top end that rides that fine line between detail and listenability. And with those two subs, the bottom end just flat-out slammed. This was a very well-set-up room. Despite having a music server sitting down low on the rack, these chaps were soldiering on with vinyl only, and that was just fine by me.
Did I mention that this amp is stunning? It really, really is. I’ve never lusted after a component this much before. I’m sure it sounds great—it’s always difficult to tell under show conditions—but this time that’s secondary for me.
Jason Thorpe
Senior Editor, SoundStage!
