VPI Avenger and "Fat Boy" with Merrill, German Physiks, and Distinctive Stereo at Axpona 2
- May 11, 2017
- 2 min read
This was a surprising and unexpected room. I received a facebook message from Robert Kelly from German Physiks informing me we were making music together with an Avenger at Axpona 2017. Since I wasn't aware of this room my first concern was, "OMG how are we going to materialize an Avenger in such a short period of time"! Never fear, the good folks at Distinctive Stereo already had it covered with their Avenger Reference unit.
This isn't the first time we have made music with this setup. The VPI listening house is loaded up with Merrill Advanced Audio Technology equipment and the VPI Avenger was paired up with German Physiks at past audio shows. The German Physiks Borderland Mk IV loudspeakers produces one of the largest sound stages we have heard with a clean drive of power from the Merrill amplification and phono.
Topped off with a Lyra Delos cartridge mounted on the JMW 3DR-12 tonearm. Anyone who knows me is aware the Delos is one of my favorite cartridges I often recommend, especially with a VPI JMW 3D arm. However, we kicked it up a notch on the second day by mounting the Delos on a new prototype tone arm with the expected name of being the JMW Titan tonearm but has been more lightly labeled the "Fat Boy" tonearm.
As an added bonus, we are extremely proud that this room combination won the Positive Feedback Audio Oasis Axpona 2017 Award!
If anyone had a chance and enjoyed this room at Axpona 2016 make sure to swing by the LA Audio Show to hear this system again.
Merrill Wettasinghe of Merrill Audio Advanced Technology Labs, LLC and Larry Borden of Distinctive Stereo, celebrate the end of a successful Axpona show, before they get down to the hard work of breaking down the room and re-packing everything. Hopefully they will have recovered by now.
It's funny how certain experiences just stick with you, even if they were kind of unexpected at the time. Reading about the Avenger and the various gear used at Axpona brought me back to some great moments I've had at audio shows, where discovering a new sound feel was like finding a hidden gem. I recently found this interesting link that dives deeper into some of the setups people are showcasing, and even browsing https://foxslotscasino-de.com/login/ feels like part of that vibe—just exploring and soaking it all in. It's nice to reminisce about those times when music brought a group of people together, all caught up in the moment.
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