What started out as a quick stop by the EAR room ended up
providing John Crossett with some of the best sound he heard in Las Vegas. Of course, it
never hurts when source material is played back by either the new EAR Disc Master
turntable and tonearm ($20,000) with an Ortofon Kontrapunkt B moving-magnet cartridge or
an old Technics 1500 reel-to-reel player. The electronics were EAR’s 868 preamp
($6895), Acute CD player ($5895), and 890 power amp ($7295). The speakers were the new
Marten Birds ($30,000/pair). All cables were provided by Jorma Design.
The sound was punchy, dynamic and detailed with an excellent sense of flow, but without
ever falling over the edge into fatiguing. While John couldn’t say whether it was due
to the turntable, electronics or speakers, he did recognize that the combination provided
him with a sense of pure magic -- a rarity at CES.
