Absolute top tier DAC for standard res Redbook CD

OK Matt,

I am just putting them out there for you. It seems the Rowen speakers would work well for you, but unfortunately they ONLY sell in Switzerland. They are built to be placed anywhere in real homes and bass response is tamed as the Swiss mostly build with concrete and the owner HATES bass reflex design.

If I think of other suggestions, i will let you know.

Gear, i sent a HUGE file with like 6 pictures...Mmmh, i will check and try again. i found 3 with the ISIS room. i will also see if 6Moons took any...

Matt, 2 more names for you...

Backes & Muller (german)
and Ypsilon Phaeton (greek and superb sounding).

Ypsilon here: http://www.6moons.com/industryfeatures/highendsuisse2014/1.html

and the money shot on the ISIS room in Zurich here:
http://www.6moons.com/industryfeatures/highendsuisse2014/2.html

Unkind writeup from Srajan here (about the looks):
Playing to the dichotomy of fugly but great sound, Audio Sphere's Enzo Nolli, Swiss importer for Jeff Rowland, had set up a vinyl-fronted rig ending in Trenner & Friedl's Isis. Except for lacking handles and hinges to open in the front, those struck Ivette and I as two fat refrigerators which the Austrian makers clearly expect will set up shop in domestic living rooms. Oy. Whilst dimensioned according to golden ratio proportions from multiplex Birch Ply, these 120 x 50 x 35cm 3-way sarcophagi with horn-loaded compression tweeter would never be allowed in our digs. Which actually is too bad. This room made our second-favorite sound. To produce this type of sock'em slam and density absolutely requires a big woofer. At 15 inches per side, the Isis complied. "Raise the Pharaoh" in a nod to The Mummy would be a suitable alternate to the old "Rock the Casbah" motto.

Rowen speakers here...interesting read if nothing else. Bipolar radiators.

The s10 and all the "A" range up to the topline a20 have the 5 octave LMT driver (unique tech):
http://rowen.ch/en/data/rowen_a20.php

ROWEN Symphony loudspeakers

http://rowen.ch/en/ls_symphony.php

The optimal integration of a loudspeaker into the living room landscape not only requests particularly high demands at its aesthetics, it raises fundamental audio spatial problems with room acoustic issue, which we cope through the full Bipolar technology. With the ROWEN Symphony line we succeeded in getting substantially closer to a concert-like rendition of music under living room conditions. With this circularly radiating sound columns ambiance and performance stage appear so authentically that the atmosphere of the concert hall becomes experience in your living room.


Boxes simply equipped with loudspeakers at the front only partly consider the acoustic conditions in the living room. They act only within the basic tone range as circular emitters. Reflections at walls, ceilings or floors cause overvaluation of the basic tone portions in terms of energy. The frequency linearity for direct sound and ambient three-dimensional sound are therefore not congruent. This problem is taken in account with our Symphony line with the so-called full Bipolar principle. The entire Frequency spectrum is rendered evenly to front and back, giving these loudspeakers circular radiation characteristics.

We are convinced that additional effort of the doubled equipment with high and mid tone is inevitable, if highest standards are to be met at the rendition of sound. With the full Bipolar the frequency linearity of the Direct sound and the ambient three-dimensional sound is almost congruent. This results in open and clearly transparent sound characteristics with fine, natural brilliance and warmth of music rendition. The models of the Symphony Series play each kind of music with large implicitness. Listening to music at home gets a new dimension – the one of a concert hall.

With the Symphony loudspeakers (excepting S2) the belated extension to the ROWEN Bi-Active-technology is possible. The increase of dynamics and detail fidelity delivers musicality and the character of a live performance even more clearly. With an increasing listening experience and the requirements grown accordingly you can let the ROWEN Loudspeakers gradually grow along.

08-04-15: Mattnshilp

But I will admit I had a Mustang GT in high school with four 10" subwoofers. Oh yeah baby! I worked in a car stereo store back them and did a killer install. It's always been in my blood.

From 2000-2006, I owned an E34 M5. I had some car audio jocks drop in an Eclispe deck, Audiocontrol 3.1 over/equalizer, PPI amps, a Kicker sub, and top of the line Focal speakers. It was killer. I did more "dedicated" listening in my car and honestly enjoyed it more than my audiophile rig at the time (BelCanto 1.1>>Audible Illusions L1>>Belles 150A Hot Rod>>Cardas GR wires>>Merlin VSM MMs).

No email Norman.

The Isis was used at a Newport show in a 14x17x8 room with great results:

https://www.google.com/search?q=Isis+trenner+newport&biw=1440&bih=811&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAmoVChMI9qLP4oqSxwIVijweCh3yCgCn&dpr=1#imgrc=n-BvqjoEGs_RgM%3A