This phono cable has captivated me over the past year with its balance of dynamic expression and tonal evenhandedness. It has exceptionally low noise and a vanishing, grain-free top end. It also possesses an alluring "sweetness" in the upper frequencies, which is quite addicting.
Plugging the Walker into my system using balanced to RCA adapters, the sound is full wide and very live feeling. Back to back with the old version, there is an easy to hear difference...
I swear I could listen through the system to study and admire the contribution of the excellent Arion phono preamplifier by Luminous Audio. It seemed like such a spon-on trusty servant that delivered up healthy scoops of musical art, texture and audio science.
Last but hardly least requires a quarter-turn over to Bettinger Audio Design. Mike Bettinger is the guy behind the clever audio guts of the integrated amplifier and the spectacularly-well-received new Arion phono stage ($6,500 — a joint venture with Luminous Audio). I have one of those latter here and will offer that Michael Fremer nailed the character of that phono pretty spectacularly; I think it is one of the very best solid-state phono preamplifiers on the market today.
Designer Michael Bettinger comes up with another solid state component winner“Are you okay? Did something happen?” asked my audio pal, Colin.“I’m crestfallen. Life seems to have lost all meaning,” I reply. “I had to pack up and send back those Luminous power amps, and now I don’t feel like listening to music on my system.” But of course, one evening a few days later, I was spinning Mellow Waves by Cornelius using my Ampsandsound Zion Monos, and feeling it big time. The Zions, which had become chopped liver only a week prior, were back to tickling my fancy.It’s funny how...
