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The cabinet designated F-60 is designed by Feastrex’s Haruhiko Teramoto but the Mike Tang construction is custom-built in Toronto. The numerical designation 60 is a reference to the internal volume of 60 liters. The speaker is available at different prices in Birch ply or MDF along with other woods or veneers. The review model came in attractive dark ¾-inch thick solid Walnut weighing in at 40lbs. Cabinet dimensions are 35" H x 12.75"W x 10.5"D. All sides are glued with solid internal Walnut bracing and completed with finishing nails. Internal wiring is Nordost micro monofilament, binding posts are Cardas copper although different hardware is available by request.


The speaker has a tilt back of 2° and the frontal vertical edges show a 45° bevel. The innards incorporate no form of transmission line or extensive port assemblies whatsoever. While construction is solid, the cabinet is relatively light and somewhat lively due to lack of cross bracing or internal damping. This is intended to contribute to the overall character of the loudspeaker with the results having been arrived at by extensive listening. The finished product had to sound ‘right’ by Feastrex standards and the company has a roomful of discarded cabinet prototypes that failed that ultimate criteria.


The MTA stand from Mr. Tang is simple but ingenious. There are two interlocking pieces of solid Walnut to bring the driver to optimum listening height. The double-slotted affair has enough rigidity to be a stable platform and just enough give to self-adjust for variations in floor surface +/- 1/8th of an inch, making it self leveling in most applications. These perches aren’t spiked to make the speakers easily moveable. The supplied stands were 5 inches tall but reflecting the custom nature of this project, different heights are available.


The Feastrex CV4055 amplifier is sold to owners of the Feastrex speakers exclusively. It is specifically matched to their needs with an output power of 8 watts into 16/20Ω. The conceptual design is by Mr. Teramoto, detail design and build by Hiroshi Maekawa. The circuit is push-pull using a Schmitt phase inverter also referred to as Cathodyne or slit load. It utilizes a 5755 for the input and phase inverter and CV4055s for the output with global feedback. All transformers/chokes run Finemet cores custom designed and manufactured by Yasuo Suzuki. According to the manufacturer, components were carefully selected for good phase response. Dimensions are 7" H (transformer) x 13.75" W x 9" D, weight is 20lbs.

Aesthetically and functionally the amplifier is Spartan. Front panel controls are confined to an on/off toggle and volume control with a single red light when powered up. There is no input selector since the amplifier only has one input. A top mounted toggle allows a choice of 16Ω or 20Ω output impedance. Rear panel flexibility is minimal with a pair of gold-plated binding posts and a solitary pair of gold-plated RCA inputs along with a power receptacle. Cosmetically the amp is simple and solid. The case is classic folded sheet metal finished in brushed metal and black. It may lack carved aluminum panache but does reassure by proudly displaying its hardware on top for all to see. Internally the amplifier is cleanly laid out with point-to-point wiring. Feastrex offers the CV4055 at different price levels starting with a well equipped ‘stock’ model as reviewed and moving higher in cost with available parts upgrades.

My initial listening sessions were conducted full-range on an Audio Space Reference 2S/Bel Canto 200.4 combination. While this represented a potential mismatch with the highly efficient Feastrex, it served as my sonic reference point. In reality it simply required a sensible hand on the volume. The second round introduced a subwoofer into the chain to see how it would blend. The third setup saw the CV40045 integrated fed by the Audio Space CDP-8A source. Since the CV4055 is only available to purchasers of the Feastrex speaker, I treated them as a matched set. As a point of interest the amplifier did a brief tour of duty with the Clearwave Loudspeaker Design Symphonia 72R to see how it would perform in unfamiliar territory and against a potential impedance mismatch with that speaker’s 4Ω impedance. With system configurations selected it was time to pull out faithful reference material and a few new CDs to keep the music fresh. Here are a few of the many.

• "Mozart Divertimento in D" from the FIM Super Sounds II [FIM XR24 067] is a Winston Ma remaster of a 1967 recording by The Academy of St. Martin-In-The-Fields conducted by Neville Marriner. It features a marvelous duelling string section with soaring sweet violins and rich hall acoustics.
• "Shadowplay" from the Rex Steele: Nazi Smasher and Other Short Film Scores by Ryan Shore [Moviescore Media MMS-09018] is a broad collection of smaller film music by composer Ryan Shore.

This is haunting orchestral music with an Eastern flair written for a small stop-motion animated film concerning Hiroshima. It shows a deep dense soundstage and emotional solo work which won a Clive Davis Award as well as Best Score at the New York First Run Film Festival. It’s a rich CD of short but often brilliant material.
• "Someone to Watch Over Me" from What’s New: Linda Ronstadt & the Nelson Riddle Orchestra [Lasting Impression Music LIM PA046] is Winston Ma’s wonderful remaster of a 1983 recording. This is lush, sweet and dense with strong vocal work by Ronstadt.
• "Fireworks" from Return to Gaya: Michael Kamen [Moviescore Media MMS-12001] is a joyous soundtrack for an animated film that abounds with energy.

Veteran composer Kamen died during the production leaving his team members to pick up the pieces and finish this marvelous little effort. The result? A fitting final effort for a man who worked with Pink Floyd and Queen and brought you film music as diverse and powerful as Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves and Band of Brothers. Here the recording has detail, sweep and delicacy with a swirl of instrumental spotlighting. An animated adventure with good musical pedigree.
• "Sprawl II from the FLAC/CD The Suburbs: Arcade [Fire Merge MRG385] showcases an Indie Montreal band who continue to gather a following by taking a decidedly different Pop path from the norm. Their material has inspired participation by classic Pop artists and covers by heavyweights like Peter Gabriel. Here we have a strong piece which manages to entertain with infectious bounce and still make intelligent commentary. Solid bass and old school synth in an electronically dense acoustic.

• "Konzert fur Oboe und Streicher in d-moll: Adagio" from the Highlights CD 4 Collegium Aureum [Stereoplay 687 002] has minimal stereo microphone technique to capture a warm hall, wide dynamics, clear instrumental timbre and holographic placement. This cut features a melancholy oboe solo spotlighted against subdued but detailed orchestra support.