"For me, personally, there are two models: M5 and Junior. The M1 and M3 are more audiophile—elegant, chic—to please that audience but still make Simon and myself happy. My optimum sound is simply the Zero Junior because for 85-330Hz one needs a minimum of 21cm and ideally a 25cm driver diameter. When Junior is ready, we will talk about this in detail.

"But I must say it since it's true: it's the little speaker which I prefer over everything I've heard in 35 years. Also, Peter Jensen just made us a priority account so we can use their aluminium-foil capacitors and wax-paper coils at good pricing. Now the M5's new anti-resonant production filter has all Jensen parts."

When the earlier photo of two orange hues suggested that my samples might really be the new black, "Antoine has immense expertise in painting and high gloss so we can offer truly superior non-veneer finishes. I chose Hermès orange gloss because it's very hard to get right. But we can do all the hues in the ral or pantone colors."

Orange indeed. I could be very young and very sexy again at least for a few weeks without clutching at overpriced bags too small to even carry one M5. Add the current generation's obligatory 'i' and we get at Mi5 which, in British parlance, is their foreign intelligence service. Its remit is to catch spies. But why pursue counter intelligence when the M5 promises to be an intelligent purchase for the near-field listener? Would I discover anything counter-intelligent about today's concept?

Time to get cloaked in full moons regalia and become a spy. Mi6?

"The M5 leaves for your place today in its orange livery but we have several standard colors: black, pearl white, vermilion red, emerald green, majorelle blue, old yellow gold." For more conservative tastes, there are the veneer options.

"This speaker is like a good friend all day long – easy, full of life but no fatigue." That certainly sounded swell as a promise.

Would the M5 deliver on it? In case you wondered, I found an advert for this pre-owned Hermès Birkin bag. It was priced at €15'471! Being out of touch isn't just peculiar to high-end hifi. To male purchasers intent on domestic bliss, this opens plenty of opportunities to redress the scales of conspicuous hifi consumption with jewelry for the lady of the manse; or the right bag. If your beloved settled for used, this Hermès would give you a 4-pair allowance toward today's new Aurai. You might even manage a complete system if you stuck to one pair; and have spare change for an orange Seiko diver to match. As any girl will tell you, accessorizing really is the business.

From the other end, things look equally simple. There's also a black acrylic plate with four pointy footers at the bottom and matching spike shoes are included.

Two flawlessly veneered glossy Aurai models had already cleared our revolving reviewer's doors. Back-loading the same message with now automotive lacquer of equal opulence quite made the point. While extreme monitors from Børresen to Crystal and Sonus faber do go more swish on form factors, on veneer/lacquer quality Aurai hang with the best but charge a lot less.