Libra

This review first appeared in July 2024 on HifiKnights.com. By request of the manufacturer and permission of the author, it is hereby syndicated to reach a broader audience. All images contained in this piece are the property of HifiKnights or the manufacturer – Ed.

Reviewer: Dawid Grzyb
Transport: Innuos Statement, fidata HFAS1-S10U
DAC: LampizatOr Pacific (KR Audio T-100 / Living Voice 300B + KR Audio 5U4G Ltd. Ed.)
USB components: iFi audio Mercury3.0
Network: Fidelizer EtherStream, Linksys WRT160N
Preamplifier: Trilogy 915R, Thöress DFP
Amplifier: Trilogy 995R, FirstWatt F7, Enleum AMP-23R
Speakers: Boenicke Audio W11 SE+, sound|kaos Vox 3afw
Headphones: HifiMan Susvara
Interconnects: LessLoss Entropic Process C-MARC, Boenicke Audio IC3 CG
Speaker cables: Boenicke Audio S3, LessLoss C-MARC
Speaker signal conditioning: LessLoss Firewall for Loudspeakers, Boenicke ComDev
Anti-vibration conditioning: 12x Carbide Audio Carbide Base under DAC, preamp and speakers
Power delivery: Gigawatt PC-3 SE EVO+/LC-3 EVO, LessLoss C-MARC, LessLoss Entropic Process C-MARC, Boenicke Audio Power Gate, ISOL-8 Prometheus
Equipment rack: Franc Audio Accessories Wood Block Rack 1+3
Music: NativeDSD
Retail price of reviewed component in Poland: €8'499

Getting concrete. Although speaker house Gemstone are fairly new and unknown outside Poland, they deserve a broader audience. Libra is their compact stand mount and our subject today. How did we get here? Time: May 2024. Location: Munich's MOC. Target: anything interesting. Attitude: curious. This encapsulates my mindset before tackling the first day of this year's event. Although approached casually and without firm expectations, to me this still was a mission of sorts. To fully enjoy and keep pressure at bay, my plans were minimal. Visits a handful of the usual rooms. Talks to their hosts. Otherwise I intended to just wander and perhaps stumble upon one or two gems worth remembering and pursuing. Had I been into oligarch-fi, the MOC's atrium levels would've been my hunting ground. I'm not so my best discoveries always hide in unexpected places somewhere on the vast venue's ground floor. This year I found Gemstone. What a find that turned out to be.

If you're a company new to the show, securing an atrium room is well nigh impossible. Year after year these sought-after spaces are occupied by the same brands often assisted by their German distributors. An opening only presents when one of the usual suspects resigns from attendance. That's rare. Instead of waiting endlessly, quite a few brands known for luxury goods simply rent space in one of the lower four open halls. Every now and then this nets excellence. This year booths by Audio Group Denmark stood out and became big attention magnets such that the Danes won't even consider pursuing pricier atrium space. The key takeaway is being proactive not reactive and making the best from what's at our disposal. This approach seems far better than skipping the most important audio fair in this part of the world. On a lesser scale and within a semi-open space far from ideal, local firm AudioPhonique followed suit. Their shiny DHT-heavy kit had many interested visitors. They also showcased two unusually styled concrete-clad speaker models under the Gemstone banner; the Libra monitor and floorstanding Gemini. A brief natter with maker Grzegorz Porzuczek provided enough data to put Libra on my 'interesting' list and follow up with a post-show mail. Mutual interest remained, one thing led to another and here were are.

Since 2008 Grzegorz has helmed a company specialized in processing large-format sintered slabs for kitchen countertops, sinks, walls etc. His expertise spans from various natural minerals used for interiors to artificial equivalents designed for the same purpose. As an audio fan, he eventually applied his material know-how to a speaker enclosure and got busy cherry-picking components for great sound. The outcome was confirmed by fellow enthusiasts which incentivized our man to commercialize his effort. That's how in 2021 Gemstone launched in Poland's city of Szczecin. When asked about his primary motivator, Grzegorz pursued high performance as much as functionally sound visual uniqueness departing from the industry's boring veneer-over-MDF standard. His access to unusual composites with great self-damping properties and brilliant looks offered the perfect opportunity. I also asked Grzegorz about other hobbies and his audio system. When we e-mailed, he was about to embark on a cross-European holiday trip on his 2019 Ducati Multistrada so clearly loves enduro bikes. At home he rocks digital hardware from AudioPhonique and Rockna, tubed Prima Luna and vintage Kharma class D mono amps, SOtM's streamer and Roon.

Should you wonder how a new audio designer knows whether his stuff is any good, friends with various systems help to determine that. When that's cleared and willingness to press on commercially strong, knocking at distributor doors and seeking evaluations can be the next move. Grzegorz works with local distributor/reseller Koris known as one of the most effective such establishments in Poland. Warsaw area residents can already listen at the High-End Alliance shop near the city centre. Gemstone's own showroom is in the works. Whilst two audio retailers plus one in the pipeline may not sound like much, if their staff is good, it's enough to spread the word, make some sales and get momentum going. Besides, brand presence at the key European show builds confidence. Add steadily growing press coverage and a nice site with decent photography. It's still a bit shy on info but about to change. All in, Grzegorz struck me as very serious and passionate; just the right blend of attitudes to succeed.