Country of Origin
Reviewer: Srajan Ebaen
Financial interests: click here
Sources: Retina 5K 27" iMac (4GHz quad-core with Turbo boost, 32GB RAM, 3TB FusionDrive, OSX Yosemite. iTunes 14.4), PureMusic 3.02, Audirvana 3, Qobuz Hifi, Tidal Hifi, COS Engineering D1, Denafrips Terminator, Soundaware D300Ref, AURALiC Vega
Preamplifier: Vinnie Rossi L2 Signature with WE VT52/300B or Elrog 50/300B, Nagra Classic, Wyred4Sound STP-SE Stage II, Vinnie Rossi LIO (AVT module)
Power & integrated amplifiers: Pass Labs XA30.8; FirstWatt SIT1 monos, SIT3, F5, F6, F7; Goldmund/Job 225; Aura Note Premier; Wyred4Sound mINT; Nord Acoustics NC500 monos; LinnenberG Audio Liszt monos
Loudspeakers: Audio Physic Codex; Cube Audio Nenuphar; Albedo Audio Aptica; EnigmAcoustics Mythology 1; Boenicke Audio W5se; Zu Audio Druid V & VI & Submission; German Physiks HRS-120; Eversound Essence; Fram Midi 150 & 120; Acelec Model One
Cables: Complete loom of Allnic Audio ZL3000 and Zu Event; KingRex uArt, Zu and LightHarmonic LightSpeed double-header USB cables; Tombo Trøn S/PDIF; van den Hul AES/EBU; AudioQuest Diamond glass-fibre Toslink; Black Cat Cable redlevel Lupo; Ocellia OCC Silver
Power delivery: Vibex Granada/Alhambra on all source components, Vibex One 11R on amps/sub
Equipment rack: Artesania Audio Exoteryc double-wide 3-tier with optional glass shelves, Exoteryc Krion and glass amp stands
Sundry accessories: Acoustic System resonators
Room: 4 x 6m with high gabled beam ceiling opening into 4 x 8m kitchen and 5 x 8m living room, hence no wall behind the listening chairs
Review component retail: €800/4, €1'500/8 ex VAT
If Metal Sound Design epitomized South Korea's love of metalurgy for hifi hardware—remember the case work they did for the Astell&Kern AK240, Eximus CD5 and Stello AI/CDA 500?—then Hifistay today focus the same extremist dedication to the craft and art on complex resonance control devices. Think footers, spike shoes, record clamps, cable lifters, full-fledged racks.
If pictures are worth thousands of words…
… here's some worthiness. Word!
Be it mass dampers filled with micro pellets; compliant footers with adjustable string tension plus spiral springs plus ball bearings; cable lifters on decouplers or multi-stage spike shoes like today's – these folks have us sorted. Just how far one fancies to get kitted out and heavily into metal depends solely on one's enthusiasm for immaculate CNC work and ever compounding mechanical complexity.
If you're Schiit's Jason Stoddard, you take one look then complain that "it's exactly this type madness which scares Joe & Jill Public away from and confuses them about what a simple affordable hifi is." Stripes, spots or squares? We say what goes or doesn't; for us. Let others indulge the hobby in their own way.
Today's way is… well, way out there. But, Hifistay would long be out of biz if there weren't a market.
After two reviews I did quite a while back, I was reminded when John Lim from London contacted me about writing up the firm's latest, the Stella60 Double Swing. "I believe these spike shoes will work well under your Audio Physic Codex and other floorstanders; plus of course under the stands of your various bookshelf speakers."
I didn't see why not. Time to get my ball bearings sorted.
