Initially the system was fronted by an Auralic Altair as source/DAC/pre ending with the Wyred4Sound Music Server/ DAC-2 combo following the Altair's unexpected demise. Interconnects rotated through Audio Art Cable cryo Brio balanced plus Kryo and Arkana Physical Research unbalanced. For speaker cables, combinations of Audio Art Cable, Arkana and Madison Lab saw duty. Power cords were SOtM's own and the superior Audio Art Power1 ePlus cryo. I also added KAT Audio's Terminator 1 as well as EquaRack footers in lieu of the stock feet. These combinations offered a relatively broad cross section of scenarios to give insight on how the amp would react. With respect to break in, the sPA1000 proved listenable out of the box but required a few hundred hours until frequency response and soundstaging had expanded fully outward.

For musical I chose my traditional potpourri to see how the amplifier would react to pedestrian material as well as audiophile test chestnuts of eclectic material like flügelhorn and bagpipe symphonies. In the challenging department, Nick Heyward's North of a Miracle is a lovely detour from his Haircut 100 pop days embracing ambitious pop/jazz fusion. The well-produced recording is quite impressive on vinyl but translates less well to CD. "The Kick of Love" is a prime example. The challenge for the system is to tame the digital transfer and emulate analogue's upper frequencies.

For some early music, "Aria Heute Noch from Bach's Coffee Cantata" on the Analekta CD Baroque Delights by Tafelmusik features lovely female vocals, talented musicians and an honest sense of space to sooth the spirit in enforced solitude. For pure instrumentals, the Linn CD/SACD Garden of Early Delights featuring Pamela Thorby and Andrew Lawrence King makes the reference cut. This recording is purist fare with minimalist instrumentation delightfully recorded for an immense soundstage and wide dynamics. Harp and psaltery have body and delicacy and the recorder has extraordinary projection with high-frequency pressure that taxes the purity of the system's highs.

For modern female vocals, the mention this time goes to the title song "Liberty" from Anette Askvik's eponymous album. It's simple material done with purity and emotional conviction. For a Blues fix, here's a double shot. The single "Rosa Lee" from Reference recordings There's a Time by Doug MacLeod is an immaculate take of a live Blues band and a worthwhile listen. Bob Walsh's live "Ain't No Sunshine" from En Spectacle/Live gets the nod for immediacy with powerful vocal and instrumental work in a palpably live acoustic. Eclectic mode takes us to "Here" from the live David Byrne America Utopia on Broadway. Voluminous soundstaging and 3D synth effects married to clever and poignant lyrics keep the game entertaining as well as provocative. And provocative is the apt description to segue into the listening notes.