I love attending AXPONA. Where else can you find a smorgasbord of audio gear that you never would have dreamed of otherwise? For example, walking into the Treehaus room is always a treat. Not only do they sport the coolest looking speakers at the show with a mixture of natural materials and an open baffle design, they run those speakers with lots of tubes and vintage (or at least vintage looking) gear. Plus, field coils!
Words and Photos by Graig Neville
Rich Pinto crafts each of these Treehaus speakers, and every show I’ve seen a different pair. The current version of the “Phantom of Luxury” Field Coil Loudspeaker in the “Walnut Cookies” finish starts at $29,000. It includes a Atelier Rultit 10-inch Super Aero full-range field coil driver, a 15-inch Acoustic Elegance woofer, and a Fostex T900A super tweeter. A tube rectified variable power supply generates the magnetic field for the coil. Crossovers use Milfex capacitors and adjustable transformer attenuators. The Treehaus Audiolab speakers on display use Iconoclast SPTPC internal wiring (+$3500) and the Elm Cookies Plinth (+$3000).
Driving these beauties are ‘The A/Machines” from Treehaus, which includes a preamplifier ($19,000) and a four –yes FOUR – box gaggle of 300b amplifiers using Sakura architecture ($39,000). The preamplifier uses a Finemel TVC (Transformer Volume Control) with discrete position Seiden switching 4P1L directly heated vacuum tube amplification using Filament bias and no capacitors in the signal circuit. Finemet Output Transformers are included, and high speed DC is rectified with 6CJ3 tubes. That all means it looks retro, back to the ’40s or ’50s. He event found big chunky special knobs from a ’40s era ham radio. Oh, did I mention the volume has 11, yes it goes up to 11, stepped volume positions?
The Treehaus amplification uses 10Y/801A drivers coupled to the power tube using Finemet Interstage Transformers. The 300B tubes use Finemet Output Transformers. All signal tubes have Coleman filament bias. GOSS core power transformers are stuffed in there too. All power circuits are separated for heating and signal. Again high speed DC rectification is via 6CJ3 tubes. And the crown jewels are the Western Electric 300B power tubes!
The final piece of Treehaus gear is the Moving Coil Step-Up Transformer (MC SUT) for $3,000. Sporting urushi-coated and Showa Period silk-packed, can you guess? Yes, Finemet cores with three ratios. Shields are handmade and use Cardas connectors. All this Treehaus gear needs a lot of cables. Iconoclast was used throughout including Silver-plated TPC Generation 2 Speakers Cables on the full-range driver, silver-plated TPC Generation 1 Speaker Cables on the woofer, UPOCC RCA interconnects, and finally BAV power cables.
Analog was provided by SME, including the SME Model 12 MK2 table with SME 309 tonearm ($13,900) and an Ortofon MC Versimo cartridge ($6,999) were spinning up the black plastic disks courtesy of Treehaus and SME’s own Kat Ourlian. Other gear included a dCS Rossini APEX DAC, Ken Tanaka LCR phono stage, a Class D Purifi amplifier to drive the woofers, a MiniDSP Active Crossover to EQ the bass for the woofers below 500Hz and a PS Audio P3 Power Conditioner.
The sound in the Treehaus room was wide and room-filling with a presence to the music that was experienced as much as it was heard. With an eclectic mix of world music and deep cuts the Treehaus room was worth multiple visits and was one of the definite standouts at the show.
If you would like to hear even more coverage from AXPONA 2024, check out our recap report and highlights from our audiophile-oriented show The Occasional Podcast. You can stream the episode direct from the embed below, or from your favorite podcast platform including iTunes, Android, Google, Deezer, Spotify, iHeartRadio and more.
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