Where do you even start in this room? You start with Fritz, of course. He somehow always manages to look like he’s just heard the best joke ever, and he’ll tell you when you’re old enough.
The joke, of course, is that Fritz Speakers are insane. He’d brought a pair of his LS 5/R ($3000) to the show. These are filled with ScanSpeak Illuminator drivers and a series crossover, they’re wrapped in some of the most flawless veneer you’ve ever seen, and the only thing that happens when you rap their cabinets is that you bruise your knuckle.
The speakers were fronted here by a Wyred 4 Sound mINT integrated amp and DAC ($1495) and a Parasound Zcd ($400), and this combination really highlighted what Fritz has managed. His speakers are amazingly good analytical tools, and they’re dead transparent to the source.
The whole room sounded like Wyred 4 Sound’s trademark grip and nothing — I mean nothing — else.
Some of the credit here has to go to Alex Sventitsky’s WyWires for this. He brought his Power Broker to handle the power-strip duties, but he also brought his affordable line of Blue Series cables to match with this overachieving budget system. The most expensive bits were the $600 speaker cables. As for the rest…
Well, let me explain my relationship to cables. The first thing I care about — absolutely the first thing! — is that the cable won’t fall apart after the third time I yank it around. I regret every cheap or tweaky cable I’ve ever bought if only because their life expectancy in my house was measured in weeks. WyWires Blue Series looks like it’s more than capable of putting up with me. As for the sound… I did mention that Fritz’s speakers sounded just like Wyred 4 Sound, right? In a hotel with lousy power and an airport next door, the system offered no unpleasant surprises. WyWires must be doing something right. As for the rest… who knows? Unless you hear it in your own system, you’re probably just guessing.
Meanwhile, Fritz keeps smiling his contagious smile. I suspect it’s because he can be proud of what he made.
I own a pair of Fritz Carbon 7 speakers. I am very happy with my purchase a little more than a year ago. I assume the LS/7R speakers have more sound or musicality to offer as well as almost double the price. Can yo give me a little more insight? Respectfully, Jeff Maidlow.