Newport 2014: Fritz goes with low carbon, high Carrera

Fritz of Fritz Speakers has been building speakers for more than forty years, and his knowledge and skill is evident in the fine sound and beautifully matched veneers that are ubiquitous in his rooms at the various audio shows. This weekend, visitors to his room were treated to the usual big smile and big sound, this time provided by Fritz's Carrera 7 speakers ($3,500). These punchy little guys have a reported frequency response of 37Hz-30Khz and are 88db sensitive, with paper cones and ring radiator tweeters. Also in use over the weekend was the Carbon 7 SE ($2,500), which features a new carbon graphite composite cone, reportedly lighter and faster than previous models.

One of the things I’ve noticed repeatedly with Fritz’s speakers is how much they pass through from whatever other gear is in the chain. This can be ruthless if there’s anything at all unpleasant about the sound signature.

Fortunately, this weekend the speakers were paired with Elecra-Fidelity’s fine A3-500 monoblocks ($9,995/pair) and Magnetic Line pre-amp ($1,795). The Parasound Zcd CD & MP3 player ($400) provided the tunes, and WyWires Silver Series cables tied it all together.

I had the pleasure of listening to a live recording of a saxaphone and harp ensemble (interesting combination!) provided by another attendee, and found the tone and texture to be excellent. The sax sounded meaty and deep, and the pluck of the harp strings beautifully defined and musical.

Nicely done!