Spatial Audio, LTA, LampizatOr, Innuos, Anticables | CAF 2019

I tend to search out the Spatial Audio rooms at high-end audio shows such as the 2019 Capital Audiofest–they usually pair with Linear Tube Audio, one of my favorite amplifier manufacturers, and they always achieve an unusually tactic, enveloping sound that I find seductive. (In particular, I think the open-baffle Spatial Audio loudspeakers are one of the best pure transducers for the human voice, hence their slogan “Return to Purity.”) The Spatial Audio room was very similar to the rooms I’ve heard in the past, with Anticables, an LTA Z10 Integrated and a LampizatOr Amber 3 DAC with Innuos server.

There were two new things in the Spatial Audio room this time around. First up, the Spatial Audio M3 Turbos, one of our favorite speakers at its price point and a denizen of our Buyers Guide, has been replaced with the new M3 Sapphire ($4200). The other new thing, something that was creating quite a buzz at CAF, was the package price for the M3s, the Z10 and the Amber 3–just $9995 for the set. If someone asks me what’s the best way to spend $10K on a hi-fi system, it’s this, right here.

As usual, you get so much value from Spatial Audio. For $4200 you get a relatively large 2-way dynamic dipolar open-baffle loudspeaker, handsomely built, that goes down to 32 Hz. Efficiency is relatively high, 92 dB with a 4 ohm impedance, and it can be used with an amp with as little 8 watts per channel. (That’s why it’s such a synergistic match with the LTA Z10 and its 12 watts per channel.) But that doesn’t come close to accurately describing the beautiful, effortless and liquid sound you get with Spatial Audio, LTA, LampizatOr and Anti-Cables as a whole. It’s the kind of sound that makes you feel wise and special, especially considering the incredibly low price.

I’m working on getting a pair of the Spatial Audio M3 Sapphires in for review. I just noticed that my cohorts during our CAF report for The Occasional Podcast were teasing me when I kept saying “Oh, I just reviewed that” or “Yeah, I’m getting that in.” They were implying that Marc gets all the good stuff, and yes, I’ll admit that I’ve been lucky. But Spatial Audio, LTA, LampizatOr and Anticables are indeed the good stuff, and at a price that looks like a typo.