Gallery: $240K Amps and More Grandiose Gear From the NY Audio Show
Amy Lombard01Oma Mini horn speakers
[OMA](http://oswaldsmillaudio.com) (Oswalds Mill Audio), the Brooklyn-based company that makes the [OMA Mini](http://oswaldsmillaudio.com/mini) ($25,000), is more familiar to graphic designers and prop stylists than stereo aficionados. It's lamentable because this two-way horn is one of the most efficient and accurate speakers ever conceived. (Expand the gallery for more details.)
Amy Lombard02Master & Dynamic MH-40 headphones
The design of the [Master & Dynamic MH-40s](http://www.masterdynamic.com) ($399) was partly inspired by the military spec headphones used by tech guys during WWII. They perform even better than they look. The 45mm neodymium drivers push out sound that one hard-core audiophile grudgingly admitted was "surprisingly adequate." High praise.
Amy Lombard03Blue Hawaii S.E. Electrostatic Headphone Amplifier
Designed by headphone amp guru Kevin Gilmore, the [Blue Hawaii S.E. Electrostatic amp](http://www.headamp.com/electrostat_amps/bhse/) was specifically engineered to power one of the most highly-praised headphones ever made: the [Stax SR-009](https://www.staxusa.com/stax-sr-009.html).
Amy Lombard04WaxRax RC-2
The [RC-2's](http://www.waxrax.c) ($1,500) sober, overbuilt construction smacks of Prouvè and the machine age. It holds 400 records, and is available in a variety of custom colors. The real bonus, though, are those wheels. Slide it next to the turntable, and pretend you’re John Cusack flipping through the bins in *High Fidelity*.
Amy Lombard05Woo Audio WA 7 Fireflies/Tube Headphone Amplifier
Don’t be duped by its shiny MoMA Store aesthetic. Woo Audio's [WA7 Fireflies](http://www.wooaudio.com/products/wa7fireflies.html) are some of the best tube amps on the market. Critics rave about the WA7’s pitch-black background (silence between notes), versatility (2 jacks; one for IEMs, one for beefy headphone plugs) and value (there’s a built-in 32/192 USB DAC).
Amy Lombard06VPI Prime turntable
The best "bargain" at the show was the [VPI Prime](http://www.vpiindustries.com/), a new $3,500 turntable that punches so far above its weight it’s embarrassing.
Amy Lombard07Audio Classics vintage McIntosh components
Think of McIntosh as the Harley Davidson of audiophile components: powerful, reliable, tough and made in America. [Audio Classics](http://www.audioclassics.com) sells more of its equipment than anybody else in the world.
Amy Lombard08Gershman Acoustics L.V.C (Levittion Vibration Control)
Gershman Acoustics' [Levitation Vibration Control pucks](http://www.gershmanacoustics.com/lvc.html) ($345 for a set of 4) are meant to be placed under each corner of your turntable. Each one is stuffed with vibration damping materials and two powerful repelling magnets. Your turntable is now literally floating on a cushion of air. Goodbye "artificial edginess." Hello improved detail. Or something.
Amy Lombard09Audioengine B1 Bluetooth Music Receiver
[Audioengine](http://audioengineusa.com), a company known for its affordable DACs and desktop speakers, has solved the Bluetooth puzzle: How to stream 24-bit digital audio through a radio frequency that was designed to carry ring tones. That is precisely what [the B1](http://audioengineusa.com/Store/Wireless/B1-Bluetooth-Music-Receiver) ($189) does.
Amy Lombard10Klaudio KD-CLN-LP200 Ultrasonic Record Cleaner
In the Vinyl Fetishist category, Best In Show goes to the [Klaudio Ultrasonic Record Cleaner](http://klaudio.com/kd-cln-lp200-lp-vinyl-record-ultrasonic-cleaner-dryer). This $4,000 machine (add $1,500 for the soundproof cabinet) uses a combination of high-frequency pressure and "cavitation bubbles" to gently dislodge microscopic detritus from the surface and deep groves of LP records.
Amy Lombard11The “$5,000 Super-System”
Shayne Tenace's “Happy Meal for audiophiles” demo attracted so much foot traffic that crowds spilled into the hall. This $5,000 inflation-buster consists of: Opera Seconda speakers and a Peachtree Audio 125 SE amp (with integrated DAC) connected by fancy Audioquest speaker and USB cables. Just add iTunes.
Naim12Naim Audio Statement amplifier system
The $240,000 [Naim Audio Statement amplifier system](http://www.naimaudio.com/statement) is what happens when you tell a bunch of audio engineers not to cut corners.
