Len Wallis Audio
This is a system which the owner has grown over many years, with the last eight years or so working with the team at Sydney’s Len Wallis Audio. The speakers are Soundlab Ultimate electrostatics, while the Esoteric brand dominates the Finite Elemente Master Reference Pagoda equipment racks (right), with transport, twin mono DACs, power supply and clock. An Aurender server/streamer is bottom centre, with Shunyata Hydra power distributors on the right.
Until last year the amplification had been Krell, but after long discussions and much listening to Naim Audio’s Statement pre-power amplification, the owner decided to make the change. But this wasn’t to be a ‘standard’ Statement, despite the UK company describing the usual version as “the pinnacle of Naim Audio engineering knowledge and artistry”. Together with Len Wallis Audio’s Charl Du Plessis, the owner planned to double-down on the power amps.
“My thoughts were to maximise the control of the speakers by utilising four power amps in passive bi-amp configuration,” Charl told us.
But the pre-amp in standard configuration couldn’t be used with four power amps — so this installation required a world-first with input direct from Naim, changing the secondary output to another fully balanced output that could be use in the planned bi-amped configuration.
But there was more. The owner had always had a mind to add subwoofers to his Sound Lab speakers, but Charl had been reticent to blend these fast panels with conventional cone-style subwoofers, whatever the level. Another set of international discussions ensued, and Sound Lab’s Roger West agreed to supply special bass panels to operate from 800Hz down, with the main speakers handling upwards to 40kHz.
We’ll keep schtum for now on further planned changes to this system, but watch our pages next year! For such effort and dedication to ultimate performance, this system wins our second Stereo Installation Gold Award.
More info: www.lenwallisaudio.com
“A world-first solution in doubling up on Naim’s Statement power amps in a staggering hi-fi system that aims for the ultimate in performance.”