Photos by Joseph Greenham.

Prices are listed in CA$.

You want epic sound—the kind you might imagine the music gods set up for their own personal enjoyment? If so, step right up, because I have two setups to present that fit the bill. Both were hosted by EQ Audio Video, which had several demos running. Since I was on the clock, so to speak, I asked EQ’s Ed O’Herlihy which two he’d recommend, and he pointed me to these, including one that turned out to be surprisingly cool. I say “surprisingly” only because it’s not the kind of system I typically cover, nor one that falls within my comfort zone, but its qualities won me over.

The first system delivered so much wow factor I had to catch my breath a couple of times. It featured an Innuos ZENith Next-Gen Streamer ($26,200) feeding an Aavik U-288 integrated amplifier ($43,000), driving a pair of mighty Borresen T5 Cryo Edition speakers ($208,000/pair), while cabling and power distribution were by Ansuz. Also in the demo, on standby, was an Aavik P-288 power amplifier ($21,000).

Oh lordy, the experience was like stepping through a portal into another dimension where sound was as corporeal and physical as Ed and his wife, Michelle, who sat on either side of me. The soundstage was huge, with bold images painted in deep tonal colours. Instruments such as drums, piano, guitar, and vocals sounded natural, vivid, and palpably present.

The presentation was expansive and harmonically rich, with deep bass, wide dynamic range, and superb image focus. I could sense the air being pushed out by instruments. It was a visceral experience.

More visceral experiences awaited in the second room, where I watched two concert films projected on a screen as big as one in a cinema. The first was the choral work “Now We Are Free,” from the Gladiator soundtrack, taken from Hans Zimmer Live in Prague. The sound—delivered by a 7.2.4 Dolby Atmos surround system—had massive scale and layers of instruments and vocals. But regardless of how much was happening at once, the presentation remained clear, unfatiguing, enveloping, and, well, epic.

Next, I witnessed Eric Clapton performing “Layla” before a packed Royal Albert Hall, from what felt like the 10th row. It felt strikingly close to a real concert experience, a sensation abetted by the sound of the crowd wrapped around me. But it wasn’t just about the surround effects—all the instruments on stage, especially acoustic ones like Eric’s guitar and vocals, sounded timbrally natural and lifelike, just on a bigger scale.

That system included a JVC DLA-NZ900 projector ($34,500), Trinnov Altitude 16 audio processor ($27,500), five Musical Fidelity power amplifiers (from $5800), a Kaleidescape Strato V 6TB lossless player ($6795), and a Monitor Audio Cinergy speaker system ($48,800 total).

While I may not be big into home theater, I’ll say this: Ed’s setup was clearly done by an audiophile—which Ed absolutely is. It sounded fantastic, and I could live with it forever.