Passion Audio’s demo was fronted by Wolf von Langa’s 12639 SON speakers ($27,000/pr). One can already see a lot of this speaker’s potential strengths on the spec sheet. First, its tweeter section is a dipole design which, in my experience, tends to give you more sense of space in the soundstage. And the tweeter’s time-alignment is adjustable, which should adapt to a variety of listening environments and situations. Plus, it’s a very efficient design, with 94 db sensitivity and an 8-ohm impedance, making it ideal for low-wattage tube gear, which is what was being used in the room: a 15Wpc Montille power amp ($10,820) paired to a tube Auriege preamp, both made by Shindo from Japan. Source was an analogue front end made up of a J.Sikora Initial turntable ($14,000), a 12″ J.Sikora Kevlar tonearm ($11,350) and a HANA Umami Blue MC cartridge ($3400).
The sound? Based on what I heard on an LP of Elgar’s Cello Concerto by Jacqueline du Pré recorded in the 1960s, it was what many might describe as a “British sound” (even though these speakers are made in Germany)—rich and detailed, with natural tonality. They sounded uncannily like a pair of British speakers I have at home that are known for their stereotypical British sound. Listening to Passion Audio’s demo felt akin to running into one of my loved ones on the street.
As an audiophile and a voracious listener of all kinds of music, Jonson believes that the experience of being immersed in music is often something spiritual. Born and raised in Korea, he cut his teeth on western music mostly through the music of the 80s and the 90s. As of today, names that make his heart beat a little faster include Vladimir Horowitz, John Coltrane, Youn-Sun Nah, Francis Poulenc, Leonard Bernstein, Tannoy, and Magnepan. Jonson also runs a podcast and a YouTube channel about language learning, called SpongeMind.
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