Description

Our homestead (a 1971 brick rambler) does not have the space available for a formal listening room.  As some of you may remember, I had a very tricked out, dedicated listening room co-designed by Starsound Audio and Dale Pitcher of Mosaic Audio and Intuitive Design fame.  It was absolutely spellbinding, but we had to move for a host of reasons the primary of which was the neighborhood was unsafe for small children (Hannah, 7; Julia 4 and Daniel 7 months).  We love our new home, but like many ramblers of that era, space is at a premium, and I cannot configure a room with standard floor standers or even an average sized monitor.  Enter the Trenner & Friedl Sun loudspeakers.  They are tiny, fit nicely into the bookshelving, and produce a full and rich musicality which I adore.  The stereophile review is indeed not hyperbole!  They are also aesthetically very pleasing and blend right into the beautiful shelving that was built by the previous inhabitant who was a German contractor.  The Heed Elixir is a perfect match (thanks Bob at Profundo) along with the LaRosita, Duelund wire, etc.  The wife was thrilled as she detests obstructive and ugly audio gear (I have owned plenty) and are also out of harms way in regards to the little people.
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Room Details

Dimensions: 22’ × 16’  Large
Ceiling: 8’


Components Toggle details

    • Heed Audio Elixir
    Wonderful but inexpensive integrated out of Hungary that is organic and tube-like in its sonic signature but also has the muscle to drive an inefficient speaker like the Suns.  Its synergy with the Suns is superb and thanks to Bob at Profundo, I own both!
    • Trennel & Friedl Sun bookshelf speakers
    Stereophile class A bookshelf from Trenner & Friedl.  A diminutive, concentric design that is utterly seamless and musical.  Much of Micaleff's Stereophile review sounds like hyperbole, but its accurate:  

    https://www.stereophile.com/content/trenner-friedl-sun-loudspeaker

    More info can be found here:  https://www.trenner-friedl.com/index.php?menu=product&sprache=en&second=sun
    • LaRosita Die Loreley
    French wifi streamer/dac.  Provides an elegant, one-box solution with a smooth, fatigue-free presentation.

    https://www.larosita.fr/en-la-rosita-die-loreley
    • AcousticBBQ SW and ICs
    Based on Duelund's analog of the WE wire of yore.  Great, rich tone.  Due to the presence of the bookshelving, I needed thin and flexible wire that could snake through a labyrinth of shelves.  It worked perfectly and thanks again to Bill Dion at AcousticBBQ!
    • Thorens TD-160
    Vintage deck lovingly restored by Vinyl Nirvana.  It was fitted with a Moth (Rega) tonearm, mounting board, and interconnects along with a Denon DL-160 high output moving coil cartridge.  Simple to use and care for with great sound and of course beautiful vintage aesthetics to match the homestead.

Comments 19

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Your beautiful setup has inspired me to take the plunge on the Heed Obelisk SI MkIII.  I'm patiently waiting for it to drop ship from the manufacturer.  A lot of folks tell me the Totem Rainmakers crave more power, but honestly, I don't crank my music, and everything I've read about Heed integrateds has checked all the right boxes.  As a bonus the dealer I ordered through is extending a 30 day return window so I feel confident with my choice.

Love looking at both your systems and spaces.  My wife and I are big fans of MCM design and furnishes as well.

Cheers!
Matthew

stereosanctity

Glad to read you’re loving the Heed. I’ve been eyeing their Obelisk SI to pair with my Totem Rainmakers which are rated at 87.5 dB into 4 ohms.  All reviews are consistent in saying Heed amps punch way more than their modest ratings.

stereosanctity