2. misc-audio
  3. 1419179656

2C HiFi Epiphany - Worlds Best System?

My wife and I are in the Netherlands visiting our daughter, partner and our first grandson for Christmas. Just visited this store in The Hague:

http://www.chattelin.nl/index2.php

Even though I explained to the store owner, Peter Chatttelin, I am just a tourist, Peter was kind enough to give me a demonstration of his reference 2C system. Comprising of Magico Q7 loudspeakers, and Solution (Swiss ultra high end brand) CDP, pre and power amp. The CDP alone was nearly $100k, the total system cost approximately $500k! Must admit I had never heard of Solution before, they are being reviewed in the January edition of The Absolute Sound. Here is a a link to Solution HiFi products:

http://www.soulution-audio.com/en/index.php

Beyond shadow of a doubt this is the finest HiFi system I have ever heard, makes me want to cry when I think about my system. It was really that good, nothing I have heard previously even comes close. As for the sound; think of a live concert, any type of music, and the system really did sound like live music. Peter played me a wide range of CD music, he is not a fan of computer audio, I had no idea CDs could sound this good. We played everything from Paul Simon live, live jazz recorded in a church, live church choral music and finally Rebecca Pigeon Spanish Harlem. With one exception, everything sounded like a live concert. The one exception was grand piano. No system I have ever heard produces grand piano correctly, this system was as close as I have ever heard, but not perfect. I am more than familiar with Spanish Harlem, one of my standard demonstration tracks, so I know the sound very well. The sound on this system was simply beyond belief, makes my Krell/Oppo/B&W system sound like a portable transistor radio. I was in HiFi heaven for 30 minutes.

If ever I win the lottery, I know exactly what I am buying first!
mgattmch
tostadosunidos's avatar
tostadosunidos
1,197 posts
 
If we have to spend 500k to achieve this level of accuracy then something is very wrong with the picture.
douglas_schroeder
3,281 posts
 
I am sure it was quite good, but I am confident I could achieve approx. 98% of the system's performance with a budget of $100K, especially given that the rig was playing Redbook.
mgattmch OP
571 posts
 
I would have said the same thing until I heard this system. I have been an Audiophile for the past +45 years (showing my age here). I have also attended numerous high end demonstrations/shows over the years in various countries. Absolutely nothing I had heard previously prepared me for the sound of this system. Quite simply the very best I have ever heard, and by a wide margin.
onhwy61's avatar
onhwy61
5,218 posts
 
The most recent TAS reviews Soulution's intro line of amplifiers which costs around $30,000 for a preamp and mono amps. Two different reviewers conclude that the pieces aren't quite as good as the company's better and best offerings, but comes real, real close. I certainly don't know for a fact, but I suspect that a step or two down the Magico chain coupled with the "budget" Soulution combo would sound close to amazing too.

In a 30 minute demo, a great room, good equipment and rigorous attention to setup can produce fantastic results. And let's not forget, the Netherlands is a magical place.
More to discover