2002 Home Entertainment Show Report (TAS issue 137, Aug/Sept 2002, pp. 33-34)
by Jonathan Valin and Robert Harley

The Winner’s Circle
…First place, however, goes to the Kharma Ceramique 3.2 ($19,000) loudspeakers, powered by the LAMM ML2 monoblocks ($29,290), the LAMM L2 ($13,690) preamp and LP2 ($6,690) phonostage.  Though a relatively small system in comparison to the Pipedreams and the Antares — which may, in fact, have contributed to its sonic excellence in a small room — this demure (though very expensive) stereo system had the most realistic sound of any at the show.  Dynamic, detailed, superbly transparent, incomparably rich in color, gorgeous in the treble and midband, it made some very fine CD-Rs of live recordings sound like mastertapes.  its only weakness — and this will be corrected when Kharma adds a dedicated subwoofer to the Ceramique “satellite” later this year — was a slight roll in the very deep bass (sub-40Hz), which, nevertheless, didn’t keep the Kharmas from roaring like an orchestra in full voice on the last movement of the Rachmaninoff Third Piano Concerto.  This is the first — and only — time that the other listeners in attendance in the room actually applauded at the end of a CD, as if they had witnessed a great live performance!  Which, indeed, they had, both musically and stereophonically.

Lamm, exhibiting with their New York dealer Sound by Singer, pulled out all the stops, with JMLab Grand Utopia speakers fed by Lamm’s L2 Reference preamp ($13,690) and biamped with two pairs of ML1 monoblocks ($19,990/pair).  Instant bliss was the message.  September 2002 issue (Vol. 25/no. 9), page 64

Synergistic Research …[introduced] …their new top-of-the-line X-Series speaker cables and AC cords…to dramatic effect in Sound by Singer’s big room.  The Synergistic wires strung together the Lamm line stage and triode power amps, cutting-edge digital gear from dCS, and the imposing JMLab Grande Utopias….  October 2002 issue (Vol. 25/no. 10), page 73

Stereophile’s  The Best Sound at Home Entertainment 2002 Show
[listed in September 2002 issue (Vol. 25/no. 9), page 59]