Reviews

Destination Audio WE 417A

A row of vintage audio equipment including a mixer with multiple knobs and switches, and The Phono Stage, set on a wooden tabletop.
HiFi Knights Full Review

Destination Audio WE 417A, no doubt, belongs to the high-end category (I don’t recognize top-high-end as a separate one). Choosing, among the ones I had a chance to listen to, between WE 417A, Kondo GE-10i, AudioTekne TEA 8695, Tenor Audio Phono 1, Doshi Audio Evolution Phono Preamplifier, Air Tight ATE-3011, Thöress Phono Enhancer, and a few others belonging to the same group of the „best of the best I know” would be based on personal preferences or maybe practical issues (preferred/required features). These are all incredibly refined, resolving, coherent, natural-sounding devices that turn listening to records into an almost spiritual experience. In my case, as my stereo system’s only job is to bring me the joy of experiencing music, WE 417A would be a very likely ultimate choice.

Hifi Knightshttps://hifiknights.com/reviews/sources/destination-audio-we-417a/

Vista 3 Way Horn Speakers

A row of vintage audio equipment including a mixer with multiple knobs and switches, and The Phono Stage, set on a wooden tabletop.
HiFi Knights Full Review

I love horns! I feel as if I have to repeat that because it might have influenced a bit my perception of Destination Audio NiKA even if I tried to be as objective, as it is ever possible with any audio component. Let’s be honest though, it is not very likely that a fan of vented, or closed-cabinet designs will switch to horns after reading this one, or any other review. It wouldn’t be reasonable or recommended. It is a specific type of speaker one has to experience in a good setup and only then decide whether this is what floats their boat or not. If you decide to give them a try Destination Audio NiKA are one of the best possible choices I know.

Hifi Knights https://hifiknights.com/reviews/speakers/destination-audio-nika/

CLICK ABOVE FOR THE FULL REVIEW.

QUOTES :

CAS8 Attendees’ comments on their experience in the Destination Audio exhibit were also of the lifetime revelatory category, on how the system conveyed emotions of performance and beauty of sound and not necessarily of the loudness war victor variety. In fact, they voted the Destination Audio room for the top honors in the categories of Ultimate Component, Best System Performance, as well as a second place in Best Industrial Design.

QUOTES :

The utterly compression-free presentation of the Vista horn, in casting sound fields into the listening space, presented a directness of communication that drew even the most uninitiated spectator into its world. If music were a divine reflection of the human spirit, then the DA System would be the sentinel of the art form.

AUDIO VIDEO SHOW WARSAW. BEST SYSTEM PERFORMANCE AWARD.

QUOTE :

The fact was – I will express it once again – the best sound of the exhibition. And as a special taste and audiophile main course, musical material with a Polish choir a capella, giving a truly extraordinary authenticity and even disturbingly real mastery of overlapping voices. Accompanied by a sense that this is how it is – without the slightest unnecessary interruption, with realism alone.

QUOTE :

The sense of the extraordinary and the best sound of the exhibition, however, was primarily due to the total coherence of the sound, angelic analogy (for a completely incomprehensible digital output), as well as natural expression, supported by the literal presence of artists in the room…In each instance immersion of an audiophile battle depth and at the same time, one of a kind, because no other loudspeakers I know of, including other horn speakers, immerses the listener so deeply in the sound. Usually there is some distance – music there, listener here – but with Destination total unity and full identification prevail.

“Best System Performance: Destination Audio”
“The Ultimate Component: Destination Audio Horns” Click Above for the Awards Page.

POSITIVE FEEDBACK-Quote : Everybody should hear this system before they die. It’s an education into itself. I hate it without compassion. I want to hear it again right now. Destination Audio doesn’t make stereos. They make art. The sound was supple, lithe, forceful, and, of course, it was as dynamic as a tidal wave. It was possibly the best executed classic horn system I’ve ever heard. It was certainly the most beautiful.
Quote : “I love tubes and horns. So naturally, when Jason and I were dividing up rooms, I leapt at the opportunity to cover Destination Audio…It’s a beautiful thing when you see a show exhibitor take a break to sit down and enjoy another designer’s offerings. As I dragged myself away in hopes of staying on schedule, I thought to myself, “what an exceptional way to start the final day of Axpona.”
I CAN SAY THAT…resting on my opinion alone, everyone was talking about it. I was three floors away when I heard the praise and made a beeline for the elevators.
the sound was absolutely intoxicating…Collectively, it offered a lush sound with some of the most intense imaging and stage depth at the show. You could almost reach out and touch the instruments in the room.
NOW AUDIOPHILE STYLE…Those immense horns that were being powered superbly with only 1.5 watts per channel were simply breathtaking in their sound and otherworldly in their soundstage. I first walked into a live recording of Johnny Cash and thought I was on the stage with him. It takes the gentleman who owns the company and his five man team literally six months to build a single pair of these magnificent speakers. I made no less than three trips back to that room just to listen to various musical selections played back through the horns and sat in near disbelief at the sound that came out of them. The richness of the sound, the depth, and immense air of the notes as they surrounded you were simply breathtaking.
The advantage of overkill construction like this is, at nominal sound pressure levels, the drivers are well within their most optimum parameters of operation, which means this system will be extremely linear at normal loudness levels. The dynamic peaks will also not be truncated or compressed at all, so you get the full impact of the recording.
However, it was not the only flawless system with files in the main role – Destination Audio is a tiny Polish “boutique” company. The sound that I heard from its horn speakers was outstanding. Niemen’s voice that I know inside out was incredibly natural. Additionally loaded low midrange did not spoil anything, but added realism to the whole thing. It was an incredible pleasure!
Destination Audio showed what makes a really good horn loudspeaker, namely making the finest details so audible and perceptible that one might even wonder whether that goes beyond the resolution of a very good headphone. And it was neither a previously unknown Polish company that amazed us.
AWARD OF THE YEAR: If I had this system at home, I’d say more about it. However, I doubt it would change anything. Because the main truth is that Destination tubes together with dedicated electronics are a system for playing music and arousing emotions. Diving in it’s like a musical sea…You feel the music with your whole body and explore its entire size. This is the purpose of Destination Audio…It is a great advantage of Destination to be able to play full-scale even in smaller spaces. This is fantastic news, because very few top-echelon speakers have that ability. These can, and will play over you like a steam roller.