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Be honest: When you saw the speakers in the above photo, did you immediately think, “Tannoy”? Me, too. They’re actually the Vintage 15 model ($49,950) made by Fyne Audio, and they looked gorgeous — and massive — when I saw them in person in retailer Gramophone Audio’s room.

They also sounded very good connected to a Canor IA 1.20 class-A, 50Wpc solid state integrated amplifier ($9495) and a digital stack consisting of a Melco N50 server / streamer ($7195), a Melco D100 transport / ripper ($2050), and a Canor tube DAC 2.1 ($5395). Items being demoed that I didn’t audition included an EAT Fortissimo turntable ($21,500 w/tonearm), an EAT E GLO S phono stage ($4095), an EAT Jo №5 cartridge ($1350), and a Skyanalog G3 cartridge ($2700). The system used cables by Swisscables and Gutwire, and power conditioners by Plixir and Puritan.

On streamed music, the sound was harmonically full, naturally sweet, and tonally vibrant. The system produced a big, colourful soundstage and a beguiling rhythmic flow. The source may have been digital, but there was nothing “digital” about the sound.