Audiophilepure

https://www.stereophile.com/content/soulnote-3-core-power-amplifier

I didn’t have to leave my orchard of unknowing to appreciate the sound of the A-3 Core. But venturing into the weeds taught me not just about grounding but also to be more open to designs that may at first seem arcane. Many of us have encountered systems that sound great but seem neurotically and needlessly over-engineered. Cable lifters made of exotic woods, supposedly resonance-damping crystal charms placed everywhere, wildly expensive power cables, and millimeter-precision placement of not just speakers but electronics, too. Individually, it’s easy to dismiss these things as superstition. But perhaps sometimes, when even seemingly inconsequential details are obsessed over in the exact right way, the cumulative effect is something you can’t get to otherwise. My younger self scoffed at this, but experience has eroded my dogmatic certainty. My time with this amplifier provided another nudge in this direction. I can’t deny that Kato and Soulnote’s obsession with every detail has resulted in a product that sounds astounding, regardless of whether I can argue in defense of each of their design choices.