This review page is supported in part by the sponsors whose ad banners are displayed below

As Dog Man Star moves towards its "Asphalt World" payoff, we get two songs of spartan November vocal chill—"The 2 Of Us" and "Black Or Blue"—that play directly into the hands of this newest Chochos design. Brett Andersen's voice isn't particularly strong especially in the context of more traditional audiophile material. The ball might be coming apart at the seams but its delivery is one of directness. Vocals unfurl and then float into the room. Think three-dimensional imagery of James Cameron's underwater sci-fi beauty The Abyss. By the time I hit the unedited "Wild Ones" on this three-disc deluxe reissue, the tubes were sufficiently warmed and that vocal presence had me looking for mine.

For anyone considering the leap  from five hundred buck JB3 to thousand buck HB1, it's a big one. Doubling up on money moves from small to big time and rewards with a more profound listening experience. Sonically the JB3 and HB1 are loudspeakers bred from similar sonic stock - a tilt towards paper-y dryness that teases out detail. You'll trade some top-end sparkle of the JB3 for a whole lotta everything else from Cap'n Chochos; scale, tonal density and bass extension. The Hoyts are pure soul food and can cut it in room dimensions that would drown the diminutive Taiwanese twins. The JB3s can't be pushed too hard before cone break-up is reached.


In case you were wondering, the 47Labs Lens is the more dynamic, wetter and shinier. Less Kruskit, more Nice. Know your biscuits. The Hoyt Bedfords trounce both for scale. They make a movie screen of the rear listening wall. The JB3 is more 6ft letter box slit, the 47Labs Lens a 68" wide screen flat panel. The Hoyts also win out on weight, albeit a hesitant one. This reluctance might be considered a shortcoming in a large room or for a listener with a penchant for hair metal moshing. You have to ask "where do I want to compromise?" This will also depend on choice of amplification.


Choosing a suitable amplifier wasn't as arduous as anticipated. With sensitivity in the high nineties and the revealing nature of the driver, it’s good to know that one isn’t restricted to tubular action. Chochos himself uses a combination of Rega, Red Wine Audio and Blue Note. My Exposure 2010s2 works in drier air than its tubular brothers. An autumn leaf is still a leaf and still beautiful. Once accustomed to I remained thrilled by the Brit integrated as dance partner. Ditto for an Audio Sector Patek. The Hoyts channeled its Gaincard soul with appropriate purity.


For superior vocal depth and treble honey, Louis Chochos newbies require something to wet their whistle. Enter the Trafomatic Aries, a singled-ended EL34 commissioned specifically for this loudspeaker range by Tony Schmidt, Chochos' Australian distributor. Moving from Brit solid-state Exposure to Serb SET—yes SET—with Genesis’ The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway and Peter Gabriel's voice takes half a step forward towards the listening chair. Unexpectedly but as per Schmidt's commission, the single-ended gives up little in bass definition. It isn't solid state bass grip but not far off.


The Aries adds a layer of cream cheese to the Hoyt Bedford Ryvita for smoother sweeter greater depth of flavour. David Byrne's lonely backing vocals to Arcade Fire's homage-ish "Speaking In Tongues" is plain obvious where other speaker and amp pairings might obfuscate his presence. Blink and you’ll miss it. Moreover the Aries brings several qualities that I'd enjoyed at the hands of Weston Acoustics' Troubadour. Hand-made just outside Melbourne by Earle Weston, that push-pull also enjoys hand-wound transformers. Trafomatic's Sasa Cokic would approve. His Aries adds similar pep and sweetness. It's a lighter single-ended that imbues proceedings with spring fresh appeal. Thomas Fehlmann's sampled cymbal rush that closes "Unisize" took on an au naturel shimmer of naked pleasure.