Germany's Brinkmann made the Standout Room list for our Frankfurt show report in May 2001, and in Las Vegas they impressed again. But this time Brinkmann paired up with Finnish loudspeaker maker Amphion. The presentation was done using both a turntable (Brinkmann's Balance turntable with 10.5 tonearm, $18,000) and CD player (Roksan Kandy KC-1). The result was extremely natural and highly detailed sound that would impress even the most discriminating audiophiles. Powering the impressive Xenon speakers was the Brinkmann Mono amps and Calvin preamplifier. Because both companies are just establishing their presence in North America, pricing is tentative. However, Amphion feels their Xenon speakers will be priced at $3600 in real-wood finishes, while the Brinkmann Mono amps will be approximately $10,000.