Notes struck hard cannon from the speakers then decay into the recorded acoustic, and that's as true of Anne-Sophie Mutter's impassioned violin playing on her Berlin Recital disc as Charlie Haden's crisp bass on the Ginger Baker Trio's Falling off the Roof. Bill Frisell's guitars are striking on the trio's disc, whether we're talking the gentle acoustic of Our Spanish Love Song or his electric duet with Jerry Hahn on Sunday at the Hillcrest. Cymbals are a little splashier than we'd like, but the relaxed, confident skinmanship, well up in the mix, will bring a smile to anyone who gets off on drumming. Spin Prince's 'back on form if at least a disc too long' three-CD Emancipation set, crank the amp up and it keeps the rhythms gutsy and clean. On the jazzy Courtin' Time the big band backing has a glorious drive, while the harmonies snake around The Artist as he does his 'Boogic-Woogie Bugle Boy' bit.
Every nuance is readily apparent, and the backing musicians sound just knockout.
This amp has no shortage of rivals, not least Verity's own Cyros IIIi and Quad 77 integrateds. But the Caspian's big, warm sound, real-world ability with tricky speakers and attractive styling should see it do very well.