Given that the low output could easily result in a thinning of the sound if the phono stage is teetering on the edge, you need to get this right. Correctly aligned and loaded, the Victory is a bit of a surprise package. I was immediately struck by its large and precisely defined sound stage. Images extended well beyond the boundaries of the speakers without losing their correct proportions or body. But it's the combination of that transparency and focus with a wealth of really well integrated information that makes this new ClearAudio so exciting.
Images are beautifully focused and scaled, but they also have the correct character and colour.
The pacing of the electric piano is spot on, as is the fuzzy roundness of its notes. The delicacy of the brushed cymbal work is astonishingly good, for its definition and tonal shade, and for the way its locked in both space and time. It accents the rhythm perfectly. The Victory got the size spot on, and also the wooden raps on its body the squeak of fingers on strings. But it was the way it showed the difference between a single string exciting the body and the richer weight and complexity of a strummed chord that was really impressive.