If you made it to our open house in April, you caught a preview of what was to come. We had the Maco speakers, Whammerdyne amplification, and the Wattson Audio Madison LE Streamer/DAC on deck, along with an assortment of pieces of my personal collection filling in the gaps. Fast forward a few weeks and the shop is now fully stocked with a complete, reference-quality system for both analog and digital playback. Here’s what’s landed since then:

Benz Micro Cartridges

Benz Micro Ruby Z cartridge mounted on a Thomas Schick tonearm. — Ruby Z on the Blackbird

My introduction to high-end moving coil cartridges came courtesy of the Benz Ebony L, and I’ve been hooked ever since. Benz cartridges are known for their warm, detailed sound and incredibly low groove noise—qualities that made them an easy choice to bring back to Portland.

We’re excited to now offer the Ruby Z and Zebra, both housed in beautifully machined zebrawood bodies and available in high or low output. The Ruby Z borrows its ultra-light, square ruby plate generator from the flagship LPS, offering speed and exceptional responsiveness. The Zebra uses the coil design of Benz’s renowned wood body series, delivering excellent detail and tone at about half the cost of the Ruby.

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More Goodness from Wattson Audio

Emerson Analog DAC

Wattson Audio Emerson Analog Streamer/DAC posing next to an Uno playing card. — Emerson Analog Streamer/DAC

The Madison LE Streamer/DAC made a strong impression, so we brought in its little brother: the Emerson Analog. Roughly the size of a deck of Uno cards, this compact unit delivers big sound. Rich, detailed, and refined, it supports native PCM up to 24/384 and DSD64. It shares the same WM8742 DAC chip and LEEDH lossless volume control as the Madison LE, plus dedicated 44.1 and 48k oscillators for sample rate precision. At under $2K, it’s an outstanding choice for both main rigs and desktop setups.

Madison Amplifier

Unveiled April 4 and demoed at AXPONA with the $45K Magico S3 (a notoriously demanding speaker), the Wattson Madison amplifier didn’t break a sweat. This 50-watt Class A/B amp uses a pair of bipolar output transistors per side and offers authoritative drive and musicality. It’s a superb match with the Macarias speakers and a welcome addition to our demo system.

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Dr. Feickert Analogue: Blackbird in Flight

Dr. Feickert Blackbird in high gloss Tineo finish, including Thomas Schick tonearm and Benz Ruby Z — Dr. Feickert Blackbird

Just a day after the Benz shipment, FedEx dropped off the heavyweight: the Dr. Feickert Blackbird, now spinning in the shop with a Thomas Schick tonearm and the Benz Ruby Z. It’s wired through a Lundahl all-silver step-up transformer and the Sunvalley EQ1616D phono stage.

The result? Dead quiet background, refined textures, and punch that hits like a live set. I was playing Masterpieces by Ellington while writing this and had to pause during “The Tattooed Bride” to take in the clarinet solo. Then “Vagabond” hit and I nearly jumped out of my seat. And that’s with a cartridge still in its first hour of break-in.

We’re excited to have rounded out the lineup and look forward to sharing our experiences with you in person. Feel free to give us a call, text or email if you’d like to schedule a demo.

New in the Shop