VTL • TP-6.5 Series II Signature Phono Stage $15,000 Review

https://www.theaudiobeat.com/equipment/vtl_tp65_ii_signature.htm

What is less obvious is the way that instrumental substance and intent contribute to the weight of the musical performance, the clear understanding of what is being played, but, more importantly, why. Why did anybody think this music was worth writing, playing or recording? The TP-6.5 II makes playing records more than just an academic, matter-of-fact exercise. It reveals when (and revels in) a performer who is more than simply going through the motions. It rewards the listener in turn — and it does so regardless of genre or scale. I’ve concentrated on the individual in describing this unit’s performance, but don’t overlook the cohesive, musical coherence it brings to proceedings. The notion of a choir all singing from the same song sheet, or of the orchestra as instrument, are vividly embodied by the VTL. Whether it is the quicksilver brilliance of Mozart Divertimenti or the sparse soundscape of RVW’s Sinfonia Antarctica, the TP-6.5 II imbues the performance with both presence and purpose — as well as the Antarctic landscape with a stark and bleak chill,