Recommended Systems #2: Gauder Akustik, Soulution

A superb simple system. Recommended System #2: Gauder Akustik Capello 100 Loudspeakers: $29,975/pair | review Soulution 331 Integrated Amplifier: $39,975 + $8975 for the option DAC board | review System Total: $78,925 I love a good simple system and my heart beats even faster for a superb simple system that makes music feel vital and alive. With these basic guides in mind, I give you a real winner across the board—the Gauder Akustik Capello 100 speakers paired with the Soulution 331 integrated amp including the optional DAC. Plug 'n play. Just add cables. The Gauder speakers, every pair I've heard which includes the Capello 100, Elargo 200 (review), and the DARC-240 at Axpona 2026 to name a few share a standout quality I highlighted in the Capello review: …I relaxed into the comfy couch and was immediately struck by these speaker's rather uncanny dynamic snap that felt at once more powerful and more focused than I'm accustomed to. I'd call this aspect of the Capello 100's performance rather extraordinary and it made music that much more exciting and startling where the music called for it. Very, very nice. But the Capello 100 are no one trick pony as they also convey music's emotional life by offering a 'just right mix of saturation and dexterity that transforms reproduced music into living energy in room.' Add to all this the Gauder's tunable bass response using the supplied Bass Extension Modules and you can get controlled and friendly-to-your-room response dipping below 30Hz or so according to the specs. My ears and body found the Capello's bass response to be fulfilling. With all those skills you want associated amplification to be able to keep pace, control all that full range snap, while providing clean, clear, and colorful power. All things that describe the Soulution 331 integrated amp. From my review: Regardless of the speakers in play, the Soulution 331 offered stunning transparency, effortless control including Earth-shaking bass, the kind of dynamic performance that made me say 'wow' out loud along with other less PG exclamations, a sound image as solid as real life filled with the sounds of music that were as finely nuanced, detailed, and naturally voiced as I've had the pleasure to live with. One real standout aspect among the 331's many standout qualities is its ability to sculpt finely delineated musical details down to microscopic levels while allowing them to unfold within a believable three dimensional space. And on the 331/Capello 100 combo: With the 331 driving the Gauders into 90dB territory, the physicality of Neubauten's music came across loud and clear with every bit of complexity in sounds, tones, overtones, harmonics, clatter and doom feeling perfectly sculpted in air with real life mass and energy. Stunning. This simple system delivers delicacy, pure energy, excitement, and a very high level of refinement that makes music, any music, nearly impossible to ignore. I'm also a fan of the 331's finely sculpted and sleek looks that are not too flashy yet not too boring / boxy that goes very nicely, on a visual dialog level, with the Gauder's curvy teardrop-shaped cabinets. A simply superb system to grow old with. Optional Add-Ons There is one rub if you're a Roon user and don't want to part with it—the 331's DAC module is not Roon Ready. In keeping with our simple and superb theme, I would get a Grimm MU1, I did, as it can act as a Roon server and Roon endpoint and it's sound quality is on par with the rest of this rig. I used this very same combo/system in my reviews of the 331 and the Gauder Capello. Grimm MU1: $15,681 w/4TB internal storage | review If you already own a Roon server that you love and are looking for a simple dedicated network player, the Holo Audio Red is my go-to recommendation. HoloAudio Red DDC & Network Streamer: $998 | review