CMS Sotto Voce racks are not just vastly less expensive than the rm’s state- of-the-art efforts; they also offer comparable performance in a more tradi- tional and appealing package. The frame and shelves are made of gorgeous Sapele African hardwood (natural or optional black nish) with sturdy metal connections milled from billet aluminum. The sonic improvements are not subtle—bass tightens, transients gain more verve yet maintain better control, rhythms sharpen, and low-level noise plummets. It’s that last factor that opens the soundstage and is key to the SV’s remarkable ability to elicit dimensionality from a recording. Fully upgradeable to accommodate CMS’ upscale array of “ lters” (they replace the stock shelves but are mechanically far more com- plex). The lters provide further noise reduction, while the “purity quotient” takes a sizable jump. Available in three heights, the tallest, at 38″, is a four-tier unit that offers 10″ spacing out of the box yet is easily adjustable.
