The room
This is my 80m² reference listening room — the space where every Best of High End review begins.
7.5.4 Dolby Atmos setup with 4K UST Laser projection.
Acoustical treatment
- Overall first and second reflection treatment (light impact)
- Backwall diffusion panels
- Frontwall diffusion panels
- Ceiling absorption panels (light impact)
- Critical absorption of mid-highs at reference points (medium impact)
- No bass traps
Image
Formovie Theatre 4K UST Laser Projector
Adeo Plano fixed aluminium frame, 240 × 135 cm, 16:9
Adeo Reference White 2 acoustically transparent screen
Amplification
Purifi EVAL-5 mono deluxe power amplifier (3x)
Lyngdorf MXA-8400 8-channel power amplifier
Lyngdorf SDA-2400 power amplifier (2x)
Speakers
Lyngdorf BW-20 passive woofer (3x)
SVS SB17-Ultra R|Evolution active subwoofer (2x)
Sources
R_volution PlayerPro 8K Signature Edition
Cables & infrastructure
Oehlbach Carb Connect Ultra (2x)
Oehlbach Powerstation 909 (2x)
What I’m chasing
I want to be right in the middle of it all — whether it’s a live concert or a film. Right in the middle of the action. That might sound like a slogan. Believe me, it’s a real challenge to actually achieve. I’m a firm believer that acoustic treatment and software-based optimization go hand in hand. Those final, fine details only come out of your room through carefully considered acoustic interventions. It all comes down to being able to project the original acoustics into your own space. That involves two challenges: the reproduction has to stay as close as possible to the original, and your own room has to get in the way of that reproduction as little as possible. Good reproduction starts with the foundation: the bass. The very lowest notes need to be delivered without distortion and with full dynamics — everything else builds on top of that. Hence my unusual setup with 5 (sub)woofers. Every day, I enjoy my own personal sound bubble, defined by dynamics, openness, and naturalness.
Warm / fullCompressedDiffuseSoft / roundCold / clinicalDynamicSharply focusedFast / tightTonal characterDynamicsImaging focusAttackScale per axis012345
0 = center (inner pole) · 5 = outer edge (outer pole) — applies to all four axes.
Publisher Marco Lisi
Marco Lisi is the publisher of Best of High End, part of AV Concepts BV. His path into audio started early: as a teenager he was drawn into the world of free radio, presenting shows and living immersed in music every day. In his early twenties he ran his own production studio for five years, creating jingles and commercials — hands-on training in sound design, pro-audio workflows, and critical listening through studio monitors that still shapes how he evaluates gear today.
He also spent years DJing in clubs before moving into publishing, first at two earlier online magazines before founding Best of High End.
His hi-fi and home cinema passion was inherited from his father, an inveterate system-swapper. Marco’s first setup — a confirmation gift — paired AKAI separates with entry-level Bowers & Wilkins speakers, a brand he stayed loyal to for years as his system grew from stereo into full surround and home cinema. Like many enthusiasts, he went through an extended “audiophile” phase chasing the next upgrade, before settling into a more grounded view: gear as a means to enjoy music and film, not an end in itself.
Years of critical listening have given him a well-trained ear — the ability to characterize a system or pinpoint a change in the chain quickly and accurately. Just as important, his teaching background (a Belgian “regent” degree in Dutch language) gives him the tools to translate those listening impressions into clear, readable writing.
