[trianglezerius]

Hello, I just wanted to share my thoughts and feeling on the AK Fest 2008  by audiokarma.org. Audio Karma is basically a website for the vintage enthusiast but the fest had twice as many new gear rooms as vintage, more like a small CES show. A few rooms really stood out to me but really want to talk about one in particular, the Ridge Street Audio Designs room that they proudly shared with Larry Moore of Ultra Fi Times. They were really a great bunch of guys who really enjoyed showcasing there products and loved talking about it to the show attendees. They showed there Sason speakers with Larry Moores new preamp, Dac w/music server, and tube amp. First thing that really caught my eye was there attention to detail, beautiful workmanship. Second thing was how a 12 watt amp could drive a relatively inefficient speaker so easily (86 db I think). The third was a relatively new product by Larry was is new USB Dac that utilizes a MAC PC. It was very impressive, probably the best USB Dac I've heard to date. Overall the system had great frequency balance, very even, and a really good soundstage. It was nice to see all the work that went into the system really pay off into such great sound, my favorite of the show out of 40 rooms. Great job guys, thanks for allowing me to be part of it.

[Robert C. Schult]

Hi Tri'.

Thank You and we're glad you enjoyed your time with our efforts at Akfest. First time out for RSAD at a show and we were fairly pleased with the results. As always it seems, the room and time constraints were an issue. As a result, after talking with Steve, Larry and Eric, I think folks heard only about 40-50% of what that system was capable of. The real magic happened at Eric Hider's (Ehider) place Saturday night after the show. We had a few guests come out to hear the exact same gear in Eric's music room. WOW! It wasn't just awesome - it was a memorable experience.

Anyway, thanks to everyone who stopped by. My experience says Grumpy and crew did a great job and it was a fun show. All permitting, I'm thinking we'll be back next year. Meantime, we're gearing up for RMAF.

Larry Moore of Ultra Fi and his electronics are nothing short of amazing. Amplification was Ultra Fi's Monaco Stereo SET amp at 12 watts a side driving the Sason Ltd. Normally you wouldn't partner a 12 watt SET amp with a dynamic speaker rated at 89 db (not 86 db) but the Monaco is so over-the-top robust while still maintaining delicacy and finesse and with the Sasons being so efficient in their transfer function, the partnering goes way beyond what one would expect - even in Eric's room which is a 25'D x 35'W x 8'H dedicated music room. The Monaco really breaks the traditional SET mold or paradigm.

The DAC is very special too. It's a new product and what was demo'd at the show was a prototype. It's going to get better. Not sure how much I can talk about this unit but in very simple terms, one of it's unique design features is that it's a data "getter" instead of a simple "receiver".

Server was iTunes through a Mac with the settings set to USB Out. Music downloads were high resolution Apple Lossless.

The line stage is new also. It's an Autoformer based unit with a couple of innovative twists. It gets out of the way like nothing else I've heard to date and if there was any loss of dynamics, I couldn't sense it.

All cabling was RSAD's Alethias! Signature or Poiema!!! R-v3 and a new USB cable we've designed with some very forward thinking. Preliminary impressions, comparisons and experiences suggest strongly nothing on the market will touch this cable - we'll see.

So, all in all, great show, lots of great people - Finally got to meet and talk with Jim Salk and Ty Lashbrook... great Gents, and meet some of our customers.

Cheers!

Robert
RSAD

[pardales]

Just a few further reflections about my experience at AKFest:

Until one attends an event like this, where you can move from room to room hearing a variety of systems are you confronted with the idea that there is no truth in audio reproduction. From the different techniques used in recording to amplification and speaker design, not to mention the worlds of digital and analog, we are talking about a fundamentally interpretive enterprise. I have believed this for some time but attending a show like this really drove the point home to me. At best we are talking about interpretation, and for me, more than half the challenge has been finding what interpretations I enjoy.

One more personal reflection: I got tired of asking folks to turn the music down when I would settle down for an extended listen in an exhibitor's room. For me and my listening tastes, a system is best judged by how it sounds at moderate to low volume levels. I understand that others want and need to hear a system at high volume levels. But for me, if it does not sound good a moderate volume level, then it is not going to sound better really loud. There were only a handful of rooms that I went into where the volume wasn't blaring. Food for thought.....

Again, these are my own reflections. The show was very enjoyable to me.

[Wardsweb]

Enjoythemusic.com has put my review on their website.

http://www.enjoythemusic.com/akfest_08/ward/

In addition there are over 200 more pictures I took in the Audiokarma Gallery.

http://www.audiokarma.org/gallery/showgallery.php?cat=3030

Go to the bottom of the page and sort by file name to see them in the correct order.

[yooper]

Here are some more pics of the event.  Pardon my below amateurish pic taking skills.

http://web.mac.com/yatchak/iWeb/Site/AKfest%202008.html

Mark

[Bob in St. Louis]

In addition there are over 200 more pictures I took in the Audiokarma Gallery.

http://www.audiokarma.org/gallery/sh...y.php?cat=3030

Link does not work. 

[bpape]

Nm - I'm an idiot.

[Wardsweb]

In addition there are over 200 more pictures I took in the Audiokarma Gallery.

http://www.audiokarma.org/gallery/sh...y.php?cat=3030

Link does not work. 

My bad, I have fixed it and here it is again:

http://www.audiokarma.org/gallery/showgallery.php?cat=3030

[Bob in St. Louis]

Nm - I'm an idiot.

  Not sure what you mean. Not sure if this is directed at me?? 

My bad, I have fixed it and here it is again:

http://www.audiokarma.org/gallery/showgallery.php?cat=3030

Cool, thanks man.

Bob

[chadh]

Okay, I'm obviously feeling extremely insecure.  But...did anybody else hear the Project T1 speakers in the Classic Audio Reproductions room, driven by the Atma-sphere amps? 





This was the first time I'd ever heard big, huge horn speakers - and I thought they sounded wonderful.  I mean, really amazingly awesome.  But of course, this system was TOTALLY different from anything else I heard at the AK Fest.  In fact, it was totally different from anything I've ever listened to before.  First, the source was vinyl.  Second, the amps were OTL.  Third, the speakers were huge horns.  Fourth, the speakers were using ultra-expensive field coils (whatever that means!).  Anyway, I have no idea what the magic ingredient was, or whether it was the combination.  But this sounded really, really great to me.  And I don't think anybody else has mentioned them (except Wardsweb in his review for Enjoythemusic).

Am I crazy?  Did these not sound amazing?  Or was it just a case that nobody else listened to them?

Chad