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  • AXPONA 2016 - Chicago : 15 Apr 2016 - 17 Apr 2016

AXPONA 2016 April 15-17

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jtwrace

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Re: AXPONA 2016 April 15-17
« Reply #80 on: 18 Apr 2016, 02:25 pm »
What was the LIO configuration that Tom brought?  Which amps were used?

Thanks,

Randy
Tom has the AVC/Tube, Mosfet Amp, Dac and phono.

jab

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Re: AXPONA 2016 April 15-17
« Reply #81 on: 18 Apr 2016, 02:32 pm »
Best sounds at the show IMO and in no particular order-Von Schweikert/VAC-Elac-Gershman/Lamm-Gamut-DCS/Dynaudio/Aurender-Endeavor/Audio Alchemy-Aurum Cantus-live performances.  The Aurender servers and music players were everywhere.  Worst sound of the show= nightmare room interaction and the chatter that occurred btwn reps and a single audience member while the music played. 

mr_bill

Re: AXPONA 2016 April 15-17
« Reply #82 on: 18 Apr 2016, 02:35 pm »
Best sounds at the show IMO and in no particular order-Von Schweikert/VAC-Elac-Gershman/Lamm-Gamut-DCS/Dynaudio/Aurender-Endeavor/Audio Alchemy-Aurum Cantus-live performances.  The Aurender servers and music players were everywhere.  Worst sound of the show= nightmare room interaction and the chatter that occurred btwn reps and a single audience member while the music played.

Hi Jab
What Dynaudio model was playing?

roscoeiii

Re: AXPONA 2016 April 15-17
« Reply #83 on: 18 Apr 2016, 02:51 pm »
Also agree that the ATC were underwhelming, which was odd since I have heard their active speakers sound amazing. I want to heard them again in Music Direct's showroom. I was also disappointed in the PSB T3, which I had heard sound great at a previous show (AXPONA 2015, IIRC). They are another that I will revisit in a dealer's showroom. I'd recommend not basing opinions of either on how they sounded at AXPONA.

I was surprised by how good the Harbeth 40.2s sounded in the LIO room set up by Vinny. Last time I'd heard them in that size room, they over-dominated it. Great set-up job to make them sound great in such a small space.

Now time to start playing with my new Chord Mojo!!

jab

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Re: AXPONA 2016 April 15-17
« Reply #84 on: 18 Apr 2016, 03:07 pm »
Hi Jab
What Dynaudio model was playing?

 It was the small stand mounted Confidence C1 Platinum ($8750). Powered by the Octave V80 SE Integrated ($10900) Aurender A10 ($5000) and N100H ($2700) with the dCS Debussy DAC. Cables were the Nordost Valhalla 2.  A Clearaudio Innovation Basic was present, but I didn't hear it in use.  One of the few rooms I didn't want to run out of and in fact was VERY musical. 

roscoeiii

Re: AXPONA 2016 April 15-17
« Reply #85 on: 18 Apr 2016, 03:09 pm »
It was the small stand mounted Confidence C1 Platinum ($8750). Powered by the Octave V80 SE Integrated ($10900) Aurender A10 ($5000) and N100H ($2700) with the dCS Debussy DAC. Cables were the Nordost Valhalla 2.  A Clearaudio Innovation Basic was present, but I didn't hear it in use.  One of the few rooms I didn't want to run out of and in fact was VERY musical.

Agreed that it was a nice sounding room. Liked it better than other Dynaudio I heard at the show. Those and the Joseph Pulsars (not at the show this year) are some great options if one wants to spend that kind of money on standmount speakers.

jab

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Re: AXPONA 2016 April 15-17
« Reply #86 on: 18 Apr 2016, 04:12 pm »
not to change the subject but what music artists recording demo offered great dynamics and image float that you might use in your own system?   Isn't Shazzam great!

Mine were (excluding the usual Dire Straits, Keith Don't Go, Steely Dan, etc);

No Sanctuary Here-Chris Jones

Bass and Drum Intro-Neils Lofgren

Open Me Slowly-Rena Jones

Use Me-Junior Wells

Down In The Hole-John Campbell

Odal3

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Re: AXPONA 2016 April 15-17
« Reply #87 on: 18 Apr 2016, 05:08 pm »
What a nice day I had at Axpona on Sunday. Came excited and left with a smile and some tired ears. Here are some early impressions and I will upload some pictures later and yes, I caught some good ones of AC industry contributors "dancing" :-)

This was my first show ever, but after taking Tyson and Pez' entry level course in attending audio shows over the last few years, I felt properly prepared. I'm now even more amazed how they could cover so much ground and do the live write ups.

It turned out Sunday was a perfect day to attend with easy access to the best chair in most rooms. If you only have one day to attend - go on Sunday. Not only that, show up early and use the pre opening hours to go to the headphone room. They were welcoming me and my friend early with open arms and by the time of the official opening time, we had listened to most headphone setup of interest and were ready for the speaker rooms. Plus listening first to headphones set a really good reference level to compare the big stereo systems with.

Surprise numer 1: I actually really liked headphones. 
Problem number 1: of course I liked one of the more expensive one combined with an expensive dac/ amp the best.

Surprise number 2: high end portable audio interfaces suck. Even the vendors said, let's not use that one because the user interface is too clunky and hard to use.

Surprise 3: I probably could have guessed this one but since I'm new to headphones, I didnt realize that stock cables are that poor. Dana cables had a stock cable vs. their own cable A/B test and the difference was enormous. It was kind of going up one price level in headphones by just swapping the cable.

There was also a big difference in performance depending of the amps/dacs used. Interestingly, one or two of true headphone vendors in the room didn't have any good dac/amps (and one other even had an AVR) so they kind of undersold the performance. But I guess it worked out OK anyways, since they loaned out multiple models to the booths that had the good set ups.

After ticking off the headphones, our strategy was to avoid any rooms with loud music or too much hifi sounding analytical high frequencies to save our ears as long as possible. In other words, we skipped all the super expensive systems until the very last which was a good move. After having just attended one day, I will now call BS on anyone claiming they can hear micro detailed differences of specific equipment used after three days that some reviewers seems to be able to extract. Yes, you'll definitely hear the character of the System/room set up, what you like or dislike of the system/room , but that was pretty much the only  things at least my untrained ear could distinguish after a couple of hours. After hitting the loud rooms in the afternoon it started to feel the same thing as barhopping trying out different beers. Big difference in the beginning and in the end it all seems to be mixed together.

Scratching my head number 1: one of the double refrigerator sized speakers had so much cabinet vibration they had put multiple pillows underneath and behind.  This was clearly visible to the audience. It vibrated kind of like an old washing machine during the rinse cycle. First of all, why does a speaker costing that much even have that poor vibration and if it does, why wouldn't the vendor come better prepared? Isn't the goal to actually inspire sales? I need to look up the name.

I need to continue the write up later, so to round it off, here is my Best thing of the show: The absolutely best thing was the opportunity to meet and talk to the designers themselves which probably is also the reason I found most of the smaller vendor's room more engaging.

To be continued.

jab

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Re: AXPONA 2016 April 15-17
« Reply #88 on: 18 Apr 2016, 05:08 pm »
I especially enjoyed the Legends of High-End Audio moderated by Jim Hannon from TAS and featured a discussion by Dan D'Agostino, Kevin Hayes from VAC, Frank Van Alstine and Dave Wilson from of course, Wilson Audio.  Paul McGowan was supposed to be a speaker but he was stranded at the Denver Airport (snow storm).   The discussion topics included how they got their start and the future of hi-end.. 

jtwrace

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Re: AXPONA 2016 April 15-17
« Reply #89 on: 18 Apr 2016, 05:12 pm »
the future of hi-end..
What's the future of high end?  Did they all agree? 

Odal3

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Re: AXPONA 2016 April 15-17
« Reply #90 on: 18 Apr 2016, 05:17 pm »
I especially enjoyed the Legends of High-End Audio moderated by Jim Hannon from TAS and featured a discussion by Dan D'Agostino, Kevin Hayes from VAC, Frank Van Alstine and Dave Wilson from of course, Wilson Audio.  Paul McGowan was supposed to be a speaker but he was stranded at the Denver Airport (snow storm).   The discussion topics included how they got their start and the future of hi-end..

And that's probably one of the reason to not only go one day since I missed all the interesting seminars. Did they tape it? Hope they did.

jab

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Re: AXPONA 2016 April 15-17
« Reply #91 on: 18 Apr 2016, 05:29 pm »
What's the future of high end?  Did they all agree?

One only need to look around the room at the demographics to realize that it could get bumpy (majority Middle Aged white men). But the prevailing truth and goal was, to remain passionate about the music and to continue the technical search to bring the recorded experience as live to you, in the comfort of your living room.

Yes, they were recording the hour or so long talk.. I'm sure it'll pop up on utube or avshowrooms at some point.

opnly bafld

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Re: AXPONA 2016 April 15-17
« Reply #92 on: 18 Apr 2016, 10:08 pm »
Also agree that the ATC were underwhelming, which was odd since I have heard their active speakers sound amazing.

ATC SCMs are not a "wow" in the showroom and hate them a month later speaker, they are a speaker that you appreciate more and more as you listen to them.*  IME, as with all good speakers, amplification can make a significant difference.


*of course no speaker fits everyone's taste and preferences  :wink:

roscoeiii

Re: AXPONA 2016 April 15-17
« Reply #93 on: 18 Apr 2016, 10:18 pm »
ATC SCMs are not a "wow" in the showroom and hate them a month later speaker, they are a speaker that you appreciate more and more as you listen to them.*  IME, as with all good speakers, amplification can make a significant difference.


*of course no speaker fits everyone's taste and preferences  :wink:

Actually, I really liked the smaller passive ATCs last year, and am not sure why the room this year didn't sound as good. Sometimes larger speakers work against us in small rooms.

opnly bafld

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Re: AXPONA 2016 April 15-17
« Reply #94 on: 18 Apr 2016, 10:23 pm »
What speakers were they showing?

roscoeiii

Re: AXPONA 2016 April 15-17
« Reply #95 on: 18 Apr 2016, 10:28 pm »
What speakers were they showing?

The Active 40s.

Folsom

Re: AXPONA 2016 April 15-17
« Reply #96 on: 18 Apr 2016, 11:37 pm »
ATC's room was so fatiguing I lasted maybe 30 seconds, maybe only 10.

opnly bafld

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Re: AXPONA 2016 April 15-17
« Reply #97 on: 18 Apr 2016, 11:56 pm »
ATC's room was so fatiguing I lasted maybe 30 seconds, maybe only 10.

Can't speak for the 40As, but the Passive HiFi series certainly aren't fatiguing.

Folsom

Re: AXPONA 2016 April 15-17
« Reply #98 on: 19 Apr 2016, 01:37 am »
I'm not making a proclamation that it was the speakers. I just couldn't be in the room.

In fact I think speakers are almost always the innocent ones when it comes to fatigue.

goskers

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Re: AXPONA 2016 April 15-17
« Reply #99 on: 19 Apr 2016, 01:48 am »
Foot in mouth evident on next page.