AudioCircle
The Commercial Zone => Audio Shows and Events => Topic started by: ServerAdmin on 12 Mar 2015, 06:01 pm
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http://theshownewport.com/
May 29-31, 2015
May 29, 2015 – Friday (10AM – 6PM)
May 30, 2015 – Saturday (10AM – 6PM)
May 31, 2015 – Sunday (10AM – 5PM)
The Hotel Irvine
17900 Jamboree Rd (At Route 405)
Irvine, CA 92614
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Does anyone know if Avantgarde will be there and if so what they will be exhibiting? I'm interested in hearing the Zero 1's as I love the look and the reviews all seem to be very positive.
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Avantgarde Acoustics will be represented at the Newport Show by Sound Decisions Audio in room 237 :thumb:
Audio lineup:
Avantgarde Zero 1 Horn System
Lumin A1 Network Player
Ziro Audio (UK) Cabling
(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=120184)
(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=120182)
(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=120183)
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LampizatOr North America will be in attendance in room 1144 featuring our Lite 7 DAC which is basically a bare essentials version of the universally praised Big 7 DAC, which handles both PCM and DSD. I'm listening to one as I write this and there is nothing Lite about it.
Room partners will be Salk Audio featuring their Exotica 3s, Wells Audio featuring their Inamorata Signature and Gingko Audio providing the lovely Danacables as well as our platforms.
Please stop in and see us!
Fred A.
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LampizatOr North America will be in attendance in room 1144 featuring our Lite 7 DAC which is basically a bare essentials version of the universally praised Big 7 DAC, which handles both PCM and DSD.
If it's up there with your Wells team-up in Chicago, this is not to be missed.
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Getting close. Gotta start planning out which rooms to visit as I only get a short visit this year :(
Looking forward to hearing some good sounds!
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Be sure to stop by Rooms 302, 308, 321. :)
Getting close. Gotta start planning out which rooms to visit as I only get a short visit this year :(
Looking forward to hearing some good sounds!
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Be sure to stop by Rooms 302, 308, 321. :)
Planning on it - hoping to hear your new speakers!
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This looks like a great show for those on the West Cost, like me.
I have never heard a LampizatOr DAC and Salk Speakers. :thumb:
Doesn't seem to be a lot of interest for this show on Audiocircle. It looks like a really large event with plenty of vendors.
http://theshownewport.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/THE-Guide-2015.pdf
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(https://scontent-sjc2-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xta1/t31.0-8/11289388_841981859172671_5156112980871266477_o.jpg)
(http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0189/4544/products/red_dragon_4_7b45020d-6a1c-42e7-90f2-6c76a2eb3482_1024x1024.jpg?v=1425509361)
(http://static1.squarespace.com/static/52b20c42e4b07f099f85e8dd/t/55444063e4b0b68214bebcd7/1430536329226/?format=1500w)
(http://static1.squarespace.com/static/52b20c42e4b07f099f85e8dd/t/5514ddbde4b0b69608f94803/1427430861286/2015-03-08-SPATIAL-T-V1-1+4.jpg?format=1500w)
(http://anticables.com/anticables/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/interconnects1.png)
(http://anticables.com/anticables/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/powercords3.png)
(http://anticables.com/anticables/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/slide32.jpg)
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FritzSpeakers in room 410 with Affordable Audio, WyWires, Triode & GIK Please come on by & say HI!
(http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll3/fritzspeakers/CarreraTowersNewport2015_zpsfsbihjew.jpg) (http://s284.photobucket.com/user/fritzspeakers/media/CarreraTowersNewport2015_zpsfsbihjew.jpg.html)
(http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll3/fritzspeakers/CarreraStandMounts840_zpsvic3okas.jpg) (http://s284.photobucket.com/user/fritzspeakers/media/CarreraStandMounts840_zpsvic3okas.jpg.html)
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n/a
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Doesn't seem to be a lot of interest for this show on Audiocircle. It looks like a really large event with plenty of vendors.
It is a geographical problem for me. I would love to attend this show just to see all the different gear combinations. Plus Klaus is bringing Odyssey Audio's new speakers. :o I'm stuck on the east coast here in Florida... :duh:
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Is there a PDF of the show guide we can get? Easier to carry around on my phone!
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Is there a PDF of the show guide we can get? Easier to carry around on my phone!
Not a PDF but snapshots of the program guide maps... Might help.
http://audiofederation.com/blog/2015/05/28/newport-2015-maps (http://audiofederation.com/blog/2015/05/28/newport-2015-maps)
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What rooms are using digital amps this year? I am especially interested in Ncore amps.... Thanks for the help!
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Avantgarde Acoustics will be represented at the Newport Show by Sound Decisions Audio in room 237 :thumb:
Audio lineup:
Avantgarde Zero 1 Horn System
Lumin A1 Network Player
Ziro Audio (UK) Cabling
I liked this room a lot. It sounded very dynamic and smooth. Stevie Ray Vaugn was there with us.
(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=120184)
(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=120182)
(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=120183)
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The Zero 1 is very nice... And dirt simple.... Digital in, and it takes it from there.... And great remote
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Just got home a little while ago and figured I'd write some thoughts and impressions on THE Show. This was my first audio event of any kind outside of visiting a local Salk owner to hear his SS8's so this was very fun for me to have the chance to go and hear quite a few speakers I only get to read about.
I'll first say it feels good to come home and know I don't have to spend any more money because the sound I already have is more than just fine, it's great. However, part of me realizes I could have spent far less to get really good sound thanks to that damn Andrew Jones :cuss: But I'm ok with that because I really like what I have. The show itself was run pretty well from the parking to the food and just in general the nice people I got to meet. Registration could have been a little smoother on Friday as it took over an hour standing in line to get my pass but once I got started I was in another world jumping from room to room.
The thing that surprised me the most I think was how many crappy sounding rooms there were. I had high expectations and maybe that was bad on my part but honestly I think there were only a handful of rooms I could say I could live with. I now know why Tyson and Pez and others tell the exhibitors to use room treatments because holy crap there was a lot of room issues going on.
I'll give what I thought were my favorite four rooms that I kept going back to because well everything else kind of sucked. Obviously this is just my opinion and I know I haven't heard everything but I'd like to think I have a decent ear so here it goes...
- Salk/Lampizator/Gingko/Dana
Salk E3's are everything that everybody says and that's one hell of a speaker. The bass is really incredible and the soundstage was oh so inviting. Jim played the Jazz Variant song and the excursion on the woofers was fun to see. As much as I liked what I heard I in no way feel like I need to sell my SS8's and buy the E 3's. Thank God! It made me realize I really like what I got and that's a good thing. Jim was super nice like everybody has said and it was a real pleasure to finally meet him. Fred and Rob were gracious to let me go through quite a few song choices when I dropped in and really everybody in that room was great to talk to.
- Odyssey/GIK
Well I finally got to meet the man they call Klaus. Everything I've heard is true, he's crazy! And I like that he is. Klaus is one of of those people that even though you just met him, after 15 minutes you feel like you've known him for years. The GIK room with Klaus' standard Kismet speakers sounded absolutely fantastic. So clean and real with all the emotion that I now know why his room gets mentioned for best of show at RMAF. The room with the new speakers sounded great as well even though Klaus drew the short straw when it came to the shittiest room at the hotel. Just an odd shaped room to have to deal with but if there was anybody that could pull it off it was Klaus.
- Herron Audio
This was one of those rooms I could have sat in all day and never felt I was missing anything from the show. The word that kept coming to mind from what I was hearing was "effortless". It was so easy and natural that if there was ever a system that "got out of the way" it was this one. Keith Herron was absolutely a pleasure to talk to. Him and Dan Rosca ran the room and were always accommodating. The speakers were Audio Physic Avanti iii's and they played the Herron equipment beautifully. They played mostly Jazz and Classical but at the end of Saturday they spun some vinyl with Dire Straits Brothers in Arms and it sounded fantastic.
- Elac
It's hard not to say that the star of the show was the Elac room with Andrew Jones going over his latest design with the B5 bookshelf speaker. I think any and everybody who went into this room was completely blown away by what they heard. I saw vendors from other rooms stop in only to pick their jaw up off the floor and retreat. It was that good. Maybe the low expectation of a $229 played a part but honestly it was so captivating and satisfying to hear these speakers that I didn't care what they cost. I don't know what Andrew has up his sleeve for the next series of speakers from Elac but if they're anything like these then I can say Elac is going to be a game changer in audio for years to come.
Notable mentions-
Perla Audio-
Out of Sparx Nevada these guys had a nice sound all around. Little pricey but they played Muddy Waters Folk Singer on vinyl so I was happy.
Sanders Sound Systems-
Spooky realism imaging. Most detailed speaker I heard.
Larsen/GamuT-
Pretty cool speakers with built in absorption. No need for room treatments the way these were designed
Lambert-
From New Zealand these little guys were great. Small speakers with small electronics but big sound.
I'm sure there were plenty more but these came to mind first.
Overall I had a great time and I'm looking forward to another show, possibly RMAF.
-Tom
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So little discussion of T.H.E. Show. It's odd.
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Is everyone so hypnotized at the show? Please post some pictures for us that couldn't make it. :(
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I'm sorry, not too many pix this year, I was too busy trying to hear everything, seeing friends and making new friends. The show this year was a mixed bag for me. The main thing I came away with is it costs SERIOUS money to get great sound and I'm not sure it's possible to get truly great sound reproduction from anything other that a tape or vinyl source. :banghead:
I hate saying that because I've been committed to making digital work for quite a while, but everything I heard at the show that was sourced from digital had a noticeable distortion that I'm not sure how to label. It was most noticeable in big symphonic works, choirs, sustained high violins, all in the upper frequencies, it usually has one or more of the following qualities: glare, peakiness, congestion, hardness/grain, hash, even over-modulation. I talked with many people about this at the show and I got as many opinions, really, everyone had a different take on it. I left unsure what to do next, but with several interesting ideas. Putting that little tantrum aside, there were a lot of really good set ups and a few really outstanding rooms this year. These may not be the best because I didn't get to hear everything in depth, but these are the ones that bowled me over:
Hifi One's room was stunning. You can see most of it on their website, if you look at the reference system: rbhifi1.com. But what really blew my socks off was Arian Jansen's Sonorus tape deck, proximity subwoofer and tapes. The closest thing I can compare it to is the big MBL rooms at these shows, but more realistic and natural. I won't pretend to understand it, but I'll try to give a simplistic description: He takes multi-channel sources and through his own proprietary process creates a two track 1/4 reel-reel tape that produces much of the same effect. I don't know if he can mimic 5.1 discreet channels, but it's more to recreate the ambiance of a hall or auditorium, etc. And it does that convincingly. The soundstage is HUGE. But more than that, everything is right there, no matter how softly or loudly, it's uncannily real. He also has a little 8" subwoofer that isn't used to reinforce or extend bass. He says it's used to "condition" the room. To be honest, I couldn't quite grasp what he was talking about. It had something to do with harmonics. But the result is that the sound presented was reaching our ears in a closer way as if it were live, in that venue.
Purist Audio Design was my second favorite room. They had these little floor standers that pressurized the room perfectly. The digital source had problems to my ear, but the $50,000 turntable into these little monsters was amazing. I think we played some Berlioz? I can't remember, but it was a huge symphonic orchestra and I was as close to a real symphony as I've ever been without actually being there.
Silverline Audio had their Bolero speakers there again and they sounded great again!
Vinnie Rossi had his Lio "all-in-one" box there driving a pair of Harbeth Super HL5 (I think) speakers. It was so good, I was sorely tempted to dump my whole system and just simplify.
Channel Island Audio: Duffy had some prototype bookshelf speakers that were really great looking with some kind of proprietary tweeter with a cool looking waveguide. His room was laid out so simply and elegantly that you could just sit, close your eyes and drift away on the music. Oh, and they sounded fantastic. HUGE presentation, smooth, detailed. I couldn't find anything wrong with this room. Best I've heard from him to date.
Fritz has a new tower speaker that is just as beautiful as his bookshelves. I could have spent a lot of time in that room, it was such an easy listen. They were articulate, yet laid back. They took everything I threw at them and kind of said, "So what else you got?". They sounded great.
I heard the Meridian MQA demo and I'm still not ready to make a judgement on it. I'm not familiar with their speaker system, so I wasn't sure what I was hearing. I liked what I heard and there was certainly something unique in the sound. Whether I was hearing something closer to the Master or as they say, drilling all the way back to the microphones… I'm not sure. I'd need to hear it on my system or one I'm familiar with. I have high hopes for this though. Not so much for the compression, which is great, but more for the promise of actual Master quality.
Merrill Audio was showing off these new bookshelf speakers driven by their Thor mono blocks and they sound far better than they had any right to. Thor is the right name for these amps, they had an iron grip on these speakers. Big, kodachrome (without feeling fake). Only was there a short while, time running out, but really liked this room.
The last room I heard was the Elac room with Andrew Jones new line of speakers. I only heard the little $229 bookshelf and I was gobsmacked! I thought his budget pioneer bookshelf was fine, and a great value for the money. But this one went far beyond that one in sound quality and it's a great looking speaker too. I don't know how he managed to get so much low end, and yet keep it well defined and articulated. I never saw that in that small a box before. And the mids and highs were equally solid. I don't know what he had driving them, but I'd imagine you'd want an amp that can take a firm grip of the speaker. It certainly can take it. That speaker could sell for 1K easily.
My favorites at Headphonium:
Campfire Lyra iem. It had a straight forward, honest presentation. The only fault I could find with it was the bass could be overloaded, but it didn't react badly when it was, it just sort of hit a ceiling.
Danacable had a little side by side comparison for their headphone cable. And yes, their headphone cable gave a smoother presentation and less strenuous than the stock cable. But what was really impressive was the Wells Audio headphone amp. WOW.
Hifiman 400s were sweet, neutral with a warm low end that didn't interfere with the rest. It's a low cost winner
Noble K10 is the first IEM I really love, WOW. The lower cost Savant were very good but the Kaiser 10 had much better detail and the bass was downright seductive.
Questyle DAP, R version... a little big and heavy, but handsome. I actually like the user interface, it reminds me of my first ipod and the sound was quite good on the K10's and not too bad on the Mr. Speaker's Ether cans. I'd probably stick to iem's with it though.
I spent about 30 min. on Friday with the Ragnarok/Yggy stack at the Schiit table with 4 different headphones and I wasn't really feeling it. Nothing objectionable, but nothing to write home about, a little dry, a little lean. But today I spent another 20 min and I think I started hearing what all the fuss is about. There was an ease of presentation and I couldn't find any of the digital gremlins I've been noticing EVERYWHERE lately. I'm assuming the shift came from having enough warm up time. I'm still reserving judgment and need to hear it in my speaker system. But this thing just might be the real deal.
There were so many rooms I just didn't get a chance to listen to. Believe it or not, three days isn't enough.
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Thanks for sharing abernardi.
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Nice write up! Thanks!!
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Marking
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My favorite room was Audio Machina loudspeakers playing Harry Belefonte - Live from Carnegie Hall. It was the first we listened to and the room that all others were measured against. Machined from aluminum and powered by Einstein Mono Blocks fronted by an Air Force One gorgeous turntable. Just perfect.
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Great to see Keith Herron getting some well deserved kudos. He is such a gentleman--quietly building some ruthlessly musical gear while treating his loyal customers with grace and respect. If his gear sounded any less wonderful he would never make it the contemporary hi end scene--not nearly enough hype and bluster.
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Great to see Keith Herron getting some well deserved kudos. He is such a gentleman--quietly building some ruthlessly musical gear while treating his loyal customers with grace and respect. If his gear sounded any less wonderful he would never make it the contemporary hi end scene--not nearly enough hype and bluster.
I told Keith and Dan I had to come back to their room occasionally to recalibrate my ears after going in most of the other rooms at the show. The Herron room had such a pure natural sound that was so easy to listen to I can see why Herron has such loyal followers. Dan talked so highly of Keith and gave me a little background on what a great musical mind he is and how he's incorporated his passion for music and engineering into his products.
I think this forum would be greatly enriched if Herron Audio joined AudioCircle but Keith may not want the extra business. He seemed happy doing what he's doing.
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Wow - over and done with already. Went by too quick this year. Conflict with another event, so only a short run through and I know I missed a bunch of rooms. Hopefully more time next year. I took some photos that I hope to download tomorrow and find out if any of them are worth sharing.
Quick impressions:
While there were many rooms with very impressive setups, there weren't many that I enjoyed the sound being produced. Too cold and analytical. No bass. Colored midrange. Harsh and edgy highs. Poor focus. Sigh.......
Many different issues.
Rooms that I did enjoy:
Odyssey. Klauss had to have had the worst room to deal with, yet he was able to make some magic sounds, albeit from only a very small listening position. And of course he was his usual wonderful, passionate self.
I liked Room 1040 with TAD and Modwright. Very easy to listen to and had a good chat with Dan Wright. One of the few rooms my wife liked.
Angel City's new speakers showed great potential. I liked them more in one room then the other - tough to say why, but I could tell that they have incredible potential. Would love to hear them in a larger room.
Synergistic Research confused the bleep out of me again. I don't understand why there is so much difference with little passive boxes in the room, but there is.
Mixed review in Room 237 with the Avantgarde Zero 1 Horns. I was pretty impressed, Anne, not so much.
Had a nice chat with Andrew Jones in an elevator, but didn't hear the new speakers much - the room was packed. Scary that he recognized me from hanging out in the TAD Rooms so much from previous shows.
May have more time to chime in tomorrow, but right now I'm just plain tired. Between THE Show and the Eggfest (and all the driving......)
Looking forward to the next Newport show and hoping that RMAF comes together for me this year
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Thanks John.
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Seen Around T.H.E. Show Newport 2015:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NotonND9BGA
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From Brent Butterworth:
When I glanced at the Seraphim tower speaker in Angel City Audio's room, it looked too generic to merit a listen -- but as I was surveying the new FiiO products in the nearby XLO room, the pair of Seraphims playing there started to catch my attention. And then I encountered audio writer/raconteur Roger Skoff practically dragging cable manufacturer Ray Kimber into the room to hear them. The dynamics and clarity were simply stunning. The Seraphim starts at $7999/pair in satin black. The pair shown here, which were playing in the Skogrand Cables room, feature piano-finished cocobolo veneer and cost $10,999/pair.
http://soundstageglobal.com/index.php/shows-events/the-show-newport-2015-irvine-usa/186-the-show-newport-2015-features/586-the-show-newport-2015-speakers
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From Brent Butterworth:
When I glanced at the Seraphim tower speaker in Angel City Audio's room, it looked too generic to merit a listen -- but as I was surveying the new FiiO products in the nearby XLO room, the pair of Seraphims playing there started to catch my attention. And then I encountered audio writer/raconteur Roger Skoff practically dragging cable manufacturer Ray Kimber into the room to hear them. The dynamics and clarity were simply stunning. The Seraphim starts at $7999/pair in satin black. The pair shown here, which were playing in the Skogrand Cables room, feature piano-finished cocobolo veneer and cost $10,999/pair.
http://soundstageglobal.com/index.php/shows-events/the-show-newport-2015-irvine-usa/186-the-show-newport-2015-features/586-the-show-newport-2015-speakers
Certainly blows away my photos!
(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=122345)
I thought they were fantastic looking and Anne was blown away. Beautiful! Sounded great too! (but still thought a bigger room would make them shine :green:)
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(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=122352)
Agreed 100% about larger room.
We played the same speakers in Shanghai in a very large conference room and you can tell the Seraphim really excel in a much more vast space.
Thanks J,
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Agreed 100% about larger room.
We played the same speakers in Shanghai in a very large conference room and you can tell the Seraphim really excel in a much more vast space.
Thanks J,
Wow. Congrats Hugh :thumb:
What material are the cones on the Seraphim.
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Thanks.
http://www.madisound.com/loudspeaker_specifications/e0006_t25cf001_datasheet.pdf
Wow. Congrats Hugh :thumb:
What material are the cones on the Seraphim.
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More picture.
(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=122354)
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From Stereophile:
"Angel City Audio CEO Hugh Nguyen was on-hand to introduce me to this outstanding bang-for-the-buck model."
"This was a very full-range experience, with a large rich low-end foundation upon which the sweet mids sat very well indeed."
http://www.stereophile.com/content/sasha-matsons-day-3
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(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=122355)
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Three of my favorite rooms at the show. Call me old fashion but I really liked the flat black Seraphim. Our group was impressed with your new product launch.
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Here you go.
(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=122364)
Three of my favorite rooms at the show. Call me old fashion but I really liked the flat black Seraphim. Our group was impressed with your new product launch.
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And Piano Black.
(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=122365)
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And they keep coming. :)
http://enjoythemusic.com/THE_Show_Newport_2015/VPI_Skogrand_Cables/