[vinyl_lady]

I noticed quite a bit of coverage of the following site sponsors:

AudioKinesis Loudspeakers
Daedalus Audio
Emperical Audio
GR Research
ModWright Instruments
Odyssey Audio
Red Wine Audio
Salk Signature Sound
Selah Audio
Virtue Audio

[ltr317]

I noticed quite a bit of coverage of the following site sponsors:

AudioKinesis Loudspeakers
Daedalus Audio
Emperical Audio
GR Research
ModWright Instruments
Odyssey Audio
Red Wine Audio
Salk Signature Sound
Selah Audio
Virtue Audio

I would also add:
Bryston,
Von Schweikert

There are also RM coverage on the individual manufacturer's circle.  I've posted on several of those circles.  This thread is really about the entire show, regardless whether a manufacturer has a AC circle or not. 

[Tyson]

Wayner, if you don't like the coverage that we (collectively) have worked pretty hard to put up here, you are welcome to do it yourself at the next show.  Personally, I think we hit a LOT of AC manufacturers.  Is there anyone in particular that we missed that you would liked to have seen?

[jtwrace]

Wayner, if you don't like the coverage that we (collectively) have worked pretty hard to put up here, you are welcome to do it yourself at the next show.  Personally, I think we hit a LOT of AC manufacturers.  Is there anyone in particular that we missed that you would liked to have seen?

  I think I can answer this one....The AVA / Salk room that has had multiple mentions in TAS. 

[JDUBS]

One thing I've noticed (or lack of) is that if you are going to cover a show under the badge of "Audiocircles", you might want to pamper those site sponsors that actually pay the bills. I've have notice a rather lack of site sponsor coverage, but rather those that have nothing to do with the Audiocircles.

Just making a point.

Wayner

What point are you trying to make?  I don't follow.  Don't like the coverage, don't read the posts.

-Jim

[Tyson]

I did cover the AVA Salk room in my Saturday post.

[TheChairGuy]

I think it only fair that site sponsors get at least some coverage. If anyone, Tyson or Pez or who ever is going to cover a show and call it Audiocircle coverage, then I (as a contributing member) expect that every contributing member (manufacturer) get at least fair coverage. While I did enjoy the job the boys did, It was not fair and balanced to those manufacturers that have paid homage to the circles.

Wayner,

No one gets paid for this coverage and we're free to mention and cover who we want. I don't understand the nature of your gripe here

Earlier in the opus / topic or in another I mentioned the room I thought best in show...and it happened to be a non-sponsor (as there were many more non sponsors than sponsors at the show this should not be so out-of-the-ordinary). 

The runner-up to me happened to be a sponsor (Purity Audio).  Sorry, but the AVA room sounded good, but not exceptional.  I respect Frank a lot and wanted to like it and I only mildly enjoyed it.

Certainly, his hi-fallutin' claim that his newest Hybrid DAC obsoleting vinyl was not at all in evidence. Competent, yes, but it didn't obsolete vinyl in there

Personally, I wanted to avoid overt mention of Audio by van Alstine or any sight sponsor at AudioCircle that I wasn't thrilled with.  But, you now asked for coverage of Audio by van Alstine and you've been given it.

In summary: the AVA room (on Friday) sounded competent, not kinetic, exciting or thrilling.  I think it was only about $7,500-$8,000 total for all the products listened to - so the reasonable price was considered and was a pittance next to many - but, I heard a couple other rooms with product priced less that was as good to my ears.

Those two rooms happened to be other site sponsors if you feel they've been slighted too...they were Odyssey Audio and Grant Fidelity.

Sorry, but there you have it - my honest and actual appraisal of the AVA room at RMAF 2010.

John

[JohnR]

Actually Purity and Grant are not site sponsors

[Bill Baker]

Purity is not a site sponsor only because it is a newer company. I have been speaking with my partners regarding this as we find AC to be an exceptional site and I am very interested in possibly getting back to becoming a site sponsor but now with Purity Audio design but this is not a decission I can make on my own any longer. We'll see

Now back to our regular scheduled RMAF coverage by Audio Circle members

[NekoAudio]

The veneer on the Acoustic Zen Crescendo speaker at RMAF is satin Rosewood,same as the pair set up here.  We have several new finishes becoming available as well as this beautiful Rosewood...  Piano Black,  Piano Redwood, and more..

Do you know when their web site will be updated with the additional finishes?

[James Romeyn]

One thing I've noticed (or lack of) is that if you are going to cover a show under the badge of "Audiocircles", you might want to pamper those site sponsors that actually pay the bills. I've have notice a rather lack of site sponsor coverage, but rather those that have nothing to do with the Audiocircles.

Just making a point.

Wayner

Overall, I'd agree more of the coverage was for non-sponsors than sponsors, but I read every post and saw what seems like decent (or more than decent) sponsor coverage. 

The overall coverage here is exceptionally wonderfully fine! 

Do you know when their web site will be updated with the additional finishes?

Especially  for a floorstander (for various reasons I prefer monitors/multiple subs) I heartily endorse the Crescendo's overall size and proportions; it's a well-balanced look.   
 

[standub]

Ok so I thought I could hit everything I wanted to if I just went all day Sunday.  I was wrong, boy was I rushing at the end just to hear some rooms for a min or two.   So i'll post the rooms I remember most in about the order I saw them.

Selah Audio






I first made my way quickly to Rick's room for my first listen of Selah speakers, and boy did it live up to what I was hoping for.  Also he was using some of my favorite amps, ICE amps (in the form of Red Dragon here).  The RAAL lives up to reputation as just being very very good, the cymbals on my test track sounded like the real thing.  The only thing I was missing was the SS revelator woofer which I still think is a better driver than the new illuminator.   The pre-amp had a rather cool volume indicator on it; the red circle around what I believe is the on button.


PS Audio






So I waited about 10 minutes to hear anything in this room as their $3000 disc player choked on a guys DVD audio disc and wasn't ejecting it. Any ways the girl working the place just let me have the Ipad and use the Perfect Wave Dac and some computer storage to listen to music.  Which is good seeing as how that's what I wanted to check out.  I have to say it's a pretty sweet music server set up, and thankfully she informed me that a more reasonable $1500 version of this will be coming out soon.  And if you're wondering about the sound coming out of those funky looking speakers.......well it was funky, not sure why they would pick those.

AudioKinesis/Neko Audio






I figured no one else would take a shot of the side set up on Duke's new speaker so I snapped one.  This was my first time hearing wave guide speakers, and I've got to say they were pretty good.  Tone wise I think they matched anything I heard at the show.  I wasn't getting great imaging, I think these guys need a bigger room.  In fact I would love to hear them in a larger room.

E.A.R. USA




The curious case of accutron drivers.  So after hearing so much about these drivers I had to stop in to hear them for myself.  This was the first room to be using them.  There was already some one in here listening to a great jazz clarinet track.  I was blown away at how good it sounded, then again these cost over $20,000 so they should.  The funny part is that for the rest of the day I thought all the other accutron speakers I heard were just ok, not sure what it was about this room that made them sound so great. *puts on flame suit* Also this is the only room where I didn't wonder why the hell any one would spend so much money on a turn table.

ModWright/Daedalus
My first time hearing either of these companies gear, and wow was it good.  I can't really think of any good descriptions other than these sounded right.  If I was a two channel guy and not a home theater guy I could easily live with this set up for the rest of my life.

Gamut






Last year Gamut had their $90,000 S9s in one of the large ballrooms, I felt these where by far the best speakers there.  This year they had the more reasonable, "only" $30,000 S5s.  So there is one large guy sitting in the room who puts on Money For Nothing and proceeds to play it very very loudly.  And once again I think these are my favorite speaker of the show, minus the Vandy 7s, which are the best speaker ever .  After the song is over I start talking to him only to find out it's Lars Goller, yes the man who designed the ScanSpeaker revelator.  Not only is this guy super smart but very friendly, and I ended up talking to him for about half an hour.  For most of which he explained why the revelator is better than the illuminator and how Tymphany is run by idiots.

DEQX/Legend


Not going to say much other than i'm buying two of the DEQX express's for my home theater.  This is far and away the best add on ever.  It made some rather simple(ok very well made but still simple) speakers compete with any of the super expensive big boys IMHO.

Fritz Speakers
At this point I'm starting to rush to try to hit every thing I wanted to see so I didn't get any pics.  Wow Fritz is a great guy first off.  He said he loved discovering new music at these shows, well it's a good thing I had my Alex Skolnick Trio track with me, he liked it quite a bit.  I have to say I was a bit worried at first seeing a soft dome tweeter and no rounding on the edges of the speaker.  Then the music started to play and wow these thing threw the best image and sound stage of the show for me.  I could close my eyes the speakers seemed to disappear into the room.   However I was still missing some detail due to the soft dome tweeter.  While talking to him before leaving he mentioned he has some RAAL lying around that he hadn't gotten to yet.  If he brings those next year, his maybe the first room I go to.

Bryston/PMC
So walking down the hallway a few doors down from Fritz's I heard some the best bass i've heard at the show and rushing to this room.  PMC has it's FACT 3 and 8 showing and I can't believe how small they are for the bass I just heard.  After a few seconds of chit chat I found out the PMC guys are metal heads as well, so they break out their stash of metal CDs.  I spend the next few minutes listening to some of the best sound metal i've heard, I mean you can not believe the bass these things put out.  Finally they inform me that the 3's are $8000 and the 8's are $10000, this is when I went from thinking about buying these to wondering who the hell was going to buy these things at this price point.

Salk Sound
I finally make my way down stairs to the ball rooms to hear one of my most anticipated speakers of the show; the SoundScape 12s!  As some other have said here, something was up with this room.  I listen for a while and start to think I recall the Song Towers and HT2's sounding better than this.  I know Jim and Dennis wouldn't have spend all this time on a speaker that doesn't sound as good as their lower offerings.  So I ran over to the Salk room with the other speakers, and sure enough, to me they sounded better than the SoundScapes.  I can't say what was up with that.

Other stuff that I didn't spend that much time on.

The good: Joesph Audio/Ayre
                 GR Research
                 Marantz
                 Von-Schweikert
                 Vandersteen
                 Tyler/Plinus
                 Bamberg Audio

The good but over priced: Wilson
                                          Nola
                                          Focal/Accuphase
                                          JBL Everest
                                          Win/Rockport
                                          Magico
                                          Acapella

The harsh: Zu Audio
                  YG Acoustics
                  Revel/Mark Levinson

The just plain bad: Coincident, did any one really like this???

[Big Red Machine]

Other stuff that I didn't spend that much time on.

The good: Joesph Audio/Ayre
                 GR Research
                 Marantz
                 Von-Schweikert
                 Vandersteen
                 Tyler/Plinus
                 Bamberg Audio

The good but over priced: Wilson
                                          Nola
                                          Focal/Accuphase
                                          JBL Everest
                                          Win/Rockport
                                          Magico
                                          Acapella

The harsh: Zu Audio
                  YG Acoustics
                  Revel/Mark Levinson

The just plain bad: Coincident, did any one really like this???

I agree with your assessments.  And I didn't like the Coincident speakers either.  It's so hard to go into a room and you hear the speakers but you are not sure what the other gear is doing to the sound if you have never owned any of it before.

[K Shep]

It was great to meet a few of my fellow AC members.

One day is not enough, especially not Friday (only 6 hours). 

Pez and Tyson thanks for getting this thread started.  Looks like a lot more activity this year than last!  Congrats.  I think its a better approach to walk the show as a spectator rather than a journalist 

[sts9fan]

I think it only fair that site sponsors get at least some coverage. If anyone, Tyson or Pez or who ever is going to cover a show and call it Audiocircle coverage, then I (as a contributing member) expect that every contributing member (manufacturer) get at least fair coverage. While I did enjoy the job the boys did, It was not fair and balanced to those manufacturers that have paid homage to the circles.

Wayner

A) Life ain't fair
B) pretty sure these dudes arn't paid or representing audiocircle (if they are I want in)
C) I think AC companies have gotten TOO MUCH coverage.  That said, who am I to say what they cover?  Just say it, you do not think AVA got the coverage you think it should.
D) Just try giving yourself awards for "Best in Show".  It seems to work for others 

[jtwrace]

D) Just try giving yourself awards for "Best in Show".  It seems to work for others 

   So true...

[K Shep]

From left to right, Nuance (Brandon), Stewart (Stew), Pez (Jason) and Tyson (Tyson)

[cujobob]

A) Life ain't fair
B) pretty sure these dudes arn't paid or representing audiocircle (if they are I want in)
C) I think AC companies have gotten TOO MUCH coverage.  That said, who am I to say what they cover?  Just say it, you do not think AVA got the coverage you think it should.
D) Just try giving yourself awards for "Best in Show".  It seems to work for others 

Have to agree with this.  These guys can talk about any speakers they want...they can also say nothing at all, is that any better?

[Pez]

See last year Tyson and I tried our damnedist to cover ALL the AC manufacturers and still failed. This year we left it up to the people to not only cover what they want when they want, but also to actually be honest and give their opinion about the sound of things (unlike last year when we pussyfooted all over the place and were completely disingeniuous) Now people are angry about lack of coverage of certain things. You know what? Come to the show and STFU. You want an honest opinion that you can trust? Nothing works like your own. I'm just glad to see that, just like Tyson and I, people who attended have opinions (sometimes strong ones!) one way or the other.

[TomS]

See last year Tyson and I tried our damnedist to cover ALL the AC manufacturers and still failed. This year we left it up to the people to not only cover what they want when they want, but also to actually be honest and give their opinion about the sound of things (unlike last year when we pussyfooted all over the place and were completely disingeniuous) Now people are angry about lack of coverage of certain things. You know what? Come to the show and STFU. You want an honest opinion that you can trust? Nothing works like your own. I'm just glad to see that, just like Tyson and I, people who attended have opinions (sometimes strong ones!) one way or the other.

Well said Jason and thanks to both you and Tyson, among others, for captioned pics. 

I decided to be lazy and didn't want to screw around with pictures this year.  Plus I'm a very lousy photographer.  As you know, it's hard enough getting around to everything you want to see yourself (not for others) without stopping for poses and such.  I was more worried about getting a chance in the sweet spot with my demo disc.  I know, I'm selfish   

Thank you both again for taking the time and showing candor, like it or not.  Well done.