Audiocircle member RMAF 2010 show coverage.

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Occam

Re: Audiocircle member RMAF 2010 show coverage.
« Reply #360 on: 20 Oct 2010, 07:08 pm »
What do you mean by 'we', Kimosabae?   :o

James Romeyn

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Re: Audiocircle member RMAF 2010 show coverage.
« Reply #361 on: 20 Oct 2010, 08:24 pm »
Its amazing that we equate things to certain level of 'whatever'

....2. Digital - cold, harsh , on and off, bits so this equates to hard, harsh, solid state sound etc not so elegant....

It's so obvious, so very obvious, it doesn't even need to be said, but I'll say it anyway...those little pointy ends to the "bits" have very very sharp edges, leading, obviously, to that "digital" sound effect, every single time.  It's an inherent flaw.   

...I could go on and on...and I am really laughing here...are we human beings so gullible??

and yes I am human as well!!

What a wonderful pastime!!

All the best
Alex
 :D

Roger, that!

django11

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Re: Audiocircle member RMAF 2010 show coverage.
« Reply #362 on: 20 Oct 2010, 08:57 pm »
I will add my thanks as well for the coverage.  Thank you for giving the facts as you see them and for taking a few shots because you were not diplomatic enough.   :thumb:

Bill Baker

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Re: Audiocircle member RMAF 2010 show coverage.
« Reply #363 on: 20 Oct 2010, 09:29 pm »
I have been in RMAF since the beginning and even when I was a site sponsor, I always enjoyed the coverage of the event as a whole. I think the title says it all. AC members covering RMAF for all to see.

I enjoy the feedback providing by AC members on the overall show as not everyone can make it there and even those who attended are not able to visit every room.

 I wish I was able to listen to more rooms but did get around to a few of the AC based manufacturers and enjoyed meeting them all.

It was a pleasure to meet in person and even hang out with a few of the AC based manufacturers as well as those who are known here.

Danny - GR research
Jim Salk and his wife - Salk Sound
Albert VonSchweikert - (only got to the VR33 room but did meet up with Cor)
John - Bent Audio
Hugh - Angle City Audio
Mr and Mrs. Ninja
Dan - ModWright
Lou - Daedalus Audio
Wayne - Bolder Cable

I wish I could have gotten around to all of them.


Big Red Machine

Re: Audiocircle member RMAF 2010 show coverage.
« Reply #364 on: 20 Oct 2010, 10:32 pm »
I took very few photos and finally have some time and restored internet to post a few.



The units woodsyi DIDN'T purchase from Bill.  They are beautiful.  Much more substantial in person than photos relay.   A really nice sounding room although too dark to see anything in there guys.






I really enjoyed these JBL's with the vertical midrange horn and the horizontal tweeter horn molded into the same subassembly.  I was in here twice and the first time they were playing a Spanish Flamenco song and the heel pounding was very realistic.  Almost scary realistic.  Impressive amounts of bass as well.  See woodsyi's feet?



Those JBL's were driven by the Audio Valve preamp that was on my short list a month ago.  Very sexy and well built.



Analog folks - how'd you miss this?  Probably better question is how I found this.



Mike Garner (tweekgeek) had this soon-to-be-released Synergistic research 4 outlet Tesla box out for viewing.





Bamboo enclosure, carbon fiber baffle, ribbon tweeters, and barbecue grill - what else could you ask for?



A color in my future.....





The First Sound preamp in with Daedalus speakers and one of top 5 rooms.  One of these pre's is on sale on Audiogon right now.




I loved these Kaiser speakers.  Filled the room with sound.  In my top 5, maybe even #2.  $60,000 and made from 30 mm of Ironwood compressed at 2000 psi and injected with resin under that pressure.  Dense?  Uh-huh!



I thought these Audio Physics sounded very good for the money.  I sat through 2 tunes cuz it was nice and I was tired.

adydula

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Re: Audiocircle member RMAF 2010 show coverage.
« Reply #365 on: 20 Oct 2010, 10:34 pm »
Hey  Occam...well I guess there has to be at least one person that really knows the truth!!

James, I have had a USB attached digital bit scrubber made in China in line in my system since the late 1980's. If I unhook it the cats in the neighborhood start this 'God" awful wailing sound...maybe they know something as well??

I could not make RMAF, I lost my job this year, and I am in the ranks of the underemployed now, but I join djano11 in thanking everyone for all the pictures and what I would call your opinions as you state them, facts??? well i dont prescribe to things made of metal that move air necseesailry sound metallic!!  I will ask the cats later..

Smile

Alex
 :D


vinyl_lady

Re: Audiocircle member RMAF 2010 show coverage.
« Reply #366 on: 20 Oct 2010, 10:40 pm »
Hey Pete,

I did not miss it. He said he bought it at a garage sale for 30 cents and it sounds great



Nice to meet you and chat a bit.

ltr317

Re: Audiocircle member RMAF 2010 show coverage.
« Reply #367 on: 20 Oct 2010, 11:17 pm »



I really enjoyed these JBL's with the vertical midrange horn and the horizontal tweeter horn molded into the same subassembly.  I was in here twice and the first time they were playing a Spanish Flamenco song and the heel pounding was very realistic.  Almost scary realistic.  Impressive amounts of bass as well.  See woodsyi's feet?  Yeah, but it doesn't look like he's doing the Flamenco stomp.  :lol:


Analog folks - how'd you miss this?  Probably better question is how I found this.  Did you and Laura fight for the same Lp?


I thought these Audio Physics sounded very good for the money.  I sat through 2 tunes cuz it was nice and I was tired.  It was one of my favorite rooms also, very natural, tonally balanced and smooth ss sound.

JICRO

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Re: Audiocircle member RMAF 2010 show coverage.
« Reply #368 on: 20 Oct 2010, 11:20 pm »
I could be wrong but.......... aren't those PartsExpress enclosures?
Not that there is something wrong with that (I am using them myself - curved).

Mariusz

Mariusz,

You are at least partly correct, in that the production enclosures used for (the clue) are being sourced from the same supplier that builds the Parts Express boxes.  They are substantially modified relative to the standard PE units, including additional measures to reduce acoustic radiation from the cabinet walls and internal standing waves, but share the same nice veneers and finish that we liked on the PE cabs. 

So, I think you should still qualify for your A.C 2010 Good Eye Award.

Cheers,
        Jim Croft

ltr317

Re: Audiocircle member RMAF 2010 show coverage.
« Reply #369 on: 21 Oct 2010, 12:39 am »
I found some loose notes in the back pocket of my pants.  Here goes:

Canton Speakers - Bright and very hifi sounding.  They are probably the biggest speaker sellers in Germany.  I heard Cantons at several European audio shows in the 1990s and they sounded similar.  I thought they may have changed their philosophy, but no luck.

Nola Speakers - I had heard some great things about this brand.  Even though they are in my neck of the woods (L.I.), I had never heard any of their models until now.  At the show, the sound was...bland.  I even went back to the room a couple of times to make sure the problem wasn't the music.  Each time, different music and it was still...bland.  I would like to hear them again in a different environment. 

Wilson Sophia III speakers - I actually enjoyed this model.  It was smooth, with nice natural detail and not bombastic like other Wilson models I've heard in the past.  I was invited to the home of a friend of a friend last week and heard the Sohia III there for the first time.  I heard the same sonic qualities there as I did at the show, even with different electronics.  It is the first Wilson speaker I've heard in 20+ years that I liked.  :thumb:

Vandersteen 7s - When I was in the room, the sound was lean, like most of the mid-range was sucked out.  It could have been the music playing.  But last year at RM, I thought the Vandersteen 7 room was over-damped, and music had no life to it.  A boring sound.  I heard the 7s one other time at a dealer, still didn't rock my boat.  I would still like to hear them sing, but so far no luck.

Please add these comments to my previous reportage for an overall show report.  That's it until next year.  Cheers.

NekoAudio

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Re: Audiocircle member RMAF 2010 show coverage.
« Reply #370 on: 21 Oct 2010, 12:44 am »
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.

Yeah, we actually moved them into a larger room after closing time on Sunday and they worked a lot better there.

Bill Baker

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Re: Audiocircle member RMAF 2010 show coverage.
« Reply #371 on: 21 Oct 2010, 12:52 am »
Quote
The units woodsyi DIDN'T purchase from Bill.  They are beautiful.  Much more substantial in person than photos relay.   A really nice sounding room although too dark to see anything in there guys.

 Hi Big Red,
 Sorry about the lighting but we usually lit the room based on what those sitting in the chairs wanted. There were many that commented that it was a very relaxing room with the lights down low and the music not so load as to run people out of the room. There were times when we had someone sitting and relaxing for a half an hour and then came back again later in the day. Then there was a younger couple that sat down an listened for about 15 minutes tapping their feet and hollding hand the whole time. I did get a little nervous considering we were in a hotel room. :o

groovybassist

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Re: Audiocircle member RMAF 2010 show coverage.
« Reply #372 on: 21 Oct 2010, 12:57 am »
Agree with ltr317 an all counts.

django11

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Re: Audiocircle member RMAF 2010 show coverage.
« Reply #373 on: 21 Oct 2010, 01:41 am »
I went to the show in Montreal the last two years and my lasting impression was amazement at just how much of this incredibly expensive stuff didn't sound very good...

Mariusz

Re: Audiocircle member RMAF 2010 show coverage.
« Reply #374 on: 21 Oct 2010, 02:50 am »
Mariusz,

You are at least partly correct, in that the production enclosures used for (the clue) are being sourced from the same supplier that builds the Parts Express boxes.  They are substantially modified relative to the standard PE units, including additional measures to reduce acoustic radiation from the cabinet walls and internal standing waves, but share the same nice veneers and finish that we liked on the PE cabs. 

So, I think you should still qualify for your A.C 2010 Good Eye Award.

Cheers,
        Jim Croft

Hello Jim

First of all, welcome to Audio Circle. :thumb:

Now, as far as the cabs origin/quality is concern....... If outsourcing the cabinets helps in keeping the costs down... by all means, go for it. Those cabinets are not only very well made but look & feel good as well.
Extra bracing and steps taken to lower the cabinet's coloration is certainly welcomed. Your speakers (and room) were one of the most memorable moments of the SHOW several years ago in NYC (I think it was Hilton).

Congratulation for what appears to be another "home run"!!!!!  :beer:
......and appreciate the award.  :wink:
Cheers
Mariusz :thumb:
   

Daedalus Audio

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Re: Audiocircle member RMAF 2010 show coverage.
« Reply #375 on: 21 Oct 2010, 02:58 am »
Hi Tyson, just some thoughts on what was happening in the Daedelus room. First off, the MA-1s have no worries driving 5 or 6 ohms. The speaker/amp interface was not the issue. There was a ground loop in the crossover that took some doing to overcome, and on one of the evenings we had that sorted out.

As far as I can tell, the big issue was that the MA-1s overloaded the Furman power conditioner in the room, and despite my insistence that they be plugged into the wall, it never happened. That's a lot of power to go through one power cord (running the entire system!) and one conditioner. We showed with Furman the first time they ever came to CES, and the guy wrote the book on what is important in power line conditioning when he worked at Fluke instruments (one of these days I will put his white paper on line...).

Anyway, the MA-1s could not get decent power and they went right to sleep. I'd say over the last 6 months we spent more time and energy on this room than all of the rooms we have ever done at any show put together, and for naught. But the one thing it was **not** was a speaker/amp incompatibility. Anyone who does these shows a lot knows how important the setup is, and paying attention to important details. Unfortunately, I was not allowed the input that I would have liked to have in this room. So I agree with you on the results.
I have been traveling and this is the first chance I've had to see some of these comments. I won't go into details but Atmasphere input was invited and we wish there was more. at the initial setup thursday they were plugged into the Furman BUT on friday they were in the UberBuss... so no current limiting there.  bottom line is that something wasn't right with the used amps that were provided and they were not up to the performance of a new, show ready pair for whatever reason...   as for Wayne's crossover, that unit is excellent and dead silent with the Gill audio pre, the hum was an unfortunate mystery.
« Last Edit: 21 Oct 2010, 03:59 pm by Daedalus Audio »

OzarkTom

Re: Audiocircle member RMAF 2010 show coverage.
« Reply #376 on: 21 Oct 2010, 04:04 am »
I went to the show in Montreal the last two years and my lasting impression was amazement at just how much of this incredibly expensive stuff didn't sound very good...

For those that think it should be easy to place your reference home system in a strange hotel with hundreds of other compnents turned on the same power grid, needs to try it sometime. I went to about 25 CES shows in my lifetime, got a splitting headache every time. I guess I complained every time I went, also.

I took my homre reference system, that I have spent months tweaking, not 24 hours or so, down to LSAF in May and was going to show up everyone. I just knew this was a going to be a piece of cake.

Guess what? It wasn't. At home, I have an incredinle smoothness, soundstage, and depth. At the hotel it was harsh and pretty much a flat soundstage. I was embarrassed to let anyone in my room because of the bad sound. What a 180 degree turn-around.

Finally, someone loaned me a battery supply and a much better version of my amp and the sound started keying in. I was happy for people to hear my system again. But no matter what I tried, in that hotel suite, the system only sounded about 60% of what it actually sounds at my house.

And that was a small show. On the hotel power grid you have your swimming pool, health spa, and all the other guests running their electric at the same time. Then at the bigger shows you have all the other companies running their equipment. Frankly, I now believe it is a miracle for any room and system that will sound good.

High kudos for those that do. :thumb:
« Last Edit: 21 Oct 2010, 11:41 am by OzarkTom »

James Romeyn

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Re: Audiocircle member RMAF 2010 show coverage.
« Reply #377 on: 21 Oct 2010, 04:56 am »
Ozark, that is a killer point.  Last house was a tract built in '68 in congested Sonoma County CA, now this gorgeous joint in north Utah built in '07, about 100 homes in a gated community, with new dedicated 20A line installed just for audio when they built the house.  I am absolutely convinced the PS here improves the performance.  I have never tried and have no desire or inclination to try a PS gizmo of any kind.     

Big Red Machine

Re: Audiocircle member RMAF 2010 show coverage.
« Reply #378 on: 21 Oct 2010, 11:41 am »
Hi Big Red,
 Sorry about the lighting but we usually lit the room based on what those sitting in the chairs wanted. There were many that commented that it was a very relaxing room with the lights down low and the music not so load as to run people out of the room. There were times when we had someone sitting and relaxing for a half an hour and then came back again later in the day. Then there was a younger couple that sat down an listened for about 15 minutes tapping their feet and hollding hand the whole time. I did get a little nervous considering we were in a hotel room. :o

No worries Bill.  A dark room for old guys like me makes it hard to approach the gear and snoop for fear of stepping on something.  As mentioned it sounded great and I hope you cut me a check on the sale to woodsyi as I hyped your product consistently throughout our stay together!

Big Red Machine

Re: Audiocircle member RMAF 2010 show coverage.
« Reply #379 on: 21 Oct 2010, 11:43 am »
For those that think it should be easy to place your reference home system in a strange hotel with hundreds of other compnents turned on the same power grid, needs to try it sometime. I went to about 25 CES shows in my lifetime, got a splitting headache every time. I guess I complained every time I went, also.

I took my homre reference system, that I have spent months tweaking, not 24 hours or so, down to LSAF in May and was going to show up everyone. I just knew this was a going to be a piece of cake.

Guess what? It wasn't. At home, I have an incredinle smoothness, soundstage, and depth. At the hotel it was harsh and pretty much a flat soundstage. I was embarrassed to let anyone in my room because of the bad sound. What a 180 degree turn-around.

Finally, someone loaned me a battery supply and a much netter version of my amp and the sound started keying in. I was happy for people to hear my system again. But no matter what I tried, in that hotel suite, the system only sounded about 60% of what it actually sounds at my house.

And that was a small show. On the hotel power grid you have your swimming pool, health spa, and all the other guests running their electric at the same time. Then at the bigger shows you have all the other companies running their equipment. Frankly, I now believe it is a miracle for any room and system that will sound good.

High kudos for those that do. :thumb:

Your comments and those of the Atmasphere developer (in another thread) are totally in synch and makes a very good point about bad juice in an over-taxed hotel system does not a great environment make.