[DaveC113]

I'll post Sunday's pics tomorrow... 

[Odal3]

Thanks for sharing! Glad you got the pictures sorted!

[nature boy]

Dave,

Thanks for all the great pictures and your observations.  Could not make it out this year, but planning on doing CAS in November.  Want to listen to Daedalus Apollo's from Lou. 

NB

[Tyson]

Dave, I gotta say your pics are awesome - they give the sense of what it's like to be at the show better than anything else I've seen.  Nice work

[DaveC113]

Dave, I gotta say your pics are awesome - they give the sense of what it's like to be at the show better than anything else I've seen.  Nice work

Thanks! That's Sony's handheld twilight mode. It takes a series of photos with faster shutter speeds and combines them. That way you can see how the room was lit without using a tripod or a 35mm f1.2 lens or something, which tend to be very expensive. It's an older Sony Nex5, the first one that came out in fact. The newer cameras have way better high ISO performance, I think shots using their newer cameras would probably be significantly better.

[DaveC113]

Alright, here's Sunday's pics... 

Serious Stereo with GPA Altec 604s in a huge MLTL plywood box. Also, 2a3 (?) SET amps. I like the simplicity of systems like this, and the sound was very good too!







MSB Reference DAC being shown off with YG speakers. This was an excellent room if you weren't in the front row, which had some really odd soundstaging effects from being too close, but the middle and back were fine and really showed off the DAC. I have a very modest digital source and am rarely envious of higher end digital, but this has changed my mind. There IS something significantly better and I want it. Now if only I can convince MSB they should give me 90% off we're all set.    I heard tracks that were better than all but the best of the best analog, and even then the differences were not major. I'd take this DAC over the same $ invested in analog anyday.

[Tyson]

I have a very modest digital source and am rarely envious of higher end digital, but this has changed my mind. There IS something significantly better and I want it. Now if only I can convince MSB they should give me 90% off we're all set.    I heard tracks that were better than all but the best of the best analog, and even then the differences were not major. I'd take this DAC over the same $ invested in analog anyday.

Same here.  I have an iFi iDSD Micro which I love.  But the Auralic Vega is clearly better than my Micro.  And the MSB is an even larger step up over the Vega.  Those guys at MSB are doing great work.  Hella expensive, too.

[DaveC113]

Vinnie Rossi showing off his Lio and Harbeth speakers. I liked the sound a lot, it was much more like the system he showed in 2015 with the 40.2s... I did not like the Harbeths shown last year, too dark for me, but I can see the appeal. So these are 30.2s, the same as the 40.2s just without the 12" woofers. The performance from these small 2-way monitors is extraordinary, I don't know how they can do it... it does a great job of imaging, they portray clearly and separately every instrument or voice in the soundstage in a way very few speakers can regardless of price, and they can do this with recordings most systems make into a muddy mess. I've heard TAD pull of something similar in a $300k system... this is <$20k for the Lio and 30.2s. If I was looking for a monitor type speaker this would be at the top of my list and a complete integrated like the Lio is perfect for a speaker system like this too. It's like a "lifestyle" system that's far better than any other I've heard including Diavalet Phantom and Kii 3s that cost a lot more.










New Salk Speakers are up next. Great value, and both systems sounded similar but the Lampi electronics provided a refined sound the other room couldn't touch. Lampi needed a bigger speaker and larger room to really do the electronics justice imo, but you could get a feel for what's going on and it would certainly prompt me to investigate further if I was in the market for a new high end DAC. Only thing I could maybe wish for was a more mid-bass impact, buy hey, for ~$5k and $3.5k for a pair of these new Salk speakers, this is nit-picking and if you're looking for speakers in this price range they are competitive with anything including ELAC Adante and others.

[DaveC113]

Avalon with Spectral and Acoustica Applicata... not technically at RMAF but a 5 min walk to the Hyatt. I think the Hyatt gave them the room with the worst acoustics in the entire hotel but they managed to do a great job taming it. I chose to sign up for the noon Sunday slot as I imagined it would be a lot less busy and this worked out great... I was the only one there and got to talk to Keith Johnson of Reference Recordings and Spectral designer one on one, which was a treat as he is a wealth of knowledge about all things audio. Later, when the music started, two more guests arrived.

The system was excellent and hard to fault for anything, which leaves me with little to say. It didn't have much of a definable character to it, and no obvious flaws. Sounds boring but it gets out of the way of the music without imposing it's own character, which is high praise indeed. I'm sure the Acoustica Applicata room treatments helped a lot too, the Helmholtz resonators were very interesting... you can tune the upper chamber volume by sliding the top housing up and down and rotate the membrane that is in the center of the resonator as well.

Avalon intends to show, partner with and promote the use of their speakers with Spectral electronics and AA room treatments as a complimentary system, which is a great idea and guarantees the customer a system that performs as intended with proper setup.

[DaveC113]

The last room I made it to was Audiokenisis, Duke and James were showing their new Azel speakers. Spoiler... they earned a Best of Show for value from me. There is getting to be more competition in the $5-10k range and lots of great choices from Odyssey, Salk, Pranafidelity, ELAC, and tons more but I'd choose the Azels. The new cab looks great and most importantly the compression driver is sporting a beryllium diaphragm that has much better clarity, resolution and high frequency extension. I noticed it immediately and it elevates this speaker to a whole 'nother league. I was very impressed!

[DaveC113]

Same here.  I have an iFi iDSD Micro which I love.  But the Auralic Vega is clearly better than my Micro.  And the MSB is an even larger step up over the Vega.  Those guys at MSB are doing great work.  Hella expensive, too.

I know... it's too bad it's so expensive ($40k), but that DAC is on a whole 'nother level vs anything else I've heard. The Select II with mono power supplies (>$100k) has got to be even more amazing.

I too lament some of the high prices in audio these days but the folks willing to pay these prices are a large part of what drives progress and innovation. They allow designers to work at a cost-no-object level, supporting arts and tech innovation. It seems the MSB DAC products are a result of this, so it's not all bad news. Eventually we will be able to enjoy the sound as it trickles down or the current SOTA de-values on the used market.

[Phil A]

Dave, I gotta say your pics are awesome - they give the sense of what it's like to be at the show better than anything else I've seen.  Nice work

+1 on that.  Most of mine look like they belong on the fridge with a magnet vs. his.

[Tyson]

I know... it's too bad it's so expensive ($40k), but that DAC is on a whole 'nother level vs anything else I've heard. The Select II with mono power supplies (>$100k) has got to be even more amazing.

I too lament some of the high prices in audio these days but the folks willing to pay these prices are a large part of what drives progress and innovation. They allow designers to work at a cost-no-object level, supporting arts and tech innovation. It seems the MSB DAC products are a result of this, so it's not all bad news. Eventually we will be able to enjoy the sound as it trickles down or the current SOTA de-values on the used market.

And that's the nice thing about digital - turnover/churn is so fast vs. more stable technology like amps & preamps.  Which means if you are willing to wait, you can get a primo DAC like the Vega for $1800 nowadays.  And even the Vega was a bargain at it's $3500 retail price.  As long as a DAC does killer DSD and has great tonal balance and transparency, I don't really care if it was "oh so last year".  And that's the beauty - digital moves so fast that last year's giants can be picked up for a song, if you are willing to be patient. 

[DaveC113]

Dave,

Thanks for all the great pictures and your observations.  Could not make it out this year, but planning on doing CAS in November.  Want to listen to Daedalus Apollo's from Lou. 

NB

Ok, I was hoping to get you to stop by...     You're welcome anytime you're in the Denver/Boulder area!

[Chuy Trillo]

Hi Dave, I was very glad to read your review regarding the RMAF 2017. I also think that the resonators made a great improvement to the Troy Audio Helenas Loudspeakers. As for how you can try them, what do you have in mind? I'm sure that after you try them you´ll get amazed at what they do in your audio set-up. Also, sorry for the slow response but I just came across this review. Please make contact with me so we can work out a solution.

[DaveC113]

Hi Dave, I was very glad to read your review regarding the RMAF 2017. I also think that the resonators made a great improvement to the Troy Audio Helenas Loudspeakers. As for how you can try them, what do you have in mind? I'm sure that after you try them you´ll get amazed at what they do in your audio set-up. Also, sorry for the slow response but I just came across this review. Please make contact with me so we can work out a solution.

Welcome to AC! 

I've been intending to contact you, just sent an email. I hope you are doing well. 

[Ric Schultz]

From what I read the MSB Reference at Rocky mountain also had the $1500 usb module and the $10,000 Femto 33 clock.....so we are talking $51,500!  It should sound great for that money! 

[Phil A]

Hi Dave, I was very glad to read your review regarding the RMAF 2017. I also think that the resonators made a great improvement to the Troy Audio Helenas Loudspeakers. As for how you can try them, what do you have in mind? I'm sure that after you try them you´ll get amazed at what they do in your audio set-up. Also, sorry for the slow response but I just came across this review. Please make contact with me so we can work out a solution.

Welcome to AC as well

[DaveC113]

From what I read the MSB Reference at Rocky mountain also had the $1500 usb module and the $10,000 Femto 33 clock.....so we are talking $51,500!  It should sound great for that money!

Yup, it's beyond my means but it does sound great. Luckily, less expensive DACs are improving quickly and I think we'll get to that level of performance for a fraction of the price eventually.

[richidoo]

Great pictures, Dave, thanks for posting them. I haven't been to RMAF in 9 years, it was much the same every year back then. But now it looks like a lot of new and very nice gear, time to go again.