AudioCircle
The Commercial Zone => Audio Shows and Events => Rocky Mountain Audio Fest => Topic started by: Pez on 4 Oct 2011, 03:58 am
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Rocking on as we speak!!! Updates to come constantly. :thumb:
Tyson - OK, just like yesterday - I'm commenting at the end of the day, not in real time. I'll be posting my impressions in-line with Pez's awesome photos and his suspect opinions.
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I'm here!!! Waiting for Tyson.
Everyone is doing the morning shuffle. Manufacturers tweaking and adjusting. Attendees sipping coffee and stuffing themselves into over crowded elevators. Fun stuff!
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Started out in the Daedalus room. A pretty good improvement in sound. They pulled the speakers out a bit from the wall and now they have a deeper soundfield.
Listening to Natalie merchant 24/96 and Marvin Gaye. Just groovin'. Great stuff here.
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I'm here!!! Waiting for Tyson.
Everyone is doing the morning shuffle. Manufacturers tweaking and adjusting. Attendees sipping coffee and stuffing themselves into over crowded elevators. Fun stuff!
Pez, Just exactly what fun stuff is going on in those overcrowded elevators? :nono:
Great show coverage. My thanks to you and Tyson and anyone else I missed. :thumb: :thumb: :thumb: :beer:
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Audio artistry/parts express
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These speakers are sleek looking! The house sund is pretty much as follows. Great soundstage, great imaging from any of the sweet spot seats. A touch dry sounding and a little congested. Other than that great bass slam excellent dynamics and very very even throughout the listening environment.
Tyson - Pez is wrong, as usual. In fact, as a general rule, it's best to ignore is text entirely and only pay attention to what I say. And for this room I say that Rick is a great guy, the speakers sounde great from literally every spot in the room. Dynamics, especially the very difficult to get right upper bass, were great. There was a touch of glassiness in the treble, but it was probably because these rooms are shoe boxes. For a line array they were amazingly coherent in such a small space. As we will see later, not all line arrays do nearly as well.....
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Naim
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This room is grating on the treble. I did not care for it. Speakers weree too close to the wall. The overall sound was not impressive in the least IMO.
Tyson - Bleh, bleh, bleh, buh-bye.
OK, so not THAT bad, but just meh.
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Wharfdale/parasound/quad
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This room is a lower budget room. The sound is pretty good, there isn't a lot of focus to the soundstage or image. Totally this setup is good. However there isn't anything that is making me want to really like this setup. At the same time there isn't anything that makes me want to hate it either.
Dynamics are pretty run of the mill for this price range and bass slam is just barely good. I keep going back to the imaging on this setup, it's just not solid enough to feel 'hifi'.
Tyson - what can you say when the guy running the room is clearly better and more classy than the sound coming from the speakers? Tough spot. Great peeps in this room, but only average sound.
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Amr/dr fleckert/rosso fiorentino sienna speakers
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This system is phenomenal first off. Right away they invite you to just relax and enjoy the music. Really excellent balance across the entire spectrum. The imaging and soundstage are to die for. It feels like the soundstage is just infinite. Very very superb setup.
They are going to put on johnny cash for me. :thumb: ain't no grave. Wow full without sounding overblown. I really like the tonal balance this is a hard track to get right in my experience. A touch heavy on the kick drum, a little out of proportion. Which is not uncommon in vinyl. Other than that very solid performance.
Tyson - Last year I was again in a tough spot - great peeps, but a bright, unpleasant room. This year, don't know what they changed, but everything locked in to place. Sitting down, within 5 seconds it was clear this was one of the best rooms at RMAF this year. Johnny Cash always sounds great, but rarely sounds THIS awesome :thumb:
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weird to see this pairing as Wharfedale and Quad are IAG companies....while Parasound is on it's own (John Curl's company)
Besides, Quad makes some very decent amps and preamps...so I'm lost why they're paired.
Possibly, the room is run by a local Denver dealer who carries these lines and just mated them. Cause', for sure, IAG wouldn't.
Anyhow - thanks for the great coverage, gents :thumb:
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I briefly hit the Audio Artistry room to check out the CBT arrays, and I definitely recommend having a listen particularly if you are a techie. The concept is really cool, and IMHO the execution delivers very nicely. Agree with Pez that the imaging and soundstaging were very good, and held up in a pretty wide window. Also, none of the exaggerated size that you sometimes get with array speakers.
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Sonus Faber/d'agostino aesthetic
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Yet another great setup. Right off the bat the sound quality really grabs you and invites you to listen. This is one of those millionaire on high systems. And as impressive as it is to look at it is as impressive to hear. Talk about bold, this setup is vinyl only!!! The balance of this system is very nice. Dynamics to die for. And soundstaging and imagin are wonderful. The room could use treatment. At louder levels it can be a touch overbearing, but the fundamentals are all there as you would expect. Beyond that they are absolutely wonderful to listen to.
Tyson - Love, love, LOVE the Stradivari's, every year they sound amazing. Big, bold, seductive, and visually are absolute works of art. Playing beethoven, vinyl only, great sound, the more I listened, the more I wanted to shell out the crazy cost of these speakers. Did I mention I loved this room?
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Genesis/kosmic/tweak studio/SMc
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This system is tonally a bit off when you are out of the sweet spot, but the seconds was in it everything snapped into place. Really like any other system I was probably in a bad spot because now every other spot seems very nice. Great bass definition and slam, amazing micro and macro dynamics. And just eay going sound.
Tyson - Do you know what the exhibitor actually said to us? "These speakers are so good, we don't need room treatments!" Uh, yes you do. Violin, ears bleeding. Bye.
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Audeze
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Wow, on the Sibelius the violin is the best I've heard period.
Ani difranco sounds very nice and delicate. They could probably benefit from pulling the pspeakers away from the wall , but the room is small. Any way I'm sure the soundst age would be much deeper in a better room. Other than the depth issue it is clear thee are phenomenal.
Great on the Mahler. The recording space really shines through on this track and this system conveys that very well. Scale is great, dynamics are big without strain.
Tool the dynamics agrain really slam you in the chest. No performance anxiety here just condifidence and ease. The bass is a bit out of control but again probably room related.
Tyson - In a big room, these speakers are probably the shizzle. In a small room they were cramped, boomy, bright, and unpleasant. Now, that sounds harsh, but I honestly think it was the room that was the problem, not the speakers. In a big room I think they could sound quite awesome.
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Audio physics/trigon/acoustic signature
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This room is well setup. Audio physics is the kind of speakers that don't make any mistakes, but don't inspire me to march against the coming hordes. The sound is technically good soundstage is acceptable, but not amazing.
Tyson - Pez, as usual, has no time and no patience for laid back speakers. I, however, thought this was an excellent room. Laid back, but with great pace and rhythm. A speaker you can "live with" and just enjoy with a great scotch in hand.
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Burmeister
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Impressive looking room again!!
The first thing that strikes me is just how fast these speakers sound. Guitar sounds very quick and bold. Surprisingly the sweet spot does not yield an extremely focused soundstage or image. It's more of a dispersed sound, but not at all inaccurate or unlikable. Very full bass, a little over blown which seems common in these smaller rooms. Overall I like it a lot.
Tyson - What a strange sounding room. Everything very forward, but not bright. It energized the room is a very odd way, almost saturating it with sound. Very bass oriented, but not boomy, just very pressurized, if that makes sense. Overall a bit diffuse, and hard to "listen past" the weird bass pressure.
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This room is beautiful. The XA diamonds are amazingly sculpted and definitely grab your attention when you walk in the room. I looks like what I imagine audioohile heaven would look like when you walk in.
Ironically they are playing very angelic choral music and it sounds wonderful. Great soundstage, but not so sure about the imagining as the piece they are playing is very disperse sounding. Thus for I do enjoy what I'm hearing.
We are listening to our music now. (remember this is LIVE coverage folks!!!)
Sibelius sounds seductive, but not quite as woodsy as I have heard it sound on other setups. Great dynamics thus far. I like the balance of theses speakers not tipped up, not bottom heavy but just right.
Ani sounds wonderful! Wow great detail to vocals very focused soundstage and imaging. Very anchored I love it and want more of it!!! Great back up vocals separation. This is truly a great system. Possibly top spot with the TAD room?
Great dynamics on the Mahler!!! Wow. These speakers are the real deal head to toe. I have nothing remotely negative to say about them.
Tool has great head banging qualities. Great bass great slam, just fucking awesome.
10 out of 10 performance in the same category of the TAD room. Phenomenal.
Tyson - Jesus Christ! Ceramic midrange drivers? Diamond tweeters? I HATE those types of drivers. How the hell did I let Pez talk me into going into this room?
Wait a minute... This sounds, uhm, kinda good. Oh, no, that's not right, it sounds very good. No, that's not right either. It sounds AMAZING. F'ing AMAZING. Holy crap! I have listened to a sh!tload of speakers using accuton ceramic drivers and they ALL sucked, bad. But not these. These pull of the crazy trick of absolute transparency and killer dynamics (as all accutons do), but coupled with a smooth, seductive, non fatiguing sound. What? Crap! I now have to change my assumptions about how these types of drivers can sound. I hate when that happens. This room is at least as good as the TAD room (but in a different way). Tied, IMO for best sounding room at RMAF this year, so far.
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Conrad Johnson/ audio summa/ silverline audio
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My flash battery just bit the dust so the pictures are yellow. Sorry.
The sound is very nice and quite inviting. Not the kind of system that knocks you on your ass like the last room, but nice indeed.
Tyson - pleasant speakers. Non-offensive. But kind of like James Taylor - a bit more effeminate than they should be.
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BACK TO VSA PURITY ROOM.
on the sibelius it sounds very sweet on the violin.
Ani sounds very nice. Very focused and great soundstaging. Awesome so far!!! Great separation in vocal backup. I'd say on par with the best we've heard on that front! Night and day this far from day one.
Mahler yesterday was hitting its head on the huge dynamic shifts. Today not so much.
Tool sounds much better than yesterday. Way better. A touch shouty on the guitar rif I feel that it was worth being über honest here yesterday. Because this improvement was well worth the discomfort of being brutal yesterday.
Tyson - wow, vast improvement over yesterday. Much tighter, much better focus, much better dynamics. But still, OTL amps. No one should use OTL's, for anything, ever. IMO. Mike Galusha, you are the exception that proves the rule.
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Deqx
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Lost my data for some reason.
Repost is will be short and sweet. The demo ey did with the EQing. Is amazing. Without the eq and room correction the gallos sound compressed into the speakers and not convincing at all. With the eq engaged it is absolutely phenomenal. Deep soundstage and much more focus. Not to mention the greater dynamics, and better too to bottom sound quality.
We switched speakers now and are listening to the legend speakers. These speakers are fully active. Awesome! Deep soundfield and much better everything. Tremendous!!!!!
Tyson - I will tell you guys a secret. Pez secretly thinks the DEQX guys sabotaged the non-corrected Gallo's to make the corrected demo more impressive. I think he's full of sh!t. But I'm a former DEQX owner so I'm clearly biased :o
Seriously though, the switch between corrected passive gallos and non-corrected passive gallos was incredibly obvious to everyone in the room except for the deaf 70 year old dude hogging the sweet spot. He actually said he could not hear the difference. I think he needs a different hobby.
And the difference between the passive Gallo's and the fully active Tikandi speakers? Not even in the same ball park. I'm seriously considering buying a DEQX again...
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Yg acoustics / Kubala sosna
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Another YG room and so far another solid performer. I am not is a good spot, behind two guys yacking and hogging the sweetspot. Overall exactly what I've been hearing this show the Yg rooms seem to be set up very well this year.
Tyson - Wha. wha. what? Every year there seems to be a manufacturer that comes out of the morass of mediocrity and knocks it out of the park. This year it's clearly YG Acoustics. For several years they've been unimpressive, IMO. Shouty, overdriven, over priced. But this year they have sounded killer in not one, not two, but FOUR rooms. Precise, precise, precise, with good bass, good soundstage, and (for once) a very nice seductive, pleasant tonal balance. Kudos to the YG guys - you rocked the house this year at RMAF!
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Teresonic
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This the first full range driver room we've been in. I have to say I really like the way see speakers sound. They are natural, and full. As with most fullrangers they lack treble definition and bass fundamentals, but overall what is there is nice and well defined. The mid bass is very good and vocals are excellent.
Imaging is very nice!!! Focused and solid. Love the look of the amp. :o
Tyson - Not bad for a single driver speaker. Good pace, good extension, awesome cabinet work (they are like pieces of art). But my personal bias is that single driver speakers should be banished to the same rung of hell that OTL amps occupy. Perhaps I'm not the best person to comment on rooms like this....
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I may have missed it in a previous post, but what Tool song are you using? Thanks for the great coverage!
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Great stuff, many Thanks. :thumb:
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We are using the tool song The Grudge.
We are at lunch right now and exhausted. :|
About to head over to canjam.
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Ohhh, I'd love to hear impressions of the new Audeze LCD-3 from over at CanJam. And is the Schiit Bitfrost hooked up anywhere at RMAF?
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Ugh,m y headphones are MIA. Sorry for the delay. I'll be posting soon.
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Audio artistry/parts express
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...a little congested. Other than that great bass slam excellent dynamics...
Spectacular coverage! Many thanks!
I thought "Audio Artistry" was Linkwitz' speaker company?
Also seems like "great bass slam" and "excellent dynamics" would not sound "congested"...only comment if time allows.
Carry on!
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Can jam finally!!!
Woo audio
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Godly looking equipment here this amp can be adapted with little pucks that allow you to hook up different tubes like 45s, 2a3, etc etc. the sound was pretty damn amazing though the hd800s.
Tyson - I hate the HD800's. There, I said it. I'm a Beyer T1 guy. But even I have to admit that the HD800's sounded GREAT via these ridiculously over the top Woo Audio dual monoblock headphone/SET amps. Canjam is where it's AT. The rest of RMAF? Old fogey's listening to elevator jazz and 70's rock. Canjam? Tool, Radiohead, Bjork, and Lady Gaga, BABY!!!!!
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JH audio
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Lt me just say it. JH audio is the best period. I have always thought so and this year I am tempted to get yelled at by the wife by purchasing the IEMs. The JH13s are gorgeous sounding. Wow, that's it!!!
They do things with compressed AAC music that my hi Rez active crossover SET ribbon setup at home can't do and that's saying a lot. I'm in love.
Tyson - Last year I almost died at the JH Audio booth. Seriously, Jerry Harvey (ie, JH), nearly leapt over the booth and strangled me to death when I said his JH13's sounded like my Sensaphonic 2X-S in ear monitors. He's a crazy tattoo'd dude that could probably take down me and Pez without even breaking a sweat. Luckily I said "Hey, look over there, it's Bob Hope!" and made my escape.
This year I was clever - I brought my Sensaphonics for a head to head death match show down! Obviously, since I'm typing this, I'm still alive. Just as obviously, my sensaphonics lost the showdown. The JH13's are the best IEM's I've heard, ever, period. Maybe the best of any audio gear, ever. Yes, they are that good. Yes I covet them.
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Sorry for the abysmal can jam coverage guys. We didn't spend very much time there unfortunately.
We are now listening to the Ayon/avm system.
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It's pretty rockin!!! I'm not so hot on the way the system is balanced but it has a pretty high groove factor none the less. Crazy looking speakers. you can definitely tell they are horn loaded they have quite a bit of dynamics. And image quite well. But again the balance is very very dry and really lacks body.
Tyson - crazy good dynamics on this system, maybe the best dynamics of any speaker at the show. No, scratch that, they had THE best dynamics of any speaker here, so far. But they also had ear piercing treble that crushed any enjoyment I might have derived from this system.
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Yes those are all black treasure tubes!!!!!!!!!
Tyson - Pez, you are a dork.
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Awesome coverage, thanks for putting in all the effort.
How were you able to listen to the JH13's? Did they have some made with straight barrels for the show? I would love to get these, but the thought of investing that kind of money in IEMs without hearing them first is not an easy one.
gary
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Emerald physics
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Not much to look at in this room. Just the speakers and the equipment by the computer. Any way it sounds very pinched up. Not very full sounding IMO. Great soundstage and imaging. A bit distant sounding (in this case that is not meant in a positive way.) the speakers do a great job of disappearing though!
Tyson - Open Baffle speakers with no room treatment? Really? Don't you want people to like these speakers? OB's can sound GREAT, but they need room treatment even more than box speakers do. Yes, I see you have a DCX running them and EQ for room modes. But electronic EQ can NEVER compensate for a poor room. Trust me, its a fool's errand and I've been down that road many, many times....
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Awesome coverage, thanks for putting in all the effort.
How were you able to listen to the JH13's? Did they have some made with straight barrels for the show? I would love to get these, but the thought of investing that kind of money in IEMs without hearing them first is not an easy one.
gary
Gary they had some special sets with these removable foam ends that fit pretty well. Obviously the only way to buy them is custom which is great, but you can't take em home from the show, which is probably a good thing for me as well. :D
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Lowther room
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So we were coaxed into coming into this room. Listening to dsotm on vinyl. Imaging is pretty damn good. It's more than pretty damn good it's very phenomenally excellently great. (running out of steam and adjectives can you tell) it can sound pretty shouty at times, but never erring in maintaining integrity. I've got somewhat mixed feelings about this sound I guess.
Tyson - Finally, a single driver speaker I like!!!!! Oh, wait... :wink:
Seriously though, I did not like this system from the 1st row and gladly gave up the sweet spot to Pez. But then a funny thing happened. In the 2nd row the sound just gelled and lost the stridency I heard from the front row. Ah, now we are talking! Good imaging, bass, and soundstage. I'm still not a lowther guy, but I gotta give props when a room works, and this one did :thumb:
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Redwine audio
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This room sound remarkably balanced on the sibilieus. The violin sounds sweet and seductive. Wow, not t eying to be over bassy almost like they were balanced before just turning them on. :wink:
Great soundstage and imaging on the ani difranco track. I'm really likening this little setup. Emotional and well balanced. Another set of speakers that disappear nicely. If you are at RMAF you need to check this room out for sure.
Now in to mahler. On the Mahker they do admirably and dynamics, but are not going to win award for gut punching visceral bass.
Tool from outside of the sweet spot sounds very energetic and confident. My head is bobbing, that's a good thing! Any way great room.
Tyson - Quiet. Very Quiet. Spooky Quiet!! Noise floor? WHAT noise floor? 3 things Red Wine did right that other manufacturers should sit up and take notice of - 1st, speakers are appropriately sized to the room. 2nd, they are pulled well out, away from the walls. 3rd, room treatments on the side walls. Kudos to getting the fundamentals right!
Sound? OK not too surprising - they were coherent, precise, punchy, and had a great soundstage. Deeeeep bass was missing on the Mahler, but the mid and upper bass was great on Tool. Overall, quite a good room. And Vinnie is one of the coolest people we talked to today 8)
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Odyssey finally!!!
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So the new speakers look amazing. Klaus told us the drivers alone cost something like $1900!!!! The sound quality is tremendous already on the sibilieus.
Difranco sounds very nice as well. The speakers are a bit clos to the wall and the soundstage is not as deep as I can tell it wants to be. The separation in background vocals is pretty good. Balance is excellent overall. Klaus really did a great job with this setup overall.
Mahler: good dynamics. A bit bright on the cymbal, but we are in very close to the speaker. In a properly setup room I doubt it would be an issue.
Tool: wow!!! They jump at you in the opening of the grudge. Great bass slam. Damn thts impressive for a small speaker like this. Again I think the room is a bit of an issue sometimes verging on shouty, wish we had a room about 4-6' bigger in both directions. Overall Id put this room in the same category as many of the best we've heard. Awesome job klaus and Alex. :thumb:
(http://i1216.photobucket.com/albums/dd370/pezacolypse/0f3342a1.jpg)
Tyson - Last year I said the Odyssey room sounded great, as always. The same is true this year, only more so. Much, much more so. They always have a good, rockin' sound here, but this year the refinement jumped up a bunch of notches. On the Sibelius track, the oboe solo that accompanies the violin is the best I heard at the show. The speakers scaled very nicely on the Mahler 5th, and they had deeeeep bass on the Tool track, surprising given their size. I think Klaus needs to treat the room more heavily to do these speakers justice, as things got hard and a bit glassy when the volume got really loud, but for $3500, these speakers are a steal. I think he should charge at least double that, but lucky (for you people) he disagrees :P
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At dinner with the AC crew at one of the best steak houses in the state. We are having a blast! Woodsyi is drunk off his ass and dancing on the table. :wink:
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Spectacular coverage! Many thanks!
I thought "Audio Artistry" was Linkwitz' speaker company?
Carry on!
These speakers are a collaboration between Rick Craig at Selah Audio, Don Keele, and Parts Express. I think they're called the "Next Step". No idea if that name is official:
http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=92134.0
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These speakers are a collaboration between Rick Craig at Selah Audio, Don Keele, and Parts Express. I think they're called the "Next Step". No idea if that name is official:
http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=92134.0
Thanks for the update. I recall Rick posting info on those speakers a while back. Checked out Keele's website, very cool stuff. Those are amazing looking speakers and I hope to hear them someday.
Also, congrats to Klaus and Odyssey for making their new line look really cool. I am happy they sound as good as they look and have no doubt they will be successful.
Cheers,
J
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...while Parasound is on it's own (John Curl's company)
Curl is only a hired gun (designer) for Parasound.
dave
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Curl os onlu a hored gun (designer) for Parasound.
dave
planet10,
Most readers likely understand your meaning above, that Parasound is not Curl's company, but rather he designs for Parasound. Knowing Curl as I do (we shared work space for a time), he might take exception to the incorrect spelling "hored" vs. "hired"...or maybe not... :lol:
At THE Show last January Curl listed the names of his ex-employees now deceased, including Pat who I met and who soldered Vendetta preamps. I have absolutely no superstitions, but if I did I'd think twice about seeking employment with John. The list was really looong.
Another first for Curl: legendary audiophile designer with the longest list of deceased ex-employees...
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Odyssey finally!!!
(http://i1216.photobucket.com/albums/dd370/pezacolypse/b98ff968.jpg)
It's great to see Klaus add some good ole Yankee "flame-on" to the already-incendiary USA-China currency war! Don't use that "C" word while the Chinese purchase US bonds and T-bills at the Treasury Counter! Oh, and the all-upper case shouting is oh-so-subtle and sweet! :lol: (sarcasm off)
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Odyssey finally!!!
So the new speakers look amazing. Klaus told us the drivers alone cost something like $1900!!!! The sound quality is tremendous already on the sibilieus.
Difranco sounds very nice as well. The speakers are a bit clos to the wall and the soundstage is not as deep as I can tell it wants to be. The separation in background vocals is pretty good. Balance is excellent overall. Klaus really did a great job with this setup overall.
Mahler: good dynamics. A bit bright on the cymbal, but we are in very close to the speaker. In a properly setup room I doubt it would be an issue.
Tool: wow!!! They jump at you in the opening of the grudge. Great bass slam. Damn thts impressive for a small speaker like this. Again I think the room is a bit of an issue sometimes verging on shouty, wish we had a room about 4-6' bigger in both directions. Overall Id put this room in the same category as many of the best we've heard. Awesome job klaus and Alex. :thumb:
(http://i1216.photobucket.com/albums/dd370/pezacolypse/0f3342a1.jpg)
Awesome, awesome, awesome room. Once the kids are both in school some of this gear will be mine. And Klaus and Alex are great guys to hang out with.
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It's great to see Klaus add some good ole Yankee "flame-on" to the already-incendiary USA-China currency war! Don't use that "C" word while the Chinese purchase US bonds and T-bills at the Treasury Counter! Oh, and the all-upper case shouting is oh-so-subtle and sweet! :lol: (sarcasm off)
wait a minute - none of this makes any sense to me. isn't klaus german? doesn't he think anything not german is crap? isn't odyssey gear cheap off-shored symphonic line knock-off crap? :o :green:
doug s.
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We got to run the Vapor Cirrus again in the Iris room ... they're now known as the Kipod killers! You liked them didn't you Stan?
(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=52495)
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Wow Pez, thanks!
You make me wanna come see this next year, I think I'll learn way more than any forum reviews. Plus, you look like my kind of people \m/ . You tend to get the idea that it's mostly established, retired people at these things, good to see that's not the case.
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We got to run the Vapor Cirrus again in the Iris room ... they're now known as the Kipod killers! You liked them didn't you Stan?
(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=52495)
Yes, yes I did, a lot. This was the year of bookshelves, between Soundfield, Odyssey and Vapor every one else can keep their towers. Including the monster priced YGs.
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I am BEAT. Like my bones are tired. We had a great time again. Wow shannenhans was incredible and we really went nuts on our orders. Either way it was the time of our lives. Went back up to the Daedalus room put some music on that we didn't listen to and just had a great time socializing. Fun stuff. :thumb:
Again, glad you all are enjoying our coverage. Tyson is probably working in his opinions now.
Tyson - just finished - christ it's 2:30am. If I'm a bit harsh in my comments it because I'm dead tired and exhausted after hanging out with a bunch of audio dorks all day.
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Thanks to all for the comments at the show. It must be rough listening to all that sub standard audio gear and having to go to the local eatery for a swig of beer. :lol:
BTW I agree with doug s. I thought Klaus is German?? I also thought he was retooling expensive german Symphonic Line gear with cheaper stuff to sell in the USA??
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Killer day 2 reviews, again many thanks to the reviewers. Was nice to have the Odyssey coverage, too - congrats, as usual, to Klaus and Alex. I note that I find the comments about the various room presenters informative, can't wait for day three.
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Another fantastic day of coverage guys. Thanks again for bringing it to us. Tyson - Your comments on some of this stuff just had me laughing :)
Looks like the drivers used in the Odyssey speakers are the same as the ones used in the Fritz gear just from the pictures. Do the speakers have a similar sound?
Hope there is a day 3............
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For those of you who are still at the show you need to audition the NOLA Grand Reference speakers being driven by a pair of Audio Research mono blocks. They sound incredible. They deliver the music naturally and effortlessly.
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Random pictures from some of the rooms.
For those who like it loud. JBL Synthesis. I couldn't get the whole room in one shot with my camera (no wide angle lens). In the sweet spot, there was a good soundstage and a surprising lack of "horn" sound. Effortless. The bass seemed boomy to me, but it was probably just overloading the room.
(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=52497)
(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=52498)
The electrostats from Sanders.
(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=52499)
All right. I have two more pictures of these, but I took them vertically to fit - how do I rotate them????
Oh well. I LOVED these speakers. They demo'ed a whole bunch of music, including organ, at near reference levels w/o problems. Yes, the sweet spot is small, but when you are sitting in that sweet spot......
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OK, the room that RUINED it for me. Synergistics Research.
(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=52500)
I was listening to Seal's "Rose from the Grave". Sounded just about as good as I've ever heard it. Good depth. Clear separation of instruments in a convincing soundstage. I'm enjoying this. They hit "pause". Step behind the rack. Remove a "bullet" from one end of the USB connecting the DAC. Insert a different colored "bullet". Hit "play".
OMG what just happened?????!!!?????
He say the resistive load in the USB cable has just changed and asks if you can hear a difference?
Um, YEAH, and IT IS NOT SUBTLE.
Maybe you can see the "bullets" on the top shelf of the system.
(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=52501)
I have been in the camp that cables make a difference in a system, but they are at best subtle, and the laws of diminishing returns are in play. Now, I have to rethink my beliefs. If just changing the load on the same cable makes that large of a difference......
I have much reading, learning, and rethinking to do. :scratch:
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I got tons more in no particular order. Few or no comments. Just some of the rooms that I liked.
Totems (Earth's?). FAST bass. I've always had a soft spot for Totem.
(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=52502)
The mBL's. Best I've heard them at a show. They were only just a little too big for the room they were in. If I ever hit the Lotto, they'll be on my short list 'nuff said. Believe the speakers are the 116f.
(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=52503)
The Jeff Rowland room with Thiel 3.7.s. Again, the room was just not big enough. Got all the way to the back wall and everything is just starting to come together, but then rear wll reflectins kick in.
(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=52504)
Ah well, time to finish waking up, get breakfast, pack up, and head over for day three. Still have rooms I haven't been to (eek), and a few that I want to go back to.
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Has anybody heard the new DAC from Schiit yet???
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wait a minute - none of this makes any sense to me. isn't klaus german? doesn't he think anything not german is crap? isn't odyssey gear cheap off-shored symphonic line knock-off crap? :o :green:
doug s.
Nice try but your statement makes no sense. Klaus is a German American and, unlike the Chinese knock-offs, he liscensed the Symphonic designs. The Chinese just rip off designs with no regard for intellectual property. Klaus could have made his stuff (or had someone else make it) in China for less money but he knew the quality would not have been up to his standards.
I salute Odyssey!
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Thanks to all for the comments at the show. It must be rough listening to all that sub standard audio gear and having to go to the local eatery for a swig of beer. :lol:
BTW I agree with doug s. I thought Klaus is German?? I also thought he was retooling expensive german Symphonic Line gear with cheaper stuff to sell in the USA??
Klaus has been a American Citizen for several years and he is one of the 1st manufacturers who got into internet sales game early on.the cases for his gear are machined.anodized and assembled in the USA ,the transformers are made in Canada. the boards come from Germany,the loudspeaker cabinets are made in USA and most of his drivers are Scanspeak.in my personal experience although he is not perfect but who is ? Klaus exhibits a high level of personal integrity is one of the finest people i know of in the Audio industry :thumb:
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Any comments on the vapor cirrus speakers? Are they as good as they are touted to be?
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Just a few quick thoughts, sorry I can't post pictures.
First, a somewhat heretical one; despite more rooms having poor CD sound than poor vinyl sound, in the good sounding rooms where both vinyl and CD were available, I noticed no preference for one or the other except when ticks, pops and other record noises occurred. And IMHO, higher-res digital clearly beat either when it was available.
I was very disappointed in all the von Schweikert rooms, I'd hoped to be impressed but to me none of them (VR44, VR33 and VR5) stood out in their price ranges.
The Wilson Sasha W/P's were in a number of rooms, featured in the D'Agostino Momentum room, but the only place they sounded good to me was in the Doshi Audio room. I expect we'll hear more from Doshi in the future.
Vandersteen 7's in two rooms, Audio Research and Aesthetix (sp?), are clearly best of show contenders. I thought for the most part they sounded better in the ARC room, but the Aesthetix room improved Sat vs Fri.
NOLA (Baby Grand II) and ARC are also right up there for best of show.
I really wanted to like the VTL, Tape Project and (big) TAD room better than I did. I'm not sure what part of the chain fell down.
The Sanders ESL system is truly great. Martin Logan is not even close.
The Usher Mini-Dancer II's ($5000 list?!) in the Puget Sound Studios room were very impressive at their price point.
Kevin Voecks was showing the Revel Studio 2's ($16k/pr) with $13k of ML mono blocks driving them. Oustanding!
More later.
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Great coverage and a big thank you for all the effort and time to make the updates informative. :thumb:
Can you go hear the Vandersteen room today? I believe he is showing the Carbon 5A's.
Anything on the Salk/AVA room?
Should I check youtube for the video of Rim dancing on tables?? :wink: :wink:
Have a great last day.
George
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Any comments on the vapor cirrus speakers? Are they as good as they are touted to be?
You can see a page back the maker of those speakers posted a picture of his own room.
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Nice try but your statement makes no sense. Klaus is a German American and, unlike the Chinese knock-offs, he liscensed the Symphonic designs. The Chinese just rip off designs with no regard for intellectual property. Klaus could have made his stuff (or had someone else make it) in China for less money but he knew the quality would not have been up to his standards.
I salute Odyssey!
hey man, it's a joke, lighten up! :wink: but, joking aside; there are similarities - my statement actually makes a lot of sense. odyssey would definitely cost more if it were made in germany. don't get me wrong - actually, i think klaus and odyssey are way cool. but the "chinese crap" statement is simply asking for trouble, and i am not buying it. like it or not, it is ironic, cuz on many levels, it is exactly what klaus is doing. only he's going to germany not america for the licensing, and he's going to america, not china for the mfr'g.
and as far as the chinese ripping off designs; yes it is true in many cases. as it is w/other audio, not yust from china. you can reinvent the wheel only so many times. and there's now lotsa gear coming out of china that stands on its own and offers real quality. think yaqin, mingda, asl, radii, ys audio, hi-vi, usher, and there's more i haven't named.
what pisses me off most is not buying chinese gear w/chinese labels on it; it's buying gear at outrageous prices that's chinese gear w/a designer label plastered on to it. ever check out red rose music gear? you can go direct to the source for the identical product at 1/3 to 1/4 the price.
ymmv,
doug s.
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Any comments on the vapor cirrus speakers? Are they as good as they are touted to be?
Amazing and yes. :green:
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Thanks for the pics so far.
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Dynamite coverage guys, many thanks to Pez, Tyson, and SoCal for all the hard work. You're great pictures and informative comments make be slightly less disappointed that I didn't go. Thanks!!!!
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Fritz speakers, Modwright KWA 150 SE, Zesto pre amp, WyWires cables, not sure of the TT :scratch:
The room sounded very good. Fritz always brings his A game to these shows. I was impressed with the Zesto tubed phono stage (both MM & MC). Wayne (WGH) and I were in the room at the same time. We played the CD version of Clamity Song from the Decemberists The King Is Dead album followed by the LP version on my copy of the LP. It wasn't even close. The CD was a little harsh and bright while the LP was more spacious, much better soundstage, more air around the instruments and more balanced from top to bottom. I enjoyed my time listening in this room.
(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=52520)
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Tyson - But still, OTL amps. No one should use OTL's, for anything, ever. IMO. Mike Galusha, you are the exception that proves the rule.
Now that is some funny shit. They do make good space heaters in the winter. ;)
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Soundsmith and VPI. This was my 7th straight RMAF and I have found Peter's room to always be among the 4 or 5 best sounding rooms at the show, and this year was no different. It is amazing the big sound he gets from those small, very affordable bookshelf speakers (small ones ar $1500 and large ones are $3000). The room doesn't have the soundstage depth I like, but the sound was very coherent and balanced. I'm amazed at the bass those little speakers put out.
I got to hear the new Hyperion cartridge with the cactus needle cantilever playing on a VPI Classic 3. Guys & gals, this cartridge is awfully close to the strain guage in it's ability to retrive detail and present a very full, natural sounding musical presentation. We listened to Janis Ian's Breaking Silence and Michael Hedges' Watching My Life Go By. I also listened to the $15,000 Strain Guage and the $7,000 Hyperion was as close to the sound of the Stain Guage as anything I have heard.
(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=52533)
(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=52534)
Laura
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I was the coaxer for this room. Glad for the most part you guys liked it. Great seeing you two have so much fun in person.
JCarney
Lowther room
(http://i1216.photobucket.com/albums/dd370/pezacolypse/79f61071.jpg)
(http://i1216.photobucket.com/albums/dd370/pezacolypse/d8438861.jpg)
(http://i1216.photobucket.com/albums/dd370/pezacolypse/24dbfec4.jpg)
So we were coaxed into coming into this room. Listening to dsotm on vinyl. Imaging is pretty damn good. It's more than pretty damn good it's very phenomenally excellently great. (running out of steam and adjectives can you tell) it can sound pretty shouty at times, but never erring in maintaining integrity. I've got somewhat mixed feelings about this sound I guess.
Tyson - Finally, a single driver speaker I like!!!!! Oh, wait... :wink:
Seriously though, I did not like this system from the 1st row and gladly gave up the sweet spot to Pez. But then a funny thing happened. In the 2nd row the sound just gelled and lost the stridency I heard from the front row. Ah, now we are talking! Good imaging, bass, and soundstage. I'm still not a lowther guy, but I gotta give props when a room works, and this one did :thumb:
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I had a great time tagging along with Jason and Tyson for most of the day. Thanks for letting me do so.
There were several rooms that sounded great. And several rooms with what I am sure is good equipment, that sounded anemic and boring. Whether it was room treatments, setup, musical selection...some exhibitors simply missed the mark.
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Thanks for the show coverage, fellas. Doing what you do is sometimes a thankless job, and those who've never attended just cannot understand how difficult it is to do what you do, so just know that I (we) really appreciate it. I wish I could have joined you again this year, but my middle child's birthday party took priority. Maybe next year.
Thanks again, gents - truly outstanding coverage.
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(http://i1216.photobucket.com/albums/dd370/pezacolypse/d47f09c3.jpg)
(http://i1216.photobucket.com/albums/dd370/pezacolypse/8b4beb7c.jpg)
(http://i1216.photobucket.com/albums/dd370/pezacolypse/7f55f8f0.jpg)
This room is beautiful. The XA diamonds are amazingly sculpted and definitely grab your attention when you walk in the room. I looks like what I imagine audioohile heaven would look like when you walk in.
Ironically they are playing very angelic choral music and it sounds wonderful. Great soundstage, but not so sure about the imagining as the piece they are playing is very disperse sounding. Thus for I do enjoy what I'm hearing.
We are listening to our music now. (remember this is LIVE coverage folks!!!)
Sibelius sounds seductive, but not quite as woodsy as I have heard it sound on other setups. Great dynamics thus far. I like the balance of theses speakers not tipped up, not bottom heavy but just right.
Ani sounds wonderful! Wow great detail to vocals very focused soundstage and imaging. Very anchored I love it and want more of it!!! Great back up vocals separation. This is truly a great system. Possibly top spot with the TAD room?
Great dynamics on the Mahler!!! Wow. These speakers are the real deal head to toe. I have nothing remotely negative to say about them.
Tool has great head banging qualities. Great bass great slam, just fucking awesome.
10 out of 10 performance in the same category of the TAD room. Phenomenal.
Tyson - Jesus Christ! Ceramic midrange drivers? Diamond tweeters? I HATE those types of drivers. How the hell did I let Pez talk me into going into this room?
Wait a minute... This sounds, uhm, kinda good. Oh, no, that's not right, it sounds very good. No, that's not right either. It sounds AMAZING. F'ing AMAZING. Holy crap! I have listened to a sh!tload of speakers using accuton ceramic drivers and they ALL sucked, bad. But not these. These pull of the crazy trick of absolute transparency and killer dynamics (as all accutons do), but coupled with a smooth, seductive, non fatiguing sound. What? Crap! I now have to change my assumptions about how these types of drivers can sound. I hate when that happens. This room is at least as good as the TAD room (but in a different way). Tied, IMO for best sounding room at RMAF this year, so far.
This room was a nice surprise. At first I was suspect and didn't really care for the sound. They were playing some one note voice track that was quite boring. But when they agreed to play Tyson's cd this system really showed what it can do. It was very pleasant. I didn't get to sit in the sweet spot due to some people hogging it all :) but from where I sat, it was enjoyable.
It was nice to see them open to using material that potential customers brought, even if it is Tool at an audiophile show. For other exhibitors, please take note that limiting your demonstration to one type of music is selling yourself short.
Jared
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Sorry for the abysmal can jam coverage guys. We didn't spend very much time there unfortunately.
We are now listening to the Ayon/avm system.
(http://i1216.photobucket.com/albums/dd370/pezacolypse/e3783b95.jpg)
It's pretty rockin!!! I'm not so hot on the way the system is balanced but it has a pretty high groove factor none the less. Crazy looking speakers. you can definitely tell they are horn loaded they have quite a bit of dynamics. And image quite well. But again the balance is very very dry and really lacks body.
Tyson - crazy good dynamics on this system, maybe the best dynamics of any speaker at the show. No, scratch that, they had THE best dynamics of any speaker here, so far. But they also had ear piercing treble that crushed any enjoyment I might have derived from this system.
Like they mentioned, crazy dynamics. These reminded me of Klipsch...ability to rock out and fill a room with sound...only much better. I didn't hear the ear piercing top end that Tyson mentioned, but perhaps that was due to different track? I didn't visit this room with Pez and Tyson.
End result, if you want to have a system that rocks loud, check these out. I liked the sound.
In the same room were the Legacy Focus and Whispers. I personally prefer the Focus over the Whisper. Not sure why I just do.
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Teresonic
(http://i1216.photobucket.com/albums/dd370/pezacolypse/9bda5bfa.jpg)
(http://i1216.photobucket.com/albums/dd370/pezacolypse/74d61ce4.jpg)
(http://i1216.photobucket.com/albums/dd370/pezacolypse/539f4ba2.jpg)
(http://i1216.photobucket.com/albums/dd370/pezacolypse/3e00b033.jpg)
This the first full range driver room we've been in. I have to say I really like the way see speakers sound. They are natural, and full. As with most fullrangers they lack treble definition and bass fundamentals, but overall what is there is nice and well defined. The mid bass is very good and vocals are excellent.
Imaging is very nice!!! Focused and solid. Love the look of the amp. :o
Tyson - Not bad for a single driver speaker. Good pace, good extension, awesome cabinet work (they are like pieces of art). But my personal bias is that single driver speakers should be banished to the same rung of hell that OTL amps occupy. Perhaps I'm not the best person to comment on rooms like this....
I didn't care for these so I left the room and called my wife. :)
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Redwine audio
(http://i1216.photobucket.com/albums/dd370/pezacolypse/f7a6d284.jpg)
(http://i1216.photobucket.com/albums/dd370/pezacolypse/741f58f4.jpg)
(http://i1216.photobucket.com/albums/dd370/pezacolypse/85fdf04f.jpg)
This room sound remarkably balanced on the sibilieus. The violin sounds sweet and seductive. Wow, not t eying to be over bassy almost like they were balanced before just turning them on. :wink:
Great soundstage and imaging on the ani difranco track. I'm really likening this little setup. Emotional and well balanced. Another set of speakers that disappear nicely. If you are at RMAF you need to check this room out for sure.
Now in to mahler. On the Mahker they do admirably and dynamics, but are not going to win award for gut punching visceral bass.
Tool from outside of the sweet spot sounds very energetic and confident. My head is bobbing, that's a good thing! Any way great room.
Tyson - Quiet. Very Quiet. Spooky Quiet!! Noise floor? WHAT noise floor? 3 things Red Wine did right that other manufacturers should sit up and take notice of - 1st, speakers are appropriately sized to the room. 2nd, they are pulled well out, away from the walls. 3rd, room treatments on the side walls. Kudos to getting the fundamentals right!
Sound? OK not too surprising - they were coherent, precise, punchy, and had a great soundstage. Deeeeep bass was missing on the Mahler, but the mid and upper bass was great on Tool. Overall, quite a good room. And Vinnie is one of the coolest people we talked to today 8)
I concur with these comments. It was very pleasant to listen to. They didn't rock the walls off like other rooms, but it sounded very nice. I only left the room because there were more rooms to see.
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Deqx...
Tyson - I will tell you guys a secret. Pez secretly thinks the DEQX guys sabotaged the non-corrected Gallo's to make the corrected demo more impressive. I think he's full of sh!t. But I'm a former DEQX owner so I'm clearly biased :o
Seriously though, the switch between corrected passive gallos and non-corrected passive gallos was incredibly obvious to everyone in the room except for the deaf 70 year old dude hogging the sweet spot. He actually said he could not hear the difference. I think he needs a different hobby.
And the difference between the passive Gallo's and the fully active Tikandi speakers? Not even in the same ball park. I'm seriously considering buying a DEQX again...
+1 on deqx. i deqx'd a pair of $20 craigslist acquisitions - a pair of sansui sp2500's. day and night difference. in non-eq'd form the wintage 'sui's play a nice diffuse sound in a non-irritating way, but nothing even remotely resembling audiophile sound. w/deqx, they come amazingly close to reference quality sound. soundstaging, & timbre taken up seven notches, to match w/their already great dynamics...
doug s.
ps - great job jason & tyson! :thumb:
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Audio artistry/parts express
(http://i1216.photobucket.com/albums/dd370/pezacolypse/8b6149b7.jpg)
(http://i1216.photobucket.com/albums/dd370/pezacolypse/2a3abe52.jpg)
(http://i1216.photobucket.com/albums/dd370/pezacolypse/4c8b0283.jpg)
These are a steal at the diy price if it sticks. Great bass and sound stage however the tone seems to be a little off IMHO, maybe I just had a bad seat.
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(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=52500)
(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=52501)
Yeah this room sounded great, which is weird in that (as other have pointed out) all the previous years YG has sounded horrid. This room though, this year was tied with TAD for drop dead great sound.
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thanks PEZ AND TYSON for the gentle review. you guys made the show fun for me too. btw pez , next time just use a green laser pointer for my free eyesurgery, lol
Wharfdale/parasound/quad
(http://i1216.photobucket.com/albums/dd370/pezacolypse/f7134fe2.jpg)
(http://i1216.photobucket.com/albums/dd370/pezacolypse/aac70c01.jpg)
(http://i1216.photobucket.com/albums/dd370/pezacolypse/a040fc0c.jpg)
This room is a lower budget room. The sound is pretty good, there isn't a lot of focus to the soundstage or image. Totally this setup is good. However there isn't anything that is making me want to really like this setup. At the same time there isn't anything that makes me want to hate it either.
Dynamics are pretty run of the mill for this price range and bass slam is just barely good. I keep going back to the imaging on this setup, it's just not solid enough to feel 'hifi'.
Tyson - what can you say when the guy running the room is clearly better and more classy than the sound coming from the speakers? Tough spot. Great peeps in this room, but only average sound.
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Nice show :duh:
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Going back to some of the remarks made earlier about our manufacturing.
Yes, the amps, the Tempest, and the Loreleis are all Symphonic Line designs. The Candela and the Kismet monitors, and the tube phono stage are not.
As for the Tempest: we stopped making the Tempest boards here in the US in 2006, and only use original SL boards since then, and yes, they are better.
As for the amps, we make them here 100 % and yes, they are improved in parts quality over Germany, same with teh Loreleis.
We can do this for much less money in much the same way DougS indicated. It is absolutely true that manufacturing and parts themselves are much, much cheaper here than in Germany. Much less, because the taxes are so much less, no shipping, no customs, etc. True. However, can you really translate this to the Chinese model ???
WTF ????
Again, to reiterate everything that is wrong with Chinese manufacturing and their political, ethical, ecological, monetary, etc. shortcomings will take too long. Essentially, US and Chinese manufacturing, of course is apples and oranges, thankfully. Also, we don't outsource. We hand make every single step of every product, and I have personally control of parts quality and their origins.
Life is good......
Klaus
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Again, to reiterate everything that is wrong with Chinese manufacturing and their political, ethical, ecological, monetary, etc. shortcomings will take too long. Essentially, US and Chinese manufacturing, of course is apples and oranges, thankfully. Also, we don't outsource. We hand make every single step of every product, and I have personally control of parts quality and their origins.
Life is good......
Klaus
Klaus
It was great speaking with you this past weekend. I really look forward to hearing my dads amp that you're building him. He wants to send it to me to try too. :green:
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I like Klaus.
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Bob, you're the only one. :lol:
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Bob, you're the only one. :lol:
:scratch:
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Pez, sorry I didn't get the chance to meet you this year at RMAF. We seemed to be on different floors for the whole show. But If I could let me comment on your last post.
He was joking.
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Going back to some of the remarks made earlier about our manufacturing.
Yes, the amps, the Tempest, and the Loreleis are all Symphonic Line designs. The Candela and the Kismet monitors, and the tube phono stage are not.
As for the Tempest: we stopped making the Tempest boards here in the US in 2006, and only use original SL boards since then, and yes, they are better.
As for the amps, we make them here 100 % and yes, they are improved in parts quality over Germany, same with teh Loreleis.
We can do this for much less money in much the same way DougS indicated. It is absolutely true that manufacturing and parts themselves are much, much cheaper here than in Germany. Much less, because the taxes are so much less, no shipping, no customs, etc. True. However, can you really translate this to the Chinese model ???
WTF ????
Again, to reiterate everything that is wrong with Chinese manufacturing and their political, ethical, ecological, monetary, etc. shortcomings will take too long. Essentially, US and Chinese manufacturing, of course is apples and oranges, thankfully. Also, we don't outsource. We hand make every single step of every product, and I have personally control of parts quality and their origins.
Life is good......
Klaus
hi klaus,
regarding translating what you do, to the chinese model, it's simply as you agree - mfr'g in the usa is much less expensive than mfr'g in germany. as mfr'g in china is much less expensive than mfr'g in the usa. so much so, that, when it comes to china, it's even less expensive to ship raw materials from the usa to china, have the stuff mfr'd over there, and then ship it back to the usa for sale. which is why the furniture industry in the american se has been decimated - we ship trees over to china, they send back furniture. :duh:
fortunately, as you also say, nothing else re: mfr'g in china is like it is here in the usa. :thumb:
klaus, in my book, you're ok! :green:
doug s.
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I like Klaus.
+1 :thumb:
Laura
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Amr/dr fleckert/rosso fiorentino sienna speakers
(http://i1216.photobucket.com/albums/dd370/pezacolypse/32f67f03.jpg)
(http://i1216.photobucket.com/albums/dd370/pezacolypse/bb80a24a.jpg)
This system is phenomenal first off. Right away they invite you to just relax and enjoy the music. Really excellent balance across the entire spectrum. The imaging and soundstage are to die for. It feels like the soundstage is just infinite. Very very superb setup.
They are going to put on johnny cash for me. :thumb: ain't no grave. Wow full without sounding overblown. I really like the tonal balance this is a hard track to get right in my experience. A touch heavy on the kick drum, a little out of proportion. Which is not uncommon in vinyl. Other than that very solid performance.
Tyson - Last year I was again in a tough spot - great peeps, but a bright, unpleasant room. This year, don't know what they changed, but everything locked in to place. Sitting down, within 5 seconds it was clear this was one of the best rooms at RMAF this year. Johnny Cash always sounds great, but rarely sounds THIS awesome :thumb:
I spent about 30 minutes in this room listening to vinyl I brought plus some selections from Chris Fieckert. We listened to the MoFi Beatles Abbey Road from the 14 record box set released in the 80's and Oh Daddy & Gold Dust Woman from the 45 RPM remastered Rumours. Awesome is a good description for the sound although the low end bass was a little boomy and I felt the record sleeve I was holding vibrate on a couple of bass notes. The sound was very coherent and allowed all of the detail and music on the 45 RPM Rumours to be heard with emotion and clarity. Same with the Abbey Road.
What amazed me was the AMR phono stage. It was dead quiet--as quiet as any solid state phono stage I have heard and it allowed for an incredible listening experience. The best phono stage I have ever heard! Pricey too at about $12,000. I believe it sets the bar for performance from a vacuum tube phono stage. I would like to see AMR take this design, eliminate a few of the "features" I don't believe most vinylphools will use and bring the price down. It has the ability to match 23 different EQ curves, 8 levels of gain, 64 different loadings, one direct and 3 switchable inputs.
I really enjoyed my time in this room. One of the 5 best rooms I heard. Plus Darren and the AMR folks along with Chris are great people.
Laura