2006 CES Show Report....

Bill Baker · « **Reply #20 on:** 9 Jan 2006, 07:37 pm »

Thanks for the comments Phil. It did look by the picture that the room was not exactly ideal for any of Bob's speakers. That's one of the problem with these shows. Sometimes you're better off with a static display rather than having poor sound in a bad room.

Fife12 · « **Reply #21 on:** 9 Jan 2006, 07:39 pm »

Lots of great rooms at CES/Show.

However, many rooms were playing music WAY TOO LOUD!

My favorite unaffordable rooms:
MBL (amazing soundstage)
Burmester (amazing soundstage)
Viola Audio Labs with the Allegro monitors (OMG)
Vitus Audio Room with Focus Audio Master 2.5 (great control)
TAD with Pass Labs power (sheer powerful. The 10 second demo was.......WOW!)

The great sounding rooms/products:
Fast-Company Amp+Pre-amp (Japan) with PMC BB5 speakers (amazing speed and bass extention)
Accuphase room (by Axxis Dist.)
Studio Electric system with Acrolink cabling (just so musical)
Verity Audio room (so smooth)
Audio Space Room - Monoblocks driving Dynaudio Confidence C2 (great demo of bass from these $10k tube mono's)
PMC Room - IB2's driven by JC1 monoblocks (great speed and rhythm)
Fidelis Room with AudioPax system - made in Brazil

The best Bang-For-Buck speaker:
AZ Adagio Speakers (amazing for the price)

I think only the brave rooms who dared to show their full-range capabilies played Orchestra.

Some rooms were a little disappointing though, due either to poor room treatment or setup.
I would even say some equipment was not worth buying.

Hogg · « **Reply #22 on:** 10 Jan 2006, 01:04 am »

Quote from: PhilNYC

Hey folks...just posted some pictures from CES/THE Show. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get to a ton of rooms, but here's what was able to check out:

http://www.audiocircle.com/circles/modules.php?set_albumName=albuu78&op=modload&name=gallery&file=index&include=view_album.php&page=1

Phil, thank you for the great pictures. Do you remember the Art Loudspeaker room? There are a few people in the UK on the Naim forum raving about these speakers.
Jim

F-100 · « **Reply #23 on:** 10 Jan 2006, 01:18 am »

Quote from: PhilNYC

Hey folks...just posted some pictures from CES/THE Show. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get to a ton of rooms, but here's what was able to check out:

http://www.audiocircle.com/circles/modules.php?set_albumName=albuu78&op=modload&name=gallery&file=index&include=view_album.php&page=1

I like those high heels that Gilbert used for cable elevators

Folsom · « **Reply #24 on:** 10 Jan 2006, 01:55 am »

All the pictures.... all the review comments, I just plain old want to go next year!

Bill Baker · « **Reply #25 on:** 10 Jan 2006, 01:58 am »

I love this one. $50k worth of gear driving $200 speakers. I did a post with just the opposite a while back with a <$1k electronics driving $22k speakers. Just goes to show ya......

PhilNYC · « **Reply #26 on:** 10 Jan 2006, 02:30 am »

Hogg...believe it or not, that's the one room where I was going thru my pictures and thought to myself "Did I go to this room? I don't remember it at all". Sorry...

PhilNYC · « **Reply #27 on:** 10 Jan 2006, 02:31 am »

Quote from: F-100

I like those high heels that Gilbert used for cable elevators

Gilbert said I could offer those at a discount if you're interested...

GBB · « **Reply #28 on:** 10 Jan 2006, 03:13 am »

Phil,
Do you know any more about these speakers?

They look like line arrays based on Jordan drivers which I've been thinking would be a fun project. Any impressions of the sound?
Thanks,
---Gary

lonewolfny42 · « **Reply #29 on:** 10 Jan 2006, 03:39 am »

Quote from: F-100

Quote from: PhilNYC
Hey folks...just posted some pictures from CES/THE Show. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get to a ton of rooms, but here's what was able to check out:

http://www.audiocircle.com/circles/modules.php?set_albumName=albuu78&op=modload&name=gallery&file=index&include=view_album.php&page=1

I like those high heels that Gilbert used for cable elevators

High heel's...cable elevator's...likely story... thought I heard about a wild party in the Blue Circle room.....

Chris[/list:u]

JoshK · « **Reply #30 on:** 10 Jan 2006, 03:41 am »

those are audience speakers, which Phil commented about (dissapointing, second time I read that). Those don't look like Jordan drivers...too small, probably aura sound drivers.

PhilNYC · « **Reply #31 on:** 10 Jan 2006, 03:48 am »

Quote from: GBB

Phil,
Do you know any more about these speakers?

They look like line arrays based on Jordan drivers which I've been thinking would be a fun project. Any impressions of the sound?
Thanks,
---Gary

Audience has been playing around with a powered line array speaker design for a couple of years now. Here's a version they had 2 years ago:

Honestly, I don't know anything about the design (including what drivers they use), and I walked into the Audience room right after I had my ears assaulted by the Halcro/Atmasphere room, so I am probably the wrong person to ask how they sounded. I do know that John McDonald of Audience was particularly proud of the fact that "the room is the sweetspot"...a description that I agree with that there was good imaging/soundstaging from just about everywhere in the room.

PhilNYC · « **Reply #32 on:** 10 Jan 2006, 03:52 am »

Quote from: lonewolfny42

Thanks Phil for the photo's and comments !!! Hope you got some sleep... [/list:u]
Chris[/list:u]

I'll tell you that I wish I had some crazy stories to keep hidden in my Vegas trip...but the convention was so huge this year that my feet are in major pain from all the walking, and asides from being hit on by a divorced mother of 3 in the Centrifuge Bar at the MGM Grand, I got nuthin! Dinner reservations were 10pm every night, and I was in my room asleep by 1am each night...

I'm getting old...

lonewolfny42 · « **Reply #33 on:** 10 Jan 2006, 03:59 am »

Quote from: PhilNYC

I'm getting old...

Chris[/list:u]

Hank · « **Reply #34 on:** 10 Jan 2006, 04:10 am »

I was there, this time on company business. Meetings from morning 'til 10:00 - 11:00 at night. Not anywhere enough time to walk the show. Only 2 hours at the Alexis Park.

But, our technology was in a Toshiba projector on display in their booth and in Texas Instruments' booth!

Vinnie R. · « **Reply #35 on:** 10 Jan 2006, 04:24 am »

Quote from: lonewolfny42

At Hogg's Rave...a little red wine with Vinnie.... [/list]

Chris,

That was a nice bottle of red and I really appreciated it!

I hope to see again soon in 2006 at one of the upcoming NY Raves. I'll living in CT at the end of the month, so I'll be that much closer to you guys

(note the same thumbs up in the picture

)

jeffreybehr · « **Reply #36 on:** 10 Jan 2006, 05:51 pm »

FWIW, my note about the 2006 shows are here http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?cspkr&1136849518&read&h12&zzlTheloveman&&#rest

I certainly heard some good sounds but also heard some horrible-sounding systems. Hadn't been for about 20 years; was MUCH better than I remember, but two and two-half days on my feet make for VERY tired legs!

Red Dragon Audio · « **Reply #37 on:** 10 Jan 2006, 09:15 pm »

Here are some pictures of the Red Dragon Audio & Acoustic Zen room.

SYSTEM DETAILS

Resolution Audio Opus21 CD player modded by Great Northern Sound.
Modwright Preamp with Tung Sol tubes
Red Dragon Audio Leviathan Signature Monoblocks with optional matching custom stands.
Acoustic Zen Adagio full range speakers (30Hz-25kHz +/- 3dB 6ohms 89dB)
Acoustic Zen power, speaker and interconnect cables.
HHG Custom amp stands (www.hhgstands.com)[/list:u]

PhilNYC · « **Reply #38 on:** 10 Jan 2006, 09:45 pm »

Ryan,

Nice job with the demo room. I spent most of my time in the second room with Robert Lee listening to the setup there. As I mentioned before, this was one of the more notable rooms for me (not just because I'm an AZ dealer)...and that chassis/cover on your amps is something else...

Horizons · « **Reply #39 on:** 10 Jan 2006, 09:50 pm »

Any good music demos at the show?

Every time I went to CES, I would return with a few MUST HAVE musical selections.

Hopefully every room wasn't playing the same Diana Krall track.