AudioCircle
The Commercial Zone => Audio Shows and Events => Rocky Mountain Audio Fest => Topic started by: mcullinan on 10 Oct 2008, 01:34 pm
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Or close to live...
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Mike
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Is anybody at the show?? Hellooooooooo Denver.
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http://www.enjoythemusic.com/rmaf_2008/
Steve sez content coming soon, better hurry dude the show's been open for at least two hours! :wink:
Steve R. if you are reading this bigger pictures please! The world is high speed networked and we can download bigger than 300 x 300 pixels in 2008.
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Damn we are asking a lot! And hurry IT up!
Mike :D
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WHAT?? No pictures yet?
Enjoy The Music and StereoTimes always has great coverage as well as Audio Federation and one other that I can think of at the moment :duh: something-something home theater
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there all drunk out of there minds by now. The pics will be all blurry. :(
Mike
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there all drunk out of there minds by now. The pics will be all blurry. :(
Mike
Not quite yet...
They are two hours behind the East Coast. :D
The Friday night gathering at the pub in the Marriott won't begin till around 6:00pm Mountain time.
George
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These guys are there: http://blog.stereophile.com/rmaf2008/ (http://blog.stereophile.com/rmaf2008/)
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Congrats to Vinnie for getting front page blog exposure :thumb:
I know they're having a good time as I just got of the phone with Chris (lonewolf - who happened to be near someone I was talking to) and there is a lot to see there this year.
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Enjoy the music has friday up... A lil
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Or close to live...
?
Mike
OK - just back from the bar. Here are a few pictures to keep you from self destructing with anticipation.
Here is Jonathan Weiss of Oswald's Mill Audio showing his impressive new speakers - the AC1. They have seemingly unlimited dynamic range.
(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=16388)
Here are some open baffle speakers from Lowther America which use a 8" PM6A Lowther full range augmented by a 12" Tone Tubby woofer. Very nice and easy to listen to. May have been a bit rolled off but after hearing too many screechy rooms, this one was a pleasure.
(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=16389)
The Lowthers were being driven by Nelson Pass / First Watt Electronics and a Galibier turntable, as shown below.
(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=16391)
Jeff Catalano of High Water Sound in Manhattan had one of the best sounding systems that I heard the first day. It consisted of Horning full range speakers, which use a Lowther driver augmented on top and bottom. The turntable was a TW Acoustics Raven 2 and the electronics were made by an English company - Tron. The sound playing an old Jazz LP was unbelievably realistic.
(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=16390)
Frank Schroeder's tonearm was present in many rooms running vinyl and he was there in person with his own turntable. Here's a picture of a new version which has a core made of slate to achieve the ultimate in damping.
(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=16393)
Finally, RAAL Acoustics was present with their incredibly ambitious new omni-directional speakers. These have received lots of attention in the online press over the last few weeks and they were a sight to behold. The sound was very dynamic and spacious. I didnt' know the electronics or the source so it's hard to judge the speakers independently from those other factors. The sound wasn't quite as warm as I would like but I suspect that was more related to the accompanying electronics.
(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=16395)
OK - that's it for the first day. I'm sure others will pipe in soon.
---Gary
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Jeff (Highwater Sound) always has one of the better rooms at RMAF.
The gear he sells isn't cheap, but damn it sounds sooooo good.
Thanks for the pictures.
George
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YEs.. thanks for the pics!
The last one looks as if it was inspired by a wood burning stove:) How cool erm, interesting
Mike
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FYI, the Lowther in the photo above is clearly an 8" driver, not a 4". Lowther doesn't make any 4" drivers. (They do make a 6", the DX-55, and probably a few others.)
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Here are some open baffle speakers from Lowther America which use a 4" Lowther full range augmented by a 12" Tone Tubby woofer. Very nice and easy to listen to. May have been a bit rolled off but after hearing too many screechy rooms, this one was a pleasure.
(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=16389)
I don't remember what source was used last year, but Nelson was looking quite satisfied when Bob Smith and I came through, and justifiably so. I was surprised by how good these speakers sounded, much better than I expected. I don't recall them sounding rolled-off in the least, but a different source, program material or any of a number of things might explain the different perception.
IIRC, I believe Nelson said the speaker's were his, which I took to mean they were his design.
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FYI, the Lowther in the photo above is clearly an 8" driver, not a 4". Lowther doesn't make any 4" drivers. (They do make a 6", the DX-55, and probably a few others.)
Yep - it's an 8" PM6A with Ticonal magnets.
---Gary
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Which iteration of the First Watt amp are those?
Can't tell from the photo.
Still have boards to build the F2.
Lyndon
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FYI, the Lowther in the photo above is clearly an 8" driver, not a 4". Lowther doesn't make any 4" drivers. (They do make a 6", the DX-55, and probably a few others.)
Looks like we were both wrong on the size of the Lowther unit.
It's a DX-45, which a quick web search says is a 5" driver.
---Gary
Can we compromise and say it's 6.5? :roll:
It looked like an 8" relative to the woofer, but what do I know?! Not enough to tell the size of the driver from the pic, that's for sure! Actually, I just thought Nelson used the 8" DX-3/4.
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There is a link to what seems like these same open baffle speakers on the Lowther America home page: http://www.enjoythemusic.com/vsac_2008/ (http://www.enjoythemusic.com/vsac_2008/) and the caption shows them to be the Alnico PM6A which are 8" drivers (if these are the same speakers).
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Jeez its rough this year! I seem to remember a lot mor pics/comments last year. Waiting is the hardest part.
Mike
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PLus congrats to another home fav group Van Alstine and Salk.. :green:
http://blog.stereophile.com/rmaf2008/101108van_alstine/ (http://blog.stereophile.com/rmaf2008/101108van_alstine/)
M
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Is that a new model 550? It looks a little different and the power output (according to Stereophile) is higher.
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Here are some open baffle speakers from Lowther America which use a 4" Lowther full range augmented by a 12" Tone Tubby woofer. Very nice and easy to listen to. May have been a bit rolled off but after hearing too many screechy rooms, this one was a pleasure.
(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=16389)
I don't remember what source was used last year, but Nelson was looking quite satisfied when Bob Smith and I came through, and justifiably so. I was surprised by how good these speakers sounded, much better than I expected. I don't recall them sounding rolled-off in the least, but a different source, program material or any of a number of things might explain the different perception.
IIRC, I believe Nelson said the speaker's were his, which I took to mean they were his design.
Hey DU,
I just talked to Jon VerHalen (Lowther America) out at the show and he confirmed the drivers as being the PM6As. Previously Jon was running a modified Basszilla design (Dick Olsher) that was the PM6A on top and a 15"er in a ported cabinet on the bottom. Jon has since switched to a true open baffle (as I understand). If I know Jon, he has his 15" Hartleys sitting somewhere around there so he can turn on a sub on occasion.
When it comes to the sound of the better Lowthers, (IMO) there are few speakers that can do what a good Lowther can. Since I've gone with the PM2A in an open baffle configuration cut off at 125Hz and a 15"er filling in the bottom, there isn't anything I'd rather listen to. If you thought Jon's speakers sounded good the last time you heard them, you should hear what they can do in a 'proper' room. If you ever make it up north to St Louis, you owe it to yourself to stop by and give mine a listen. Just give me a buzz or drop me a PM. I'd be happy to have you over :thumb:
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How much are PM6As?
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From the picture of Franks and Jim Salks gear, it looks like Frank is still using his $15 IC's and speaker wire to the HT-3's. LOL
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Which iteration of the First Watt amp are those?
Can't tell from the photo.
Still have boards to build the F2.
Lyndon
What is pictured is the phono preamp. They were using an F5 on the OB speakers.
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If you thought Jon's speakers sounded good the last time you heard them, you should hear what they can do in a 'proper' room. If you ever make it up north to St Louis, you owe it to yourself to stop by and give mine a listen. Just give me a buzz or drop me a PM. I'd be happy to have you over :thumb:
You've just made a terrible mistake, 'cause I'm just the type to take you up on it. :green:
Seriously, thank you very much for the invite, my friend. I will be in contact the next time I'm in the area.
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Here are some open baffle speakers from Lowther America which use a 4" Lowther full range augmented by a 12" Tone Tubby woofer. Very nice and easy to listen to. May have been a bit rolled off but after hearing too many screechy rooms, this one was a pleasure.
(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=16389)
I don't remember what source was used last year, but Nelson was looking quite satisfied when Bob Smith and I came through, and justifiably so. I was surprised by how good these speakers sounded, much better than I expected. I don't recall them sounding rolled-off in the least, but a different source, program material or any of a number of things might explain the different perception.
IIRC, I believe Nelson said the speaker's were his, which I took to mean they were his design.
Hey DU,
I just talked to Jon VerHalen (Lowther America) out at the show and he confirmed the drivers as being the PM6As. Previously Jon was running a modified Basszilla design (Dick Olsher) that was the PM6A on top and a 15"er in a ported cabinet on the bottom. Jon has since switched to a true open baffle (as I understand). If I know Jon, he has his 15" Hartleys sitting somewhere around there so he can turn on a sub on occasion.
When it comes to the sound of the better Lowthers, (IMO) there are few speakers that can do what a good Lowther can. Since I've gone with the PM2A in an open baffle configuration cut off at 125Hz and a 15"er filling in the bottom, there isn't anything I'd rather listen to. If you thought Jon's speakers sounded good the last time you heard them, you should hear what they can do in a 'proper' room. If you ever make it up north to St Louis, you owe it to yourself to stop by and give mine a listen. Just give me a buzz or drop me a PM. I'd be happy to have you over :thumb:
Those look to be the same speakers that Jon had at VSAC. He was running the Lowthers with Tone Tubby woofers on solid maple baffles. A question as to your statement about the Hartley Sub, isn't that their 18 inch driver. AFAIK, Hartley makes 10 inch, 18 inch and 24 inch drivers.
I and many others felt they were about the best sound in the show. Here's some VSAC coverage that shows Jon's speakers rather well.
Before anyone asks: Yes, those are a couple pairs of my speakers on page 3.
Best Regards,
TerryO
http://www.enjoythemusic.com/vsac_2008/
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I didnt want to resort to this, but these are desperate times. I DONT want to see any RMAF photos by anyone (reverse psychology, muhahaha)
Sorry I had to do it. :)
Mike
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:duh: Terry, of course you are correct about size. My bad.
PBR, the PM6As run $1295/pr according to Jon's website. They are very close in sound to my PM2As. Be forewarned, these things take many, many hundreds (if not thousands) of hours to completely break in. I found that after about 2k hours mine were about as good as they could get. It wasn't just me, several of the local guys commented (without solicitation) how much they calmed down after some serious time on them.
Oh and one last thing, just in case you are a Stereophile reader, Dudley wrote that he just sold off his Lowthers partially because he had to realign them a couple times a year. He had the newer design which completely relieves owners of this exact issue. I have no idea why he was constantly screwing with them but in over 5 years of ownership, I've not had to realign them a single time. I know Jon VerHalen quite well and asked him the same question after reading Dudleys comments. He said he'd never realigned his either.
That said, I have taken the Alnico magnet off and tried the Ticonal magnets as has Jon. I didn't have any issues getting them realigned. In fact I've realigned a few Lowthers over the years that have been knocked out of whack either by shipping goons or by self-inflicted stupidity (read=dropping a driver). No real trick to doing it for someone with dexterity and the ability of logical thought.
I just wanted to give you contrary perspective from a longtime owner.
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Discovery!! wee oo
http://www.computeraudiophile.com/rocky_mountain_audiofest_2008_day_1 (http://www.computeraudiophile.com/rocky_mountain_audiofest_2008_day_1)
Mike
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Mike....
You need to attend the 2009 show... :wink:
As for coverage....show reports...here's some....
http://www.enjoythemusic.com/rmaf_2008
http://blog.stereophile.com/rmaf2008/
Some more will be coming...
http://www.positive-feedback.com/
http://www.audiofederation.com/hifiing/2008/RMAF2008/index.htm
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Mike....
You need to attend the 2009 show... :wink:
As for coverage....show reports...here's some....
http://www.enjoythemusic.com/rmaf_2008
http://blog.stereophile.com/rmaf2008/
Some more will be coming...
http://www.positive-feedback.com/
http://www.audiofederation.com/hifiing/2008/RMAF2008/index.htm
Soundstage also has some coverage:
http://www.soundstage2.com/avtour2008/rmaf.html
George