[standub]

Yes I know there is one more day and I have a 3 day pass, but I usually never make it Sunday, usually due to real life needing attention(). So any ways here's my take on the rooms if you're so inclined to read.

Best of Show:

Well doing my best Groundhog Day impression, it's the same as last year; Odyssey and Vapor.  Killer sound and at a much better price point than most of the other rooms, well the BMC stuff is pricey but they are coming out with cheaper stuff.  Not sure what to say other than if you want a "final" system, just order something from them and be done.

Take on other AC members:

AVA/Salk Sound: Not my cup of tea but again for another year; good.  There's something to be said for consistency.

GIK: Used in both of my best of rooms, you figure it out.

GR-Research: See AVA/Salk

Selah: Haven't heard many of Ricks designs and the ones I have heard have been ok, however this year the Ottavo knocked it out of the park, holy cow are they good.

Sweet Cheap and Cheerfull stuff I found at the show:

Finally got around to listening to the ifi stuff, utterly killer for the price.  I've added the new nano stuff to my amazon wish list (via tweakgeek.com) even.

Doing a movie demo the Hsu Research speakers and subs basically showed there's no reason for people to ever go to Best Buy for their home theater.

Random Musings:

Chris from VHaudio.com is an awesome and knowledgeable guy, and has a very cool power product coming out.

The exasound multi-channel dac and a multi-channel DSD cut of Dark Side of the Moon and Money For Nothing......OMG I want one.

Also I liked that there now is more and more Hi Rez audio content out there.

The guys at Music Hall really do a good job and are rather friendly, even if one of them uses the f word akin to how most valley girls use like.

YG and Wilson Why do people pay so much money for this stuff????

Minor annoyance: the guy in front of me talking about thousands of dollars of stillpoints he put on his digital equipment to make it sound better

[AJinFLA]

Hey, my uncle says there's a guy here somewhere sticking magnet thingies on a Bose wave radio and making it sound better.
How cool is that?

[strat95]

Thanks for your thoughts.  Curious to know what it is about the AVA/Salk that is not your cup of tea?

[standub]

Thanks for your thoughts.  Curious to know what it is about the AVA/Salk that is not your cup of tea?

Salk like Von Schweikert or Magico is a hard speaker for me to describe to some one because they are very good and I can't point out anything in particular that I think is wrong/bad.  They just seem to be missing something that the likes of GamuT, Odyssey and Vapor have IMHO.

[jhm731]

YG and Wilson Why do people pay so much money for this stuff????

I'll bet that WA has sold more $28k Sasha W/Ps(just one model in their line), than all the Salk & Vapor speakers combined.

[Big Red Machine]

Selah: Haven't heard many of Ricks designs and the ones I have heard have been ok, however this year the Ottavo knocked it out of the park, holy cow are they good.

Not criticizing, not defending - it is interesting that the Ottavo is essentially a Soundscape 8 - raal, ceramic mid, and dual woofers?

Did you stop to hear the Daedalus stuff?

[standub]

Not criticizing, not defending - it is interesting that the Ottavo is essentially a Soundscape 8 - raal, ceramic mid, and dual woofers?

Did you stop to hear the Daedalus stuff?

Not sure why I didn't notice that before, I've only heard the original Soundscapes so I guess that look sticks out in my mind.  It would be interesting to get a shootout between the Ottevo and the 8's (same room, equipment and music) to compare these two.

I did briefly stop into the Daedalus/modwright room, it was on the ground floor this year and usually I only run through those and don't give a critical listen.  It sounded good from the brief stop in I made, i'd imagine it sounded the same as their combo has in previous years.

[vinyl_guy]

I did briefly stop into the Daedalus/modwright room, it was on the ground floor this year and usually I only run through those and don't give a critical listen.  It sounded good from the brief stop in I made, i'd imagine it sounded the same as their combo has in previous years.

Actually, it sounds much better than previous years. The version 2 upgrade to Lou's speakers is an absolute game changer and Dan's Elyse DAC is phenomenal. Wider, deeper soundstage, better low frequency response, more precise with great tonality. The best the room has ever sounded.

Laura

[standub]

Hey, my uncle says there's a guy here somewhere sticking magnet thingies on a Bose wave radio and making it sound better.
How cool is that?

And here I thought you were joking AJ. http://www.stereophile.com/content/synergistic-research%E2%80%99s-hft-and-feq-transform-bose-wave-radio 

Also take Laura's word on Lou's room over mine, i'm guessing she spent 10x the amount of time in there than I did.

[jonbee]

Not criticizing, not defending - it is interesting that the Ottavo is essentially a Soundscape 8 - raal, ceramic mid, and dual woofers?

Did you stop to hear the Daedalus stuff?

Salk and Selah have shared some similar designs for many years, and a similar approach to design- top quality drivers, excellent cabinetry, very attractively priced vs. the retail channel brands.
SS8 and Ottavo are similar in many ways, except for price- $6k for the Ottavo vs. $8k for the SS8.

[Tyson]

  Oops

[dminches]

Salk and Selah have shared some similar designs for many years, and a similar approach to design- top quality drivers, excellent cabinetry, very attractively priced vs. the retail channel brands.
SS8 and Ottavo are similar in many ways, except for price- $6k for the Ottavo vs. $8k for the SS8.

At the shows I have attended I have found that the Salk/Van Alstine and the Daedalus/Modwright rooms as among the best sounding and at the top of the list for value.  There may be "better" sounding equipment but you are going to pay multiples for it.

[mrlittlejeans]

Hey, my uncle says there's a guy here somewhere sticking magnet thingies on a Bose wave radio and making it sound better.
How cool is that?

hah!  I went into that room this morning and was wondering where the speakers were when i realized they had a Bose wave radio on top of the stand.  Too funny.  I think it was Synergistic research or something.  I didn't stay for the demo.

[AJinFLA]

And here I thought you were joking AJ.

Wish I was. But alas, this is high end audio. Now shame on you for me having left over beer in the fridge!

[Pez]

Like the impressions. Most of them mirror my own. Very cool.

[Rick Craig]

Not criticizing, not defending - it is interesting that the Ottavo is essentially a Soundscape 8 - raal, ceramic mid, and dual woofers?

Did you stop to hear the Daedalus stuff?

I understand the comparison with both speakers being a dual 8" 3-way and sharing the same midrange driver; however, the Ottavo uses a different woofer and tweeter. There are also differences in the designs (passive radiator vs. port and open back mid vs. sealed box mid) and price ($8,000/pr. plus shipping for the basic level SS8 and $5,195pr. including shipping for the equivalent Ottavo).

[Tyson]

The Ottavo's are, IMHO, better.  The Soundscape speakers sound "bigger", but lack the integration, smoothness, and huge sweet spot of the Ottavos.  Of course, I didn't get to REALLY hear what the Ottavo's could do because Rick had switched away from Spotify by the 2nd day

[standub]

Like the impressions. Most of them mirror my own. Very cool.

I know I liked you more than Tyson 

[Pez]

Most people do. 

[AlexG]

Hey standub,

It was great to see you again as always and very much appreciate your kind comments regarding our product and room 

Also was nice to meet your wife for the first time (in my case). We didn't talk that much this year but oh well...next time. Many thanks for the "Denver's Finest" that has become already a tradition from you every year 

All the best.

Alex