[Pez]

Pez,


Let me immediately be clear and emphatically state that I have no connection, affiliation or financial interest in the audio industry.  I am but a humble audiophile.

I did not state, nor did I imply that you or Tyson were in anyway on the "take" and I am very well aware that you are providing this service, as you have done in past years, as a free service. 

My point, as I stated, was that of all the many manufacturers at the show an inordinate number of best in show just happen to be site sponsors.  I also fully understand when you say that you prefer to visit and commensurate with AC vendors as you have a shared history with them.  Perhaps then, these skewed results are just a statistical anomaly and I should just leave it at that.

Let me also just say that I am a huge supporter and admirer of our cottage audio entrepreneurs many of whom are in fact site sponsors.  I have greatly benefited from their direct sales to the public, their willingness to personally assist and resolve audio issues. Furthermore, I also appreciate and understand full well the role AC provides these manufacturers as a venue to the audio world.

Perhaps, therefore, the issue becomes one of the title used.  You clearly state Pez & Tyson's "Best of RMAF" which of course very quickly gets converted to AC Best in Show.  In your preface to your post you mentioned the 100 Miss America contestants, 70 of whom never got a chance.  Reminds me of an old Russian proverb, Life is tough and then you die.

That's just the reality of our physical limitations. I guess I don't understand your point other than to call into question what we are doing. If rather than cast stones you would post your own photos, impressions and take the time to contribute in a constructive way that would be a better use of your time. Then we would assuredly have a completely unbiased approach to things.

[Pez]

I visit AC rooms because I am treated as a friend and not sized up based on my wallet size. I can go hang out, have fun and listen to some tunes on some really nice stuff.

And having "toured" rmaf with T&P, I can attest that the best of RMAF is not at all based on who is AC. AC just happens to have several amazing vendors that know how to make their products shine in a horrible environment.

I didn't get to go to many rooms this year as I was only there for 3 hours or so.

As far as my favorites:
TAD always engages me. I could listen to those systems all day long and be happy. Plus Andrew is entertaining by himself.

MBL - I never thought I would like them but this year I enjoyed them for the most part. There were some tracks that lots the soundstage and it was just a big wall of sound. However, they played some really fantastic tracks at the end of the day and the sound was big and engaging. I liked the reel to reel player grooving with MJ's Billie Jean.

GR Research - I thought it sounded good, just didn't connect with me. I am not a fan of the line array type. It didnt sound bad, just not my thing I guess. I prefer the sound of the Super V's.

I always like Salk. I wish that Jim would branch out and partner with some other electronics sometime. AVA is a great bargain but I think there are other options out there that bring the Salks to life even more. Plus the Salk family is just fun to hang out and share pics of the kids while listening to great music. The white ebony Veracity ST's were beautiful.

Daedulus sounded fantastic once again.

Improved room:
MSB Technology - just to put it out there, I used to work for MSB so obviously I have vested interest and bias. I always try to give them my own feedback on how to improve their setup and last year was a total disaster. The partnership with YG Acoustics didnt work out and the sound was just bad. I know MSB products so I knew it wasn't them (my bias of course!). I am not a fan of the big flat panel speakers, but they actually sounded pretty good this year. Much improved.

I was not nearly as impressed with Acoustic Zen this year. They always have good sounding rooms but this year, it lacked something.

I wish I had more time to visit more places. I would liked to have hit the Vapor rooms and a few others but simply ran out of time.

We were wondering where you were. Next year we have to hit some rooms for sure!

[James Romeyn]

Re. the title of this thread: No two persons together could possibly visit every room at RMAF.  This is immediately self evident in the following equation: vendors x (minutes per vendor + room to room transit minutes + bodily function time) / show hours.

The above equation always applies.  The complaint seems thus invalid. 

[Tyson]

Haha, this shit comes up every year.  My response is always the same.  Come out to RMAF and do your own show coverage.  Jason pretty much covered the rest already.  I will add a bit to it.  When we started we hit everyone we humanly could.  We were literally sprinting from room to room to try to hit every vendor possible.  But every year we notice that the same rooms sound good to great, and the same rooms sound mediocre to bad. 

So we started to cull our list.  Dynaudio, gone.  Focal, gone.  Nordost room, gone.  Bryston, gone.  Wilson, gone.  Magico, gone.  Rockport, gone.  Von Schweikert, gone.  YG Acoustics, gone.  Sanders Electrostatics, gone.  And another 2 AC Vendor are about to drop off our list for next year.  So yeah, when you don't know or understand that, I can see how it would look like we are biased.  And of course we ARE biased, but so is everybody.  We try to be as up front about our biases as possible. 

[George3]

Tyson,

Now, it is clear.... Thank you for that.....

[liddown]

Did you guys get any time in the Lawrence Audio room... I noticed that no one else has mentioned the room (maybe for good reason )... I was impressed with the new Double Bass speakers....

Anyone, Bueller......

[rascal]

Pez,

Perhaps, therefore, the issue becomes one of the title used.  You clearly state Pez & Tyson's "Best of RMAF" which of course very quickly gets converted to AC Best in Show.  In your preface to your post you mentioned the 100 Miss America contestants, 70 of whom never got a chance.  Reminds me of an old Russian proverb, Life is tough and then you die.

Well said- that was my impression too. More like best of AC- nothing wrong with that.  You cannot satisfy ALL the people ALL the time  And Pez/jason probably explained better AFTER being asked. Impossible for 2 people to do a good job analyzing many rooms- so I would rather go with quality than quantity.

Haha, this shit comes up every year.  My response is always the same.  Come out to RMAF and do your own show coverage.  Jason pretty much covered the rest already..

There is a contradiction here---That is why I believe your reviews should not be a sticky. AC members should post their own reviews- and that can be updated in events thread.  On top of the board are your sticky threads- as if it is 'official' AC review.

Pez, Tyson- please continue with your reviews- it is hard work and your write up shows passion you share.

But let us not make this devolve into something else.

[James Romeyn]

Let me share this vision with readers, to get an idea of how seriously our dear Tyson and Pez attack this monster AKA RM.  I may have seen their images prior but never had the personal pleasure till Sunday.

We gots three rows of seats.  I'm sitting in 2nd row L talking to someone in front of me further L.  Already (I presume, did not see this) Tyson handed his CD to Duke.  From nowhere, like the paratroopers landing, this young guy (Tyson) is seated front row C, Pez slithers all over the floor getting images while music is already playing, Tyson's laptop open, typing madly whilst his head swings hither and yonder to the beat.  I know not who they are.

I lean over to read text and see Tyson's name.  I sneak over to Duke, whisper it's Tyson, ask what is his partner's name, Duke can't remember.  I sit down and become excited reading Tyson's text, then I remember Pez' name, I tip toe over to Duke, tell him the AC reviewers are here, and remind him of Pez' name. 

We all had a brief chat latter after Duke read the post in real time.

Poof!  They disappear like on I Dream of Jeannie, and are already at their next venue before I can high-5 Duke.   

Readers: you are reading the best show coverage I have ever read by anyone for any show.  These two guys take this job just one or two levels below the proverbial "heart attack."  This is real work, though they obviously love it.   

[Pete Schumacher]

Pez, Tyson, I am thrilled that Nimbus just got to be mentioned among your favorites.  But to make Pez's top pick with the Nimbus is simply humbling.  Ryan, Ed (EdRo), and I worked many long hours preparing for this event, and to have our work recognized by you two makes the 14 hour days not seem so taxing, at least in hind sight. 

Many thanks to Norman Yang for his gorgeous looking and sounding Due Volte 805 SETs, Steve Nugent's amazing DAC, and Mark from Antipodes Audio for his impeccable music servers and cables.  It was truly a team effort, and the synergy brought a smile to my face all weekend long.

To those who shared the fun with us all weekend, we look forward to seeing you next year as well.

 

[taoggniklat]

We were wondering where you were. Next year we have to hit some rooms for sure!

Been busy, started my own business. I had planned to come down Saturday but plans changed and I ended up having the day to just spend with my family. So Sunday was the only day I could come down.

[James Romeyn]

Re. the title of this thread: No two persons together could possibly visit every room at RMAF.  This is immediately self evident in the following equation: vendors x (minutes per vendor + room to room transit minutes + bodily function time) / show hours.

The above equation always applies.  The complaint seems thus invalid.

Sorry, I quote myself.   

Is there such thing as a show report where the above equation does not apply?  The answer being no, then, if one has issue with this thread title, then one by simple reciprocal property of math must deny any show rating.

If you don't believe in show ratings, don't read them.  Certainly don't complain about their existence. 

[Tyson]

George,
No worries, I'm actually glad it came up as it allows us to address it head on.  I'm sure there are other people out there thinking the same things and simply not calling it out.  Some others dropping off next year are the Linkwitz room and the Salk/AVA room.

liddown,
We saw them the first day and put them on our list to hit later.  Just ran out of time.  It was probably the room I was most upset about not getting to hit - they certainly looked very interesting.

[dlparker]

Klaus played us Ana gadda da vida while using an oil lamp to trip us out. A RMAF first.

Now that I'd like to hear, juxtaposed with a live version of the Dead at their best from that era. I actually heard that live in KCKS in (I THINK) 69 or 70. I've got a recording of the Dead's show that night.

[liddown]

liddown,
We saw them the first day and put them on our list to hit later.  Just ran out of time.  It was probably the room I was most upset about not getting to hit - they certainly looked very interesting.
[/quote]

Thanks Tyson, and Thanks for all the effort you two put into the reporting... It is also valuable to compare your thoughts with that of my own...Appreciate all you guys do!

[Pez]

Ya the first thing we both said at the end was 'OH CRAP!!! we missed 5-6 rooms we wanted to see!' every year this happens. 

[Tyson]

Oh, one other thing I noticed this year about the other people covering RMAF that was interesting.  The professional review sites weren't there to really do much evaluating of the systems, but quite clearly were there to pick up leads for possible reviews of equipment over the upcoming next few months.  They have no reason to work very hard covering the show since for them it's merely a place to get ideas on stuff to review and maybe build a relationship with a vendor. 

The reason they don't post on the sound of stuff generally is probably because they don't care.  And that's fine, that's probably how it SHOULD work for them.  But Jason and I are not professional reviewers.  In fact, because our stuff is almost all DIY based and we do digitally driven fully active speakers, we're actually very poorly set up to review anything at home.  So we are coming from a different place when it comes to RMAF.  We just want to hear how it sounds. 

And THANK YOU to those posting here that have actually seen what we do at RMAF in person.  Every year we make our process more efficient by slicing away every bit of inefficiency we can.  Jim described what happened in their room, and it's the exact same thing that happens in every room.  Music goes on.  5 tracks.  8 minutes.  3 tracks are mine, 2 are Jason's.  I type my notes while listening to the 1st 3 tracks, Jason takes pics during that time.  I vacate the seat for Jason on the last 2 tracks.  Jason types his thoughts, uploads the photos and his text.  I edit the post, upload my comments, and provide the editing and formatting.  Then it is "Thank you" to the vendor and off to the next room.

And that's just the process at the show itself.  Before the show gets here, we discuss and select the music tracks we are gonna use that year, what each one should test, how long each track should be, and what the total length of the demo should be.  Then I also go to the RMAF website about a week in advance, download the Excel spreadsheet listing all the registered vendors.  I then sort the list by floor and then by room numbers.  I then go through all our previous Best of RMAF posts for the past several years and mark them as "vendors to hit".  Then we look at the rest of the vendors to see which look particularly interesting this year and add them to the list.  Then we take requests and add the most interesting requests to the list.  And you have to remember that we are already AT CAPACITY.  So anyone new we add to the list means that someone else has to drop off.

Then, when we are at the show, we go methodically, room by room, vendor by vendor, floor by floor.  I keep the spreadsheet live and updated on my laptop as we go.  I have highlighted all vendors we want to hit in yellow, and then change it over to green when we are finished with that room and moving on to the next.  We are pretty rigid about following the list, otherwise it's too easy to get distracted.  If we see an interesting room along the way, I take a picture of the room number and we try to come back to it on Sunday if we can.

So again, I'm glad this all came up, because I'm not sure people realize that this much work, thought, and planning go into this every year from us. 

[James Romeyn]

Chuck Norris could up his game if he tackled his work with the gusto of you two! 

[rbbert]

...

I was not nearly as impressed with Acoustic Zen this year. They always have good sounding rooms but this year, it lacked something.

What!!  You didn't love the new speakers I just bought??   

[nature boy]

Tyson and Pez,

Many thanks for those of us who could not make it to RMAF this year.  Your observations, insights and pictures are greatly appreciated.  I think you have nailed the process and put many professional show reviewers to shame.  Keep up the great work!

NB

[Tyson]

Thanks all!  We can only do it because we work as a team.  If it was just one of us, the whole process would break down.  Of course, if it was just one of us, we probably wouldn't go to RMAF at all.  The best part of the whole damn show is getting to geek out with my best friend Jason for 3 days.  That was true this year more than ever.