[Phil A]

It's tough to hit all the rooms especially running into and talking to people you know. I probably should have made a better hit list for Friday (but was tired from a long drive) when it was less crowded.  There were a few rooms I would have either liked to spend more time in when I could give a quality listen and there was at least one I wanted to get into but it was just too crowded when I tried to visit.

[Jonathon Janusz]

Dude, nice work!

If you can give out 1st,2nd,3rd place ribbons that would be fun. Obviously just your humble opinion of course...

I would much rather stay a reporter, and let others better than myself be judges.   I hope by my comments, I paint a picture that no system is ever perfect, and each has some things that it really does well.  It is these things that a system really shines at that I hope gets a person's attention in reading because whatever that may be is something they find important in a system, and through that they take a few minutes time searching out a maker and learning more about what that company has to offer.  A lot of folks get nervous about "the press", hoping to get the "best of show" sound bite for an ad copy somewhere.  I'm just a guy with a computer, camera, CD, and opinion.  Those tools hopefully let me help connect interested people with great companies and gear, or at least let someone see the show they couldn't make it to.

Now, as a statement like that can (will) quickly get chopped down on the Internet as "weak", assuming I was to walk in to a room, look around, and with a fist full of cash say, "I'll take it all", with MY preferences and MY priorities in MY available room and MY rough budget right now, I could happily take the Odyssey room, Vinnie Rossi room, or maybe one of the Audio Note rooms (I'm not 100% sure on their pricing).  With a serious sit down conversation with my piggy bank, I could see stretching for the small Daedalus room, Border Patrol, or Salk with the E3's.  Cost no object daydreaming assuming I had the room, means, etc., although I would be very particular cherry picking the rest of the components, I could actually see building a system around the big Volti horns, and that is keeping in mind as noted above I have never been a horn guy - the Volti Vittora with the Vinnie Rossi LIO in front of them, and Triode Wire Labs cabling was really something special.

[edited for clarity]

[Tomy2Tone]

Thanks Jonathon for indulging me just a bit...great read!

[Jonathon Janusz]

Phil, I hear you on that!  If I'm remembering names to faces correctly, it was nice chatting with you at the elevator and I hope you enjoy your trip to LV!

Cheers, Tomy, thanks for reading. 

[Phil A]

Phil, I hear you on that!  If I'm remembering names to faces correctly, it was nice chatting with you at the elevator and I hope you enjoy your trip to LV!

Cheers, Tomy, thanks for reading. 

Your memory/name association is much better than mine.  I'm not so good with names but much better with faces.  Yes we did chat on the elevator.

Due to a move a little over a year and a half ago, I moved from the DC area and did not make it to the CAF last year.  So I ended up meeting new people (who recognized my pic from here or the Post Office ) and reconnecting with others.  On Sunday I was up early and made it to breakfast at the Silver Diner which is down the road.  On the walk back to the hotel and in the lobby, I ended up talking to several people and before I knew it the rooms were open.  As I noted between the long drive (and then after wandering the hotel lobby I ran into Klaus of Oddysey audio and end up in their room Thursday night until about 2AM Friday and was up Saturday at 6AM to meet someone for breakfast so I got 8 hours sleep over two nights) and everything else, I was not as organized in looking at the rooms as I was in the past.

[arthurs]

FWIW Jonathan I totally understand your perspective on reporting versus judging.  I think your impressions line up pretty straight with what I heard at the show....nice job and thanks for sharing!

[HAL]

Jonathon,
Great show write-up!

Thanks for your insight on all the rooms and about the GT Audioworks room.  Glad to play your demo tracks in the room.  I enjoyed DJing from the Music Server setup and catch up on what you had heard.

Sorry to hear you will not make it to RMAF2015.  Hope to see you next year at the shows!

Rich

[Jonathon Janusz]

arthurs, thank you, and again one of these days. . . 

Rich, I was just about to start looking for a cheep flight to Denver, when I looked at the show dates and saw that a friend's wedding is on the Saturday.  Otherwise, I would have found a way.

Also a shout out to the GT Audioworks/Hollis Audio Labs room as one of the two rooms I referred to when I discussed source material.  Having Rich personally in the room with the HAL MS-3 made it such that not only could attendees hear whatever they brought, but it could be done with no compromise in the quality of the system and it could happen FAST, as everyone's time is critical in making a great first impression in a busy show room.  I know everyone doesn't have their digital source manufacturer on point during a show, but bringing your "A" game in running the gear is clutch.

. . . and Rich, I've heard your front end plopped into a few different systems now.  With the time you and Greg put in making the HAL gear a true part of a whole system, that was the best I've heard the MS server yet.  Solid work, my friend!

[KLH007]

JJ, Did you hear any of Rich's RR HRX recordings in the GTAW/HAL room? I thought the MS-3 & DS DAC with Rich's music library helped that room to it's full potential, one of the best of the show, and affordable.

[arthurs]

arthurs, thank you, and again one of these days. . . 

Yes indeed, one of these days! 

[Jonathon Janusz]

JJ, Did you hear any of Rich's RR HRX recordings in the GTAW/HAL room? I thought the MS-3 & DS DAC with Rich's music library helped that room to it's full potential, one of the best of the show, and affordable.

Sorry, but I don't know for sure, as I didn't keep track of what Rich was spinning when I came in to the room a few times.  My demo material was all redbook CD rips to AIFF pulled off a USB drive into the MS-3, as I wanted to keep the CD transport they had set up out of the chain to really get a feel for the MS-3 and DAC alone.

I could see how the higher resolution stuff could have made the GT speakers shine, though, in particular those ribbon tweeters.  Again, anyone looking at any 3.x Maggies, I think these can give them a real run for the money!

[Roscoe Primrose]

Negative, brother.  I double checked my worksheets and that room didn't get reported.  It was one of three on the fourth floor that I missed.  I would like to think that it was because the room was packed enough on Saturday that I couldn't get in to do a demo.   Covering all of where you were at for this show was a challenge, for sure.  I have to give you credit for being able to give so many vendors quality face time promoting your products at a show.  You pack yourself a busy day, for sure!

Slagle's room was analog only, so you wouldn't have been able to play your demo material anyway....

Roscoe

[Rocket]

Hi Jonathon,

Thank you for the comprehensive report that you posted.  It was really good reading.

Cheers Rod