[barryso]

dB Cooper, there were photos taken of every room and they should be showing up soon.  As soon as something shows up I'll paste a link to it here.

There are a couple of very expensive rooms at The Lone Star fest but there are plenty of others that have a lot of nice gear that's affordable.  Reasonably priced gear has been one of the draws of the show (to me, at least). 

There were some fine systems this year and they covered the audio spectrum.  Some were full and rich sounding and some were lean and tight.  Seemed to cover just about any "flavour" of sound you'd want to hear. Learned a lot, too.

It was hard to get back for a 2nd listen into a lot of the rooms and that's a real shame.  Even though the show is smaller than it was years ago you still have to work to get around and hear everything.

[barryso]

OK, here are photos from LSAF 2016.  The show pictures start at the bottom of the 1st page.

http://audioroundtable.com/forum/index.php?t=msg&th=20287&prevloaded=1&&start=0

[S Clark]

Smaller show this year, but some very high quality rooms.  Legacy was much improved over a couple of years ago (but that's not setting the bar very high). This year they were a high quality sound until a power fluctuation took out a tube in one of the amps.
 
Mike Lundy's GR- Research builds were again at or near the top- and clearly, by far, without a doubt, unquestionably the best bang for the buck.
 
JWM had the best imaging and very high quality build and sound, but just a bit fatiguing.  I'd bet one or two extra ohms on a tweeter resistor would make it more to my liking.  And bass!  For a medium size MTM they were accurate and plentiful.  Seriously, I was looking around for the sub that wasn't there.  Beautiful hardwood front panels. I didn't even check the prices; they looked so good they had to be expensive. I had an audiogasm over their turntables.
 
Then Manzanita Audio just killed with an open baffle monster woofer with a large P-Audio coax.  Best sound of the show in my book. Clean, clean with such accurate and deep bass! Ugly devils... so much so that I did look at the price to see if they were in my price range.  Nope. $8K and up.  Made you realize what bargains the GR-Research V series speakers were with a similar coax tied to servo bass.
 
There were also a couple of rooms full of dogs with fleas.  No reason to name names.  Lets just say that our member Brad had much better sound from some Hawthorne 15's(?) and a Tang Band fullrange- all open baffle with a couple of cardboard boxes torn and taped in place for wings.
 
In general, nice stuff, lots of tubes, lots of vinyl    for a nice change (esp. since I brought vinyl to test with).    But the Sunday crowds were non exsistent.  If there is a next year, members have to get more aggressive in supporting an audio show in Dallas.  Houston, San Antonio, and Austin have got to turn out.  It'd be a shame to lose it. 
 

[Folsom]

Mr. Clark, what do you think of Bob Brines speakers?

BTW those Amps that Legacy shows with where buzzing like freaking mad at Axpona. Like... all of them playing and not playing. There was 3 or 4 stations.

[S Clark]

Mr. Clark, what do you think of Bob Brines speakers?

BTW those Amps that Legacy shows with where buzzing like freaking mad at Axpona. Like... all of them playing and not playing. There was 3 or 4 stations.

Mixed review of the Brines speakers.  I'll send a PM.  Very realistic on vocals-  probably the best at the show. 

[S Clark]

   To my embarrassment, it's clear that I have Bob's room mixed up with another manufacturer. 
My apologies to Bob.  I remember going in his room, but don't remember my overall impressions.  Should have taken written notes. 

[mlundy57]

I am finally getting a chance to post. Been home and unloaded for a couple of days but am just now starting to unpack and get my system set back up ... darn day job getting in the way of the music 

Scott, I totally agree about JWM Acoustics. Joshua's speakers are extremely nice and very engaging. I too was looking around for the sub that I knew had to be hidden somewhere. Here's a pic of the speaker in question. This one is in purpleheart instead of Monkepod like the one at the show:



Price was $8,500 a pair

As you said, his turntables were something else. Prices start at $1,500. I've started saving up for one like this (this is Monkepod):


 
Once I get everything unpacked, set back up and put away I'll post some pics of my room.

Mike

[marvda1]

here's some pictures i took.
http://forum.polkaudio.com/discussion/171518/lone-star-audio-fest-2016/p6

[mlundy57]

Finally getting some pics of my room posted.  I took two systems with me, the GR Research Wedgies w/Wedge base for 12" drivers and a pair of GR Research X-CS Encores on top of the GR Research Best Speaker Stands Ever.  I was planning on having each system in its own room but at the last minute my grandson was unable to get off work so I just had one room. The Wedgies were the main system. The Encores and BSSE's sat against a wall to display the work most of the time. I did set them up for sound but did not dial them in like I did the Wedgies. A lot of people admired the Encores and stands and one person had me set them up so he could listen.

There were a lot of positive comments, especially about the bass;iIts integration, fullness, not overpowering, etc. The types of things I have come to expect with the servo controlled OB bass. However, judging from the number of people consistently in my next door neighbor's room, my room lacked a gut punching fun factor that the heavier bassed systems seemed to have. To be fair to the 12" Wedge basses, I could have run the bass a lot hotter. The volume controls on the A370's were just barely past 12 o'clock. That's where my SPL meter said things blended best and where a sweep sounded smooth (after PEQing out a big peak at 30Hz). By next year I plan on having and being able to use more sophisticate room analysis software.

Another issue regarding my lack of fun factor is very likely I'm an old fart with a non-youthful taste in music which my library clearly reflects; no acid, punk, heavy metal, etc here. Other than that I think it went well. A number of people stopped by more than once to listen to the Wedgies. They were not the only open baffle system at the show. There were at least two others. Manzanita was one, I didn't get to hear the other.

Now for the pics. First up is my Equipment. I had two sources, my computer with an SOtM sound card and an OPPO 105D. Two DACs, a DODD Audio battery powered 32/384 Hi-Rez DAC and the DAC in the OPPO. The preamp was a DODD Audio battery powered Tube Buffer. The power amp was a Prima Luna Prologue 4 with an upgraded tube complement. I also had four of the GIK Acoustics 4A Alpha Diffusor/Absorber pannels behind the Wedgies.










Here's the Wedgies/Wedge bases.I haven't built the more stylish plinths yet. The veneer on the subs is called French burl which is a burl from the European Black Poplar:










Here are closeups of the A370 amp boxes. The wood is Bocote:





Here are the X-CS Encores and the Best Speaker Stands Ever. The veneer on the Encores is Ambrosia maple (a.k.a. ghost or wormy maple). The worm holes and knot voids have been inlaid with crushed turquoise. The plinths and top plates of the speaker stands is solid purpleheart.












I had a great time at the show.

Mike

[Brad]

The finish work looks better in person, Mike!

[dB Cooper]

OK, here are photos from LSAF 2016.  The show pictures start at the bottom of the 1st page.

http://audioroundtable.com/forum/index.php?t=msg&th=20287&prevloaded=1&&start=0

Great pix, thanks

[mlundy57]

The finish work looks better in person, Mike!

Thanks Brad. A photographer I'm not.

There has been a suggestion or two that I redo the top sections and put the burl veneer on them also to match the subs. Not to sure about it but if I have enough left over I might do it.

Mike

[Norman Tracy]

LSAF 2016 Show Photos

What a great time we had at LSAF 2016. From my vantage point inside the event as an exhibitor and listener from Thursday afternoon through Monday morning it was any audiophile’s toy store.

At LSAF there were a wide variety of routes to our shared end of fine music in the home presented to contrast and compare. I do consider myself a HiFi egalitarian that can enjoy triodes + horns as much as solid state driving a stout box full of European drivers.

Pete Millet www.pmillett.com played his exotic triode amps in David Flores Landfall Systems www.landfallsystems.com enclosures. Tunes played on speakers including Tang Band full range in a pine box or the di-pole with direct from Japan Pioneer green cone 4” over 15” Eminence woofer. The guys had plenty of beer to share along with the exotica to listen to.



My fellow Okie Michael Lundy (mlundy57 on AudioCircle) played GR Research new wedge 12” push pull di-pole woofer stands for the Wedgies and woofer monitor stand with Rythmik DirectServo power bass section. These systems are very tube friendly. Michael's craftsmanship is outstanding as is his system, setup, and the resulting sound. Contact him to commission anything from desktop speakers up to your dream system.



JWM Acoustics www.jwmacoustics.com was back with Joshua Miles stunningly beautiful speakers, turntables and accessories. The systems in his room sang as sweetly as last year and the latest evolution of his turntable was featured as the SOTA analog front end on one of the Raven systems downstairs.



Cable Pro www.thecablepro.com and AudiblePC www.audiblepc.com shared a room with both a speaker based system and this table full of high end headphones and amps to bring the head-fi experience to LSAF.



Pi speakers and subs www.pispeakers.com. Wayne Parham is one of the masters of the horn + large woofer system.



Stereo Clarity www.stereoclarity.com room demo’ed with One Source media PC with power amps, acoustic treatments and the new Icon Fours speakers. The One Source and Icon Fours had demonstrated their audiophile traits, then the blurred hand is about to start Metallica's Enter Sandman at which point we got pinned to the back wall.


 
Van Zyl Audio vanzylaudio(at)gmail.com was back playing the ZVA 1812 Backfires panel format shallow depth horn loaded system with vintage electronics. Every audiophile should have on his/her bucket list to hear true horn loaded HiFi bass and Johan van Zyl’s design is an excellent example that actually fits in normal rooms. And pressurize that room with deep tactile bass on just 10 watts.



Audio Thesis www.AudioThesis.com dealership played Rosso Fiorentino’s (www.rossofiorentino.com) Elba loudspeakers with iFi Stereo 50 25wpc EL84 tube power amp. With the superb Italian designed and build this is an exemplar of how elegant HiFi can be without costing a fortune. Admiring the Elba loudspeakers was one of several times during the show I thought 'you really have to see this in person to appreciate just how fine it is.'



AudioCircle’s own Darryl (voltz) setup his Omega Alnico monitors with matching Omega subwoofer and hosted the after hours party. Fine tunes and fine audiophile comradery. Omega was another example of looking and sounding better in person than what I expected based on the 'net.



Jumping Cactus Loudspeakers www.jumpingcactusloudspeakers.com new Woody 1 featuring MarkAudio Alpar 12p driver in sealed enclosure.



Brian DiFrank’s Whetstone Audio www.whetstoneaudio.com demo system with Dynavector DV-507MkII bi-axis tonearm, DV500 thread drive turntable and electronics and speakers from Thoress a German manufacturer including their Preamplifier, 845 Power Amplifier, and Loudspeaker – 2. Resulting reproduction of well DJ’ed music was sublime. This is one of those systems that are just fun to listen to, I was grinning the whole time I was in that room.



It was a treat for us to have Brines Acoustics www.brinesacoustics.com return to LSAF in 2016. Bob Brines demonstrated a prototype two way featuring 3” Scan-Speak carbon fiber cone full range plus Peerless carbon fiber woofer. Crossover used miniDSP bi-amped into Topping amps. Listening to a variety of music showed this is a very promising debut for Brine’s latest design.



John Bush’s Manzanita Audio Solutions www.manzanitaaudiosolutions.com new WidowMaker II. Apt name for a system using 3” compression driver, 18” coax midwoofer, and a 21”(!!!) woofer. Highly skilled crossover design melded the drivers into a cohesive extremely transparent whole. Of course efficiency and dynamics were off the chart.



Audio Brad, a DIYer and music lover brought his di-pole system. The lower baffles hold two big woofers per side and on top are sub-baffles with Tang-Band full ranges. A tube amp drives the mid and highs direct without crossovers. Filling in the bass a Crown proaudio amp with onboard programmable DSP cross overs keeps the quad of woofers under tight control.



BlowTorch Audio blowtorchaudio@gmail.com chief designer Russ Gates played lots of power music demonstrating his production prototypes of the One speaker. Distinctively styled the angled baffle allows time alignment, the question that had the halls buzzing is just how Russ gets that much sound to pour out of such modest sized boxes. This photo was taken during an after hours party with the Raven Blackhawk tube amp visiting. That combo rocked the house.



A personal show highlight was the public debut of Matthew Beardsworth’s Band-Width Audio www.bandwidthaudio.com. Well engineered and manufactured (in Texas USA!) triode amps a treat to hear on Tannoy speakers. A bright young startup to keep an eye on.



As Audio Crafters Guild www.audiocraftersguild.com I showed the Aero speakers featuring laminated birch-ply construction, Fostex F120A alnico drivers and super-tweeters. Powered by ACG 1000 Direct amp + Powerpack fed by LH Lab Pulse DAC.



Part of the fun of attending a HiFi show is the big statement systems. LSAF 2016 had two in the first floor conference and banquet rooms.

Doug Ashworth of Douglas Connection www.douglasconnection.com has his audiophile candy store of cables and accessories setup in the Carroliton room. Gracing that space was a private owner’s system featuring Dynaudio towers driven by freshly restored massive Threshold amplifiers. Envy would lead some to dismiss this as trophy hi-fi, taking time to listen and the refinement, bandwidth, and dynamic ease made this a real treat.



In the Carrollton banquet room Dave Thomson and Se Han played for us their Raven Audio www.ravenaudio.com amps driving Legacy speakers www.legacyaudio.com. These are the big boy toys, the sound, fit and finish of the Raven amps is world class. Initially I thought the Legacy speakers might be a disappointment then as the demo material ramped up in complexity and dynamics and the system responded I realized the system had been loafing along like a Ferrari in 2nd gear. As Dave explored is demo material via both digital and analog sources we hit the autobahn’s onramp and accelerated to 200 mph thrills.

[Txcoastal1]

Special  thanks to Norman for all the hard work you put into info gathering and posting.

I feel we can boost years to come by using all audio forums and social media. If we start in October and this may even more DIY'ers that either don't know about LSAF or at the least give everyone extra time for preparation.

Also thank you guys for a great time.

[Norman Tracy]

The show report I have authored reporting on LSAF 2016 has been posted on Positive Feedback.

http://positive-feedback.com/show-reports/lone-star-audio-fest-2016-show-report/

[mlundy57]

The show report I have authored reporting on LSAF 2016 has been posted on Positive Feedback.

http://positive-feedback.com/show-reports/lone-star-audio-fest-2016-show-report/

Norman,

Any word on what we were discussing about getting a head start for next year's show?

Mike

[Norman Tracy]

Hi Mike,

I do want to followup on the 'head start' for LSAF 2017. Personally I need to attend to some other items on the To-Do list first. The time it took to author a 7,000+ word 105 picture show report basically back burnered every other audio project and some of them need A level attention.

happy listening

Norman

[mlundy57]

Hi Mike,

I do want to followup on the 'head start' for LSAF 2017. Personally I need to attend to some other items on the To-Do list first. The time it took to author a 7,000+ word 105 picture show report basically back burnered every other audio project and some of them need A level attention.

happy listening

Norman

Norman,

Your reports are very well done and well worth reading / drooling over.

Mike