2008 RMAF Show Coverage From AudioCircle Members

arthurs · « **Reply #20 on:** 13 Oct 2008, 12:48 am »

Quote from: DaveC113 on 13 Oct 2008, 12:04 am

Sorry, its all a jumble

I meant the Gigantic Van Schweikerts in one of the big rooms on the 2nd level of the tower. The Salks w/ Van Alstine gear were a great value, but not quite on par with the speakers costing 100x more. I am considering auditioning a Van Alstine dac among a few others...

original post edited...

Once they got the VAC and Von Schweikert VR9's dialed in, it was pretty incredible....now if my wife would just lighten up about $90K speakers...

KJ · « **Reply #21 on:** 13 Oct 2008, 01:05 am »

C'mon Art, we had some folks down to at least $46K! She should be thrilled with the savings.

brj · « **Reply #22 on:** 13 Oct 2008, 01:09 am »

lol... this is going to end badly, I can tell!

arthurs · « **Reply #23 on:** 13 Oct 2008, 01:16 am »

No, I can't tease Kharma, I will let sleeping dogs lie and know that she can support certain ranges of spend....

martinr · « **Reply #24 on:** 13 Oct 2008, 01:23 am »

Heres a photo of the Kismet amps and speakers from Odyssey audio:

Great sounding room!!

- Martin

brj · « **Reply #25 on:** 13 Oct 2008, 01:31 am »

The VAC/Gershman room sounded really good today, although some bass traps would have gone a long way! Big speakers with deep, impactful bass have a real hard time when bounded top and bottom by concrete floors and ceilings...

After hearing Wayne's updated VMPS 626 SDE's and the new Bamberg speakers, I'm even more convinced than ever that active crossovers - at least to the bass section of a speaker - are absolutely worth exploring on any speaker. In a similar vein, I really enjoyed my first chance to hear the Orions, which I've been anticipating for a very long time. (I would have loved to talk to Dr. Linkwitz, but he was fully engaged every time I stopped by.) The Emerald Physics CS2s, while excellent, didn't sound quite as exceptional as I remembered them sounding last year - assuming my audio memory is actually any good that far back. I heard the CS1s briefly, but never got back to talk to Clayton or spend quality time in the sweet spot - too crowded. (Too bad SonicWeld couldn't make it this year - they've always done active systems well, and I'm always interested in what Josh is doing with the DEQX.)

More comments later when I have time...

Quote from: arthurs

No, I can't tease Kharma, I will let sleeping dogs lie and know that she can support certain ranges of spend....

The speaker company?

No worries - we tease because we're still amazed at just how "lightened up" she already is!!

brj · « **Reply #26 on:** 13 Oct 2008, 01:41 am »

One more comment before I forget... I was really impressed with the Raidho C2s as well, although I really wanted to hear the C3s (in the Nordost room) to see if they were more dynamic. Did anyone actually get a chance to hear them in a meaningful fashion without an interruption by the quantum physics lecture?

cryoparts · « **Reply #27 on:** 13 Oct 2008, 01:46 am »

We both really wanted to come (first year we have missed...), but he was just too busy and my personal life is too "active" right now to have taken the time away.

It is too bad as the latest version of the Sonicweld Pulserod's are the best yet, IMHO. Now that I have moved back to Utah and close to Josh, I get to spend quite a bit of time with the newest version and it is really special.

We'll be there next year with bells on! Probably showing an all new system that is currently under development.

Keep the reports coming, I have been enjoying them all so far!

Peace,

Lee

Quote from: brj on 13 Oct 2008, 01:31 am

(Too bad SonicWeld couldn't make it this year - they've always done active systems well, and I'm always interested in what Josh is doing with the DEQX.)

cujobob · « **Reply #28 on:** 13 Oct 2008, 02:38 am »

How much are the Kismet speakers going to be?

martinr · « **Reply #29 on:** 13 Oct 2008, 03:06 am »

Quote from: cujobob on 13 Oct 2008, 02:38 am

How much are the Kismet speakers going to be?

I believe Klaus said they are in the $3200.00 range.

- Martin

AliG · « **Reply #30 on:** 13 Oct 2008, 05:53 am »

The show was relatively 'quiet' compared to last year. I didn't see audiocircle members occupying the bars as they used to do in the previous years.

Two speakers stood out - one has the worst sound that ever come out of a pair of $60k speakers (Yokohama),

another has the worst sound that ever come out of a pair of $50k speakers (Audio Note).

zybar · « **Reply #31 on:** 13 Oct 2008, 11:39 am »

Quote from: AliG on 13 Oct 2008, 05:53 am

The show was relatively 'quiet' compared to last year. I didn't see audiocircle members occupying the bars as they used to do in the previous years.

Two speakers stood out - one has the worst sound that ever come out of a pair of $60k speakers (Yokohama), another has the worst sound that ever come out of a pair of $50k speakers (Audio Note).

Barry,

Sorry to hear that it was quiet compared to previous years.

Any comments on what rooms you liked? I am especially interested in hearing about the AC vendors who were at the show.

How about some pictures as well?

Thanks,

George

lonewolfny42 · « **Reply #32 on:** 13 Oct 2008, 01:09 pm »

Missed you George....
but I made it to jetBlue...and they made good time back to NY...

Barry...

Quote

.... I didn't see audiocircle members occupying the bars as they used to do in the previous years.

They were there...Friday night....many for their first trip to RMAF.

Quote

The show was relatively 'quiet' compared to last year.

It did look like a few less....but you had two hotels with audio rooms (free shuttle between the two)....and some may have gone to the beer fest as well.
The Marriott was sold out...and most of the rooms at the Hyatt were filled.
Weather was cloudy Friday....rainy on Saturday....and part of Sunday.

I did go to most of the AC manufacturers rooms....but since I'm up over 24 hours now...I'll post some comments later.

kyyuan · « **Reply #33 on:** 13 Oct 2008, 01:36 pm »

cough, cough..."impactful?" aa

Quote from: brj on 13 Oct 2008, 01:31 am

The VAC/Gershman room sounded really good today, although some bass traps would have gone a long way! Big speakers with deep, impactful bass have a real hard time when bounded top and bottom by concrete floors and ceilings...

After hearing Wayne's updated VMPS 626 SDE's and the new Bamberg speakers, I'm even more convinced than ever that active crossovers - at least to the bass section of a speaker - are absolutely worth exploring on any speaker. In a similar vein, I really enjoyed my first chance to hear the Orions, which I've been anticipating for a very long time. (I would have loved to talk to Dr. Linkwitz, but he was fully engaged every time I stopped by.) The Emerald Physics CS2s, while excellent, didn't sound quite as exceptional as I remembered them sounding last year - assuming my audio memory is actually any good that far back. I heard the CS1s briefly, but never got back to talk to Clayton or spend quality time in the sweet spot - too crowded. (Too bad SonicWeld couldn't make it this year - they've always done active systems well, and I'm always interested in what Josh is doing with the DEQX.)

More comments later when I have time...

Quote from: arthurs
No, I can't tease Kharma, I will let sleeping dogs lie and know that she can support certain ranges of spend....

The speaker company? No worries - we tease because we're still amazed at just how "lightened up" she already is!!

brj · « **Reply #34 on:** 13 Oct 2008, 02:16 pm »

Quote from: lonewolfny42

Weather was cloudy Friday....rainy on Saturday....and part of Sunday.

And this morning we have snow! (Not much, but the shady spots do have a dusting...)

Quote from: kyyuan

cough, cough..."impactful?"

Yeah, yeah...

Give a guy a break when he's in a hurry - I'm trying to help the language evolve!

(Hey, that's better than "impacted" base!

)

arthurs · « **Reply #35 on:** 13 Oct 2008, 02:54 pm »

I though the low end on those was impactificating...

brj · « **Reply #36 on:** 13 Oct 2008, 03:00 pm »

Eeeeeeveryone is a comedian this morning!

Off to the airport to kick the RMAF refugee out... and then I have to go back to work. Ugh!

More (on topic) comments later. Art, can you send me the track list for your demo disk when you get a chance? (The dual-Spanish guitar Stairway to Heaven continued to be a hit in every room we demoed for the rest of the show... we actually had applause by the Gershman Acoustics folks when it was done! Literally every playing resulting in someone writing down the artist's name.)

arthurs · « **Reply #37 on:** 13 Oct 2008, 03:04 pm »

Rodrigo y Gabriela is the pair that do the acoustic Stairway to Heaven for everyone reading...I think it won "Track of the Show"

I'll post the rest tonight when I get home from work....

woodsyi · « **Reply #38 on:** 13 Oct 2008, 03:08 pm »

I will gather may thoughts and give impressions on individual rooms later but I will say I really enjoyed meeting people in person. It was a pleasure to hang with the AC members at the Bar and at the steak house. I also enjoyed meeting and chatting with the AC manufacturers in their rooms. I also had a great fortune to get in long chats with Roger Sanders (Sanders Audio), Thom Mackris (Galibier), Peter Ledermann (Soundsmith), and Peter McAlister (McAlister Audio). You can really learn some things from these guys. I liked these small rooms where I got to talk to the designers and reps more than the big rooms with mega gears even though some had quite impressive sounds.

mgalusha · « **Reply #39 on:** 13 Oct 2008, 03:18 pm »

This was very different for me as I helped out my friend Mike Garner (tweekgeek.com) and ran one of his rooms. Sadly I wasn't able to get out and listen and had time to only hear 1 room the entire weekend.

What I did take away from the show was a renewed sense of just how tastes vary. Observing reactions and comments to the system for three days really drove home just how different people perceive things. Everything from 30 seconds of listening and obviously hating it to folks who came in 4-5 times over three days and spent several hours in the room loving it.

This is one of those things I knew but the show really drove it home.

A huge thanks to the AC folks who stopped by the room to chat, it really breaks up the monotony and helped keep me relatively sane.

mike