[Ernest]

I was so excited to go to CES and for the most part found it disappointing.  I still had a lot of fun, but as an audiophile, it was a let down.  Most of the equipment didn?t sound very good.  The conditions were poor for any kind of serious listening.  Most of the rooms were very small and so most of the listening was done nearfield.  

I?ve also come to the point of completely throwing out the idea of any kind of objective measure of audio quality.  I?ve just met too many people who listened to the same equipment as me and got completely different conclusions.  I just happen to like what I like for reasons that I don?t know.  You may hate what I like.  I?ll secretly think you are deaf, but I have no problem with you holding whatever opinion you like, even if it is different than mine.

Here are the things that stood out for me at the show:

THE GOOD

First of all was the gorgeous girl who invited me and my buddies to come to her room for a drink.  It was some audio company selling something you put under your couch to increase the feel of low bass.  It was a dorky product but she was awesome.  I had a scotch on the rocks, and an eyeful of beauty.  Definitely the best room of the whole show!  

I was really impressed with the Piega speakers.  They just sounded right.  For me, the most important thing is tonal balance.  It has to sound natural.  After that is the ability to hear into the acoustical space.  High frequency extension is next, then accurate, tuneful bass, and then dynamics.  Imaging and soundstage are less important for me.  So if I say I liked a speaker, it had these qualities, as did the Piega speaker.  I think they were either the C-8 or C-10.  

The Stello DP-200 DAC/Preamp was freaking AWESOME!  It was the best thing I heard at the show.  I?m getting my Analog Research upgraded soon, but if it then doesn?t match what the Stello does, I?m buying the Stello.  My neighbor Ron, who was at the show with me (along with his friend Joe), also is interested in buying one.  

In the same room as the Stello, was a pair of Eggleston speakers.  I don?t know the model number.  The designer, William Eggleston was there and said he had just finished building them right before the show started and pricing wasn?t finalized yet (but would be in the $5000 - $6000 range).  They were my favorite speaker at the show.  

TAD Audio was showing their Model-1.  This is an amazing speaker.  It is very large and just completely blew me away.  It was my favorite speaker in terms of pure audio quality, but it is too large for my house and my budget ($45000 for a pair if I heard correctly).  

Another great speaker was the DiAural monitor speaker that Ray Kimber was showing.  They are the best small monitor I have heard.  They do a fantastic job reproducing the human voice.  It was also cool to meet Ray.  He is a really great guy.

Fried had a speaker they were showing called the Studio that was quite good.  Not great, but definitely good.


THE BAD

Well, mostly everything was bad.  I didn?t like any of the amps there.  I really think digital amps are head and shoulders above solid state and tube amps, and the ICE Power amps are the very best.  The Jeff Rowland digital amps were the best I heard at the show.  But the setup there didn?t sound as good as mine at home, but I can?t draw any conclusions from that as to whether his amps are better than Peter?s.

I can?t stand horn speakers.  I just can?t understand how anyone could like them.  I really wanted to find a horn speaker I would like and I listened to as many there as I could (along with SET amps) and I was so disappointed.  They all sound ?horny? (for lack of a better term   ).  The best though by a large margin to my ears were the Avantgarde DUOs.  I really liked this speaker.  It had a very open, natural sound with just a hint of horniness.  But I could never live with a speaker with even a hint of that horny sound.

Gilmore Audio?s speakers were there.  I was looking forward to listening to them and was also hoping they would have the model there who appears in their ads.  I didn?t see her there though.  The sound wasn?t very good and I didn?t hang around long.


THE OK

The Gallo Nucleus Reference 3 was another speaker I was looking forward to listening to.  They were much smaller than I was expecting.  They sounded OK but there was a diffuse quality to the sound that sounded odd to my ears.

I was really looking forward (in fact, more like drooling) to hear the VMPS RM-30?s with the Trinaural processor and the AmpZillas.  Unfortunately, I was not impressed.  Neither was my neighbor or his friend.  Since everyone else loves them, maybe we are the ones who are deaf.  They sounded good, but just good.  And the whole Trinaural thing did nothing for me, though I think I?ve read that it takes time to get used to.  There?s something about them (and the 626R?s) that I don?t like but I can?t put it into words.


Geez, there?s lots more but I can?t think of it now.  The show was fun, but I really fell in love with Las Vegas.  It was my first time there.  I can do without the adolescent boy sexuality that is there, but there is so much else there to enjoy.  I can?t wait to go back!  I?m not sure I?ll go to CES again though.  Wait, what am I saying?I?m a deeply addicted audiophile?of course I?ll be back!

[Hantra]

I think they were either the C-8 or C-10.

Those were C-8 Limiteds.  How were the North Star monoblocks?  I haven't heard them yet. .

Another great speaker was the DiAural monitor speaker that Ray Kimber was showing. They are the best small monitor I have heard. They do a fantastic job reproducing the human voice. It was also cool to meet Ray. He is a really great guy.

Man, I heard the first prototype monitor Ray had, and that was 2 years ago.  I was also VERY impressed with this speaker.  I am anxious to hear its current iteration.

Good report. . Thanks!

B

[Mad DOg]

I was so excited to go to CES and for the most part found it disappointing.  I still had a lot of fun, but as an audiophile, it was a let down.  Most of the equipment didn’t sound very good.  The conditions were poor for any kind of serious listening.  Most of the rooms were very small and so most of the listening was done nearfield.  

I’ve also come to the point of completely throwing out the idea of any kind of objective measure of audio quality.  I’ve just met too many people who listened to the same equipment as me and got completely different conclusions...

yeah, i agree...

[ekovalsky]

I guess I got lucky.  The Gilmore girl was in the room so I hung around for a while  

Paul Bolin was in there and was listening to a great CD track and taking notes.  I thought the speakers sounded okay, not great.  I expected a lot more given their price and the Atma-Sphere tube amps driving them.  Probably the ugliest speakers I saw at the show too.

Agree 100% about the TAD, they pretty much blew me away.  I got to listen to a 24/92 master tape in there, played back on the Pacific Micronics decorder.  Best sound at the show!  The TAD guys also deserve credit for having the most thought out room treatment at the Alexis Park which certainly didn't hurt.

Mad Dog's comment about audio being subjective is very, very true.  Certainly there is no best speaker for everyone, and some systems I liked a lot others didn't and vice versa.  Also agree with his assessment of the "digital" amps, I think they are the current state of the art.  Switch-mode is probably a more accurate term than digital, since they are no more digital than other amps, excluding the TacT of course.

[mcrespo71]

Was the Gilmore girl demoing anything or was she just in her bikini as eye candy?

[bubba966]

What I want to know is why does everyone have pics of gear, but not the Gilmore girl?...

[JoshK]

It had a very open, natural sound with just a hint of horniness. But I could never live with a speaker with even a hint of that horny sound.

Fortunately the show was in Las Vegas so the horniness can be taken care of!

[mcrespo71]

http://www.enjoythemusic.com/theexpo2004/showgirls4.htm

The gilmore girl!

[audioengr]

The Gilmores were right through the wall from where we were sleeping at THE Show.  I can tell you that they put out some serious bass!!!!  Shook the water in our jacuzzi.  Great ribbons too.  The girl did not show up, except in the courtyard at lunch and on the poster outside the room.  Gilmore was nice enough to jump-start my car when the battery died.  He's okay in my book.

[wongstein]

Unfortunately, I didn't get to spend enough time at the CES because I was covering another show until Saturday afternoon.  I only spent less than a day in total at the CES, and all at the Alexis.  Most of the rooms where somehow lacking due in part to acoustic problems to be sure, but I found I could still hear most of the systems' strengths and overall character.  I don't mind nearfield listening for the most part.

The Avantegard room was really impresive with the huge dynamics of those big horns, great instrumental separation (air and space) and wide sweetspot (and no horniness to speak of, to my ears).  The Quad ESL 989s had that whole Quad transparent neutrality thing going with no lack of dynamic impact or bass, but I wish they had a better CD player in there - I don't think their little CD-99 thingy lives up to those speakers despite its fine value at US$1,500.  I also really liked the Plinius room with the relatively inexpensive Harbeth monitors they had.  The system was probably the least expensive that I heard, but it was very strong in all areas.

I took lots of pics and made notes and hope to get my impressions all up on my website soon.  

The MSB room was not the best overall, but the sound amazed in a few particular ways, so I took note.  They were showing their prototype speakers (to be released this summer, I think) with their Platinum M200 amps and Platinum reference CD/Preamp.  The problems with the sound were lacking bass, and a very slight overall lean sound that I wasn't sure about - I wonder if maybe that thinness actually comes from an honest and transparent presentation, and my perspective is skewed by lush tube amps that have shifted the whole spectrum toward the plump and palpable direction.  Like I said, that leaness was very slight.  On the other hand, the transparency and detail were fantastic, and I have NEVER heard such solid imaging.  I usually have to close my eyes to really sense the soundstage, but in this case, I could stare at a spot in the air where there should have been a drum or a horn.  It was actually kinda trippy.  Another Platinum DAC was in the Plinius room as well, and I think that the problems that I've mentioned are more easily attributed to speakers and amps (the Plinius room had very little in common with this sound), so I think I have a new contender for my next CD player upgrade.

Anthony

[Hantra]

I also really liked the Plinius room with the relatively inexpensive Harbeth monitors they had.

I have read no less than 75 pages of show coverage in the past week, and I think I saw ONE photo of the Plinius room, and pretty much NO mention of it anywhere.  Kind of strange I think when the company just launched an arsenal of new product.  

So I'd say you'v egot yourself an exclusive here wong!  Probably b/c you don't sell advertising.