[Russtafarian]

Congrats Paul.  If I'd know you were in that room I would have dropped in to say hi.  I only had a few hours at the Venitian and I'm disappointed I missed your room.  Hopefully I'll see you at The Show Newport in June.

Russ

[Bill O'Connell]

Hi Paul,
 Congratulations! They have been officially GS'd.

[frank111]

 Thanks for the link w/pics, very much appreciated. Looks like 211 other audio addicts have enjoyed it as well. have a good weekend.

[Occam]

As the Viola Labs electronics sound so good in the Wes Bender Studios NYC room at the Venetian, I decide to check out the other rooms using the Viola Labs components. So I wander into Veronese 2401B and flanking a $200.000+ stack of Viola amps triamping the speakers below -



Not at all what I expected to hear. They sounded like truly full range versions of Mike Galusha's Geddes. They could go LOUD. But they could also go soft. Resolution and imaging a plenty. I ask to hear my Balkan Beat Box Nu-Med cd, and I'm stunned. I hear bass articulation I've simply never heard before. The folks running the room ask me to bring the disc back on Thursday so Allen can hear it. I didn't realize who Allen is -
http://oceanwayaudio.com/about/

So on Thursday I go back and we listen to BBB and Allen plays some of his recordings from the early 70s of amazing funk/soul from his 'garage' recording days, an absolute hoot.

While I doubt I can ever afford his smaller monitors @ $125k/pr, it was an experience not to be missed.

[Russell Dawkins]

I'd like to have been there!

Interesting that the 15 is the midbass and the two 12s are the sub bass drivers, and that everything above 650Hz is handled by the one horn. Hmmm.

[ted_b]

Paul, I agree.  His speakers are amazing...the dynamics alone are frightening, then combine that with the grace and effortlessness.  His room this year was actually better than last, I felt, but was driven with less electronics it seems.

Did you see his larger HR2's at CES 2010?  And they were in a small hotel room!!  Allen played a lot of his own stuff, including his 88 Basie Street (Count Basie), a fave XRCD of mine, and it was amazing!  Wow. 

[Occam]

Hey Ted,

No, I just saw his small systems as I wasn't at last years CES. Nor can I really imagine a home system accommodating even his smallest system. But I do know of home systems with them, obviously at digs far larger than mine. They'd be fantastic for a small home theater seating maybe 50. I do know his monitors are used at Skywalker Ranch.

The resolution and dynamics were certainly stunning, but what left me gobsmacked was the incredibly deep and articulate bass. I've never heard anything like it. For me, it has simply 'raised the bar' of what bass production should be. And this was in a lossy 25' x 40' (approx) room. Somehow, some way, I've got to cadge and invite to hear his big speakers.

Edit: What is truly sad is that Ocean Way got absolutely no mention from Absolute Sound or Stereophile, nor any audiophile oriented e-zines, while they postively swooned over speakers just as large and expensive, albeit with nicer finishes.....

[ltr317]

Hey Ted,

No, I just saw his small systems as I wasn't at last years CES. Nor can I really imagine a home system accommodating even his smallest system. But I do know of home systems with them, obviously at digs far larger than mine. They'd be fantastic for a small home theater seating maybe 50. I do know his monitors are used at Skywalker Ranch.

The resolution and dynamics were certainly stunning, but what left me gobsmacked was the incredibly deep and articulate bass. I've never heard anything like it. For me, it has simply 'raised the bar' of what bass production should be. And this was in a lossy 25' x 40' (approx) room. Somehow, some way, I've got to cadge and invite to hear his big speakers.

Edit: What is truly sad is that Ocean Way got absolutely no mention from Absolute Sound or Stereophile, nor any audiophile oriented e-zines, while they postively swooned over speakers just as large and expensive, albeit with nicer finishes.....

That's one of several reasons why I don't read either of those magazines, as they tend to cover flavor of the month components with a dealer network.   

[SET Man]

Hey!

   Man! Wish I was ther to hear those play the Balkan Beat Box 

    They look impressive, reminded me of the old giant Altec of the past. Look like you found a perfect speakers to play the Balkan Beat Box there 

Take care,
Buddy 

[justacoder]

Thanks frank111, thanks, saisunil.

About 500 photos so far and only about a quarter of the way through the show...

... this is kind of like being at the show, but in s-l-o-wwwww motion.

And no sound track. Doh!

Take care,
-Mike

[SET Man]

Hey!

    Congratulation to both Wes and Paul.

    I've met both of them couple of times before. And they are both passionate about music and sound, so this comes to no surprise for me. Not to mention that they are both some of the nicest people in audio community I've ever met.

    Great job guys, wish I was there at the show.

Take care,
Buddy 

[Occam]

Hey Buddy,

Its not really a fair comparison. I'm quite familiar with the sound of the Altec A-7 driven by an original Mac 275, leastwise 40 years ago. T'was nice, but nowhere near the resolution, or extension, and they couldn't image or soundstage worth a damn. The Ocean Way monitors are simply in a different league, and considering the time lapse and price, they should be.

But yes, these monitors appear perfect for BBB, or Bach, Beck, Bon Jovi, Beastie Boys, Beatles, Berlioz.... 

FWIW,
Paul

[SET Man]

Hey Buddy,

Its not really a fair comparison. I'm quite familiar with the sound of the Altec A-7 driven by an original Mac 275, leastwise 40 years ago. T'was nice, but nowhere near the resolution, or extension, and they couldn't image or soundstage worth a damn. The Ocean Way monitors are simply in a different league, and considering the time lapse and price, they should be.

But yes, these monitors appear perfect for BBB, or Bach, Beck, Bon Jovi, Beastie Boys, Beatles, Berlioz.... 

FWIW,
Paul

 Hey!

  My bad... I should have been more pacific, I mean the size and the look. 

   Beastie Boys, eh?  Man! Wish I was there with my musics.

Take care,
Buddy 

[jimdgoulding]

Thanks for the hugemongous post!

[golfugh]

Congrats Paul!
Mark

[nature boy]

Big congrats to Wes...Paul, great seeing you at CES...Keep up the good work!

+1 best darn cords on the Planet.  From one very happy user/owner- congrats to Wes and Paul GREAT!

NB

[nature boy]

Wes please consider the Capital Audiofest venue July 13-15. 

NB

[jimdgoulding]

Congrats, Paulie.  Next time I get to New York, you ARE gonna let me audition your system, right?

[nature boy]

Just checked the specs on the OceanWay HR3 - suckers are quite large & 305 lbs. I think I'll still ogle the Geddes for now.  They'll at least fit in my listening room 

NB