CES 07 Show Report
As you know , High End CES was at the Venetian , not the Alexis . Horrid tales of unionized restrictions and extraneous costs were in the air from exhibitors. From the attendees point of view , it was difficult to locate anyone not on the 29 floor up . The Venetian however is magnificent in itself. To not be lavished in its beauty , majesty and offerings is to have missed the gondola .
The majority of rooms filled the 29 th floor . There were exhibitors on the next few floors and they were indeed worth seeing as many of the upper floor rooms were more spacious. There were of course some who were showing in the Mirage , Hilton , Golden Nugget ect. Across town The Show was going strong at the San Tropez . I was at the Venetian 2 days and The Show 2 days.
Overall, I was not overly disappointed in the sound many we able to get in their rooms at the Venetian in comparison to the Alexis. Show conditions are rarely ideal and the stress and work it takes to get it reasonable is intense. The main problem was the inability to move furniture which included this awful dresser that was protruding into the room . In some rooms it was more detrimental than others depending on the set up.
Wilson WP 8 speakers were in many rooms . Their sound was detailed and never belied the source and chain . Whether you feel they are musical and involving or not , to deny they are less than resolving for their price isn't something that will come to mind .
MBL was showcasing a new exciting prototype that has 2 separate bass towers. The speaker has the familiar cylindrical drive units but the cabinet was tall and there were 2 drive units per speaker with the high frequency driver between them . This was without question a significant improvement in design IMO. There was greater detail and image specificity but the greatest addition was the bass integration that has been vastly improved. Projected price is 180k . I believe I heard the exhibitor say the bass units were powered however. This was possibly the finest reproduction of a sonic landscape I have yet encountered in a show condition .
The Vandersteen 5 room was ...................................................once again exceptional sounding. This man makes great speakers . That's simply not contested and year after year it is proved to any who need proof .
Magico was showing in 2 rooms that I found. The smaller pair was balanced, linear and highly resolving. The larger pair was less so with bass integration abnormalities. I am sure it was the room and I am also sure others will slam me for this observation .There is a lifelike " you are there in the recording studio presence " with this companies speakers that is difficult to describe . Blindingly fast transients with luxurious and multi layered midrange reproduction attributes that take the listener by surprise. This is a speaker company to watch. I also liked the TAD room again . This speaker seemed to be improved a touch as bass was lightning fast this year. The TAD speakers are capable of astonishing dynamic swings and seemed well designed as I cannot detect much if any colorations and are exceptionally musical . Every year I find myself writing of his room.
Avatar Acoustics has a large ballroom suite downstairs and was showing Frank Changs new speaker line as well as the AMR {Abbingdon Music Research } player and Amplifier . Both of which are well designed and very flexible. . Frank tuned the room with his Resonators and his speakers come with Franks specially designed isolation feet. The Top of the line Karan amps drove Franks speakers. The sound was natural and very non hi fi sounding.
Acoustic Plan , a company unfamiliar to me were showing off their design in a nice sounding room I personally found very musical. {I cant for the life of me remember if they were at the Venetian or the San Tropez } The Veena speakers that were being shown were of open baffle design and one of the few rooms that played my Patricia Barber , Live in France with the same scale and presence that the MBL room did. I was to say the least humbled by his achievement ! He offers a integrated amp in an alluring cobalt blue that was sexy as it was sweet sounding. Separate outboard power supply as well. Worth searching out.
My friend Joe Laverncik of Critical Mass was showing with the Lamm , Metronome and Kubala Sosna in a large suite on the upper floor to excellent results with WP 8 speakers. The sound was suspended well behind the plane of the speakers and changed effortlessly in size and scale with each recording.
Personally , I liked the Triangle speaker room . Showing the Grand Concert speakers I felt at ease with the density of the soundfield as it projected a dimensional image that was rich in harmonics , capable of tight , deep bass and was extended in the upper frequencies without drawing attention to any one facet of its prowess. Gorgeous finish and craftsmanship.
Again , the Burrmester room was amazing. Maybe its just me ... I tout them each and every year but I always leave their room making New Year resolutions that include owning one of their systems one day . I find their sound unique and eerie in its ability to make me want to lose the ability to walk. There are 2 dozen more rooms at the Venetian I would like to comment on but I will not bore you to death . I will have to comment on one more room before moving to The Show .
The Hansen room must be mentioned . The company was showing the Emperor . To bow down , bring gifts and sacrifice goats would not be enough for this reference design . I heard no flaws . It was in tremendous control of what its offerings bestowed upon all who entered its sonic domain . Enough talk of sonic invisibility , I want a speaker that sells me on its virtues. Holisonic , coherent , with no trace of crossover , the Emperor effortlessly unleashed a dynamic spectrum that you felt in your sonic soul. It was impossible not to close your eyes when listening . It was like having Joel Robuchons 16 course menu degustation . Your other senses are shut down to facilitate the sensual magic of the moment. Hansen is a company to keep an eye on IMO.
I ran into some industry friends that were humble enough to take a moment to stop and chat with a nobody like me. Clement Perry and his posse of golden ear friends and I had a nice relaxing moment together. These guys from StereoTimes webzine are as serious as it gets about their audio. When they visit an exhibitor, they give intense respect to the owners and designers by spending serious listening time to their systems followed by many questions in an effort to appreciate and understand what the designers were showing. Standing back and watching Clement was a real treat for me. His respect and dedication for others and what he is trying to do for our industry is humbling. If the High End ever fails , it will not be due to his lack of effort!
I also ran into the great recording engineer Steve Hoffman who was stretched thin at the show . As you may know , everyone wants a piece of him . He gives packed room lectures several times a day to fans that are mesmerized by his astonishing memory as he effortlessly tells truly fascinating stories of yesterday and today's music legends and the recording sessions he presided over. Just as many want 20 seconds of his time to do an " ear check " of their room setups. Since Steve has many recordings at his disposal that he personally created , who better to have judge the sound of your room than the one who mastered the recording . He should charge for that service ! Its also incredible that a guy so revered in our industry can be so unassuming . Never precocious or haughty , Steve is genuinely at ease with himself and it makes all who are around him comfortable. Long live this man , for without him and his continued efforts to preserve decaying priceless master tapes , we will be left with less to cherish and pass to future generations.
That's it for the Venetian .
At the Mirage my friends at Aerial were showing the 20 t speakers in an all Ayre electronics suite . I'm a fan and friend so I will simply say the each and every year , Mike Kelly and company chose this location for its Sonics and quiet atmosphere . The results speak volumes if you took the time to stop by.
Next stop was The Show. I like it here . Its less hectic and the exhibitors are less stressed. You often can actually sit for a while without the incessant chatter all around your head that permeated the Venetian rooms .
The Nova Physics Memory player sounded good and is getting some good press. It was in the Scaena speaker room and was a good sound. The Scaena is a tall Iso-Linear array speaker design .There are 2 sub cabinets that are active driven by 32 bit SHARC DSP and 24 bit crystal a/d d/a . Lightning fast , thunderous low frequency response and no apparent audible crossover .
The Ventura , Concert Fidelity , Sound Application room was an obvious standout . The sonics were life like , the bass integration seamless and articulate but most importantly , the top octaves were liquid smooth . Excellent sound this year. Concert fidelity was also in the Escalante room compliments of Suda and Mike Verretto. Sourced by Mikes own APL Hi Fi player { disclaimer , I am affiliated with APL } , the sound was also clear , detailed and full of recording ambience.
I really liked the deHavilland room as well. Just music. Nothing to get all worked up over but that seemed to be the point. Glorious sound that sucked you into its warm web of comfort listening. I can see the cult following they have. Its a no brainer if you think about it..... involvement is the key to enjoying your musical library. This gear had the ability to snare your subconscious . I found myself languishing on the couch talking to the highly respected Jason Serinus of Stereophile for some time. { I met Jason at RMAF in Denver and saw first hand how powerful a force he is in our community. He came to our room to assess the Sonics of our APL Hi Fi ESP Concert Grand room and within about 40 seconds nailed the attributes and deficiencies of our sound perfectly .} He has a fabulous ear , make no mistake about that.
I ran into Clark Johnson once again . I adore his writing at Positive Feedback online and he always takes time to stop and talk to the little people of audio like me . Thanks Clark !
On an opposite note , I got a chilly reception in the Lansche Audio room . The speakers were in a beautiful maple finish and were producing some lovely sound but the snide response I received from the designer when I took a moment to ask about their design left me bewildered. I often find myself taking up for the high end when my customers tell me stories of snooty salespeople . That day I got a plate full of... Haughty a la Mode .
There was one room that I must mention and will attempt to do so without seeming like their National Sales Rep . This will be a challenge however .
It is a speaker company called Respons from Germany.The owner designer is the soft spoken but intelligent and intense Reider Persson . At near 200 lbs per side and cabinets 2 inches thick , this speaker nearly broke my spine when I did the knuckle rap test. Very well made utilizing top shelf Scanspeak drivers , this speaker was the only other speaker besides the MBL and Acoustic Plan that had me reaching into my back pocket to find my checkbook. High frequency extension was extraordinary with a delicate whisper that was present when needed . This extension handed off seamlessly to a midrange that held the mystical allure I am addicted to in a system . The Respons speaker was bloody rich and ripe with full harmonic texture yet striking in its delineation of fine detail and nuances of recordings I have memorized. What a balancing act ! Bass was impossibly perfect with the ability to exude creative character to upper bass instruments like bass strings and yet controlled enough to open the floodgates and pound your chest with a driving impact that was an experience to cherish. Someone else thinks highly of their product as the electronics that were provided were all Audio Research including the Ref 3. At 26 k , its is a certified steal . Someone has got to pick this line up for America !
No show report is complete without a foodie section .
New to Vegas in the past year is the perfect landing of the planets finest living chef Joel Robuchon . He opened 2 restaurants side by side in the MGM . The Mansion is his uber luxurious spot and L atelier De Robuchon is the tapas side. Separate and distinct. Recently opened is yet another Michelin 3 star { the highest they award btw ] restaurant by the super star chef of Paris , Chef Guy Savoy . This is in Caesars Palace . Finally , the other must do evening of gastronomy would be Alex Stratta in the incomparable Wynn hotel. These 4 dining destinations are the pinnacle of dining in Vegas and arguably America on any given evening.
We did 2 this trip. The Mansion Joel Robuchon and Alex Stratta at the Wynn.
Alex was first. We did the menu degustation with the suggest wine parings . We added 6 courses to the degustation . It was a meal to remember for a lifetime. Very possibly the single most enjoyable meal I have had on American soil in my lifetime of culinary exploration . Foiegras, sea urchin , chanterelles , truffles , beluga , every concoction of foams imaginable , and the single most scrumtrulescent { Will Farrell made that up on SNL } sweetbread that may have ever come out of a Master Chefs grasp. A fatty Kobe beef tartare would have cemented my desire to capitulate to this life if I was forced to chose , culminated an evening of gasps , oooooohs and awes. Chef Stratta came out to speak to us or at least to see what pigs were dining with him , im not sure .
The Mansion Joel Robuchon was 2 nights later . A 3 hour , 16 course food fantasy journey was a cerebral exercise in imagination and wizardry. Too artistic in presentation to interrupt , the dissection of each course was a study in food synergy . Far too arcane in conception to dissect , the 16 perfectly orchestrated courses were a sensual kaleidoscope of flavors and textures . Know your stuff before booking this Temple of Cuisine for you may leave perplexed and embarrassed that you had not a single clue what just happened or what you just ate. It was incredible from start to finish with no missteps. Wine parings were exemplary and the sommelier was fanatically attentive.
Vegas , it stays with me .
Brent Rainwater
