RMAF 2008 - Your impressions,...

Dcstep, I would entirely agree about the Utopias, but would broaden this. It clearly shows why shows as were dealers important. Everyone loved different things. I am always amazed that the Reference 3A Grand Veenas are not among the top listings of "best sounding" rooms.

I visited many expensive rooms with many sitting in rapt attention, that I needed only 2 seconds to decide they were unworthy of any further listening FOR ME. I participated in many A/B comparisons at RMAF again, and once again there was disagreement. All that matters to me, of course, is whether I like A versus B. Frequently reviewers and even manufacturers are involved and I sometimes think, many cannot hear. This happened often but I think, No they just listen for different things. But it lowers my willingness to give credence to their reviews and products.

Glory, did you hear the comparison of mono and stereo recordings in the Robyatt Audio suite? Mono just blew away stereo in both of the demos. He used Brubeck Take Five and Ella Fitzgerald Cole Porter Songbook. I bought the mono Otono-Edison: Miyajima Laboratory Series on the spot. I also bought a unique headshell from 47 Labs to use it on my Shindo arm.

My experience in the suite with Luxman electronics and Avid speakers, I think, which used master tapes suggests that even vinyl falls far short. Were tapes not such a pain in the ass, there is no question where I would go.

I used a friends cd in multiple suites. I was amazed at how different each seat rendered its sound. I am not as negative about digital given what I get out of Exemplar moded gear, including a music server.

I still await the future development of the Feastrex full-range drivers. If only the 9 inchers, which have the potential to go low, sounded anywhere near the 5 inchers. They have the greatest potential of anything I heard there.

I also thought the Acapella Triolons were much better than last year, but the OTLs just cannot handle the low impedance at high volume levels. Not that I can afford these speakers or have a room where I might use them.

Glory, are they the Bastanis Apollo loudspeakers? I am sure I was in the room, but remember little else. I guess that means I was not impressed.

Robyatt did not overload the room. In the old days the Quads 57s were always the best sound as they did not overload the room.

Dcstep, there has been an ongoing argument about digital versus vinyl for at least twenty years. while I certainly would agree about the best of vinyl reproduction being better than the best of digital reproduction, I find there has been a very great improvement in digital in the last several years. I suspect, however, that there is little agreement as to which companies now represent the best digital and even whether the best digital is to be found in CDPlayers or in music servers. I personally am a recent convert to digital off hard drives. There is also the question of sacds versus redbook. Here I still favor sacds, although I find there is a tradeoff between greater dynamics on redbook formats such as XRCD and a great sense of realism in the soundstage of sacds.

I also recent heard a demonstration of mono records at the RMAF that resulted in my buying a mono cartridge and mono versions of some classics that were originally available in both mono and stereo. I already have about 200 mono recordings, somewhere. Yet another format to have access to.

Finally, the Tape Project pulls me back to having tapes as a source. Here I will not give in. Tapes are the best but are just too much of a pain.

I suspect that very soon we have access to many recordings in 24/96 or even 24/192 are higher and that this may further improve digital.

When I first entered audio, ones choices were fm or vinyl. It was years before I heard a quality tape recording. I rejoice in my choices although storage and equipment are an issue.

Sarcher30, I cannot understand how when you say, "...great potential, but the room they were in was an echo chamber," you can also say you liked the sound in the large YG room. That room was being used by the company who did the sound treatments in the Acapella room for the demonstration of treatment's benefits. I could not stand it for more than a moment or two. On the other hand the YG small room sounded quite good.

I would agree with you about the Lansche sound, but that is it. I thought the Acapella Triolons sounded pretty good, but the amps were insufficient for the loudness they were asking of them. The image also was too big.

All of this suggests how little we all share opinions on sound. It make all of this posting seem superfluous.

Mapman, I think you are right, but this is also true about setting them up in your own room. The Acapella room was heavily treated and was quite big. The YG room was also big but poorly or untreated.