This was my second trip to RMAF (back to back). Both years, my friend and I thought that the Joseph Audio room had some of the best sound in the show. I would love to have a pair of his larger speakers but will have to shop used to buy.
Other very good speakers for reasonable prices I thought were the Bamberg Audio & Reference 3A Grand Veena.
At headphone room was very interesting. My friend bought the JH Audio top of the line in ear headphones. Moon Audio showed an electrostatic tube amp with Stax headphones that was awesome if you can foot the bill.
It was a great time - we had a number of people visit from the Houston Aduio Society and everyone really enjoyed it.
I don't wish to be detractive but I'm quite curious now given the contrasting statements made herein about specific demos. Further, as to notes posted here about particular items comprising only a part of the entire rigs being played too... CDPs, speakers, amps, etc.
I remember hearing this said to me early on, by both individuals, and makers of high end gear:
"Don't judge components from what you hear at a show."
Is this correct or have things changed?
I can imagine a number of reasons why it could well be true. But from the overwhelming positives posted here as to what was heard here and there abouts, maybe one should 'judge' only whole systems... as so many here have done just that so far... mostly. I can't see how any could do otherwise and have anything short of a speculative perspective or outright guess as to individual component performance (s).
I hope to get to one of these some day yet I feel what is demonstarted there could only be taken on the whole of things and nothing gained in part, by way of actual appraisal of specific items.
in any event, it's gotta be cool to meet those responsible for designing all the neat stuff... as well as other folks we talk to online yet seldom meet.
Not as crowded this year (economy?) but that actually made it more manageable.
Was hoping to see David Gill's new stuff; sorry he couldn't make the show.
Room I want when I hit the Lotto: MBL. One can walk all around that room and it still images great. Heavy, black/gold tones to the electronics and those speakers! Sitting 5' from them and you think you would be shouted at, but it stays musical.
Agree that Bobby P. has his room, VSM's, and electronics dialed in as usual. Just a great sound for the $$'s, so much bigger than it should be. Merlins are alright.
I came away impressed by the Joseph floor standers. They have the impact of a Dynaudio C1 but better dispersal quality. Went back twice on successive days to make sure I was hearing what I thought. May have to bite on these one day.
I liked the Wilson Benesch/de Havailland last year more due to the bigger salon. This is quality stuff and I also made 2 visits just 'cause I like the sound.
If I have any change left over from my big lottery winnings, I get the Wilson Sasha's. Never was a big fan of the Watt Puppy's, but these are immenently enjoyable, completely non fatiguing, and, at least in this setting, image beautifully with each note laid down perfectly. I sat in the front seat until the staff (politely) asked me if I had a room for the night or was I going to stay there, seated.
Wadia & Dynaudio are very good, but priced out of the common man's wallet. W's little IPod dock, however, is cheap and could find all kinds of uses in a 2nd-3rd, or office system.
Couldn't comment on horns, electrostatics, or analogue. Just don't know that much about it and didn't stay in the rooms that had these components since there was so much I did want to see.
Several rooms (no names) hit me wrong. I usually knew this when I walked in but often stayed for awhile just to see if I was being judgemental or prejudiced due to the music/looks/staff/??? I think one can get a visceral hint quickly that (like your first answer on a multiple choice test) tells you something ain't right. I'm not saying this is the way to judge equipment, but when faced with 6 floors of audio rooms, one has to make choices on what you want to hear/see.
I was hoping to get a basic primer in a seminar setting in setting up a Mac based music server system. You know, the nuts & bolts, what to hook to what, choices in backup, which connectiion (USB, firewire, etc) and the arguments of each, choices of dacs and why each one is the best (according to the manufacturers), etc. There is a tremendous amount of knowledge and talent at this meeting and dolts such as myself could use some "dummy-down" teaching.
My vote for #1 is a tie between MBL room. Much smaller display that past years and they picked a great ensemble to present. Balance of the tie was the Audio Research Ref 5 with the Wilson Sashas. Third I would say the Naim and Wilson Duettes produced remarkable sound. Worst first off I think the Legacy Audio was disapointing for the price range. The honerable mention was the chairs from I-Fi. Those were just too cool and would solve so many problems for a small apt. or condo.
Thanks for your comments and asking about the upgrades. We'll be offering an upgrade to the original Pearl, save for the cosmetic changes (no visible screws on the side panels)
The speakers would need to come back to the factory for the upgrades and we haven't worked out the details just yet.
Was there a "best of show" at different price points?
Also I started a separate thread for posting "exceptional" demo tracks. I heard some VERY powerful Orchestral tracks that I would love to buy on CD if only I knew the composer or Album name..
I was surprised how much I didn't like the Shelter Harmony. I've always thought that if one came up on Audiogon for half price I would jump on it. Glad now that it didn't come up. On the other hand, I got to hear the new Shelter 901 mkII. The original 901 is my go-to right now, and wow! What nice improvements! Something I can afford is something I want. Go figure... The Ascendo System F's, as usual, sounded magnificent. I'd never heard the Lotus Group's Granadas before. Open-baffled masterpieces, IMHO. You Bel Canto guys didn't mention the CD player. I was pretty impressed with that little thing. Jeff, your improvements to the Pearl are wonderful (I'm the guy who asked about upgrading the originals). A couple of my favorite rooms were the Tri and Wavelength rooms. I also loved listening in the TW Acustic (sic) room. I tend to want to not be impressed at first. I want a system that I have to drag myself away from after hours of listening. I had to drag myself away from these rooms; whereas in a lot of other rooms that I was bowled over by (the sound) when I first walked in, I found myself saying to my audio cohort "OK, what's next?" after ten minutes. The Wavelength room didn't have a component (not to mention cable!) that was $10,000.00, and yet it was one of the best listens I had. I made it a point to go back on Sunday and enjoy the feed from that great server system one last time. Still, that's maybe my biggest complaint about the show. The servers bar me from injecting my reference tracks into the process of evaluating the different systems/components. The thing that I like about these shows is that I get to hear what Joni Mitchell's "Court and Spark" sounds like in dozens of guys' (and gals'... Won't under appreciate you, Kara!) systems. Basically, I get to hear what different folks feel a hundred K should sound like. Without reference tracks, I feel that's lost.
I changed my profile (today) to reflect that I am using B&W speakers which is true. At present I am using B&Ws since they work reasonably well for both home theater and Redbook playback.
I heard many many great sounding rooms which excelled for different reasons. I did not like the Bel Canto Room. It's that simple. I didn't even try to assess whether it was the speakers, the amplification, or the source which didn't agree with me.
I admit I was overly strong in my first post. It was my gut reaction to complete disbelief that several people really liked the sound of this room when in my mind I heard the contrary. I should have been more tactful and simply stated that the system sounded bright and lean when I heard it and left it at that. In this regard I was quite the animal and should have restrained myself. I am guilty on this account and admit it.
I also really wanted to hear NAIM at it's best. I have heard NAIM sound spectacular in the past and think NAIM is excellent gear for playing rock music. I was disappointed to hear it sound less than spectacular because I have heard it sound so much better.
To your point about fun, I much enjoyed the combo of Thiel 3.7, McIntosh 2301 monos, ARC Ref preamp, and PS Audio Perfect Wave stack. The synergy of this combo was an excellent compromise between full-bodied dynamics and neutrality & detail. IMO, among dynamic speakers with similar visceral impact, the Wilson Sashas and Hansens in various rooms didn't fare as well.
My intent was not to slander anyone. My point was that you have a different perspective on how a system should sound than I and many of the other posters do, and that is fine. When I saw the components you had listed and the comments you stated there (prior to your most recent edit), it made sense to me that you have the reaction you did. I'm frankly puzzled as to why you changed your system profile.
In any case, given that you don't like my speakers, how can you draw any firm conclusions about the sound of the Bel Canto?
In the same fashion people may wonder how I could have been so disappointed in the Bel Canto Room, I must admit that I am shocked someone could be disappointed with the "Audio Note" room.
When I was in the Audio Note room I heard Holographic images dancing about in the room that were absolutely spooky good. I couldn't believe all that was coming from those two smallish "Harbeth looking" speakers which sat in the corners of the room. To me, that was an extremely pleasurable (and fun) sounding room to visit and spend time in.
Those happen to be the speakers I use for home theater. I have 2 systems listed if you notice and I have been using different gear for Redbook and different gear for home theater.
I have been trying various speakers out for Redbook over the past year and haven't bothered to update my profile over on the asylum. This year I have owned a variety of speakers including Acoustic Zen Adagios and B&W's as well. I happen to like the sound of Focal as well and may end up buying a pair.
It's a shame you felt the need to go out of your way in an attempt to discredit what I heard at the show. Researching my id on another site to see what you could dig up in hopes to slander me based on system components seems lame and I am sure others will see it that way as well. And to be honest I went to that room to see the Bel Canto. I was fixating on the Bel Canto gear not your speakers. Perhaps the Bel Canto would have sounded better to me with different speakers. Hard to tell.
The track I played in the Bel Canto room was not recorded lean and in fact sounded quite warm on the Focals, Ushers, Legacys, and other speakers which I tried at the show. Of the speakers I tried with this track, the Bel Canto room was only bright and lean sound I heard when playing this track.
I liked many rooms at the show but not yours. Everyone has an opinion and mine was based upon what I heard using the same track on several systems.
This was my first exposure to Audio Note--which IMO sounded surprisingly bland and lacking in depth and imaging. One of the best SET-oriented was the inexpensive Grant Fidelity room(Opera Consonance/Jungson/ShengYa/Shuguang.)
I don't think that it is fair for you to blame the Bel Canto amplifiers for your dislike of the sound you heard in their room with our Pearls. When I saw your posting on the Asylum I was puzzled until I looked at your system description. http://cgi.audioasylum.com/systems/9260.html
According to that profile, your speakers are the Klipsch RF-82.
Under system goals you write "Trying to make Classic Rock sound warm and rich without loosing refinement and speed."
As you mentioned, the system sounded nice until you played your disc.
I do not share your goal of trying to make Classic Rock recordings sound warm and rich, *unless they were recorded that way in the first place*. I greatly prefer the purity of a natural, even balance that lets me hear what the recording actually sounds like rather than trying to goose up the upper bass to add false warmth. The nice thing about evenly balanced speakers is that you do still have the option of patching in an equalizer to adjust for harsh recordings, as opposed to trying to tame a system that is has errors "locked in" as part of the speaker design.
This hobby is about listening enjoyment, first and foremost. I am not trying to tell you what to enjoy for your personal listening. I just felt that some context and insight into why your perspective would differ from my own and the vast number of visitors like Tvad who were very pleased with how our systems performed at the show would be useful.
And you should not rule out Bel Canto for your system as you cannot predict how that combination might sound based on your audition with my speakers.
I went to the Bel Canto room on Sunday about 1PM. I wanted to hear Bel Canto's "Class D" as Rowland did it so well in their gear.
This was the super large suit at the end of the hall. All Bel Canto gear leading into Josephs. The host was playing most of the tracks from a music server.
Incidentally I was there to buy after the show. (I live just four miles south of the show) By the end of the show I was pretty worn out but I was ready to buy a demo pair of Focals but they had too many surface damages.
I also liked the Ayon CD2 and Ayon Spirit amp but decided I want to stay with Solid State gear.
The Zu's grabbed at me as very "live" sounding for cheap money. What was everyone's take on the ZU's? They got a good review this month also. (As if you can put any trust in the reviewers from that magazine)
My Favorite cost-no-object: Focal Grand Utopia/MBL My Favorite Budget system: Focal+Micromega system at $8500
Audio Note Room: Wonderfully organic! But $51,000 for those little "Harbeth looking" speakers shocked me.. oh my..
The Luxman/DevilSound room was another wonderful sound. I spent a lot of time in that room with a smile.
The Nordost room sounded great also!
Not mentioning the wonderfully delicate sound of the VTL/Avatar room would be a crime. Loved the sound there as well.
The Technics Reel-To-Reel room had groovy lighting..
The ZU/Peachtree room was a lot of fun. Good vibe, happy people, lot's of fun to hang out an just "be".
The GamuT room was very impressive sounding. Lifelike organ reproduction for sure!
One room I disagree on is the Bel Canto room. I found the Bel Canto/Joseph Audio room to be one of the worst sounding rooms for the price. Very lean sounding and bright. Listening to their "pre-packaged" demo tracks sounded nice but when I put in a Fleetwood Mac CD which should have sounded wonderful (It has on many systems) it sounded lean and bright. This room was the most disappointing of the rooms I gave a serious listen to. I was considering a Bel Canto amp for myself until hearing this room. I don't understand how people could praise it.. This room sucked IMO.
I concur on the Vienna Die Muzick. I went to Soundings on Sunday after the show and they were playing for a client. I would have considered selling a kidney on the spot if propositioned to get these things. They are that spectacular! And Rod Tomson (The owner) is one of the nicest guys on the planet.
All and All a blast and fun had by all. A "must go" in 2010 for everyone on this site. Disneyland for adults!!
IMO GamuT had serious problems with muddy mid-bass. I don't get the buzz about Classic horns(w/Galibier and in several other rooms.)
Cost-no-object best of show was close between Janszen(w/Bryston & Wadia), Dynaudio Consequence(w/Octave & Wadia), The Lotus Group's Granada (Feastrex hybrid), Tidal(w/Bergman & Ypsilon). I heard several other Feastrexes and Lowthers-- none which came close to Granada. I wanted to like YG Anat(w/Solution Audio), but the demo was too quiet for critical evaluation.
In compact floorstanders I was impressed by how well the US/Canadian cottage industry is doing in the $5-$15K range-- some are direct-to-consumer with exceptional performance & value. Stand-outs were Merlin, Daedalus, Sonist, Vaughn, Bamberg, Silverline, Sentient, Eficion, and in small monitors, Green Mountain, Joseph(w/Bel Canto), Ref 3A(w/Naim), and Omega.
I like battery power. The stand-out in this regard was Veloce electronics with Gemme Katana ceramic speakers-- in an altogether different league(and price) from Dodd. Veloce also has the only hybrid Class D amp I can't find fault with.
Just getting familiar with the Hansen sound. The best match was Prince 2 with very expensive Silicon Arts Design electronics.
I heard only one truly awful room at the show and am not telling tales. However, the designer in that room introduced himself by saying that he makes "the best amplifier in the world."
I echo TVAD's assessment of the fabulous Bel Canto room. . . incredibly engaging and refined.
My absolute preference in the hotel, regardless of price goes to the GamuT room with their big mono amps and the large GamuT towers. Performance of the Bach organ Toccata Adagio and Fugue in C minor was visceral, 3 dymensional, emotionally engrossing, and superbly listenable without a hint of fatigue.
If I include suites outside the hotel, my preference would go to the large showroom at Soundings Hifi across the parking lot: Boulder CDp, Boulder 2010 pre, Rowland 312 stereo amp, Vienna Die Muzick speakers. Similar to the Gamut room for staging, imaging, authority, extension, fantastic ease of listening. . . exceeding GamuT for low level detail and harmonic resolution. speakers in both rooms were set up by true masters of the craft. . . the designer of the GamuT speakers and Rod Tomson at Soundings. . . both Masters of the craft.
I was also delighted by the Belles/Usher/JPS room. . . what a graceful and revealing amp Belles makes. . . definitely the kind of amp I'd be proud to own and the Usher speakers are delicious. . . . but everything would not have worked if the wiring had been any less synergistic than the JPS wires.
I really wanted to hear the new Chapter electronics based on a very advanced class D design but they were not connected.
Cullen/Wired4Sound was quite delightful in the $2K price range fine imaging and speed and particularly fine treble resolution. W4S is working on a reference level amp that will include a user selectable tube/SS input section. . . very promising and I am very much looking forward to hearing it.
Perhaps the most Uber-Bestest room of them all was. . . the bar in the evenings. . . mixing with fellow audiophools is the most fun experience of the show!
Saluti e buone cose,
Guido
PS. The very worst rooms were very very very bad and are left. . . anonymous.
AMR Electronics/Feikert Woodpecker Table/Rethm Speakers
Hegen Electronics/Dali
There were few other good rooms. These simply stood out to me. By in large, IMHO, the sound was very poor this year. A great many systems were poorly setup.
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