Who 'won' the show at CES

Thanks Chival for your detective work. Air Tight is the best brand that no one talks about on this site. Better than most of what we tend to recommend. Really gets to the heart of what's important, the music. Any news there on universal(CD/SACD/DVD-A) players? Either in the flesh, or on the horizon? Thank you.

Merlin won! Flipping awesome sound! About $40k in Joule-Electra amps (or more, I think :-}). Butcha know who came in second? Totem. Arro's with the Red Rose integrated. Unambitious set up, and yet striking. Neraly flabbergasting! Vince, the designer, is sooo passionate about his gear. It's cool. Legend made a good showing with an ultra-deeeep soundstage. Wow! Was there even a wall behind them speakers! Overall--lotsa analog, lotsa SACD, mucho lotsa SET/Horns. Bitchin'. If youv'e never been, go! You will dig it!

Audio Research had an "off campus" showing at the Gold Nugget, using their gear, SME turntable and Vandersteen model 5 speakers. I thought it and the Soundlab, Purist Audio Wolcott exhibit at T.H.E. show were the two best sounds.

Albert, I have the van 5's and a vt100. I am searching for cables. Do you recall what cables they were using ? Thanks, John.

John, sorry, I did not notice. I can call one of my friends at ARC and find out if you wish. I do not own Vandys or ARC products, but think they really had their "stuff" together at this showing. Really great sound for a CES. By the way, they were using the ARC 200 mono blocks, which provided superior control and resolution for the Vandy 5's, even at loud listening levels with difficult material.

Hey Albert: I talked with ARC yesterday. They mentioned that the van 5's were actually richard vandersteen's personal set. They couldn't get a set in time. Nice guy! The ARC guy said that they were using some 'blue' audioquest cables. I know the dogleg on my van 5's hipass filter is audioquest x3 cabling. He said they switched to the van 5's from the wilson watt/puppies. Surprising because wilsons are more detailed. Maybe it was for the bass. The arc guy also commented that they often demo with their own ARC cables. He said you have to spend over $1000 per interconnect (not hard!) to beat it when using arc equipment. I just added an ARC ref 1 to my system, and my Van 5's are finally getting dialed in. They went from disappointing, to pretty good, to possibly the best I've heard. Still a little too powerful for my listening room but I think I have to recalibrate their bass for the new preamp. I have never seen a speaker that is so sensitive to tweaking and EXACT manufacturer specified setup.

OK, I will chime in with last year's winner (CES-2000) 'cause I couldn't go this year: mbl (I run tubes myself.)

The complete mbl system (Harmonic technology cabling through out) had the most kinesthetic, tangible, emotionally involving sound I have ever heard from electronics and transducers. Go figure that. Huge, solid state, German polished metal industrial looking monsters made wonderful, sweet, emotional music.

Next: The Jadis / Cabasse system at T.H.E Show.