Any member feedback from C.E.S. 2006?

Good performance
1. How about the connoissier int. amp. and Audio Reference speakers. Best bang for the buck.

2. NAIM n-Vi also brilliant.
Another good product from NAIM even though it is a little bit over priced.

Worst performer:
1. ARC and Wilson room
2. Sumimoto
3. VAC

Honest1:
The Ascendo room you are refering to had two M-s speakers, two Cat JL-3 Signature monoblocks, a CAT SL-1 Ultimate Mark II preamp, Reimyo CDP and VR Revelation cables. The Ascendo designer Jurgen Scheuring (sp?) was there the whole time and spoke willingly and at length. Frank Tchang also came in periodically and demonstrated his resonators, which was very entertaining.

I also felt that many rooms were too loud--i.e., louder than "natural", which kept me out of them. I think this volume issue is an unfortunate cultural propensity rather than an effect of small or competing rooms, since even the van Schweikert VR7s were played too loudly in their huge isolated room at THE. I didn't have anyone balk if I asked them to lower the volume, but there wasn't always an opportune time to ask.

A lot of the systems sounded fine when playing the ubiquitous small jazz ensemble stuff, and fell apart with more technically demanding orchestral music, regardless of the quality of the CD. This left me feeling that I couldn't begin to assess a system unless the exhibitor would let me play something from my own selection.

Room size and shape vary considerably, and construction is consistently flimsy, all of which must be a huge frustration to exhibitors who are paying a lot of money to be there. The environmental limitations have to be taken into account when assessing the gear, though some setups seemed to overcome it in varying degrees, while others did not.

Chadnliz:

The constant directivity wave guide on the VMPS 30 speakers was pretty impressive. I'm not sure I understand the physics of why it does what it does, but there certainly was a benefit. Wide dispersed sound, even, holographic, and almost as if the sound were coming from an omidirectional speaker like the big MBLs, or better than what I've heard from Pipedreams on their good days at various shows. The sound didn't seem to come from the speakers at all. It just imaged. The tube amps seemed to hold the speed of the system back because ribbons tweeters and mids are noted for being fast. I understand that VMPS responds well to tubes, but those there didn't impress me.

I think VMPS speakers are voiced with Ampzilla 2000 solid state speakers, which is a very fast amp. So, I hate to admit it, but I think Mr. Cheney might just be on to something with his wave guide.

I'd bet a home theater speaker system with the wave guides would likely be seamless all the way around. I'd love to hear that.

Brainwater:

The von scheikert I room I was referring to was at The Show, it the golden ears section, a room 4 times the size of the the other rooms at the Show. I think the speakers were about $35K/pr. Can't remember the model number, but it was real disappointing to be in such a great room, one with some size, and the music just wasn't there when I was there Saturday afternoon. I've heard them sound better, but not this time for, for me anyway.

Bookner , I agree. The vr7 speakers were showing in the large room at The Show and I found them less than engaging as well. I was however impressed with the vr9 room at the Alexis . I was not sure which system you were speaking of. I commented in greater detail about my impressions of the show in another CSE 06 thread misplaced in the Speaker Forum .