Rocky Mountain Audio Fest this Weekend

grimmace19

Anyone else going to the Rocky Mountain Audio Fest this coming weekend in Denver? I plan to go Saturday for a good portion of the day as I've only heard good things about the show.

It would be nice to meet other polkies around the area if anyone is going to be around.

SolidSqual

I will be there Friday through Sunday for the full show time! I am so pumped. I can't wait to take it all in. Let me know if you want to grab a beer after show hours.

Nice sub by the way, I'm jealous.

Toolfan66

I will be there Friday and Saturday just let me know where you guys are going to be I am down for a beer or two!!!

Toolfan66

For some reason the Turntables you see just do it for me, Just Beautiful!!!

EndersShadow

SolidSqual wrote: »

I will be there Friday through Sunday for the full show time! I am so pumped. I can't wait to take it all in. Let me know if you want to grab a beer after show hours.

Nice sub by the way, I'm jealous.

You taking a vacation up there? Wish I could do that lol.

Toolfan66

I am leaving soon if any of you guys are going today. I will be wearing a Wyred 4 Sound t-shirt (since I don't have a Polk Audio shirt to wear!! LOL!!) with a SS black baseball cap..

Peace!!!!

punk-roc

Someone go listen to those Fritz Carbon 7's for me!! I was tempted to fly in for the show just to finally get my ears on them, but my schedule did not allow it =(

SolidSqual

The Carbon 7s are awesome. Ironically, I heard Schism blaring down the hall and I ran to see what audio nut had the balls to bring the heavy tune to the show. Little did I know that it was the Fritz Speaker room. Everyone in the room was looking a little uncomfortable as these dark tunes filled the space. But they sounded awesome. The drivers were pumping hard with some real impact and authority. I love these speakers. They rock better than the Sierra-1s and have way more resolution. Their ability to resolve Tool's tough composition was right up there with the best I've heard. The Carbon7s aren't the last in low-level bass, but they go well into the mid 30s, and seemed more than adequate for music. When the guy with the Tool, pulled his record off the Thorens table and went on to the next room, the curator returned the room to its stereotypical audiophile bunk by popping some obscure jazz album back in play. And guess what, the bunk sounded damn good too.

Toolfan66

I wish I could have been there for that!! I can honestly say the only thing I don't like about the show is the standard music of classical/jazz not that I don't like it it just becomes to much..

mole'

i think i got an email from EMO saying there are gonna have a stand or something at this show.....

SolidSqual

Yeah, I've been drinking with the guys from Zu Audio and Spatial HD. Let me just say, they are a rowdy bunch of anti-audiophiles. They know their speakers aren't what you typically consider audiophile and they wear it like a badge of honor. We were jamming out to punk rock, alternative and all other sorts of killer tunes. The guys at Zu seem to think the only way to bring back HiFi is to make the music sond good again, not neutral and lifeless. They couldn't be more right. Their room was a party and it felt good. It wasn't about the gear. It was about the music and the people you share it with. That's the soul of this hobby and frankly what most people are missing when it comes to fully enjoying their system.

schwarcw

SolidSqual wrote: »

The guys at Zu seem to think the only way to bring back HiFi is to make the music sond good again, not neutral and lifeless. They couldn't be more right. That's the soul of this hobby and frankly what most people are missing when it comes to fully enjoying their system.

AMEN to that! I wish I had more time to listen to my gear. When I do it's the music that is the magic.

Toolfan66

I made it down to Zu Audio today, they are just there to have a good time no doubt, but I liked the old school set-up, a set of speakers, turntable (I liked the tonearm mod on that technics 12xx) vinyl laying around and a couch for the party!! LOL!! the only thing missing was woman. at least they want to play some music, I like jazz and classical but after a few rooms it all starts to blend together.

Wyred4Sound has a couple new things coming out at the first of the year Music Server,and a little intergeted and when I say little I mean smaller then their DAC's. They are a great bunch of guys!!

I did learn something today and that is I love horns just something about them does it for me. The Acapellas are not only something to hear but to see with your own eyes. at least they will play your CD's to get a full effect also I believe they would sound even better in the right room with treatments..

The tannoys are to die for I fell in love with my first set of bookies if thats what you want to call them..

I got to see the Pass Labs amp I have been drooling over the last year it's size is something to see X350!!!

Oh I loved the Sonus Faber as well, and the Nola baby grands were quite nice as well..

Well thats about it for me I will remember more later as I have been sipping on tequila most of the day..

SolidSqual

For crazy affordable Monitor check out the "The clue". The speakers are $999, have tight bass serioulsy down to 28Hz with good volume and a great midrange.

Red Wine Audio has some of the best sound at the show with their new battery powered monos driving some La Scala speakers.

Sanders electrostats have serious soundstage.

Toolfan66

The Sanders are beautiful I want a set, and The Clue's were a big surprise IMO!! the lady out front was these are the best deal here and the room was packed..

I must have walked by Red Wine as it don't ring a bell..

SolidSqual

You definitely need to check out the RWA room. Also, check out the Onda Cable room, the young going spinning the music has tons of Tool on file!!! The sound is very clear, but honestly the system in general lacks the grit and growl that I enjoy when listening to Tool with the right gear. But, at any rate, you can get some Tool in your ears if you need it.

grimmace19

I had a blast today... Got to see much more than I expected. Pretty much stayed in rooms that may fit my price range if I look to build a two channel dedicated system. Loved the new lsim's that were going.. tons of bass out of such small bookshelves and they left my lsi9's in the dust (and my 15s). Had a bit of fun in the Zu audio room like others pointed out... at least they had a decent listening environment compared to 20 cramped people on small chairs off center in the other rooms. Highlight of the day for me were the Dynaudio rooms. I got to listen to some mumford and sons on their bookshelf offerings and it sounded fantastic. I can't say that the 2900 per pair was over the top compared to the 1500 dollar polk offering but it was splendid. The sony demo room was closed when I tried to listen to their new towers that I've read so much about so that was disappointing but to make up for it, the fest already had the weekends picked out for the next 4 years so there shouldn't be any rush for me trying to take in everything in one afternoon.

Oh, and to piggy back off of Larry's observations, the Acapelleas are a sight and sound all their own... it was the first room I stepped into today and I have never heard any speakers sound so "live" before... absolutely incredible.

F1nut

TOOLFORLIFEFAN wrote: »

For some reason the Turntables you see just do it for me, Just Beautiful!!!

They do that in an effort to disguise vinyl's inherent flaws.

geoff727

I met a couple of forum members there, but obviously not any of you guys. I thought it was a great show this year. Here's a couple pictures from Polk's room.

geoff727

The Acapella's are awesome, no doubt about it. 3 years ago, Aaudio brought the Triolon Excalibur, which is a couple steps above the Violoncello they've had for the last 2 years. Gorgeous horn speakers.

I agree about the Sanders electrostats too. My favorite electrostatics yet. That transmission line bass is Oh so nice.

Some thing I thought were especially interesting....

Another pair of horns I REALLY found myself enjoying (and went back to the room for more) were the Cessaro's.

The YG Anat III with the new aluminum cone drivers is awesome (it better be for $119,000). The Kipod also has new drivers, but I think the Carmel retains the Scan-Speak's.

Klaus at Odyssey has a new Kismet-styled integrated amp, the one on the top shelf.

Don Keele (partnered with Marshall Kay's Audio Artistry) was displaying his CBT array, which sounded better than I expected it to, given the rather simplistic drivers.

The KEF Blade is now in production, and I think it's spectacular.

Given a different room/setup, I think the Accuton-drivered Estelon's would be fantastic speakers.

geoff727

Another interesting thing....

The surrounds on the 6.5" drivers of these Avalon speakers are numbered SR142/13. I think the surrounds on the vintage Polks are SR142/17. They look exactly the same (maybe that's why I noticed them out of 160 rooms full of equipment!), with the exception of the screw hole cutouts. I don't know what the significance of the numbers is, but it's interesting that they appear to be largely the same surround.

Toolfan66

I would like to know why Polk never posted they were going to be there?? Last I knew polk wouldn't be there this year but next year.

SCompRacer

geoff727 wrote: »

I agree about the Sanders electrostats too. My favorite electrostatics yet. That transmission line bass is Oh so nice.

Mine too,:cheesygrin: although I actually have Roger's InnerSound MK III's. (Same basic thing with the Ultrastat panels). Fairly sure he had the 10C's there with the digital active crossover. You can run a much steeper crossover slope with the digital active.

I'd sure like to attend next years show.

grimmace19

TOOLFORLIFEFAN wrote: »

I would like to know why Polk never posted they were going to be there?? Last I knew polk wouldn't be there this year but next year.

That was my reaction to seeing them in the guide book as well. I thought Doro spoke up about how they planed for next year as well. I asked the two polk reps in the room if it was a last minute thing and his response was "nope, been planning this trip for months".

Toolfan66

grimmace19 wrote: »

That was my reaction to seeing them in the guide book as well. I thought Doro spoke up about how they planed for next year as well. I asked the two polk reps in the room if it was a last minute thing and his response was "nope, been planning this trip for months".

I was a little disapointed about not knowing as I would have had some things done to send back with them..

RuSsMaN

That Polk shot is embarassing. Wow.

Topper

did anyone see part 2 of Sound and Vision's coverage of the 2011 Rocky Mountain Audio Fest? I love their opening paragraph:


"The Rocky Mountain Audio Fest is growing up. A few years ago, it was known as a gathering of small (sometimes one-man) companies demonstrating exotic (sometimes downright wacky) audio products. Some of those guys are still there, but so now are most of the better-known high-end audio companies. RMAF is even attracting a few mainstream manufacturers. One of the best demos I heard was from Polk Audio, playing the company?s $3,999/pair LSiM707 tower speaker driven by Bel Canto electronics."


http://www.soundandvisionmag.com/article/rocky-mountain-audio-fest-report-part-2-speakers-amps-and-more

helipilotdoug

Our cables at RMAF this year in room 573 We are there with Raven Audio, Burwell and Sons and Mytek. Our interconnect, speaker and power cables are being used in their system. Raven Audio has some awesome monoblock tube amps! Wish I could be there in person, but have too many cables to get made. Hope to make it next year though!

helipilotdoug

helipilotdoug

Thanks Skip
To quote Dave's comment about our cables; "Douglas Connection - These Cables Are INCREDIBLE, PHENOMENAL, ABSOLUTELY POSITIVELY.... um, AustinTexous~! LOL. Just an all around WOW."