Interesting Saturday afternoon - got to meet some audio industry VIPs
Erik Tracy
Posts: 4,673
Spent Saturday afternoon at Alma Music & Audio in La Jolla CA yesterday.
I found out about it thru the San Diego Music and Audio Guild.
I braved the thunderous down pour and enjoyed an afternoon of listening to talks by Yoav Geva of YG Acoustics, Dan D'Agostino, Joe Kubala of Kubala-Sosna cables, Vince Galbo of MSB Technology, and Harry Lee of Aurender Music Servers.
Fabio Storelli, owner, hosted the event at his boutique shop on La Jolla Blvd - nice wood and brick layout with several rooms in a very inviting atmosphere.
They had several systems set up for listening, but the main event was the YG Acoustics TOTL Sonja loudspeaker hooked up to a pair of Dan's mono block Momentum amps, Aurender Music Server, MSB DAC and BDP, and Kronos TT with an Ortofon cartridge.
Very informal, people asking questions, a scripted playlist for the speakers but some interesting and revealing selections.
They also had a well stocked vinyl selection of current and classic rock selections...may have to go back to just thumb thru the bins some more.
The YG/Dan D'Agostino/MSB/Aurender setup was very impressive.
I didn't take any pictures - wasn't sure what the etiquette/protocol would be. There are some pics from Saturday on the Alma website.
https://www.facebook.com/AlmaMusicAudio
The only downside was not a whole lot of music played!
There was a problem with the Aurender music server setup and no one seemed to know how to get the digital setup to work right. (hahaha - my gentle poke in the eye that digital is still an arcane hobbyist art).
The invitation did say to bring your own music, so I brought some CDs and jokingly said as 4 reps were stroking their chins as to how to get the server up and playing that I had 'these old fashioned things called CDs to play'....
Well, I got to hear one song from one CD and then it was turned down and ejected before the song even finished!
All the other rooms were only set up to play from their music server.
When I left at 7pm, no LPs were spun...Dan was still waiting for the USB DSD stream to be setup. Kinda a bust, imho for demo'ing the high end stuff.
There was a follow on today/Sunday, but I didn't go. Maybe they did kick out the jams.
Still, had a good time, met some very interesting people, saw some great gear, and did get a small sample of what the 'high end' can really sound like.
Next time...bring a USB stick.
I found out about it thru the San Diego Music and Audio Guild.
I braved the thunderous down pour and enjoyed an afternoon of listening to talks by Yoav Geva of YG Acoustics, Dan D'Agostino, Joe Kubala of Kubala-Sosna cables, Vince Galbo of MSB Technology, and Harry Lee of Aurender Music Servers.
Fabio Storelli, owner, hosted the event at his boutique shop on La Jolla Blvd - nice wood and brick layout with several rooms in a very inviting atmosphere.
They had several systems set up for listening, but the main event was the YG Acoustics TOTL Sonja loudspeaker hooked up to a pair of Dan's mono block Momentum amps, Aurender Music Server, MSB DAC and BDP, and Kronos TT with an Ortofon cartridge.
Very informal, people asking questions, a scripted playlist for the speakers but some interesting and revealing selections.
They also had a well stocked vinyl selection of current and classic rock selections...may have to go back to just thumb thru the bins some more.
The YG/Dan D'Agostino/MSB/Aurender setup was very impressive.
I didn't take any pictures - wasn't sure what the etiquette/protocol would be. There are some pics from Saturday on the Alma website.
https://www.facebook.com/AlmaMusicAudio
The only downside was not a whole lot of music played!
There was a problem with the Aurender music server setup and no one seemed to know how to get the digital setup to work right. (hahaha - my gentle poke in the eye that digital is still an arcane hobbyist art).
The invitation did say to bring your own music, so I brought some CDs and jokingly said as 4 reps were stroking their chins as to how to get the server up and playing that I had 'these old fashioned things called CDs to play'....
Well, I got to hear one song from one CD and then it was turned down and ejected before the song even finished!
All the other rooms were only set up to play from their music server.
When I left at 7pm, no LPs were spun...Dan was still waiting for the USB DSD stream to be setup. Kinda a bust, imho for demo'ing the high end stuff.
There was a follow on today/Sunday, but I didn't go. Maybe they did kick out the jams.
Still, had a good time, met some very interesting people, saw some great gear, and did get a small sample of what the 'high end' can really sound like.
Next time...bring a USB stick.
H9: If you don't trust what you are hearing, then maybe you need to be less invested in a hobby which all the pleasure comes from listening to music.
Post edited by Erik Tracy on
Comments
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very kool, even tho some weren't prepared . . .
You'd think they would be, especially when they're courting the big $$$AC Regenerator PS Audio PerfectWave Power Plant 10
Source Lumin U1 Mini into Lampizator Baltic 4 DAC
Pre Cary SLP-05
Power Rogue M180 Dark monos
Mains Salk HT2-TL
Rythmik F12 -
Erik Tracy wrote: »Well, I got to hear one song from one CD and then it was turned down and ejected before the song even finished!
Why?afterburnt wrote: »They didn't speak a word of English, they were from South Carolina.
Village Idiot of Club Polk -
Not sure. I think 'they' were repeatedly trying to get the music server up.Erik Tracy wrote: »Well, I got to hear one song from one CD and then it was turned down and ejected before the song even finished!
Why?
It was....an 'oh well' moment.
H9: If you don't trust what you are hearing, then maybe you need to be less invested in a hobby which all the pleasure comes from listening to music. -
That's funny! But it sounds like you saw and heard some very nice equipment.
Although I have nothing against Digital Servers, etc. I can't believe there wasn't one high quality CD/SACD player in every room? I mean, lots of people here are still spinning vinyl in the 21st century let alone CDs-which are my primary medium. Heck, even I had some Weekend in L.A./George Benson singing on an old Realistic LAB TT, HK 430 and Dynaco A25s today (real old school, lol), and I'm not even a big vinyl guy! Far from it.
Far from high end, but very relaxing!
Good times!Currently orbiting Bowie's Blackstar.!
Polk Lsi-7s, Def Tech 8" sub, HK 3490, HK HD 990 (CDP/DAC), AKG Q701s
[sig. changed on a monthly basis as I rotate in and out of my stash] -
Sounds like a cool time, but man, that musta been embarrassing for whomever was in charge of the music server. I know I'd have been every shade of red.I disabled signatures.
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That's funny! But it sounds like you saw and heard some very nice equipment.
Although I have nothing against Digital Servers, etc. I can't believe there wasn't one high quality CD/SACD player in every room? I mean, lots of people here are still spinning vinyl in the 21st century let alone CDs-which are my primary medium. Heck, even I had some Weekend in L.A./George Benson singing on an old Realistic LAB TT, HK 430 and Dynaco A25s today (real old school, lol), and I'm not even a big vinyl guy! Far from it.
Far from high end, but very relaxing!
Good times!
I thought the same thing...but the push seems to be server based playbacks.
Most every system seemed to have a tt setup, but...well....odd...no one was asking to spin vinyl.
More so cuz the LP bins were well stocked and they even had an ultrasonic LP cleaner.
I guess 'BYOM' (bring your own music) means a digital USB stick....silly me for being an old fuddy duddy.
H9: If you don't trust what you are hearing, then maybe you need to be less invested in a hobby which all the pleasure comes from listening to music. -
It's very interesting conversations when your in a room full of audio peopleDan
My personal quest is to save to world of bad audio, one thread at a time. -
It's a shame digital servers are being shoved down the consumer's throats these days.Political Correctness'.........defined
"A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."
President of Club Polk -
LOL.Lumin X1 file player, Westminster Labs interconnect cable
Sony XA-5400ES SACD; Pass XP-22 pre; X600.5 amps
Magico S5 MKII Mcast Rose speakers; SPOD spikes
Shunyata Triton v3/Typhon QR on source, Denali 2000 (2) on amps
Shunyata Sigma XLR analog ICs, Sigma speaker cables
Shunyata Sigma HC (2), Sigma Analog, Sigma Digital, Z Anaconda (3) power cables
Mapleshade Samson V.3 four shelf solid maple rack, Micropoint brass footers
Three 20 amp circuits.
