The gentlemen from Zu Audio was the most friendly, and their speakers sounded damn good. Probably the best stereo imaging I've ever heard.
The Napa Acoustic room was 2nd best sounding to me. Doesn't look like much but it sounded fantastic.
Super excited to go back the next two days and spend some more time in some of the rooms. I inquired with every room that had a TT, and they all welcomed me to bring in a record to play. Sweet!
"Electronic music is human sound adapting to indulge technology, and for some, it feels like the signature sound of energy. New and abstract sounds over hypnotic rhythms can conjure vast soundscapes for escape, pleasure, and transcendence."
Thanks much for the pictures and comments. I was curious about your impressions of the Zu room. Have fun this weekend. I’m planning to make RMAF my first show.
Thorens TD-160C; Sumiko Talisman S; Jolida JD9; Marantz CD-53; North Star Intenso;
Joule-Electra LA-100; Balanced Power Technology AC conditioner;
Odyssey Khartago monos (with most factory upgrades); Magnepan MG 3.6R
The gentlemen from Zu was SO nice! He had lots of crates of vinyl and invited us to dig through and see if there was anything we wanted to hear! Definitely will be spending more time there tomorrow! More pics to come as well of the rooms I didn't get to!
"Electronic music is human sound adapting to indulge technology, and for some, it feels like the signature sound of energy. New and abstract sounds over hypnotic rhythms can conjure vast soundscapes for escape, pleasure, and transcendence."
This room was crazy because the sound did not seem to be coming from the speakers at all. I kept looking behind/around them because of the crazy sensation. It was just like the sound was floating/hanging in the air and originating out of nowhere. Absolutely wild.
"Electronic music is human sound adapting to indulge technology, and for some, it feels like the signature sound of energy. New and abstract sounds over hypnotic rhythms can conjure vast soundscapes for escape, pleasure, and transcendence."
I spend under 5 min in the Triangle Art room, but the record they were playing had tons of pops/static. Definitely surprised by that, I would've been embarrassed if I was running the room, and would not have allowed that to be playing and representing the gear. Bizarre.
"Electronic music is human sound adapting to indulge technology, and for some, it feels like the signature sound of energy. New and abstract sounds over hypnotic rhythms can conjure vast soundscapes for escape, pleasure, and transcendence."
Destination Audio is a local friend - Art Smuck. I'm glad to see him at the show.
As far as sound, don't expect anything magical on Friday. Sunday is when things start to gel. Not only does the gear settle in, but more time is able to be devoted to system setup based around performance rather than 'make sure it plays'. Even in familiar rooms, it takes some time to understand many variables.
Also, my experience in a conference room was abysmal. Cut those guys some slack the first few days as it can be more painful than a quick shot to the gonads to try and make the room 'work'.
I'm going to try to spend a full 8 hours at the show tomorrow. lol
"Electronic music is human sound adapting to indulge technology, and for some, it feels like the signature sound of energy. New and abstract sounds over hypnotic rhythms can conjure vast soundscapes for escape, pleasure, and transcendence."
This room was crazy because the sound did not seem to be coming from the speakers at all. I kept looking behind/around them because of the crazy sensation. It was just like the sound was floating/hanging in the air and originating out of nowhere. Absolutely wild.
To me, that's the "goal" of a great audio setup. I believe what you are describing is a "boxless" sound; You can't pinpoint where the sound is coming from and that, to me, is a good thing. This is what I experienced with the Dynaudio Confidence C1 Platinum speakers at AXPONA 2016.
Looking forward to your impressions on the show tomorrow & on Sunday! You're off to a great start!
Thanks for scaring me away from this show 10 minutes from where I live.
Pointless for me to listen to gear that I could never afford. Indeed there are innumerable systems superior my mine, I get that.
My gut reaction is these companies are shooting themselves in the foot by appealing to hard core fans instead of trying to lure in a more general audience.
Don't boat and car shows feature both the TOTL and the average models?
Thanks for scaring me away from this show 10 minutes from where I live.
Pointless for me to listen to gear that I could never afford. Indeed there are innumerable systems superior my mine, I get that.
My gut reaction is these companies are shooting themselves in the foot by appealing to hard core fans instead of trying to lure in a more general audience.
Don't boat and car shows feature both the TOTL and the average models?
Mostly actual audiophiles go to these shows, so they are aimed at that audience. There are rooms with more affordable gear.
I got to the show a little later than I wanted to this morning, but I still spent a little over 6 hours there today! There's still a few more rooms I need to check out tomorrow. No music for me tonight as my ears need a break!
Thank you Art (@arthurs) at Destination Audio for being so friendly & welcoming, and for talking shop with me. Thanks again for playing the record I brought!
Anyway, I'm going to post up some photos of some of the rooms along with some listening impressions here shortly.
"Electronic music is human sound adapting to indulge technology, and for some, it feels like the signature sound of energy. New and abstract sounds over hypnotic rhythms can conjure vast soundscapes for escape, pleasure, and transcendence."
Audio Federation with Acapella Audio Arts and Audio Note UK
Acapella Campanile 2 speakers: $64k
Acapella LaMusika integrated: $110k
Audio Note UK CDT Five Transport: $52k
Audio Note UK Fifth Element DAC with external PSU: $148k
Cabling from Acapella and Audio Note UK: No price listed
HRS MXR equipment stand with M3x Isolation Bases $34k (And I thought my Solidsteel rack at $1k was expensive)
Total excluding cables: 408k. Nearly half a million dollars.
How did it sound? In a word: underwhelming. I wasn't impressed yesterday and I gave them another 15 minutes today and I still wasn't. Stereo imaging wasn't anything out of the ordinary, and the sound had a harsh and gritty edge to it that wasn't pleasant. Visually, it was impressive! However, there was nothing impressive about the sound, especially if you consider the excessive price.
"Electronic music is human sound adapting to indulge technology, and for some, it feels like the signature sound of energy. New and abstract sounds over hypnotic rhythms can conjure vast soundscapes for escape, pleasure, and transcendence."
Aaudio Imports, Stage III, Ypsilon, Wilson Benesch, HB Cable Design
Wilson Benesch Endeavor stand-mounted Isobaric monitor speakers ($49,500/pair)
Stage III Medusa speaker cables ($18,500/pair)
Stage III Gorgon interconnects ($8,300/pair XLR)
Stage III Kraken power cable ($8,400/1.5m)
Stage III Proteus power cable ($12,000/1.5m)
Stage III Leviathan power cable ($14,500/1.5m)
Ypsilon DAC 1000 multi-format valve D/A converter ($24,500)
Aurender N10 ($8,800)
Ypsilon PST-100 MkII combo valve/transformer preamp ($37,000)
Ypsilon Aelius II push-pull hybrid monoblocks ($39,000/pair)
Wilson Benesch R1 carbon fiber rack ($8,500 per module)
Wilson Benesch Torus+Amp Infarsonic Generator ($12,900)
HB Cable Design PowerSlave Marble MKII power distributor ($16,500)
Rough total: $258,400.
This is the room yesterday that I found intolerable and had to immediately walk out of. Today, it was actually listenable, and the gentleman running it was playing things at a lower (yet still relatively high) volume.
I sat down and ended up staying for a half hour. I kept saying to myself "just one more song", but stayed because I was enjoying it. I think the presentation was a bit bright for my tastes and the bass was anemic, but then I found out these speakers only had about 20 or 30 hours on them and were not broken in yet. I have to wonder why you would bring speakers to a show with such few hours on them. Maybe there was a logistical reason/problem. I didn't want to ask.
Some of the tracks that were played sounded pretty amazing. I closed my eyes during a few songs and I would not have guessed the soundstage was coming from this size speaker. They definitely had their moments, but again, I don't feel like this system is "nearly $300k good".
I told another attendee who I was chatting with near the end of the show, that if I had to immediately choose these speakers or my current speakers (Polk LSiM 703s) to live with forever, I'd choose the Polks.
Then again, maybe it wasn't a fair demo since they weren't broken in? But I can only judge what I heard, and I wouldn't pay $50k for them.
"Electronic music is human sound adapting to indulge technology, and for some, it feels like the signature sound of energy. New and abstract sounds over hypnotic rhythms can conjure vast soundscapes for escape, pleasure, and transcendence."
Looks, and sounds, like you had a good time. The Audio Imports gear looks nice, but the room is sparse. Anyway, I never heard of Stage III cables. It just amazes me how many cable vendors there are.
Bud - Silicon Valley
Lumin X1
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 preamp, 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.
Zu Audio Druid Mk.VI loudspeakers: $10k
Zu Cables ($?)
Luxman PD444 turntable ($?) with Zu/DL-103 cartridge ($500)
Pass Laboratories XA25 stereo power amplifier ($4,900)
Pass Labs XP17 phono stage ($4,300)
Pass Labs XP12 line level preamplifier ($5,800)
Total excluding cables and TT: $25,500
It's kindof amusing to think that at $25,500+, this system might be considered "cheap" compared to some of the other rooms at the show!
I really liked what I was hearing coming out of these Zu Audio speakers. If these are a good representation of the Zu house sound, then I'm a fan. This is the system that I keep thinking about, it's still lingering in my head. I could see myself chasing this level of performance and not being satisfied until I reach it.
Specifically what struck me the most was the extraordinarily palpable and cohesive stereo imaging that they presented. Quite possibly the most pleasurable stereo imaging effect out of the entire show.
As well as the "live" quality that the sound had to it. Obviously we were only listening to recordings on vinyl, but the sound had a quick and fast "live performance" type of characteristic to it. This attribute made the sound exciting, and kept your interest locked on what that next note was going to sound like. I did not experience this "live sound" sensation in any of the other rooms I heard. I really liked it!
Also, special recognition to Sean Casey from Zu Audio who was running the room. He was doing a great job of engaging the attendees, striking up conversations, and in general keeping things light and fun. He seemed like less of an audiophile and more of just a plain old music lover. He also was happy to play the record I brought and honestly I was blown away with how amazing it sounded on this system. Definitely the best I've ever heard this song sound!
"Electronic music is human sound adapting to indulge technology, and for some, it feels like the signature sound of energy. New and abstract sounds over hypnotic rhythms can conjure vast soundscapes for escape, pleasure, and transcendence."
Sierra Nevada Audiophile Society / Quicksilver Audio / Bernhagen-Porter / Syncopation
Bernhagen Porter Model 10/12 speakers ($50,000/pair)
Funk Firm Turntable Vector V with FX3-9″ captive ($4,895)
Transfiguration Phoenix Cartridge ($6,000)
Quicksilver Moving Coil Stage ($695)
Quicksilver Phono Stage Preamplifier ($1,595)
Quicksilver Line Preamp ($995)
Quicksilver V4 monoblocks ($6,495/pair)
Quicksilver Interconnects ($150/ft)
Heed Abacus 5 Input DAC ($1,395)
Heed Thesis Delta Transport/Player ($4,200)
Quadraspire Modular Equipment Rack Q4 Evo Veneer ($876)
Genesis Component Interface 1.5 meter single-ended RCA interconnect ($3,500/pair)
Genesis Loudspeaker Interface 3 meter Loudspeaker Cable ($7,200/pair)
Genesis Power Interface 1.5 meter Component Power Cord ($3,300)
Genesis Power Interface 1.5 meter Amplifier Power Cord ($3,300)
Rough total: $94,596
This is the room that wowed me the most yesterday, but today it was just OK. Perhaps the room is way too small for these speakers.
I did like how these $50k speakers sounded with female vocals. There was a certain realism to them that I enjoyed. The voices had a great texture coming through, and this is something unique to these speakers that I did not notice on other speakers that I heard.
I think there was a little disagreement at times in regards to controlling the volume. The main rep would go start a track at a certain volume, and then the other one sitting in the back row would say something like "down slightly" and he'd then he'd turn it down. I thought it would've been more thoughtful if they instead asked the room how the volume levels were and we could've asked for increases/decreases as necessary. This was one of the most quiet rooms I heard, and I don't think playing these speakers at lower volumes was doing them any favors.
Yesterday I had asked one of the reps if they'd be willing to play a record I brought and they said yes. So I went to their room today around 5:30pm as the show was winding down and asked again and the same rep said that unfortunately they were having "issues" with the turntable. I noticed earlier in the day that it hadn't been used. So I said "Oh ok, well maybe tomorrow then?", and he gave me an uneasy look that was something like a cross between "What the hell is wrong with you?" and "Will you please go away?" and then replied "Well the issue seems to be with the speed controller..." So I took the hint and just said "Ah, ok, well that's too bad" and then left. Maybe they were actually having technical difficulties, or maybe he didn't want to play something that could potentially demonstrate the system in an "unfavorable way". I'm not sure. All I know is my record won't be getting played in this room!
"Electronic music is human sound adapting to indulge technology, and for some, it feels like the signature sound of energy. New and abstract sounds over hypnotic rhythms can conjure vast soundscapes for escape, pleasure, and transcendence."
Muraudio SP1 Electrostatic Loudspeaker ($14,700/pair)
Simaudio Moon 340iDPSX Integrated Amplifier with DAC and Phono stage ($5,800)
Nordost Leif Interconnects – Blue Heaven Power Cord (1M – $209.99)
Nordost Blue Heaven Speaker cables (pair, 1M – $524.99 USD)
Nordost Blue Heaven USB cable ($249 USD)
Total: $21,484
Check out these unconventional but very cool looking speakers! I think they look great and I loved the red! I would definitely leave the grills off!
These had a very nice effortless sound quality to them, and I could tell that they would probably do well with almost any genre of music. They had that typical "electrostatic sound" to them, but think less Martin Login and more AMT tweeter-ish.
Not too much to say about this room other than it was a very clean and nice sound. I could live with it for sure! The guys running the room were also friendly!
"Electronic music is human sound adapting to indulge technology, and for some, it feels like the signature sound of energy. New and abstract sounds over hypnotic rhythms can conjure vast soundscapes for escape, pleasure, and transcendence."
The guy running this room did a great job of projecting a healthy dose of elitist audiophile snobbery, and immediately made me feel unwelcome.
I walked in, said hello, and then motioned to the tablet he was using and asked if he was streaming the music using Tidal. I wish I could have recorded the look that he gave me. He retorted "No. I don't use Tidal." and looked away. I said "Oh ok, I was just curious. They do have a lossless streaming service". Without looking at me, he just said "I don't see a point to using Tidal when I have all of my music stored locally".
I should've taken his bad attitude as a hint, but I kept the conversation going and asked "What do you think about MQA?". Response? "I don't. There's no reason to think about it". I thought to myself "Yikes, this guy is awkward as hell..." and took a seat to see what the system could do.
He did honor my request of a Steely Dan song, so that was nice of him, and it sounded pretty good, but not great or special. After that he played an intense classical piece that featured aggressive crescendos of high pitched wind instruments. The diamond tweeters were literally painful at the volume he was playing at. This wasn't just a little "bright" or "forward", but literally uncomfortable. My right ear almost immediately got fatigued. I tried to stick it out for another few minutes, but after a few more of those explosive bursts, I got up and walked out.
I'm not sure who they are designing these speakers for that use these diamond tweeters. Perhaps someone that has lost or is starting to lose their upper frequency hearing range?
"Electronic music is human sound adapting to indulge technology, and for some, it feels like the signature sound of energy. New and abstract sounds over hypnotic rhythms can conjure vast soundscapes for escape, pleasure, and transcendence."
Total dollar value of the equipment in the room: $227,499
I'm not sure which model of the Destination Audio amplifiers I heard driving the speakers, but I was told it was outputting less than a watt. Crazy!
What I am sure of is that Art Smuck (@arthurs ) and Sam Wisniewski of Destination Audio know how to run a great room! They somehow manage to strike a nice balance of no nonsense professionalism combined with having fun and not taking things too seriously. Greeting and saying goodbye to each guest, carefully monitoring the volume levels while asking for our feedback, and accepting requests for what music and amplification that we wanted to hear went a long way toward making this a great room to just hang out in for extended periods.
This was my first experience with horn based speakers aside from Klipsch. For the record, I generally like Klipsch speakers and I have nothing against them. However these Destination Audio horn speakers were probably about the furthest thing you could get from Klipsch. If you had blindfolded me and lead me into the room, I never would have guessed that they were horns being driven by less than a watt.
Each of these massive cabinets feature dual 16" woofers inside, with no separate amplification needed to drive them! Incredibly impressive to say the least.
While their specs are impressive, their sound is even more so. It's hard for me to describe the spacious, effortless, and natural sound these were kicking out. They seemed to particularly excel at drums and percussion sounds. Great sense of rhythm, along with an airy yet forceful sound.
After Art generously played my record on their system, I started to get a better idea of what these were capable of. This very well might be the largest horizontal, vertical, and front to back soundstage I've ever experienced. I literally felt like I could swim through the sound, like it was so deep and three dimensional that I could move forward and back inside of it. This might sound cheesy or cliche, but it's the best way I can think to describe the aural sensation I got while listening to source material that I was very familiar with.
I'm looking forward to logging some more time with these tomorrow, as I feel like the 30-40 minutes I spent listening to them was just barely beginning to scratch the surface of what they are capable of.
"Electronic music is human sound adapting to indulge technology, and for some, it feels like the signature sound of energy. New and abstract sounds over hypnotic rhythms can conjure vast soundscapes for escape, pleasure, and transcendence."
Margules Orpheus 1.3 Ceramic Driver Tower Speakers: $18k
Margules U280-sc Black 1.3 Tube Class A Stereo/Mono Amplifiers: $10,800
Margules SF220 Black 1.2 Tube Class A Preamplifier: $4,599
Magenta TT-10 Turntable: $2,900 (unknown cartridge)
Magenta FZ47db Phono Stage: $799
Total setup for vinyl playback, excluding cables and cartridge: $37,098
Hands down, this room/setup wins the award for least "directional" sound and most cohesive imaging. The way these speakers were working with each other to project a seamless wall of sound was nothing short of spectacular.
As I mentioned in an earlier post, when you listen to this room, you are immediately struck with an unmistakable sensation unlike anything heard in the other rooms. It's a thick, exciting, and seamless wall of sound that seems to be originating somewhere in front of you, but in no way localized to the two speakers you see before you.
I couldn't believe the throw and coverage that these inverted dome tweeters had. I could walk up to the very edge of the speaker so that I was looking at it from the side, and still fully hear the high frequency information being thrown out. When seated in the sweet spot, the sound seemed to completely envelop you. It was not a subtle sensation, it was obvious and honestly quite amazing.
I was talking with one of the reps from Margules and I told him I kept looking around/behind the speakers because I couldn't believe that all this highly excited sound was coming from the two speakers in the room. I said "What is this magical witchcraft and wizardry that you have going on in this room? How is this sensation happening?" and he said something nonchalant like "This is just how good audio sounds."
When I listened to my record in this room, I was impressed by how much bass the speakers kicked out! You definitely would not need a subwoofer, that's for sure!
Anyway, this was a very special and unique room, and an experience with sound that I won't soon forget.
"Electronic music is human sound adapting to indulge technology, and for some, it feels like the signature sound of energy. New and abstract sounds over hypnotic rhythms can conjure vast soundscapes for escape, pleasure, and transcendence."
Comments
Hmn... 50K, must be one of entry level rooms.
The Napa Acoustic room was 2nd best sounding to me. Doesn't look like much but it sounded fantastic.
Super excited to go back the next two days and spend some more time in some of the rooms. I inquired with every room that had a TT, and they all welcomed me to bring in a record to play. Sweet!
Joule-Electra LA-100; Balanced Power Technology AC conditioner;
Odyssey Khartago monos (with most factory upgrades); Magnepan MG 3.6R
This room was crazy because the sound did not seem to be coming from the speakers at all. I kept looking behind/around them because of the crazy sensation. It was just like the sound was floating/hanging in the air and originating out of nowhere. Absolutely wild.
As far as sound, don't expect anything magical on Friday. Sunday is when things start to gel. Not only does the gear settle in, but more time is able to be devoted to system setup based around performance rather than 'make sure it plays'. Even in familiar rooms, it takes some time to understand many variables.
Also, my experience in a conference room was abysmal. Cut those guys some slack the first few days as it can be more painful than a quick shot to the gonads to try and make the room 'work'.
I'm going to try to spend a full 8 hours at the show tomorrow. lol
To me, that's the "goal" of a great audio setup. I believe what you are describing is a "boxless" sound; You can't pinpoint where the sound is coming from and that, to me, is a good thing. This is what I experienced with the Dynaudio Confidence C1 Platinum speakers at AXPONA 2016.
Looking forward to your impressions on the show tomorrow & on Sunday! You're off to a great start!
Vinyl: Fluance RT82 * Nagaoka MP-110 * Bottlehead Reduction + Integration Upgrade * KAB RF1
Video: Panasonic TH-50PZ850U * Panasonic DMP-UB200P-K * ROKU Premiere * Z-line Designs Elektra
Old KLH model 8's I believe and a good old receiver before they started making junk ones.
3D sound from 2 speakers!
https://theaudiobeatnik.com/california-audio-show-2018-pictures-from-day-one-part-1/
Pointless for me to listen to gear that I could never afford. Indeed there are innumerable systems superior my mine, I get that.
My gut reaction is these companies are shooting themselves in the foot by appealing to hard core fans instead of trying to lure in a more general audience.
Don't boat and car shows feature both the TOTL and the average models?
Mostly actual audiophiles go to these shows, so they are aimed at that audience. There are rooms with more affordable gear.
Desktop rig: LSi7, Polk 110sub, Dayens Ampino amp, W4S DAC/pre, Sonos, JRiver
Gear on standby: Melody 101 tube pre, Unison Research Simply Italy Integrated
Gone to new homes: (Matt Polk's)Threshold Stasis SA12e monoblocks, Pass XA30.5 amp, Usher MD2 speakers, Dynaudio C4 platinum speakers, Modwright LS100 (voltz), Simaudio 780D DAC
Thank you Art (@arthurs) at Destination Audio for being so friendly & welcoming, and for talking shop with me. Thanks again for playing the record I brought!
Anyway, I'm going to post up some photos of some of the rooms along with some listening impressions here shortly.
Acapella Campanile 2 speakers: $64k
Acapella LaMusika integrated: $110k
Audio Note UK CDT Five Transport: $52k
Audio Note UK Fifth Element DAC with external PSU: $148k
Cabling from Acapella and Audio Note UK: No price listed
HRS MXR equipment stand with M3x Isolation Bases $34k (And I thought my Solidsteel rack at $1k was expensive)
Total excluding cables: 408k. Nearly half a million dollars.
How did it sound? In a word: underwhelming. I wasn't impressed yesterday and I gave them another 15 minutes today and I still wasn't. Stereo imaging wasn't anything out of the ordinary, and the sound had a harsh and gritty edge to it that wasn't pleasant. Visually, it was impressive! However, there was nothing impressive about the sound, especially if you consider the excessive price.
Wilson Benesch Endeavor stand-mounted Isobaric monitor speakers ($49,500/pair)
Stage III Medusa speaker cables ($18,500/pair)
Stage III Gorgon interconnects ($8,300/pair XLR)
Stage III Kraken power cable ($8,400/1.5m)
Stage III Proteus power cable ($12,000/1.5m)
Stage III Leviathan power cable ($14,500/1.5m)
Ypsilon DAC 1000 multi-format valve D/A converter ($24,500)
Aurender N10 ($8,800)
Ypsilon PST-100 MkII combo valve/transformer preamp ($37,000)
Ypsilon Aelius II push-pull hybrid monoblocks ($39,000/pair)
Wilson Benesch R1 carbon fiber rack ($8,500 per module)
Wilson Benesch Torus+Amp Infarsonic Generator ($12,900)
HB Cable Design PowerSlave Marble MKII power distributor ($16,500)
Rough total: $258,400.
This is the room yesterday that I found intolerable and had to immediately walk out of. Today, it was actually listenable, and the gentleman running it was playing things at a lower (yet still relatively high) volume.
I sat down and ended up staying for a half hour. I kept saying to myself "just one more song", but stayed because I was enjoying it. I think the presentation was a bit bright for my tastes and the bass was anemic, but then I found out these speakers only had about 20 or 30 hours on them and were not broken in yet. I have to wonder why you would bring speakers to a show with such few hours on them. Maybe there was a logistical reason/problem. I didn't want to ask.
Some of the tracks that were played sounded pretty amazing. I closed my eyes during a few songs and I would not have guessed the soundstage was coming from this size speaker. They definitely had their moments, but again, I don't feel like this system is "nearly $300k good".
I told another attendee who I was chatting with near the end of the show, that if I had to immediately choose these speakers or my current speakers (Polk LSiM 703s) to live with forever, I'd choose the Polks.
Then again, maybe it wasn't a fair demo since they weren't broken in? But I can only judge what I heard, and I wouldn't pay $50k for them.
Lumin X1
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 preamp, 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.
Zu Audio Druid Mk.VI loudspeakers: $10k
Zu Cables ($?)
Luxman PD444 turntable ($?) with Zu/DL-103 cartridge ($500)
Pass Laboratories XA25 stereo power amplifier ($4,900)
Pass Labs XP17 phono stage ($4,300)
Pass Labs XP12 line level preamplifier ($5,800)
Total excluding cables and TT: $25,500
It's kindof amusing to think that at $25,500+, this system might be considered "cheap" compared to some of the other rooms at the show!
I really liked what I was hearing coming out of these Zu Audio speakers. If these are a good representation of the Zu house sound, then I'm a fan. This is the system that I keep thinking about, it's still lingering in my head. I could see myself chasing this level of performance and not being satisfied until I reach it.
Specifically what struck me the most was the extraordinarily palpable and cohesive stereo imaging that they presented. Quite possibly the most pleasurable stereo imaging effect out of the entire show.
As well as the "live" quality that the sound had to it. Obviously we were only listening to recordings on vinyl, but the sound had a quick and fast "live performance" type of characteristic to it. This attribute made the sound exciting, and kept your interest locked on what that next note was going to sound like. I did not experience this "live sound" sensation in any of the other rooms I heard. I really liked it!
Also, special recognition to Sean Casey from Zu Audio who was running the room. He was doing a great job of engaging the attendees, striking up conversations, and in general keeping things light and fun. He seemed like less of an audiophile and more of just a plain old music lover. He also was happy to play the record I brought and honestly I was blown away with how amazing it sounded on this system. Definitely the best I've ever heard this song sound!
Bernhagen Porter Model 10/12 speakers ($50,000/pair)
Funk Firm Turntable Vector V with FX3-9″ captive ($4,895)
Transfiguration Phoenix Cartridge ($6,000)
Quicksilver Moving Coil Stage ($695)
Quicksilver Phono Stage Preamplifier ($1,595)
Quicksilver Line Preamp ($995)
Quicksilver V4 monoblocks ($6,495/pair)
Quicksilver Interconnects ($150/ft)
Heed Abacus 5 Input DAC ($1,395)
Heed Thesis Delta Transport/Player ($4,200)
Quadraspire Modular Equipment Rack Q4 Evo Veneer ($876)
Genesis Component Interface 1.5 meter single-ended RCA interconnect ($3,500/pair)
Genesis Loudspeaker Interface 3 meter Loudspeaker Cable ($7,200/pair)
Genesis Power Interface 1.5 meter Component Power Cord ($3,300)
Genesis Power Interface 1.5 meter Amplifier Power Cord ($3,300)
Rough total: $94,596
This is the room that wowed me the most yesterday, but today it was just OK. Perhaps the room is way too small for these speakers.
I did like how these $50k speakers sounded with female vocals. There was a certain realism to them that I enjoyed. The voices had a great texture coming through, and this is something unique to these speakers that I did not notice on other speakers that I heard.
I think there was a little disagreement at times in regards to controlling the volume. The main rep would go start a track at a certain volume, and then the other one sitting in the back row would say something like "down slightly" and he'd then he'd turn it down. I thought it would've been more thoughtful if they instead asked the room how the volume levels were and we could've asked for increases/decreases as necessary. This was one of the most quiet rooms I heard, and I don't think playing these speakers at lower volumes was doing them any favors.
Yesterday I had asked one of the reps if they'd be willing to play a record I brought and they said yes. So I went to their room today around 5:30pm as the show was winding down and asked again and the same rep said that unfortunately they were having "issues" with the turntable. I noticed earlier in the day that it hadn't been used. So I said "Oh ok, well maybe tomorrow then?", and he gave me an uneasy look that was something like a cross between "What the hell is wrong with you?" and "Will you please go away?" and then replied "Well the issue seems to be with the speed controller..." So I took the hint and just said "Ah, ok, well that's too bad" and then left. Maybe they were actually having technical difficulties, or maybe he didn't want to play something that could potentially demonstrate the system in an "unfavorable way". I'm not sure. All I know is my record won't be getting played in this room!
Muraudio SP1 Electrostatic Loudspeaker ($14,700/pair)
Simaudio Moon 340iDPSX Integrated Amplifier with DAC and Phono stage ($5,800)
Nordost Leif Interconnects – Blue Heaven Power Cord (1M – $209.99)
Nordost Blue Heaven Speaker cables (pair, 1M – $524.99 USD)
Nordost Blue Heaven USB cable ($249 USD)
Total: $21,484
Check out these unconventional but very cool looking speakers! I think they look great and I loved the red! I would definitely leave the grills off!
These had a very nice effortless sound quality to them, and I could tell that they would probably do well with almost any genre of music. They had that typical "electrostatic sound" to them, but think less Martin Login and more AMT tweeter-ish.
Not too much to say about this room other than it was a very clean and nice sound. I could live with it for sure! The guys running the room were also friendly!
Tidal Piano Diacera G2 speakers ($40k)
Bricasti Design M21 Platinum DAC ($19k)
Bricasti Design M5 ($2,400)
Bricasti Design M28 monoblocks ($30,000/pair)
Bricasti Design M15 stereo amplifier ($18,000)
Bricasti Design Cables ($?)
Total excluding cables: $109,400k
The guy running this room did a great job of projecting a healthy dose of elitist audiophile snobbery, and immediately made me feel unwelcome.
I walked in, said hello, and then motioned to the tablet he was using and asked if he was streaming the music using Tidal. I wish I could have recorded the look that he gave me. He retorted "No. I don't use Tidal." and looked away. I said "Oh ok, I was just curious. They do have a lossless streaming service". Without looking at me, he just said "I don't see a point to using Tidal when I have all of my music stored locally".
I should've taken his bad attitude as a hint, but I kept the conversation going and asked "What do you think about MQA?". Response? "I don't. There's no reason to think about it". I thought to myself "Yikes, this guy is awkward as hell..." and took a seat to see what the system could do.
He did honor my request of a Steely Dan song, so that was nice of him, and it sounded pretty good, but not great or special. After that he played an intense classical piece that featured aggressive crescendos of high pitched wind instruments. The diamond tweeters were literally painful at the volume he was playing at. This wasn't just a little "bright" or "forward", but literally uncomfortable. My right ear almost immediately got fatigued. I tried to stick it out for another few minutes, but after a few more of those explosive bursts, I got up and walked out.
I'm not sure who they are designing these speakers for that use these diamond tweeters. Perhaps someone that has lost or is starting to lose their upper frequency hearing range?
Destination Audio Horn speakers ($95,000/pair)
Destination Audio 417A tube phono stage ($24,000)
Destination Audio 76 tube preamplifier ($15,000)
Destination Audio 45 tube monoblock amplifiers ($24,000/pair)
Destination Audio 50 tube monoblock amplifiers ($29,500/pair)
TriangleArt Master Reference turntable system ($39,999)
Total dollar value of the equipment in the room: $227,499
I'm not sure which model of the Destination Audio amplifiers I heard driving the speakers, but I was told it was outputting less than a watt. Crazy!
What I am sure of is that Art Smuck (@arthurs ) and Sam Wisniewski of Destination Audio know how to run a great room! They somehow manage to strike a nice balance of no nonsense professionalism combined with having fun and not taking things too seriously. Greeting and saying goodbye to each guest, carefully monitoring the volume levels while asking for our feedback, and accepting requests for what music and amplification that we wanted to hear went a long way toward making this a great room to just hang out in for extended periods.
This was my first experience with horn based speakers aside from Klipsch. For the record, I generally like Klipsch speakers and I have nothing against them. However these Destination Audio horn speakers were probably about the furthest thing you could get from Klipsch. If you had blindfolded me and lead me into the room, I never would have guessed that they were horns being driven by less than a watt.
Each of these massive cabinets feature dual 16" woofers inside, with no separate amplification needed to drive them! Incredibly impressive to say the least.
While their specs are impressive, their sound is even more so. It's hard for me to describe the spacious, effortless, and natural sound these were kicking out. They seemed to particularly excel at drums and percussion sounds. Great sense of rhythm, along with an airy yet forceful sound.
After Art generously played my record on their system, I started to get a better idea of what these were capable of. This very well might be the largest horizontal, vertical, and front to back soundstage I've ever experienced. I literally felt like I could swim through the sound, like it was so deep and three dimensional that I could move forward and back inside of it. This might sound cheesy or cliche, but it's the best way I can think to describe the aural sensation I got while listening to source material that I was very familiar with.
I'm looking forward to logging some more time with these tomorrow, as I feel like the 30-40 minutes I spent listening to them was just barely beginning to scratch the surface of what they are capable of.
Margules Orpheus 1.3 Ceramic Driver Tower Speakers: $18k
Margules U280-sc Black 1.3 Tube Class A Stereo/Mono Amplifiers: $10,800
Margules SF220 Black 1.2 Tube Class A Preamplifier: $4,599
Magenta TT-10 Turntable: $2,900 (unknown cartridge)
Magenta FZ47db Phono Stage: $799
Total setup for vinyl playback, excluding cables and cartridge: $37,098
Hands down, this room/setup wins the award for least "directional" sound and most cohesive imaging. The way these speakers were working with each other to project a seamless wall of sound was nothing short of spectacular.
As I mentioned in an earlier post, when you listen to this room, you are immediately struck with an unmistakable sensation unlike anything heard in the other rooms. It's a thick, exciting, and seamless wall of sound that seems to be originating somewhere in front of you, but in no way localized to the two speakers you see before you.
I couldn't believe the throw and coverage that these inverted dome tweeters had. I could walk up to the very edge of the speaker so that I was looking at it from the side, and still fully hear the high frequency information being thrown out. When seated in the sweet spot, the sound seemed to completely envelop you. It was not a subtle sensation, it was obvious and honestly quite amazing.
I was talking with one of the reps from Margules and I told him I kept looking around/behind the speakers because I couldn't believe that all this highly excited sound was coming from the two speakers in the room. I said "What is this magical witchcraft and wizardry that you have going on in this room? How is this sensation happening?" and he said something nonchalant like "This is just how good audio sounds."
When I listened to my record in this room, I was impressed by how much bass the speakers kicked out! You definitely would not need a subwoofer, that's for sure!
Anyway, this was a very special and unique room, and an experience with sound that I won't soon forget.
Vinyl: Fluance RT82 * Nagaoka MP-110 * Bottlehead Reduction + Integration Upgrade * KAB RF1
Video: Panasonic TH-50PZ850U * Panasonic DMP-UB200P-K * ROKU Premiere * Z-line Designs Elektra
Preamp: deHavilland Ultraverve 3
Transport/Dac: L.K.S MH-DA004, North Star Design USB dac32, Cayin Venus cd-100i,
Musical Paradise mp-d2 mkI
Speakers: Rosso Fiorentino Volterra
Speaker Cables: Organic Audio Organic 2, Analysis Plus Black Mesh Oval 9,
Cerious Technologies Graphene Extreme
Interconnects: Analysis Plus Solo Crystal Oval, Analysis Plus Copper Oval-In Micro,
Cerious Technologies Graphene Extreme
Power Cables by: Cullen Cables, 6sons Audio, Swiss Cables
Forego Marvin's request. The last thing Art needs at a show is thoughts of Marvin running through his head.