LATEST ADDITIONS

HE 2006
Optimal Enchantment from ARC & Vandersteen
Jason Victor Serinus  |  Jun 04, 2006  |  1 comments
Saturday’s first taste of the real thing for this writer came in the form of midrange truth. The location was the third floor Santa Cruz room put together by Optimal Enchantment, a Santa Monica-based high-end retailer whose 25 plus-year history in the business perhaps grants it the right to so audacious a name. The amps were Audio Research REF 610 monoblocks, each of whose twenty glowing 6550 output tubes help account for their 600W output and $40,000/pair price tag. Speakers were an industry given, the Vandersteen 5As, the cable Audioquest, and the turntable a Basis Debut Signature ($10,900) outfitted with a Transfiguration Orpheus cartridge ($5,000) and Basis Vector Model 3 tonearm ($3750).
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HE 2006
Simaudio & Dynaudio
Jason Victor Serinus  |  Jun 04, 2006  |  0 comments
In the Simaudio/Dynaudio room, the sheer size and weight of the bass commanded equal respect. This was some of the finest low bass extension I have so far encountered at the show. (The bass impact of the new Wilson Watt/Puppy8s also deserves mention). Imagine my surprise when, after my audition, Simaudio’s Costa Kouliisakis told me that he had not yet succeeded in getting the room to deliver all of the deep bass extension the equipment was capable of producing.
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HE 2006
Sonics & Immedia
Jason Victor Serinus  |  Jun 04, 2006  |  2 comments
The Immedia room proved an isle of sanity amidst the clamor. As I entered, the folks were playing Analogue Productions’ HQ-180 pressing of Chet. Heard through Joachim Gerhard’s somewhat diminutive, 90 lb Sonics Allegria speakers ($15,000/pair, shown above with Immedia’s Allen Perkins), the trumpet sounded far bigger and lifelike than speakers this size “should” make it sound. Equally impressive were the amazing depth, height, and width of the soundstage. No small part of the credit is due Perkins’ Spiral Groove SGI turntable ($20,000), Immedia RPM tonearm ($2995), Lyra Skala cartridge ($2500, a replacement for Lyra’s Helicon), the Lyra Connoisseur 4-2LSE preamp ($25,000), and Ayre V5XE 150 Wpc amp ($4500).
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HE 2006
Bardaudio Wireless Amplifier
Jon Iverson  |  Jun 03, 2006  |  First Published: Jun 04, 2006  |  0 comments
Sonneteer/Bardaudio also makes a wireless receiver that houses a 25Wpc stereo amplifier. The Bardthree amp/receiver comes in several varieties, priced $1,225-1,350, and can be used to stream full-bandwidth tunes to another room, or to a set of rear channels in a hard-to-wire spot.
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HE 2006
Bardaudio Wireless Wonders
Jon Iverson  |  Jun 03, 2006  |  First Published: Jun 04, 2006  |  1 comments
Sonneteer/Bardaudio's Haider Bahrani holds the $425 Bardone TX wireless audio transmitter. This device can broadcast an uncompressed CD stream wirelessly up to 50 meters (164 feet).
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HE 2006
Right Place, Right Time
Fred Manteghian  |  Jun 03, 2006  |  First Published: Jun 04, 2006  |  2 comments
Dr. John brought down the house Saturday night at HE 2006, where the crowd brought him back for an encore.
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HE 2006
Use a Transistor . . .
Jon Iverson  |  Jun 03, 2006  |  0 comments
. . . Go To Jail. An appropriate license plate parked out front of the Sheraton at HE2006.
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Robert Baird
The Sound of HE 2006
Robert Baird  |  Jun 03, 2006  |  0 comments
So there I was, part of a motley crew of HE 2006 attendees and fellow travelers, groovin' with deejays Ming and FS and their four turntable assault at the Friday night rave that ended day one of HE 2006. Unfortunately, no one else was there.
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HE 2006
Coolest Tunes @ the Show
Stephen Mejias  |  Jun 03, 2006  |  0 comments
Elina Lamm spinning discs in the very smooth Lamm Industries suite. It gets my vote for Most Comforting Music at the Show.
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HE 2006
Fun with Nico in the Totem Room
Stephen Mejias  |  Jun 03, 2006  |  0 comments
I could barely make my way into the Totem room. The crowd stretched out into the hall. When I finally found some space, I made sure to have some fun.
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