Michael Lavorgna

I have to admit I’ve been intrigued by the Haniwa rooms I’ve heard and the company's room at T.H.E. Show Newport Beach was no exception. And I think what I find so interesting is their quirkiness. (I mean that in the best possible way.) The tiny Compact 2-Way Horn Speakers HSP2B06 sounded fast, light and all-over micro-detail—faster than a speeding bullet. The music choice was equally micro-detailed and faster than a speeding bullet (not to mention quirky), a marriage made out of a kind of obsession. Or at least I’d like to think so.

Personality is all over hi-fi. And while I’d hope that each designer designs what he considers his or her best, the best just doesn’t exist. And it doesn’t exist because we, the people, like different aspects of musical reproduction. The means are different because the ends are, too. Which helps explain why there’s so much wonderful gear out there and so many people interested in hearing and buying it.

While I didn’t get any official numbers for the first day’s attendance at T.H.E. Show, I can say it was very crowded especially, for a Friday afternoon. (I purposely tried to photograph gear not people so don’t let that fool you.) Based on what I saw Friday, I'd say this show is already a great success.

Apple Valley, California-based retailer and distributor HighEnd Electronics was showing the Voxativ Ampeggio, a single-driver horn-loaded loudspeaker from Germany ($29,750/pair), which will be reviewed by Art Dudley in the August issue of Stereophile. The KR Audio VA 340 MkII, a 300B-based SET handled the Ampeggio's light-weight, 100dB-sensitive load. A modified (by HighEnd Audio) Sony XA9000ES transport ($3000) fed an Audio Synthesis DAX DAC Discrete ($6000). Components sat on a Gregitek Stabtower 2 ($4790) and a Griegtek Stab 1 Platform ($765). Cables were provided by Synergistic Research—Galileo Universal Speaker Cell ($2500) and Galileo Universal Interconnect Cell ($1500). Power cables included the Audio Magic Liquid Air ($500), Synergistic Hologram D ($2600), and the Synergistic Hologram A ($2600). Power conditioning was courtesy Synergistic PowerCell 10 SE ($5000), Audio Magic Ground Disrupter ($700), and a Kemp SNS Plus ($195).

But wait, there's more. . .

Inex’s innovation involves the use of fiber-optic cable in its A200 preamp ($12500) and Inex CD Player ($7500). The Inex A100 monoblock amplifiers ($14,000/pair) were manhandling a pair of Märten Heritage Getz speakers ($20,000/pair) at light speed. Of course this could only be possible if the cables were up to task and luckily the Harmonic Technology Photon Amp interconnects ($2000/1.5m pair) use “analog domain laser and fiber optic technology” to convert the audio signal to light pulses and back again.

To kick off the first ever T.H.E. Show Newport Beach, we have a true reach across the aisle (admittedly involving scissors). Pictured here from left to right are some of hi-fi's genuine celebrities—Robert Harley author of The Complete Guide to High-End Audio, Stereophile's own Michael Fremer keeping a safe distance from the cutting Harry Pearson, founder of The Absolute Sound while T.H.E. Show's President Richard Beers enjoys the show.

Rooms opened to the public at noon today (PST). Stay tuned for further reports!