CES 2007

Ray Kimber's isoMike demonstrations always deliver some of the most natural sound of any show he attends—and CES 2007 was no exception.

When Jon Iverson and I first entered the room, we thought that Kimber was concealing small loudspeakers behind large fabric scrims, then the nickel dropped. "Those are Sound Lab Prostats!" I exclaimed. Eight of them, actually—four pairs of Prostat 922s wired in parallel.

The Prostat 922 might not be the best loudspeaker for smaller rooms—and, like many electrostats, listener placement is crucial for stereo holography—but might be the most transparent sound-reinforcement speaker I've ever heard. Kimber's recording of a tenor sax didn't sound "canned," it sounded like the sax player really was standing 6' behind the grille cloth.

Even though the Prostat is a big speaker, the sound was properly proportioned. The only bloat evident was on the big goof standing in front of them.

Robert Deutsch adds: The total price of this over-the-top system, which I agree sounded superb, is $315,929 (including Kimber Select cables, of course).