We spent many hours over the course of the three days with Brian Zolner of Briscati. Along with his now infamous M1 DAC he brought his new M28 fully differential mono-block amps dialed in with Tidal speakers. We were even treated to a couple pre & after-hours sessions in his room along with some of his pure, untouched raw studio material in all of its gorgeous & yummy goodness.

The detail and iron rail flat response regardless of the volume setting was absolutely stunning. His new amps hold a death-grip on the drivers and provide some of the most life-like reproduction of classical music & the hall that I have ever heard.

He even put on a recording from my local orchestra at Heinz Hall……
It was just like being at home in my oft attended hall…
Except with better seats!

Well done, Brian.
And thanks for spending time with us.
We always love hanging out with you!

The highlight for me was the Sunday 'talk' by Klaus Bunge of Odyssey Audio. An informal presentation that covered everything from personal hygiene (ear cleaning) to room/speaker set-up to everything that is right and wrong with today's audio industry. We were fortunate to be joined by Frank Schroeder & VPI's Mat Weis. It was like having three heavyweights from the world of fine audio in your own living room for an hour and a half.

The first photo shows Klaus at the far left.
The second photo has Mat (on the left) & Frank (on the right).
Can anyone guess who is pouting in left corner of the second shot?

No, not Brad.
But the 'mystery man' will be flattered, I am sure.

Bill - on the Hill
Practicing Curmudgeon & Audio Snob
- just an “ON” switch, Please –

Nice things DO come in small boxes…..sometimes.

A big surprise was the big sound coming from the Neat IOTA mini-monitors.

The funny thing for me was these guys, being retailers Command AV along with High Fidelity Services, were here last year with the Raidho bookshelf that, while quite impressive indeed, was worth nowhere near its ridiculous price of over $20k!!
And that is not even including the stands, the cost of which themselves would be enough for a really good-sounding set of speakers!

It seems they may have taken an on-line course in consumer economics and learned their lessons well. These little IOTA’s were pure ‘bang for the buck’ at $1100 for a pair. Many of us said they would be a great economical solution for a smaller or space-limited surround system that still would produce theater-like accuracy (assuming their off-axis response is reasonable). Of course, a stereo application for desk-top near-field or a small study/room would be just as satisfying. These little puppies could rock when driven hard, but also retained smooth response in more reserved & quiet passages of acoustic musical presentations.

The IOTA’s are the little white cabinets.

Another “small” in stature but ‘BIG’ on value & performance was the Vanatoo Powered Bookshelf with built-in DAC. A great feature list includes Analog input (direct connection to your player´s headphone jack) 3 digital inputs: USB audio, TOSLINK® optical, and Coax with 60 wpc Class D amplifier and a Digital Signal Processor (DSP).

Besides the feature list, what I liked most about these great little bookshelves was what they did not do. Unlike most ‘Audiophiles’ who tend to overcompensate for certain ‘deficiencies’ the Vanatoo’s never strayed outside their capabilities. Their bass was pretty big for a tiny tot, but never bloated, flabby or reaching below what they could reproduce without loosing their composure.

For between $500 & $600 depending on the options you choose, this offering makes my list for real-world audio value. A feat not easily achieved by anyone.

Sorry, but don’t seem to have a photo of these ‘Little Engines that Can’.
You will have to look them up at their website.
http://www.vanatoo.com/vanatoo#.U9qDbfldW8A

Honorable mention must also go to Philharmonic Audio, collaborator on the Salk line of speakers, whose own line now consists of $165 modified Pioneer bookshelf that simply blew everyone (including me) away.

And you know what, I don’t have photo of those, either!
So sue me.

Bill - on the Hill
Practicing Curmudgeon & Audio Snob
- just an “ON” switch, Please –

I am not a can-man.
No regrets, no apologies.
But Cans ruled the big Ballroom.
For those that love them, it was like being left in the candy store after it had closed.

I do apologize for some poor quality photos, however.

Bill - on the Hill
Practicing Curmudgeon & Audio Snob
- just an “ON” switch, Please –

One of the priorities on my ‘must do’ list was to spend some quality time at the Zu room.

I have been V interested in this independent brand since they broke through the industry-controlled market a few years ago. When they began modifying the Denon 103 cartridge, I was V anxious to hear what this company was all about.

I made a point of getting to see Sean Casey, Zu Audio’s founder, early Saturday morning so as to insure a chance for some one-on-one with the head Keeper. When I entered the rear of the Elm room I was greeted by two adorable little girls (Sean’s daughters) who were silk screening tee shirts on demand for show attendees. Nice touch. It seems his two daughters had accompanied dad on the road trip from Utah. Brave man.

As I had hoped, my early arrival gave me the chance to audition Sean’s system with no background chatter from other show-goers as there was only one other person in the room when I arrived.

The Zu Definition monolith speakers (each with integral, powered, bottom-firing sub woofers) stood like huge onyx bookends - as sentries stationed, at the ready & guarding the rest of Sean’s system. Held secure were First Watt mono-blocks, a $7k Rupert Neve Designs 5060 Centerpiece consul mixer utilized as the pre-amp, and a Rega P6 sporting one of Zu’s very own DL-103 Mk.II cartridges. These custom aluminum head-shell units are now available again after a long interruption in production of the stock unit at Denon. Sean told me they also will be happy to modify your old Denon 103 for around $200. I would highly recommend anyone considering such a move to jump on it. Fast! Meanwhile step-up duties for the low output Mk II cart were carried out by one of Bob’s Devices latest SUT’s.

Sean brought a generous amount of vinyl, & obviously quite enjoyed playing DJ for anyone who cared to sit down, relax and enjoy his wonderful rig. The other thing that impressed me about Sean was how he kept his mouth shut…and let his equipment do the talking. I greatly admire anyone who practices such behavior. I was able to spend some time talking one on one with him. He impressed me as being truly genuine, honest and V passionate about what he is doing. It is not an easy task these days to break free of the tightly industry-controlled market. No dealer or manufacturer wants to have a line of audio equipment that will provide near, equal or better performance while undercutting the price of the premiere lines they offer to the point of making it look as though they are ripping everyone off. Today, the only way for new manufactures who are willing to offer good value at fair prices to break into the market is direct sales. Dealers will not touch their stuff, no matter how good it is. My hat is off to the new-gen entrepreneurs willing to sell the homestead, go all in, against the Goliaths of the industry to offer a decent product to music lovers without insulting their intelligence or raping their wallets.

So, after some listening, some talking…followed the next day by some more listening……here is what I heard.

Sean has a great cart, I highly recommend it to anyone in market for a low output moving coil cartridge in $500 range with the appropriate tone arm compliance.

As for the overall sound of the system, I found it quite pleasing. Good imaging, depth, detail & tonality. From sources with studio effects (the rendition of Lou Reed’s “Walk on the Wild Side” was spectacular as the back-up singers in the chorus begin their promenade from 40 feet behind the speakers to end up so close to your face you can smell the individual brand of perfume on each one of them), to natural acoustic recordings, to live performances - everything I heard was V satisfying & musical. The only thing I found fault in was a slight edginess in the middle highs. I do not know if this is in the range of the speaker crossover or was originating from somewhere else in the system. But to my ear, it was always present, often in the sibilance range. While different types of source material displayed this characteristic with varying intensity, I was always able to pick it out. Now, let me admit right here, I am acutely sensitive in this range. Apparently, more so than many others. For instance, there is only one or two ribbon tweeters I have EVER heard that I could tolerate for more than half hour or so. So this is a V personal criticism. But over the course of an extended listing session, I believe this minor trait might produce some fatigue. Others may not notice or care. I have been accused of picking out fly shit from back pepper flakes before. But hey. I can tell you what I hear. Not what you will hear.

This was a great system. I was so glad I finally had a chance to hear Sean’s stuff. And better yet talk with him. I have great admiration for everything he is doing. I highly recommend anyone in the market for something from his line to seriously consider the Zu brand.

As I reflect on what I heard, I think for the price range of the Definition speakers, I personally would still lean more towards the B&W 802di. While the B&W’s come sans sub-woofers, I have never heard a set that needed them for 99% of the music played. The 802di’s just seem the slightest bit flatter in the upper end response to my ear. Again this is nit-picking to the ‘nth degree and simply a reflection of my personal taste. So why not go listen to some Zu, then tell me what you think?

Bill - on the Hill
Practicing Curmudgeon & Audio Snob
- just an “ON” switch, Please –

Jeff Catalano, aka High Water Sound, is the epitome of the Mad Scientist suffering the quintessential case of OCD. His raw enthusiasm for music, all kinds of music, often overshadows his technical expertise in system matching & making any system work in any environment.

I think he comes to the shows more to share, listen & teach us about music than to sell anything.

His room is a haven for me, providing respite & sanctuary for show-goers who are worn & exhausted by the deafening drone of exhibitors who play their rooms at ear-damaging dB levels all the while screaming & never shutting there traps trying to talk over the din while spewing mounds oral feces extolling how fabulous their crap is.

There were two rooms at this year’s show which had systems that reflected real world environments we have at home with equipment we actually want in our homes, which sound like we want our systems to sound like. These were systems you could take home, set up, & be happy with for a V long, long time with no alterations. They fit in the real world of music lovers. Jeff’s rooms always meet this high bar.

From the lava lights to the college-dorm style equipment rack, Jeff creates real audio using real world tactics that work.
I spent a few hours over the course of the three day show with Jeff.
It was like coming home for a break in madness, to sit, relax & enjoy music the way you are supposed to.

Jeff is seated on the floor in arms-reach of the vast library of vinyl he always brings.

Bill - on the Hill
Practicing Curmudgeon & Audio Snob
- just an “ON” switch, Please –