The speaker, which has a solid mahogany cap and base for the MDF walls of its patent-pending cabinet, had David's own 23-gauge silver wire attached to its Cardas binding…
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David Maeshiba, designer and partner in Acoustic Technologies LLC of Chicago, had a surprise in store. He claims that his single titanium-cone loudspeaker ($2650/pair) can be turned in any direction and you will hear exactly the same thing. Counter-intuitive as that may seem, it would be perfect for non-obsessed music lovers who don't want to spend all their listening time stacking their friends in the sweet spot.
Given the size and promise of this system, I was eager to audition it with Mahler's Symphony No.2. Through the Tigris 8" tower speakers ($9500/pair), Cinénova Grande 7 seven-channel power amplifier in two front-channel mode ($5999/piece), older B&K Reference 50 processor, Cambridge Audio Azur 840C CD player ($1700), Ethereal interconnects, and Nordost Valhalla speaker cable, the low bass was disconcertingly disconnected from the other instruments in Mahler's Symphony No.2. Given that the subwoofer was not being used, I have no explanation, either for that, or for a gray and muted…
I had heard much positive buzz about the fascinating-looking Salk SoundScape loudspeakers. Equipped with the excellent RAAL custom ribbon tweeter, an Accuton midrange, and a separate Acoustic Elegance woofer, the Soundscape 10 ($9999/pair base price, or $13,999/pair with a 12" woofer) is said to perform from 21Hz–60kHz, ±3dB. It also offers adjustable tweeter and midrange ambience, and looks like a baby that will attract lots of positive attention in your living room.
Completing the system were a Denon CD player, Squeezebox, Van Alstine Vision DAC/Preamplifier ($1599), Van Alstine…
Given how impressed John Atkinson and I were by the combination of Acapella High Violoncello II speakers ($80,000/pair) and Einstein electronics demmed at Axpona 2010 and CES last January, I was eagerly anticipating another opportunity to enjoy these imposing babies. The opportunity came in the room co-sponsored by Loggie Audio of Redwood City and Aaudio Imports. (They were the same samples that until recently had resided in JA's listening room for his review in the forthcoming September issue.)
Here, the sound was different. Instead of Einstein and friends in the Venetian,…
Fritz Heiler of southern California has been building custom loudspeaker systems for 37 years. Called into action at CAS 2010 were his Carbon 7s ($1750/pair shipped, or $1650/pair for show attendees who acted in time). Equipped with ScanSpeak drivers, these babies have a frequency response of 39Hz–20kHz, ±3dB, and a sensitivity of 88dB. Their special crossover is free of caps and resistors, having only one small inductor on the mid/bass driver.
In a system whose associated components include vintage Krell and Luxman gear, the speakers did a fine job of conveying air and pace. Given…
One of the reasons for Acoustic Zen's Robert Lee journey north was to visit his extended family, part of which lives in Millbrae. When I encountered them on the final day of the show, I could not get over how beautiful his grandchildren look. No wonder Robert's tweeter sings so sweetly.
Once again, Acoustic Zen's Robert Lee had me lusting after his Crescendo loudspeakers ($16,000/pair). This time, they were ensconced in the elegantly appointed Elite Audio Systems room put together by proprietor Michael Woods of San Francisco.
Featuring an excellent proprietary ribbon tweeter that Lee hand-builds in southern California, the Acoustic Zen speakers excelled in the high range. The sound of Renaud Capucon's violin in Beethoven's Violin Concerto was to die for, and soprano Elly Ameling's high voice was especially radiant and alluring on high. While the size of the…
Just as I entered Emeryville's Hilton Garden Inn on the final day of the show, YG Acoustics' Yoav Geva (fourth from left) and his extended family were making their first visit to the Hilton. Filling most of an elevator, our little passel of smiling faces made its way to the YG Acoustics room.
There I was delighted to discover the Carmel loudspeaker ($18,000/pair), named after Yoav's two-year old son, Carmel. I doubt Carmel's voice is equally flat from 35Hzצ40kHz, or can yet bring out the deep bass voices on John Atkinson's demonstration-quality While You Are Alive recording of male…
Bob Walters, coordinator of the Bay Area Audiophile Society, pegged Tonian Acoustics as one of the best-sounding loudspeaker exhibits at the Show. If only I could share his enthusiasm for the Tonian Acoustic Classic 7.1 ($5500/pair), a 16 ohm loudspeaker with 95dB sensitivity is inexplicably absent from the Tonian Acoustics website.
Hooked up by Tonian's solid-core copper speaker cable ($480/8ft pair) and interconnect ($350 for 1m) to a Philips CD player and Audiolab 8000 integrated amp, the system was a bit sharp and bright on an excellent Pentatone recording of Schubert's Trout…
How can you not love these adorable little components with the lovely little sound? With tube holders that glow in the dark, these cuties are manufactured and designed for Fremont, CA-based Napa Acoustic by Mistral in China.
When I entered the room, Joseph Kwong and Edwin Young told me that, after I encountered them at Axpona in Jacksonville, they had taken my criticism of their Radio Shack cabling to heart, and come up with their own speaker cable ($100/8ft. pair). Designed in Fremont from 10-gauge cooper wire and XLPE insulation, it was used with the Bow A2 loudspeakers ($2299/…