John Atkinson adds:…
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Although I was only able to stay long enough to snap a few photos and hear moderator Ken Kessler’s (Hi-Fi News) downer of an introduction, Friday evening’s post-show panel included, from left to right, HiFi Plus editor Alan Sircom, recording engineer Peter McGrath of Wilson Audio Specialties, Kathy Gornick of Thiel Audio, Michael Fremer of Stereophile and AnalogPlanet.com, Roy Hall of Music Hall and "why don’t you join me for a shot," and Kessler himself. Dan D’Agostino of D’Agostino, Inc., founder of and former designer at Krell, turned up after I had shot my photo.
In the AudioQuest room, I was treated to a course on the Powers of Network Attached Storage. It wasn’t really a course and it wasn’t really called that, but it could have been. AudioQuest’s Steve Silberman is convincing. And I am now convinced that, when the time comes for me to dive into computer audio and other digital waters, I’ll seriously consider a NAS for my needs.
While Silberman has found success with several different NAS devices, on display in the AQ room was Synology’s powerful DS712+, which Silberman says is highly reliable, has a very friendly user interface, and never…
John Atkinson told me I should go see SOTA’s Donna Bodinet, so I did, and this is what I found: SOTA’s Series II Moonbeam turntable ($800 with S100 tonearm and Ortofon OM5E phono cartridge). The Moonbean features a platter and subplatter of high-density polymer, has a self-lubricating Turcite bearing cup, and a 24-pole synchronous motor. It weighs a solid 18 lbs.
Custom wood finishes add $100, but I think the Moonbeam is beautiful exactly as it is. (Gah: I sound like a pop song. Swoon.)
I suspect the Moonbeam can handle a higher-quality cartridge than the stock OM5E. To that end…
John Atkinson insisted that this cowbell had something to do with his daily seminar on recorded sound, but I suspect that he, like most people at RMAF, was just having a good time.
Odyssey Audio products are proudly handmade in the US and sold factory-direct. The system I heard consisted of Odyssey’s Kismet Reference loudspeakers ($3500/pair), Stratos stereo amplifier ($1400), Candela preamp ($1500), Suspiro MC/MM phono stage ($1200), Groneberg cables, and a 15-year-old VPI turntable.
Odyssey’s Klaus Bunge turned out the lights and played Johnny Cash’s heartbreaking version of “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face,” and the system presented good drama and scale and communicated a very fine sense of space around Cash’s tired, frayed voice. The system also seemed…
On the Mezzanine Level, in the Crestone Peak room, Musical Surroundings put together an audacious, high-aspirations system:
Focal Maestro Utopia loudspeakers ($50,000/pair); Clearaudio Master Innovation Wood (ha) turntable ($25,000) with its matching Wood (ha ha) stand ($9000), Statement record clamp ($1000), Outer Limit peripheral ring clamp ($1350), and Goldfinger Statement phono cartridge ($15,000); Graham Phantom II Supreme 10” tonearm ($5750); Aesthetix Romulus VC DAC/CD player ($8000), Io Eclipse VC phono preamplifier ($19,500), Callisto Eclipse ($19,000), and Atlas Mono monoblock…
The people from TweekGeek (“Funny Name, Serious Audio”) have a great thing going. They’re starting the Knights of the Listening Room, “a group of friends where audiophiles can share their audio systems…”
Knights of the Listening Room is a group of friends where audiophiles can share their audio systems and possibly an adult beverage or two with others who can appreciate the dedication that went into creating their systems, and the amazing sound of music that comes from them. You’ll have the opportunity to show off your system, share your passion and knowledge, and learn from others…
I had thought things were pretty fancy over in Musical Surroundings’ Crestone Peak room, but nothing could have prepared me for what Apex Audio had set up in the Blanca Peak:
Focal Stella Utopia EM loudspeakers ($95,000/pair); Soulution 700 monoblocks ($130,000/pair), 720 preamplifier ($45,000), 745 CD/SACD player ($80,000), 750 phono preamp ($32,500); Transrotor Tourbillon turntable ($55,000) with a Graham Phantom Supreme tonearm ($5500) and Air Tight PC-1 Supreme phono cartridge ($9000); Critical Mass Systems MAXXUM rack system/filters, 12-level ($67,800) and 4-level ($22,600); Critical…
Jason Victor Serinus has already discussed the products shown by Gingko Audio, but here’s a closer look at VPI’s Traveler turntable with Gingko’s Cloud 9T vibration-control platform ($349) and dust cover ($279).
Can the Cloud 9T squeeze more performance from the Traveler? Can the dust cover protect the Traveler from meddlesome cats? Perhaps a Follow-Up is in order.
Jason Victor Serinus also mentioned that Rega has released their popular RP6 turntable with a new Union Jack finish. Here’s a closer look.
The Union Jack will also be available on Rega’s affordable RP1 and RP3 models.
Hmm…