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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…
I ran into Avatar Acoustics’ Darren Censullo, who was buzzing with enthusiasm and excitement over the new i-Fi Micro line of components. And rightfully so.
The i-Fi Micro products—there’s a DAC, a headphone amp, a power supply, a phono preamp, and more on the way—utilize technology tricked down from AMR’s state-of-the-art products, but place it in small, attractive packages, with far more attractive prices: $299 for the iDac, $249 for the iCan headphone amp, $199 for the iUSB Power Plant, and $399 for the surprisingly versatile iPhono MM/MC phono preamp.
Michael…
As Jason Victor Serinus mentioned, there was a party going on in the Music Hall room; and, while this meant that you really couldn’t evaluate the sound of the system, it also meant that you were bound to actually have fun.
Hmm: Evaluate sound or have fun, evaluate sound or have fun?
Oh, darn. I guess I’ll have fun.
While in the Music Hall room, it occurred to me that, instead of roaming around the entire RMAF looking for stories, I could have spent my entire time with the company’s Roy Hall and Leland Leard and simply waited as the stories came to me.
It was in…
In the Music Hall room, I also met Alissa Vassilkova, whose father, Alfred, is the founder and lead designer of Estonia’s Estelon loudspeaker company.
“Did Leland drag you in here?” I asked.
“Yes,” she said.
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That beautiful turntable in the background (What turntable?) is the Music Hall USB-1.