At an hour-long Saturday-afternoon press event, jointly sponsored by Wilson and VTL, John Atkinson and I joined others to hear Wilson Audio's Peter McGrath introduce Yvette. "We want to differentiate it from the Sophia because there are so many changes," he explained. The 175 lb loudspeaker has an sensitivity of 86-87dB. This may be lower than many other…
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Perhaps the most significant premiere at RMAF was the unveiling of the Wilson Audio Yvette three-way loudspeaker ($25,500/pair). Another design from Wilson Audio heir apparent, Daryl Wilson, it replaces the recently retired Sophia 3.
In the room with the most beautiful speakers, they played Norah Jones. Not Nina Simone, Kirsten Flagstad, or Iris DeMent. Norah (f-ing) Jones! (Jason, can you hear me?) But it was pretty good
for Norah Jones. It was Norah singing Hank Williams and Lucinda Williams, and I survived. But only because they also played the Wailin' Jennys, which was a beautiful discovery that sounded extremely free-running and tuneful.
Speaking of running, my RMAF runnin' buddy Jana Dagdagan asked them to play Elton John's "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" (she likes Elton like I like Elvis), but what's up with…
It's higher up we go. The day is Sunday, October 9, and show attendance is light. John Atkinson has flown to California, and Stereophile's three remaining bees are buzzing between rooms and seminars, searching for the Nectar of the Gods while skillfully avoiding the occasional spray of Roundup.
Happily, this bee's last two floors included three exceptional rooms at altitudes rarer than before. In the biggest end-of-hall space on floor 10 of the Marriott Tower, the men of Nagra have made a major statement with a setup that began with two Nagra ClassicAmps ($16,000/each), a ClassicPreamp…
Holy Bagel: It's Sunday afternoon, and I've got at least five more rooms to cover. Lunch, schmunch—it's on with the show.
Although I wrote about a static display of Synergistic Research's latest iteration of their Tranquility Base, it wasn't until slow, slow Sunday that I could get into one of their packed listening rooms. The wait was worth it, and the system was one of the best I encountered at RMAF 2016. Ted Denney and Scott Walker may have a penchant for big, big, barely manageable rooms that are valiantly wrestled into submission—but in a much, much, much smaller space, everything…
Perhaps a show that begins its 13th year on a Friday in a hotel still undergoing renovation, with an entire Atrium wing, once available for exhibits and large convocations, now declared off-limits, is not destined to break either exhibit or attendance records. But for a show operating under such a severe handicap, RMAF 2016 maintained its warm vibe and reputation as the most friendly and communal audio show in the US.
All good things must come to an end. Even as these men were busy taking down signs from doors and walls on every single floor of Marriott Denver Tech Center's lobby…
Horn speakers, with their often ridiculously high sensitivity and ear-shocking "jump factor," fascinate many audiophiles. But their sonic flaws can be as big as their musical and technical virtues. The November Stereophile features on its cover, and in an extended version of Art Dudley's "Listening" column, the Hommage Cinema speaker from German company Auditorium 23, which features remanufactured versions of classic Western Electric compression drivers.
A full set of measurements for this speaker will be published in our January 2017 issue, but as a sneak peek, we'll tell you that the…
Peter Wolter, owner of a hi-fi shop in the town of Orangeville, Ontario—about an hour's drive from Toronto—in another life worked in marketing for a major pharmaceutical company. This marketing experience undoubtedly informs Wolter's approach to audio retailing, and, while his approach could not be further from hard sell, Wolter has a knack for attracting the attention of audio journalists. I first wrote about the opening of his store, then named Aardvark Boutique Audio, and the evening of vinyl playback that Wolter presented to mark this event in July 2015. Six months later, Wolter announced…
Photo: John Atkinson
The 2016 Rocky Mountain Audio Fest has come and gone, and here I find myself, back in the quiet comfort of Brooklyn.
Back with a glass of red wine in my hand, a table full of hot Indian takeout, and a dreamy Chet Baker serenading me through my modest system: a Technics SL 1200 Mk. II turntable with an Audio Technica AT440MLa cartridge (on a Technics headshell), a Fisher 800-C stereo receiver, and a pair of Rogers LS3/5a monitors sitting atop Skylan Speaker Stands.
What more is there to life?
. . . Or so I had thought, prior to attending Rocky…
Wednesday 19 October, 6:00–9:00 pm, Manhattan dealer Innovative Audio (Architects & Designers Building 150 East 58th, Street Level, New York City), is hosting Wilson Audio's Peter McGrath, who will be presenting the new Alexx loudspeaker. Refreshments will be provided. RSVP by phone to (212) 634-4444 or via email.
How do you rate as an audio expert? Test yourself on these 25 questions.
All of the following are multiple-choice questions, dealing with things that every audio hobbyist should know, either before or after completing the test. Most of them are easy, but take your time in answering and don't jump to conclusions. Some of the questions are quite tricky, and wrong answers will be subtracted from your final score, so read them and the possible answers carefully before committing yourself. Don't guess if you aren't fairly sure. (Answers are on the next page.)
1. When an elliptical…