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A Watch Out Coming Through

"DeVore's just down the hall," he says.

"I'll follow you."

I walk down the busy Venetian corridor with Sonic Flare's Josh Ray. I'm shoved, gently but thoroughly, from behind. I notice a bright green and yellow top. I notice black leather pants. I notice lots of tube blingware. And a:

"Watch out! Coming through!"

"I was just pushed by EveAnna Manley," I say.

"That's going in the blog," Josh responds.

Excellent Smile and Design

During a lull in the award presentations, John Atkinson and I were visited by Bent Holter, technical director of Norway's Hegel Music Systems. The company, founded in 1990, has just gained US distribution through VMAX Services. I caught up with Bent after the awards.

Here you see Bent offering his 120Wpc entry-level H1 integrated amplifier ($2595). I appreciate the simple, clean design. I also appreciate Bent's excellent smile.

Sound Engine Technology

I had the pleasure of becoming familiar with Hegel's CDP2A ($2595). Like the H1 integrated amplifier, it offers a clean, simple design, and features a nicely curved front panel of milled aluminum.

All of Hegel's products employ their patented "Sound Engine Technology." What's that? "It's a dynamic real-time cancelling of error in the system." Bent Holter happily and patiently explained to me (with diagrams and all!) that the "Sound Engine Technology" utilizes a "threshold detector," which identifies, calculates, and eliminates error in the playback chain.

I…

What a Show is About

It begins quietly.

"We're not introducing anything new," says Jeff Joseph, "but I wanted to bring people together. For me, a show is about having fun, getting back in touch with friends..." He pauses. Enjoy The Music's Steve Rochlin walks into the room.

"Like Steve," he finishes.

Steve Rochlin takes a seat beside me.

"We see each other, what, twice a year?" Jeff asks him.

Before us, a round table is covered by meats and cheeses, vegetables, crackers, dips, and wines. I wonder how much of it will be left at the end of the night.

…

What the Conductor Told Me, Part One

Conductor Kenneth Woods guides us through Mahler's Kindertotenleider. Articles like this 'un are why the web was invented.

The Ultimate Analogue Test LP

Because of the restrictions placed on merchandise sales at CES, the usual Acoustic Sounds booth, stocking much-in-demand LPs, SACDs, and CDs, was nowhere to be found. But the Kansas company still had a display room showing the hardware lines it distributes, including Thorens, Sutherland, and Stirling. But founder Chad Kassem was most proud of the new Analogue Productions LP: the Ultimate Analogue Test LP. Produced by Clark Williams and Barry Wolfson, with input from George Marino and others, cut at Sterling Sound, and pressed on 180gm vinyl by RTI, the Test LP has a selection of tracks…

Cabasse La Sphère Debuts

The mark of a great large speaker is that it can sound small when the music demands it. Such was the case with the humongous La Sphère speaker from French manufacturer Cabasse, one of the many high-end companies who chose to “outboard” this year at an off-site hotel. With its four-way coaxial design, it resembles a scaled-up version of the Baltic that Mikey Fremer reviewed in September 2005, but is fully active with the crossover realized in the digital domain. Demonstrated in a large room with Cabasse’s own amplification and Bel Canto preamp and source components, it offered…

The Nightingale Sings

Italian manufacturer Simetel, who makes tube amplifiers with a distinctively "retro" appearance, showed its new Nightingale Gala two-chassis power amplifier in one of the Venetian's lower-level rooms. Tubed power supply is one chassis, the tubed amplification stage, using 300Bs, is is on the second. Projected price is $16,000, and Simetel has now set up its own US distributor. Designer and company founder Luciano Del Rio stands by the silver-finish Gala (black is also available), which was being demmed with Revolver Cygnis speakers.

Bob Deutsch on Journo Swag

Klee—Another Cable Manufacturer

Since my first CES, in 1979, I have always enjoyed the chance encounters in the corridors. Some of these turn out to be with people who, unknown at the time, end up being audio superstars. I don't know whether Larry Forbes will succeed, but he certainly has the passion. His Klee Cables use flat, thin conductors of different metals and he has applied for a patent for this conductor configuration, having not found any prior art. Well yes, Larry admits, Goertz did something similar, but that didn't involve different metals. You can contact Larry at Larry_Forbes@hotmail.com.