CES 2008

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Wes Phillips & Jon Iverson  |  Jan 08, 2008  |  1 comments
Audio Space's DAC-1 US ($3000) is a hybrid tube/Mosfet DAC with a difference.It has two pairs of RCA analog outputs: One deriving its signal from the tube DAC; the other taking its signal from the discrete Mosfet DAC.
Jon Iverson  |  Jan 08, 2008  |  3 comments
The digital outputs include HDMI for audio only output.
Robert Deutsch  |  Jan 08, 2008  |  2 comments
VTL's room is always an oasis at shows, playing music at levels that actually match rather than trying to impress the listener with mere volume, the system meticulously set up. The same was true at CES 2008, a pair of Wilson WATT/Puppy 8s being driven by the new MB450 Series II tubed monoblocks ($9500/pair), the "budget-priced" (a mere $50k) Continuum Criterion turntable, and VTL's new TP6.5 phono section ($8500) as the source. The MB450 and other VTL components are pictured here with the company's co-owner, the ever-gracious Bea Lam.
Wes Phillips & Jon Iverson  |  Jan 07, 2008  |  3 comments
The Music Player has tons of inputs: USB2.0, iPod (with control and display), S/PDIF digital coaxial, TOSlink digital optical, LAN, W-LAn, and RS232 for update and control interface.
Jon Iverson  |  Jan 07, 2008  |  3 comments
The back of the iTransport fully decked out with XLO cabling.
Jon Iverson  |  Jan 07, 2008  |  1 comments
The show has just opened its doors and Stereophile's Stephen Mejias holds the new Product of the Year awards to be handed out all day long.
Wes Phillips & Jon Iverson  |  Jan 07, 2008  |  1 comments
Sumiko had a new Pro-Ject turntable on display, the "approximately $2000" Perspex, which sports the new 9CC Evolution tonearm.
Wes Phillips & Jon Iverson  |  Jan 07, 2008  |  3 comments
Ayre's Steve Silberman was excited about the new DPS Ayre turntable. Charlie Hansen had hipped Wes Phillips to the then pending debut of the DPS Ayre back in September.
Wes Phillips & Jon Iverson  |  Jan 07, 2008  |  2 comments
"This," Quartet Marketing's Stirling Trayle proudly said, "is the T + A Music Player."
Wes Phillips & Jon Iverson  |  Jan 07, 2008  |  20 comments
It exists; we saw it for ourselves! Wadia's $349 iTransport can take the digital signal out of an iPod before the DAC, outputting 16-bit/44.1khz resolution for uncompressed files—it doesn't upconvert lower-rez files like MP3s, but it does reformat them to 16/44.1, according to Wadia's John Schaffer.
Wes Phillips & Jon Iverson  |  Jan 07, 2008  |  7 comments
We ran into SinglePower Inc.'s Mikhail Rotenberg as he was sprinting down the hall to the Synergistic Research room. "Check these out," he said. "These are a 1932 Tung Argon 4327 and a 1943 722A (323), labeled Centennial, but manufactured by Western Electric."
Wes Phillips & Jon Iverson  |  Jan 07, 2008  |  4 comments
We're stunned at how few exhibitors spend money for the larger rooms on the 35th floor of the Venetian, since they are so sonically impressive. Sumiko's room with the $28,000 SME 2012, $6000 Audio Research PH7, $10,000 Audio Research Reference 3, Audio Research Reference 210 monoblock amplifiers ($9000/each), and brand-spanking new $25,000/pair Vienna Acoustic Die Musik loudspeakers had us glued to the sweet spot.
Wes Phillips & Jon Iverson  |  Jan 07, 2008  |  0 comments
Sumiko's Norbert Schmied showed us their new upscale cartridge. "What's it called?"
Jon Iverson  |  Jan 07, 2008  |  1 comments
The ever-lovely Rosemarie Torcivia and Cynthia Fontaine, running the Stereophile room at the Venetian. They'd appreciate it if someone would bring them a decent sounding stereo to listen to. An ipod even.
Wes Phillips & Jon Iverson  |  Jan 07, 2008  |  1 comments
We were stunned to see Roger Skoff in the Ultralink/XLO room—we thought he'd retired years ago. "I did," he explained, "but I was asked to design some new stuff incorporating new technologies and more advanced versions of our existing designs."

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