Robert Deutsch

FSI 2007

Robert Deutsch | Apr 13, 2007 | 0 comments

KEF is one of the show's sponsors, and had several systems on demo, including a particularly impressive-sounding one featuring the $11k (unless otherwise specified, prices are US$, speaker prices are per pair) 205 Reference, with Chord Electronics digital source (Blu/Dac, $21k) and electronics (CPA 5000 preamp, $24k; SPM 6000 monoblock amps, $53k/pair).

It's About the Music

FSI 2007

Robert Deutsch | Apr 13, 2007 | 0 comments

If attendees were asked to rank order their interests in "electronics, music, home theater, and gaming," I have a feeling that music would be ranked first. (And gaming almost certainly last.) Although, unlike the Primedia Home Entertainment shows, FSI does not have daily live music as one of the attractions, it had an exhibit by a store selling musical instruments, the well-established Archambault. (They also had, in addition to instruments and sheet music, CDs and DVD, including a good selection of HD-DVDs at very attractive prices.)

FSI—It's Also About Snow

FSI 2007

Robert Deutsch | Apr 13, 2007 | 0 comments

What would FSI be without snow? The organizers probably thought that scheduling the show for the middle of April would be pretty safe, but Mother Nature had other ideas, and on the first day, open to the trade and press only, there was enough snow falling to make you think that this was the middle of February. Never mind. The temperature is supposed to rise tomorrow, but, in any case, those who have the "passion" are not about to be deterred by a bit of inclement weather.

FSI—It's About the Passion

FSI 2007

Robert Deutsch | Apr 13, 2007 | 0 comments

It's not what you might think. The Montreal Sheraton Center is not that type of hotel. And just so you don't get the wrong idea about "Ten Stories of Pure Passion," the program for the 2007 Festival Son & Image (FSI) makes it clear that it's the "ultimate experience for those who have the passion for electronics, music, home theater and gaming.

Silverline Audio Technology Prelude loudspeaker

Floor Loudspeaker Reviews Budget Component Reviews

Robert Deutsch | Mar 18, 2007 | First Published: Mar 19, 2007 | 1 comments

It must be difficult for makers of audio equipment to decide how to best exhibit their products at events such as the annual Consumer Electronics Show. If you're doing a demo, you want it to impress audio journalists and potential dealers, and sometimes just playing music is not enough: you need something extra. A few years ago, Joseph Audio put on a demo, supposedly of their top-of-the-line floorstanding speaker, during which Jeff Joseph removed a cloth that had been draped over what was assumed to be hotel-room furniture. Under that cloth were the speakers that were actually playing: Joseph's new in-wall model, mounted on flat baffles. Wilson Audio Specialties demonstrated their speakers with purportedly ultra-high-end electronics and digital source, then revealed that they were actually using a modestly priced preamp and power amp, and that the source was an Apple iPod.

Fujitsu Ten Eclipse TD712z loudspeaker

Stand Loudspeaker Reviews

Robert Deutsch | Jan 28, 2007 | 0 comments

All right, it's time for a pop quiz in Loudspeaker Design 101. Answer the following, and justify your answer.

Ultra Damping from Ultra Systems

CES 2007

Robert Deutsch | Jan 13, 2007 | 1 comments

Ultra Systems' Robert Stein cornered me—in the nicest way possible—at the Stereophile/Home Theater party Wednesday night, telling me that he had a great new acoustical damping product that I should check out in his booth. I was going to give this one a pass until he mentioned that it's small, easy-to-install, and inexpensive.

Siltech & Sylvia

CES 2007

Robert Deutsch | Jan 11, 2007 | First Published: Jan 12, 2007 | 1 comments

One of my favorite records—which I selected as a Record To Die For a few years ago—is Sure Thing, songs by Jerome Kern sung by Sylvia McNair, accompanied by Andre Previn on the piano, with David Finck on string bass. When I walked into the Siltech room, they were playing another recording by Sylvia McNair, with accompaniment by Previn and Finck, this one songs by Harold Arlen, a recording that I have somehow missed getting. The recording sounded quite lovely through Siltech's new speakers (still in prototype form), and I commented on it to the gentleman doing the demo. "I engineered that recording," he said. It turns out that John Newton (left), president of Siltech America, engineered not only Sylvia McNair's Harold Arlen's CD but also her Jerome Kern album. We chatted about the recordings, not the technical but the musical aspects, which served as a most welcome reminder of the interest in music that at a fundamental level forms the basis of this hobby. On the right of picture is yours truly (not Sylvia).

Terri & Paul McGowan

CES 2007

Robert Deutsch | Jan 11, 2007 | First Published: Jan 12, 2007 | 1 comments

As Wes Phillips reported a day or so ago, The folks at PS Audio have been extremely busy of late. There have all new designs for power-line conditioners, some of them descendants of the highly-successful Power Plant active devices, others passive filter designs. An impressive couple of demonstrations by Paul McGowan showed how a competing power-line conditioner was unable to cope with a power surge that was handled with aplomb by the PS Audio product, and, similarly, a competitor’s product (with the name taped over to protect the innocent) did almost nothing to power line noise that was effectively filtered by the PS Audio product. The loving couple in the picture are PS's Terri and Paul McGowan.

The Rise of the House of Usher

CES 2007

Robert Deutsch | Jan 11, 2007 | First Published: Jan 12, 2007 | 0 comments

Press conferences can sometimes be tedious affairs, with the presenter going on-and-on about his company's past accomplishments, and how even greater things are coming in the future. But this description did not apply to the press conference for Usher Audio Technology at this year’s CES. This was more like an informal party for friends than the prototypical press conference. People stood around and chatted for a while, and then Atul Kanagat of MusikMatters, Usher’s North American distributor, talked briefly about how Usher’s line of high-value/high-performance loudspeakers is intended to bring more music lovers into the hobby. We then listened to some music through some very-nice-sounding Usher speakers. Pictured are PR consultant Jonathan Scull (whose name should be familiar to Stereophile readers, Usher chief engineer Joe D’Appolito (whose name should be familiar to students of speaker design), Tsai Lien-Shui (President of Usher), and Atul Kanagat.

Search form

Robert Deutsch

Pages