Stephen Mejias

Ayre Treatment
RMAF 2012
Stephen Mejias  |  Oct 16, 2012  |  2 comments
Here’s a picture of Ayre’s Michael Wiedmaier pretending to enjoy a martini. I also have a picture of someone pretending to take a hit from an oversized bong; a picture of someone else looking mesmerized by a lava lamp; a picture of someone dancing on a shag rug; a picture of someone else putting out an imaginary cigarette in a real-life ashtray; and a few other funny pictures, too.

I have no pictures of Ayre’s new AX-5 integrated amplifier, no comments on the sound quality of the system, no recollection of even listening to music while in the amazing Ayre room. I do recall very pleasant conversations with readers, exhibitors, and attendees. At any hi-fi show, there are rooms that are all about the gear; rooms that are merely about the technology; rooms that are stuffy or solemn; rooms that are even empty and quiet.

And then there are rooms like this one.

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Zesto, WyWires, and TAD take the whine out of Rickie Lee Jones
RMAF 2012
Stephen Mejias  |  Oct 16, 2012  |  2 comments
I loved the pure, clean sound and sense of touch and bloom that came with Ben Webster’s tenor sax on “Stars Fell on Alabama” from Billie Holiday’s great Songs for Distingué Lovers. And, in “A Foggy Day,” Lady Day’s voice was as rich and true as can be.

Later, I noted fine snap and brassy pluck to the sound of acoustic guitars during “Chuck E.’s in Love,” the opening track to Rickie Lee Jones’ self-titled debut, an album that people often love or hate.

One female listener was surprised by the sound:

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Sound and Beauty from Profundo
RMAF 2012
Stephen Mejias  |  Oct 16, 2012  |  4 comments
Sharing the Blackbird Audio room with Colleen Cardas Imports was Bob Clarke’s Profundo, out of Round Rock, Texas. Bob Clarke seems to have an eye for beauty as well as an ear for sound:
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Blackbird Audio/Gallery & Colleen Cardas Imports: "Yulunga!"
RMAF 2012
Stephen Mejias  |  Oct 16, 2012  |  3 comments
Do you know that creepy, moody Dead Can Dance track—the one with the shaker that comes flying from the left-channel speaker with crazy presence and realism? It’s called “Yulunga,” right?
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Sweet Streams from Salk and Van Alstine
RMAF 2012
Stephen Mejias  |  Oct 16, 2012  |  3 comments
Salk’s beautifully finished SoundScape 8 uses the same RAAL ribbon tweeter, Accuton midrange unit, and 12” side-firing passive radiators as the company’s larger SoundScape 10 and 12 floorstanders, but where those designs use single 10” and 12” woofers, respectively, the SoundScape 8 employs two 8” drivers. While the base price for the SoundScape 8 is $8000/pair, custom-finished models such as those seen here, which had a marble-like appearance, can cost up to $12,000/pair.
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Being and Dreaming with MBL
RMAF 2012
Stephen Mejias  |  Oct 16, 2012  |  3 comments
I’m not at all embarrassed or ashamed to admit that there have been times when I was so distracted by a system’s appearance that I couldn’t properly appreciate its performance. Similarly, there have been times when I was so overwhelmed by a system’s price, that I couldn’t even hear its music.

But, here, in the MBL suite, just as in the Wilson/VTL suite, the sound of music was so compelling that I was easily able to ignore those aspects that are beyond my appreciation and reach.

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Xact Audio: Daaaamn right!
RMAF 2012
Stephen Mejias  |  Oct 16, 2012  |  1 comments
You know the slinky hi-hat, the funky wah, the groovy bass line; the slow-building horns, the deep voice, the suggestive lyrics: Who’s the black private dick / That’s a sex machine to all the chicks? / (Shaft!) / Damn right…

There was a party going on in the Xact Audio room.

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Lawrence Audio and Jeff Rowland
RMAF 2012
Stephen Mejias  |  Oct 16, 2012  |  3 comments
Based in Taiwan, Lawrence Audio Co. (“Inspired by Musical Masters”) manufactures limited-edition and custom-made loudspeakers modeled after stringed instruments. Lawrence Liao, founder and chief designer, is also an interior decorator, music lover, and musician: He plays saxophone, violin, and piano.

Lawrence’s line includes the two-way, standmounted Mandolin; the slightly larger Violin; and the 3.5-way, floorstanding Cello ($18,000/pair), which was playing when I walked into the room.

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Induction Dynamics goes big (and small)
RMAF 2012
Stephen Mejias  |  Oct 16, 2012  |  0 comments
Induction Dynamics matched their beautiful S1.8T loudspeaker with a host of McIntosh gear (MT10 turntable, MX150 control center, and MC207 power amplifier), all strung together with Kimber Kable.
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KT Audio Imports
RMAF 2012
Stephen Mejias  |  Oct 14, 2012  |  4 comments
KT Audio Imports put together a cost-no-object system, comprising: Eventus Audio Nebula loudspeakers ($65,000/pair), a large three-way design with a specified sensitivity of 91dB; Triangle Art (“Design for Perfection) Reference turntable ($16,500); NAT Audio Magma single-ended monoblock power amplifiers ($44,990/pair), rated to deliver 160W into 4 or 8 ohms; NAT Signature Phono phono preamp ($7800); and NAT Symmetrical balanced line stage ($8690).
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