CES 2012 – Good rooms I am not going back to
… because I do not have time and think I already know in which ways they are good…
Over on 30, the $50K 50 watt Audio Power Labs on the Von Schweikert VR5 Signature… very nicely dynamic, very well controlled, good harmonic color and detail. Very nice and open in a large-scale-from-4-foot-tall speaker kind of way.
On floor 30 too, CH Precision electronics on the Magico Q3. This is the epitome of that very controlled, dynamic, detailed, fairly linear responses, fairly soulless presentation we called the ‘gee-whiz’ sound a few shows ago [and still do], but the CH Precision amps [no, apparently this was the Luxman M-600A stereo amp] are able to control these hard to drive Q3 speakers better, I think, than any other amps I have heard with these speakers [several], especially in terms of the control over the speakers [not running out of steam] and with sufficient micro-dynamics so that it comes off sounding much closer to real music. Thing about the gee-whiz sound is that they are fun, I think, although lacking in emotional involvement and kind of bereft of any kind of drug-like out-of-body experience potential. I thought it was a lot of fun, in fact.
Very nice coverage, esp the photos. I’d love to hear some more of your listening impressions.
Thanks,
Bob
Hi,
Very nice coverage and I look forward to hearing more of your impressions about how some rooms sound.
Just one correction I think about the CH Precision and Magico room. The Magico speakers in that room were the Magico Q3’s and not the Magico Q5’s. Also, the amps being used in that room were Luxman mono block amps – not the CH Precision amp. The CH Precision amp was on static display in that room (at least every time that I was in that room). The CH Precision gear was providing the digital front end as well as the preamp.
Hi Arnie,
You know, I think you are right.
I did not realize that the Q3 and Q5 are visually so similar. I also had not seen the Luxman over on the right side either, though it appears in both this photo and another one [where it appears more fully visible]. It does appear the speaker cables run back behind the ‘curtain’ so to speak, perhaps any extra lengths looped up behind there for aesthetic reasons?
As for the sound, I’ve heard Luxman many, many times, with various speakers and front ends and it never sounded tight and in control like this. In fact the opposite. Perhaps the Luxman and Magico just happen to work very well together?
Thanks for catching my muckups! 🙂
Take care,
-Mike
Hi Mike,
No problem. The Q3 and Q5 are visually very, very similiar and appear about the same size especially when viewed from the front. I did ask the question about the amps – as to which amps were being used – otherwise I would have assumed it was the CH Precision as well.
Thanks,
Arnie