by Michael

Edge NL Reference and Soundlab Ultimate 1

We have decided [actually years ago, but we get attached to things] that equipment that has been on the floor for more than two years should find a new home. We shouldn’t hog things to ourselves for years and years.

The above two items, the 800 watt Edge Reference ‘pyramid’ amps and Soundlab electrostatic ULTIMATE speakers have been on the floor for 5 years.

They are up on Audiogon, in case any of youse is interested.

Otherwise, hopefully you will see things evolve a little more quickly, and see things change a little more frequently here at the house on the hill.

But we do get emotionally attached to things – they give us so much pleasure over the years, It is like seeing one’s youth leaving, bit by bit.

Why oh why does it have to go some part of us whines.

And the other part says the alternative is stagnation, which is worse.

OK, no. Not starting a philosophical thread. Sorry. [though it is that time of year…. :-)]

in Edge / High-end Audio HiFi and Stereo / Soundlab 0 comments
 by Michael

CEDIA 2007 Photos Day 2

[Still no Comcast… So miniature photos is what we got for supper again tonight]

The conference was not much busier today than yesterday, it seemed to me, which was different than last year.

But oday, they did not hand the conference microphone to the SpeakerCraft people, at least it sounded like they were from SpeakerCraft, but he was such an exuberant salesman – SHOUTING his enthusiasm, that the SPLs had us all curled up in fetal positions on the floor trying to stuff carpet fibers in our ears – anything to try and protect ourselves from the Onslaught. But seriously, it was LOUD but decipherable as words in some parts of the all, and total noise in others, and in some the volume was just ridiculously loud. I mean, the announcement system is perfect if someone is trying to tell everyone in the hall that there is a fire. It would work fine. Just keep sales people away from it.


Velodyne has a new subwoofer. Looks like it will produce some of dem bass type notes, all right.


A close up of the marketing specs. Of course, who cares about THD? Most poeple probably care about dynamic distortion. But is is not a horn, nor is it pulling 100 amps, so THAT is likely going to be more than 0.5%. But I bet is is something to hear.


Gallo Acoustics’ cute little speakers.


The EDGE Electronics room at T.H.E. with Montana loudspeakers.


The EDGE Electronics room at T.H.E. with Montana loudspeakers.


The HAL Audio Server user interface. Media server user interfaces were all the rage this show. Kind of like an iphone for non-liliputs. Or an iphone for the home. Or for people who have large fingers or bad eyesight. Personally, I am in all 4 of those cagtegories, so these UI’s interest me.


The new Acoustic Zen subwoofer


Phillips had a supersized remote control. Kind of cool to imagine actually using something like this. A remote control for giants. CEDIA is become like Gulliver’s Travels, I guess.


At least some people are looking for some good sound to be associated with good video…


ADAM speakers has a new line for the home. These use a improved Heil driver for the tweeter and midrange.


Another Media Server interface.


Another Media Server interface.


Sonus Fabers new Cremona M


Sonus Fabers new Cremona center channel


Over at T.H.E. Show. [need to insert speaker manufacturer name when brain comes back on line]. The gunshots had WAY too much low bass. Sounded more like close canon fire, the way it punched a person in the chest, or morter fire. Not that I have had direct experience with those events, but I had heard a gun go off before).


Media Max’s Media Server user interface.

So far the Totem booth has the honor of best of show in the main conference, (oops need to put up a photot ot two) and EDGE / Montana at T.H.E. Show (which only has 4 or 5 rooms this year, depending on how you count – though we did not wait in the line for the Maggie / Bryston demo there).

in Acoustic Zen / CEDIA 2007 / Edge / High-end Audio HiFi and Stereo / Show Reports 0 comments
 by Michael

Finally, the Coltrane Supremes are upstairs

Took us long enough, huh?

Well, we had an excuse, with the huge horn speakers hogging all the space up until May.

Then Neli’s sorry excuse for a husband was under orders not to lift anything heavier than 25 – 35 lbs. for 6 weeks – which we determined actually did rule out 300 lb bass towers.

And then we had audition after audition – and everyone really loved the Audio Note Ongaku on the Kharma Mini Exquisites with the Jorma Prime cable. – so we were hesitant messing with perfecttion [but this system will be downstairs, so we’ll see how much the size of the room contributed to the sound – it IS a small system, after all]

We had some concern – and numerous, numerous, numerous to the point of ridiculousness – discussions about how to get the speakers up to the main room. How to wrap them, ho wmany layers, how dirty the blankets could be, using a hand-truck, going outside instead of up the stairs, I was about to die with all this talking – what is WRONG with me that I was the one who started the conversation half the time?

Here is the stairs we carried them up. Neli did great carrying the top of the speaker up, and we did take off the 40lb or so spiked feet – but otherwise we ‘just did it’, like Nike keeps telling us to do, though at least with the second bass tower, we wrapped the banister with towels to prevent any ‘accidents’ – which luckily we didn”t have (whew! and yippee!).


We put the EDGE Reference amps on the main towers (800 watts on top, and the built in 2000 watts on the bottom – these boys go LOUD – so far I haven’t turned it up above -32 on the Capitole CD player – which is already over 100dB). Well, we wanted to wake up the speakers and this should do it.

Positioning still sucks.

And now starts the long journey to finding the magical combo of components that will make these speakers sing the way we know they can. This currently ain’t it, not the least reason of which is that the Capitole player needs vibration control bad – there is some serious BASS going on and it is just sitting on the Black Diamond Racing cones, right there next to the speakers, poor thing.

in Edge / High-end Audio HiFi and Stereo / Marten Design / Showroom 1 0 comments