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

CEDIA 2007 Day 1 Photos

Still no broadband from comcast. Maybe tomorrow. So no large juicy pictures tonight… but here are some nice little tasty ones.

I thought there were more people this year, but after covering more of the show floor, there were strange concentrations of crowds [mostly congregating right in front of the booth I want to photograph, of course:-)], so perhaps it is only about the same. Thursday was kinda slow last year, so we’ll see.


The McIntosh M110 turntable. I think this is new – at least I have never seen one before… so it is new to me!


Another photo… the platter glows with a purple-ish blue-ish tint – which this photo tried to capture. Static display only… like most things at CEDIA… so do not know how it sounds.


Savant had a few of their innovative user interfaces on display. This was a 40 inch LCD touch panel that you could use your finger to tap on or drag around the screen in order to organize and play your collection of movies and music.

Most of their LCDs aren’t this big, they had a number that were around 8 to 12 inches.


Then again, they had this coffee table sized.. coffee table… that was the screen. Not sure what happens when you place your beer on a song when you are watching a movie… but it is so cool! No more remotes on the table, the table IS the remote.


The new Sonus Faber ‘Elipsa’ speaker. THE front.


THE rear. Serial #00001.


Finally, we got some photos of the new Nordost ODIN interconnect. Note the signature decorative wooden block.


It is quite a bit thicker than their Valhalla interconnects.


And the Odin braiding is different, more regular, and appears tighter.


More Odin’y eye candy


And more…

A lot of the show looks just like last year (and CES this January). Kind of dissapointing. But, like the stuff in this post, there are some new goodies. And, you know us, we like the goodies 🙂

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

Jorma 'Prime', Soundlabs, and more Marten Coltrane Supremes


Kharma Mini Exquisite speakers on Audio Note Ongaku, driven by Meitner CDSA CD / SACD player, 100% cabled by Jorma Design Prime cables.

Very small, very exquisite system.

Upstairs we had the player across the room, so always connected it to the system using he 10m Valhalla interconnects. So this was the first time we heard the Kharma speakers, and later the Marten Coltrane speakers, in a 100% Jorma Prime system.

Yummy.

Sonically, it was just more of what we heard upstairs, taken to a higher level. Specifically, more PRESENCE. Voices were just THERE. Bass seemed even tighter as well, though that might be the smaller room.


The chairs are turned away so that people can hear the Soundlab system in this photo.

Later, we put the Martin ‘Coltrane’ speakers in this system. First time we heard the Ongaku on the Coltranes. Compared to the Kegons, the Ongaku seems to control different frequencies, … differently. It is sweeter than the Kegons – but not sweet in the sense of warm, but perhaps in the sense of more color, and a better sense of the ‘right’ note decay.

The Kharma and Marten are worlds apart in this kind of uber-system, and, to generalize, the Marten in a more neutral speaker, more even top to bottom, soundstage behind the speakers, and the Kharma is a more exuberant speaker, very high-resolution in the mids and upper mids, soundstage in front of the speakers, and probably can’t be beat on vocals.

Also, the Kharmas prefer larger rooms and the Coltranes smaller.

Again, just generalizing.


The soundlabs!

Finally, the SoundLabs get a chance to breathe…. Nice to have them back out from behind the Coltrane Supremes…


And speaking of the Supremes… here we see them all nicely polished up by Neli.


The aesthetic of these speakers, tall vertical, wooden, in this room with its tall vertical wooden beams – is striking now that we are getting used to the whole idea that they are FINALLY up here.

in Audio Note / Emm Labs / High-end Audio HiFi and Stereo / Jorma Design / Kharma / Marten Design / Soundlab 0 comments