CES 2012 show report

January 24, 2012 by Michael

CES 2012 – Soulution

We talked about the sound of this room with the Souluion electronics on the Magico Q3 speakers in a recent comment, and I don’t want to belabor the problems the sound here had.

Let’s play detective.

2 years ago the Soulution on the big YG Acoustics at RMAF sounded much better than this. It still had a lot of problems if you are looking to listen to music on the things, but better. They used what I think is an inferior digital source at that show [not a CD player].

1 year ago, the same system, with Tenor amps. Same source. Slightly more harmonic color, slightly more rounder notes, but largely the same issues.

This CES. The Tenor again on the big YG Acoustics – this time with a CD player as a source. Much, much better. A system worth listening to more fully to find out all that it can and cannot do.

This CES. The Luxman on the Magico Q3. To my ears it was the epitome of this kind of Gee Whiz sound. Tight. Controlled. Dynamic. Punchy. With enough harmonics and correctness so that one can at least recognize what song is playing [this is in reference to the future discussion here of the Q7 system this CES. Think the speakers could be really great, actually, I really liked them – but the sound was completely whack].

OK fellow detectives, what does this all mean?

It means it takes a whole system to sound good. And just one component or accessory or incorrect positioning to muck it up.

[and it means Bill should bring a real source commensurate in quality with everything else he brings o the shows at RMAF ;-)].

So, in a very serious sense, I point out the systems that had serious problems at these shows so that, not to denigrate any particular product [though good detectives (and dealers and distributors and audiophiles) can find patterns in the sound of multiple rooms with the same product], but so that if you read a review of this room somewhere that said that the sound in these rooms was Awesome, you can put that reviewer onto a list of people who … uh… let’s say: have a completely different agenda than ours 🙂

Magico Q3 loudspeaker

Soulution 540 CD / SACD player

Soulution 590 USB Converter

Soulution 501 monoblock amplifier

The list of components in this room. I amj unsure if I got the 590 USB converter right above, as being 2 pieces, or if this list is missing a component.

January 23, 2012 by Michael

CES 2012 – Joseph Audio, Bel Canto, Cardas

Don’t think music was playing here on this system of Unison Research ‘Giro’ turntable, Bel Canto electronics, Running Springs Audio power conditioner, Harmonic Resolution Systems SXR equipment rack, Cardas cabling, and Joseph Audio’s Pearl 2 loudspeakers.

I’ll have you all know that I had to learn how to spell ‘Joeseph’ for this post. That it should be actually spelled ‘Joseph’ came as one of those surprises in life. You know, like … “really? no way!” Kind of like that people really eat peanut butter and olive sandwiches.

Bel Canto gear on HRS SXR equipment rack

Bel Canto gear, Unison Research Giro turntable, on HRS SXR equipment rack

Joseph Audio’s Pearl 2 loudspeaker

Joseph Audio’s Pearl 2 loudspeaker rear binding posts.

Unison Research Giro turntable

In a side room was another couplea systems: this one featured the Joseph Audio ‘Perspective’ loudspeakers

The Joseph Audio ‘Perspective’ loudspeaker

This other system featured the Joseph Audio Pulsar monitor loudspeaker

Joseph Audio Pulsar stand-mounted loudspeaker

Joseph Audio ‘Perspective’ loudspeaker

I think these last 2 photos are some of the coolest in the report so far. Hope these capture what the original displayed – with all the reflections of the marble parquet floor causing the speakers to kind of blend-into / sprout-up-out-of the floor.

Speaker rear.

Speaker front.

in CES 2012 / High-end Audio HiFi and Stereo / Show Reports 0 comments

January 23, 2012 by Michael

CES 2012 – Franco Serblin Ktema, Air Tight, Transrotor

I visited this room twice, the second time with Neli.

Franco Serblin was speaker designer at Sonus Faber and is now designing his own line speakers.

The first time I heard the just the Ktema speakers. The room seating was setup very strangely [see below. one seat in the sweet spot and one couch perched sideways, usually blocking access to the area behind the sweet spot. This made seating for 3 people, 2 of which were facing sideways to the system, one of which had their view and hearing blocked], making it very hard to listen w/o standing up, usually in front of someone else. So it was crowded. I did manage to force my way into the back and take the photo below.

The Ktema speakers sounded good, but I could not decide, in the time I had there, if it was the old Sonus Faber ‘sweetness with balls’ sound, the later Sonus Faber ‘sweet and polite’ sound, or something new. So I wanted to get back there. This was about 10am on the 2nd day.

When we did get back there, the last hour or so on the last day, it was mostly empty except for some German guy from Axiss, I think, who chatted up Neli for a half-hour or so – which gave me a long time to listen – this time to the Franco Serblin ACCORDO monitor speakers.

The Accordo speakers sound quite full, and I was surprised, when I got up close to take photos, that these were playing and not the Ktema. Neli didn’t believe me so SHE had to walk to the front too. These days this shouldn’t be all that surprising – many monitor speakers are sounding more full-range these days – but compared to the old Sonus Faber Electa and Extrema [we’ve lived with both], these give one more a feeling of full-range satisfaction.

Albert Porter wandered in and when I asked him what he thought of these, I think he was surprised that it was the monitors playing too – but overall he thought he did not like this kind of harmonic presentation. I never could find out what he meant. The Air Tight sound does have somewhat dull-sounding harmonics – but the monoblocks drove the speakers well, and the harmonics were even top to bottom and in good proportion to each other. And the tonality was close-enough to real that any differences did not bother me – and I am pretty sensitive to atonal sound, though I do not have ‘perfect pitch’ or anything. When we ended up in the Robert Lighton / Audio Note room, the harmonic colors were certainly more vivid – like the difference between, say, colors on a day when it is very humid and a day where the sun is bright with no humidity [I was going to say the different between the color of flowers on a cloudy day versus a sunny day – but think that is a little too stark. It is somewhere in-between these two lousy metaphors].

I think these speakers, now, are a cross between the old ‘ballsy’ Sonus Faber and the sweet and lovely detailed Sonus Faber designs, taking the best from both. I think these walk the middle line of having a good deal of pep but at the same time being more linear and well-behaved. Some a good amount of resolution, but not really focusing on it as intensely as, say, the Guarneri is.

That said, I would love to be able to hear these on an amp that is more likely to be used with these guys. Have no idea how hard they are to drive – Sonus Faber was all over the place [the Lamm ML2 18n watt SET works great on the Stradivarius, and nothing in this galaxy can truly drive the Extremas]. I can say that this was the best I have heard Air Tight sound.

Took a lot of photos, being there twice and all. The speakers, especially the Ktema, is strangely hard to photograph and not all that photogenic while still being quite fun to look at all the same.

We see here the crazy seating here in this room.

A more quiet time.

The only two Franco Serblin speakers at this point, the Ktema and Accordo.

The Franco Serblin Ktema ‘Proscenium’ loudspeaker [most people seem to drop the ‘Proscenium’].

The Franco Serblin Ktema loudspeaker

The Franco Serblin loudspeakers

The Franco Serblin Ktema loudspeaker

The Franco Serblin Ktema loudspeaker bottom, spikes

The Franco Serblin Ktema loudspeaker directly from the front, easy to see what the front really looks like.

The Franco Serblin Accordo monitor loudspeaker

Franco Serblin’s Accordo monitor loudspeaker

Franco Serblin’s Accordo monitor loudspeaker. The monitor speaker is rear ported.

Franco Serblin’s Accordo monitor loudspeaker closeup. Looks like it is signed by Franco Serblin on the top there, and you can see how the ‘strings’ are threaded to make the speaker front ‘cover’.

Franco Serblin’s Accordo monitor loudspeaker

Franco Serblin’s Accordo monitor loudspeaker directly from the front, makes it easier to see the drivers.

Air Tight ATM 3011 monoblock amplifier

Air Tight ATM 300 amplifier

Air Tight ATC 2 preamplifier

Accuphase DD6000 CD player

Several Transrotor turntables were on static display. This is the Transrotor ‘Fat Bob’ Plus TMD turntable

Transrotor ‘Fat Bob’ Plus TMD turntable

Transrotor Dark Star Reference turntable

Transrotor Zet 3 turntable

Unknown Transrotor turntable

Air Tight PC-1 Supreme cartridfge

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I had forgotten I stopped by here in the middle of the 2nd day – and shot the backs of the speakers and the particular turntable they were using.

The rear of the Franco Serblin Ktema speaker

Rear of the Franco Serblin ‘Accordo’ monitor speaker. Looks like there is a second port near the bottom of the speaker that is covered/stuffed with something.