CES 2012 – Light Harmonic


Did not get a shot of the entire system in this room. The nice exhibitor was talking to me while I was in this room and as often happens, I forget to take this or that photo. In this case, the photo of the entire system.

The fella kept saying that he was playing music off his smartphone – and I kept asking did he really mean he was controlling the Aurender music server with his smartphone or was he really sending a ton of data over wifi from his phone over to the Da Vinci DAC. He seemed to indicate the latter – and if so, then it seems to me like the smartphone must a) have a lot of memory and b) the DAC must be doing a lot of buffering to handle the inevitable wifi dropouts and hiccups and c) this would be really cool. But none of the components seems to support this kind of thing, although the silver Light Harmonic box does not seem to be documented anywhere…


Light Harmonic’s Da Vinci DAC. Hard to see in this photos, but the white line on the side of the DAC ‘lights up’ – really accentuating its ‘stealth fighter’ look.


Light Harmonic’s Da Vinci DAC.


Light Harmonic’s Da Vinci DAC from below


Light Harmonic’s Da Vinci DAC


Light Harmonic’s Da Vinci DAC open chassis [albeit the electronics has been removed]


This speaker that looks a little like a Wilson Sophia is unknown to me.


Pass Labs XA 100.5 amplifier


Pass Labs XA 100.5 amplifier


Pass Labs XA 100.5 amplifier


Pass Labs XA 100.5 amplifier


Pass Labs XP-20 preamplifier


Aurender A10 music server

CES 2012 – Motus Audio


Motus Audio is new to me. They manufacture speaker drivers. The system sounded okay, but I am really not able to judge given my unfamiliarity with the components in this system. Now, if they did a shootout… that would be illuminating … and fun and interesting…


Motus Audio speaker


Motus Audio room equipment rack


Motus Audio room equipment rack


Modus Audio speaker


Modus Audio speaker


Motus Audio speaker driver


Ayre amplifier

CES 2012 – MSB Technology, YG Acoustics


MSB was all over the place at this show. They must have brought an extra 10 systems, because all sorts of people who needed an extra piece or two because of extenuating circumstances were showing up with MSB in their rooms.


YG Acoustics Kipod II speaker


MSB Technology S200 Stereo Amplifier


MSB Technology Platinum Diamond DAC IV and Power Base


MSB Technology Signature Data CD IV


MSB Technology Universal Media Transport and Power Base


YG Acoustics Kipod II speaker


YG Acoustics Kipod II speake


YG Acoustics Kipod II speake


MSB Technology Platinum Diamond DAC IV comes in multiple colors


MSB Technology Platinum Diamond DAC IV in red


Back (rear) of red MSB Technology Platinum Diamond DAC IV