Pursuing the Ultimate Music Experiences

Audio Federation High-Fidelity Audio Blog
 by Michael

CES 2012 – Burmester


Burnester usually brings a 100% Burmester system to these shows, and this year is no exception.


The Burmester B-100 loudspeaker


The Burmester B-100 loudspeaker


The Burmester B-100 loudspeaker


The Burmester B-100 speaker closeup


The Burmester 089 CD player. Really love how this looks, but hard to photograph.


The Burmester 089 CD player.


The Burmester 089 CD player.


The Burmester 089 CD player.


This is the Burmester 038 power conditioner


The Burmester 911 MK 3 amplifier


The Burmester 111 Musiccenter


On static display, the Burmester B10 loudspeaker

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 by Michael

CES 2012 – Kondo Audio Note


I thought that this year this room finally kicked.

Last year the turntable sounded kind of weird and not as a person might expect. This year there wasn’t any such problem.

I remember thinking that “If I was these guys, I would be very happy with the sound”. It sounded just like I always expected Kondo to sound, albeit at shows [starting at least as far back as the San Tropet the year when Kondosan passed away] they have been trying loser speaker after loser speaker and then prototype speaker and prototype speaker until now, finally, I got to hear them sound good at a show.

I am of the opinion that the better a system is, the longer it takes to understand its strengths and weaknesses – so I can only begin to try and describe a little of the ‘house sound’ here [as an example, I think most of you could go into Best Buy and listen to the systems they have there and start listing all their problems. They are so horrible that they are extremely easy to describe. Conversely, pick up a Stradivarius in a pawn shop and start playing it, it might take one years to find its particular strengths and flaws].

Kondo and Audio Note U.K. do share, still, a basic sonic profile – ANUK having more energy and excitement, Kondo being more relaxed and stately. There is also some overlap between Zanden and Kondo – Kondo having, I think, more harmonic resolution, a little more separation, Zanden adding a little more forceful flow to the music.


The Kondo speakers


A Kondo speaker. They brought these last year as well. 2 years ago they brought the big brother of these speakers.


The Kondo Ongaku integrated amplifier


The Kondo Ongaku integrated amplifier. Yes took a few photos of this.


The Kondo Ongaku integrated amp.


The Kondo Ongaku integrated amp.


The Kondo Ongaku integrated amp from above


A few shots now of the Kondo ‘Ginga’ turntable


The Kondo ‘Ginga’ turntable


The Kondo ‘Ginga’ turntable and IO-M cartridge


The Kondo ‘Ginga’ turntable and IO-M cartridge


A final shot of the turntable.


The Kondo G-70 linestage preamplifier


The Kondo G-1000 linestage preamplifier


The Kondo G-1000 linestage preamplifier [one of these is a prototype. This one I think]


The Kondo KSL DAC


The Kondo GE-1 Phono preamplifier and CFz MC steep-up transformer

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 by Michael

CES 2012 – Grand Prix Audio, Zanden Audio


Zanden Audio showed their gear on a Grand Prix Monaco Silverstone F1 isolation system (equipment rack) and Monaco turntable, speakers were the Wilson Audio Sasha loudspeakers.

I thought this room did not quite have the charm that it has had in previous years. Maybe it was just me, and in any case with the short time I was there I did not have time to pin down exactly what the differences were.


The Grand Prix Audio ‘Monaco’ turntable


Grand Prix Audio’s ‘Monaco’ turntable


The Grand Prix Audio Monaco turntable


The Zanden 2500S CD player


Zanden’s 2500S CD player


The new Zanden 1300 Phono Stage


Zanden’s new 1300 phono stage


The new Zanden 6000 integrated amplifier


A few shots of the Wilson Audio Sasha speakers in lights


The Wilson Audio Sasha speaker in lights

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 by Michael

CES 2012 – EgglestonWorks


EgglestonWorks was showing their speakers on Boulder gear in this room. Here we see the EgglestonWork Isabel Signature and Rosa Signature loudspeakers


Another shot of the EgglestonWork Isabel Signature and Rosa Signature loudspeakers


the EgglestonWork Isabel Signature and Rosa Signature loudspeakers


The EgglestonWork Isabel Signature and Rosa Signature loudspeakers


The pair of Boulder 1050 amplifiers


The pair of Boulder 1050 amplifiers from above


A Boulder 1050 amplifier closeup and in your face


On static display were the EgglestonWorks Andra II loudspeakers

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 by Michael

CES 2012 – Totem Acoustic


The Totem Loudspeakers room. [Yes, I am back on floor 30 for several more rooms, spending just a brief respite up on 35]

This room has a gigantic poster that wraps all the walls, from floor to ceiling. Lots of colors and attractive young women flying around. I took a photo of the rest of the room, but one of the guys who was inadvertently in the photo look so mortified that I cannot post it here.

I would think the general public would like these speakers and the company’s approach. Unfortunately, I think most dealers play it really safe when it comes to their brands they carry – preferring the old fogies like Definition and B&W.


The Totem ‘Element Earth’ loudspeakers


The Totem ‘Element Fire’ loudspeakers


The system here: Boulder CD player and Boulder preamp and Boulder amp. Transparent cable.


On static display: the Totem ‘Tribe V’ loudspeakers

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