Full Report
 THE VENETIAN

FLOOR FOUR

4
January 8th-11th, 2007

 

* product carried by Audio Federation

Copyright © Audio Federation, Inc.. All rights reserved.
All pictures in this report are freely copyable and distributable.

 

 

 

 
The L.A. Audio Electronics room.

Pretty gear as always.

 

 

 

 
Took a few photos of the speaker, I guess because it was fun to photograph. Have to admit is is a little different, if not quite Symposium different.

 

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

 
 

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

 
The crossover for the speaker. At first I thought that was copper windings of the transformer wrapped in a helter-skelter style - but now I think it is copper foil wrapping the transformer.

 

 

 

 
The Audio room.

 

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

 
The Sunny Cable Technology room [stereo version]. Ayre and Sonic Frontiers front end.

These were intriguing so I stayed and listened to Hotel Caleeeefornia off the new [we had one that was burned for us - but it was so bad, and the original it was recorded off of was so bad, we thought that there must be something wrong. And, yes, the store bought CD was much better] Eagles Live CD that we also use sometimes here when Neli is not around.

So according to my notes, this is what I heard.
 

Resolution    
Level of detail: 5=perfect   3
Micro-dynamics   4
Midi-dynamics   [highs: 8, lows: 4]
Macro-dynamics   [highs: 6.5, lows: 8]
Harmonic resolution   6
Harmonics    
Body / richness   8
Tonal accuracy   7
Dynamics    
Separation   5
Consistency top-to-bottom   3
Control   [highs: 5, lows: 8]
Authority   6
Imaging    
Correctness   N/A
Separation   8
Transparency   4
Depth   N/A
Width   N/A
Off axis behavior   N/A
Solidity   N/A
Character    
Enjoyability   6
Emotionality   4
Reality   7.5 [lacking some resolution and transparency]
Magic   N/A
Impressiveness   [bass: 9, details: 4]
Sophistication   6
Comments    
Weak in resolution, transparency and consistency across the freq spectrum
Legend    
N/A means Not paying Attention [I wasn't paying attention to this, or I didn't write down anything about this]

For most scoring, 9 = best we ever heard. On Level of Detail, less than 5 implies a rounded note presentation, greater than 5 implies a distinct note presentation.

These impressions are just impressions, and apply to the whole system in combination to the room. Please do not misconstrue it as something else, especially you speaker manufacturers.

Impressive - Exaggerated bass and/or detail and/or dynamics
Sophisticated - Detailed and with finesse
Enjoyable - Nice to listen to, pleasant
Sweet - Exaggerated harmonics and/or warmth
Emotional - Music often pulls at heart strings
Real/Truth - Transparent, accurate
Magical/Spiritual - Precipitates psychological effects other than what might be expected

 

 

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

 
The Ayre and Sonic Frontiers front end.

 

 

 

 
The view from the listening chair using what is effectively a 26mm lens.

 

 

 

 
The Lotus Group room.

Acoustic Revive equipment is also licensed and manufactured by Furutech - which is why you may notice some similarities.

 

 

 

 
The Oyaide table of goodies. Or is that table of Oyaide goodies.

 

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

 
The *Acrolink table.

 

 

 

 
The Sound Mechanics platform.

 

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

 
The Capativa Tech room.

 

 

 

 
The Melody Hi Fi LLC room.

 

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

 
The King's Audio room. Rogue electronics.

I liked the King's Audio room at last year's CES, but this year the sound was cold, with low resolution, uneven, slow sounding...

 

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

SUNNY CABLE (Surround)
 
The second Sunny Cable room that was set up for what looks like 5.2 surround sound.

 

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

Calix,
Luminance
 
The Calix, Luminance room.

Too loud and too beamy and a lack of resolution in the midrange that came off as hard sounding. We know the Calix's can sound better than this - we heard them in depth at HE 2003 in the *Edge room, as well at numerous CES's with other equipment.

 

 

 

Marten,
Jorma Design,
Bladelius,
Power Wing
 
The *Marten, *Jorma Design, Bladelius, Power Wing room.

OK, I forgot to take a picture of the sign. And it isn't the only room whose sign I spaced out, obviously!

These are the new Marten 'Bird' speakers, which are quite a bit less expensive than their big brother, the Coltranes. More info should be forthcoming shortly on the Blog.

 

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

 
The Marten 'Bird' loudspeaker. Named after Charlie Parker.

 

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

 
The Marten 'Monk' loudspeaker.

 

 

 

 
The Marten 'Monk' loudspeaker.

 

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

 
The Bladelius Gondul CD player..

 

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

 
Alan Kaftan's Power Wing power conditioner.

 

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

 
The big Bladelius Grendel amplifier.

 

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

 
The main 4th floor hallway off which the hallways with the meeting rooms branch. That is indeed an English sentence, but what I mean is that hallways on the right, each of which has a big orange arch like that one there, are hallways that the rooms that we want to see are entered from.

OK, I give up.

 

 

 

 
Walking home after the show. It is already dark out. That golden building is the Venetian.

 

 

 

 
Using a different exposure, the Venetian is now the building in white lights. To the right are a bunch of cranes as they work on building another massive hotel, I believe. This construction added to the traffic 'situation' at the show.

 

 

 

 
The Rives, *Shunyata, VAC, Wadia room.

I had missed this room on my first pass on floor Four, and I wanted to hear what was being done to the Talon speakers now that Rives just bought their company.

The look is certainly different. Instead of a pyramid-like shape, they now look like Wilson's Watt / Puppy speakers but with a sweep-back on the sides like the Wilson Alexandria. Don't you think so too?

Anyway, I could hear nothing about these speakers in this room - in my opinion the equipment here is neither a good match for each other nor these speakers. So, oh well, maybe next show.

 

 

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

 
And we're outahere.

Well, actually, I am about to head up to floor 30 in the Venetian tower and finish it off, immediately followed by a marathon excursion through the wilds of the suites on floor 29, and what is the greatest number of exhibitors on a single floor I have yet seen.

 

 

 

 

 

* product carried by Audio Federation

Copyright © Audio Federation, Inc.. All rights reserved.
All pictures in this report are freely copyable and distributable.

 

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