Report

 

Venetian:   2 A B    29 A1 A2 B1 B2 C1 C2 C3   30 A1 A2 B1 B2 C1 C2   34  35  

  Alexis Park A B   St. Tropez A B C

 

 

Venetian Floor 30
(Wing B Part 2)

(Medium Resolution) CES 2008
T.H.E. Show
Las Vegas

January 2008

* Denotes a product carried by Audio Federation
 

Copyright © Audio Federation, Inc.. All rights reserved.
All pictures in this report are freely copyable and distributable
if attribution is given but may not be included in multi-room show reports without written permission.

 

 

 

 

Previously, on this (Medium Resolution) CES 2008 Show Report you are looking at, it is Wednesday afternoon, the third day of this four day show. and we had finished the first half of the 'B' Wing on floor 30. This page then finishes the B Wing, Once And For All. That leaves us with both 'C' wings, that on the 29th and 30th floors. This will be about four 'pages' worth of introspective photoganza. Plus!

Plus the Alexis Park and the majority of the St. Tropez.

Which I think is next because I fill up my three 2GB memory cards with photos in the next 2 or 3 rooms here at the Venetian. Unexpectedly I might add. This generation of about 3GB of photos per Wing was becoming a real constraint on what I was able to do in each trip to the Venetian.

Next year, perhaps maybe it might be a good idea to take more memory with me? Problem is that these gigantico cards at 8 GB or whatever - if one goes bad, or you lose it, you are really screwed. If I lose, or worse, accidentally right over, a 2 GB card I lose 2/3 of a Wing of photos. Excruciatingly horrible - but not like losing 2 whole Wings.

So next year, I'll probably just purchase one or two extra 2 GB cards. The pocket on the right - it has unused cards; the pocket on the left, ones that are full. I repeat this to myself over and over - as it is a new scheme - the photos getting kind of out of hand here - and I would hate to get the pockets backwards....

 

 

 

 

 
OK. Well, kind of an inauspicious start to this page in the report, as I remember nada about this room.
 
 
 
 
 
 
    
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

 

 

 
 
To find out what these people do would take too much time during the show. Presumably they have a website for those who want to know more.

Is that projector projecting right on to the window? Cool.

 

 

 

 

 
I liked the sound in this room. Price performance was good and it was very enjoyable. I know Resolution Audio was hyped pretty heavily on the forums, and probably by their PR department aka reviewers, but it did indeed sound reasonable... at their price point.

Problem with some people is they read X is 'good' and Y is 'good' and then they think X == Y, even though X costs $500 and Y costs $100K. Well, if they sound the same to them, then by all means they should save some money.  Of course, if it sounds the same to them why oh why are they hanging out on high-end audio forums? I'll tell you why [:-)], because they have joined the massive new 'Heckler Class' which have taken over most forums and online discussion venues.

 
  
EPOS loudspeakers
 
Stack of Resolution Audio gear.
 
 
 
This system was in the same room but did not get to hear. I was instead asking stupid questions like what gear that was in the sunken living area. OK, I take a photo of the sign outside the door, but this is like the 150th sign, and I sometimes just don't bother reading them. Besides, Revolution, Resolution, Revelation ... they are all a big mess together in my head. [I don't have TIME to see a psychologist].
 
   
 
 

 

 

 

 

 
Add Revolver to that list of 'R' names. According to the extensive signage here in this room, these people made turntables awhile back. Good name for a turntable company, huh?
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

 

 

 

 
OK, there was no way I could crop the two women out of the photo. Besides, they add a touch of warmth to what can be kind of a sterile presentation here of component after component. This system appears at most shows we go to. Its lovely to look at, has few components to mess with - but it never quite involves me. I have never wanted to play music in this room. I guess if I had more time I could try to analyze why, and try and communicate that to you the reader - maybe in Montreal, if we get up there this year [It should be a lot smaller than CES and RMAF... I hope]. I am sure these folks would be so overjoyed to have me do this little experiment in their room, too.
 
 
 
  

 

 

 

 

 
Bladelius, and Marten* 'Bird' speakers. Yay, something we sell! Bladelius seems to have a new finish on their equipment - a little shinier than in the past. A little sharper edges too. Well, I don't HATE it.
 
 
 
 
     
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

 

 

 

 
Next door to the Bladelius room is the other Marten* room with Jorma Design* cables.

These speakers, with subwoofer, were quite lively and musical. What do we mean by that? Midi-dynamics were good, and responded quickly to the music. Decay and separation was good, so the mind could easily appreciate the notes without having to spend the time to disambiguate them all the time. The harmonics were colorful without being sweet.

Since these cost the same (with the subwoofer) as their Miles III loudspeaker [about $11-12K], I have to, in my mind, decide what I think *I* would rather have. On EAR gear, which is not the liveliest nor most musical of sounds [we would categorize them as Workhorse], I think these speakers are definitely the right choice.

 
Customized reel-to-reel from Tim de Paravicini of E.A.R.
 
  
Custom colors for the reel-to-reels. I don't get it - but I'm not all into custom colors for everything. Black. Black works just fine for me, Black clothes, Black car. Black equipment rack. Black Audio Note face plates. Now Black EMM Labs gear. Makes life a LOT simpler, let me tell you.
 
Here. See? Black.
 
EAR CD player.
 
PS Audio Power Plant. Hmmmmmm.....
 
 
 
The EAR turntable seems to be taking a break.
 
 
   
The Marten FormFloor speaker and FormSub subwoofer.
 
OK, now we include a panoply of photos of the FormFloor, in various colors, and the FormCenter [or FormCentre for those of who go THAT way].
 
   
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
                   
 

 

 

 

 

 
LA Audio equipment, handmade in Taiwan.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

 

 

 

 
 
 
    
 
 
 
 
 

 

 

 

 

 
Eggleston Works speakers, Grand Prix Audio rack.
 
 
    
 
I didn't notice this faceplate was made of granite that looks the same as our countertops in our kitchen. Cool. I mean, seriously, this looks a lot better, to me, than plain old gloss black.
 
These guys are mixing and matching a lot of gear here. Here we see an Ayre phono stage.
 
SMc Audio integrated amplifier.
 
McCormack CD player.
 
 
And Grand Prix Audio turntable.

 

 

 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
There are so many, many open chassis here at the show this year.

 

 

 

 

 
 
       
Didn't get to really take photos in here. That pants leg there is of Jeff Rowland, and he was having a little meeting with several people - so I just popped in a fired off a couple then left [I interrupted a few other meetings too. Clearaudio had a meeting that just kind of stopped for a bit while I took a zillion photos of their statement turntable, for example].

 

 

 

 

Copyright © Audio Federation, Inc.. All rights reserved.
All pictures in this report are freely copyable and distributable
if attribution is given but may not be included in multi-room show reports without written permission.

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