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 A Part 2)
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 the Audio Federation CES 2008 Show Report, it is noonish Tuesday and we had just finished the first half of this Wing A of floor 30. Now we proceed to finish with this wing. There are 3 wings on each floor [actually, the elevator bank, which had at least 6 evaluators, constituted a 4th, mini wing].
 
 
 
 

 

 

 

 

STYLE


Not Sure

 
SOUND


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Looks like Legenburg switched from the Wilson Watt/Puppy [some number between 5 and 7] to the Acoustic Zen* Adagio loudspeakers, and from I forget to the ModWright electronics... and I STILL can't tell you what the cables sound like. I am either really lame or they weren't playing music. I seem to remember people coming back from lunch while I was here. - so maybe they just weren't playing music. Yeah. That must be it.
 

 
               
 
 
 

 

 

 

STYLE


Not Sure

 
SOUND


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Triode Corporation makes some very photogenic components - they are fun and easy to take pictures of. And the sound is always pleasant, if somewhat constrained by the size of the speakers.

Checkout the cutouts used to hide the cables. Not sure what the effect on the sound is, but it is certainly more aesthetic than the alternative. The stuff about 'Japanese Harmony', as it was explained to me, just has to do with the effect of music on a person - which all of us can probably attest to as being a great stress reliever [unless you have ground loop hum].
 

 
    
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

 

 

STYLE


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SOUND


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I expected these to sound like Sonus Faber loudspeakers, which they look like, and which we like, but they did not.
 

 
 
 

 

 

 

STYLE


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SOUND


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STYLE


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This room was interesting because they had a Red Point-looking table and speakers that reminded me a little of the Sonus Faber Extremas and a little of Kharma and... Well, while the sound didn't bowl me over - it didn't suck and so we await the next show when more time can be spent listening here.
 

 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

 

 

STYLE
Impressive Sweet   Enjoyable Emotional Sophisticated   Natural Workhorse Real/Truth  Magical/Spiritual
SOUND
Sweet   Enjoyable Emotional Sophisticated   Natural
 
The new Kharma 3.2.2 and new Tenor $40K stereo amplifier. This is a very well-balanced system, though lacking magic [so did all systems except the Lamm / Wilson].
 

 
 
 
   
 
 
 
This can't be good...
 
 
Those red fluted tape cinches [OK, I have NO idea what they are really called, but please bear with...] sure are a fashion statement. Can you just imagine what reel-to-reel tape decks would look like if turntable manufacturers got a hold of them? Wow!

 

 

 

STYLE
Impressive Sweet   Enjoyable Emotional Sophisticated   Natural Workhorse Real/Truth  Magical/Spiritual
SOUND
Impressive Sweet   Enjoyable Emotional Sophisticated   Natural
 
Now I'm confused... Neli, do we want these new Exquisite Galileo speakers or the Midi Exquisites? I think we want the largest speaker that will work in the our space - which would be the Midi. Whew! OK. It is a lot of work sometimes keeping one's wish list up to date.
 

 
  
 
 
 
 
 
New Kharma linestage between the Kharma MP150 amps.
 
 
 
 
 
I assure you I have NO idea... unless it is silly putty, which we have used sometimes to clean our stylus / needle.
 

 

 

 

STYLE


Not Sure

 
SOUND


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STYLE


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SOUND


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STYLE


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SOUND


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Apparently a line of wireless speakers. Wave of the future, no doubt.
 
   

 

 

 

 

STYLE


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SOUND


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STYLE


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SOUND


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STYLE


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SOUND


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Well, these sounded better here than at RMAF, where they, in contrast to all the hype about the shape of the speaker, sounded boxy, in my opinion.

Fit-and-finish seems to be top notch, but the sound still was overly neutral and uneven in numerous aspects.

If they want this to sound better, it looks like they are running very long interconnects and/or speaker cables - it would help to run the best cables possible. Also, unless they are trying to sell Krell 'Kid's and iPod, using the best source possible would also help show off what the speakers can do.
 

 
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
 

 

 

 

 

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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