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Previously, on this 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.... |
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OK. Well, kind of an inauspicious
start to this page in the report, as I remember nada about this
room. |
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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. |
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EPOS loudspeakers |
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Stack of Resolution Audio gear. |
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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]. |
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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? |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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Customized reel-to-reel from
Tim de Paravicini of E.A.R. |
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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. |
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Here. See? Black. |
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EAR CD player. |
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PS Audio Power Plant. Hmmmmmm..... |
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The EAR turntable seems to be taking a break. |
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The Marten FormFloor speaker and FormSub subwoofer. |
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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]. |
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LA Audio equipment, handmade in
Taiwan. |
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Eggleston Works speakers, Grand Prix
Audio rack. |
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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. |
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These guys are mixing and matching a lot of gear here. Here we see
an Ayre phono stage. |
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SMc Audio integrated amplifier. |
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McCormack CD player. |
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And Grand Prix Audio turntable. |
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There are so many, many open chassis here at the show this year. |
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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]. |
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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.