Notes from the NY Audio Show

[docvale]

Here I am with my impressions from the show.

Favorite rooms with analog source:
- Brinkmann, Soulution, YG Acoustics
- Walker Audio, Burmester

Favorite rooms with digital source:
- MBL
- Playback Designs, VAC, Verity Audio

The show was overall fine, despite somehow small (specially if you think that in Italy we're used to enter the audio shows - huge, in the case of the Milan Top Audio - for free); anyway, much better than the Axpona 2011.
I was disappointed by certain too squared rooms, as pointed out by other forumers. Instead, retrospectively, I appreciated the approach to limit the number of people entering certain rooms: making a line is not fun, but the enjoyment of the system performance in more critical, specially in the case of the Sound by Singer rooms, where we had an actual introduction of the system and the technology used.
I was very curious to listen to the Dartzeel integrated amp, but that system didn't impress me. Meeting the Pure Music chief designer has been instead very pleasant.

Obviously, I also liked other rooms. The ones with Viola amplification were very nice, even if I think I preferred the TAD CR-1 when driven by the TAD electronics.

The Innovative room, as said by other, could have sounded better. I wish, anyway, that the same guys that were expecting more went to the Innovative showroom, were I listened to the new Alexandria XLF driven by reference level VTLs and Spiral Groove analog front-end. A fantastic audio session!
The Innovative guys have been super nice and professional.

I was instead very disappointed by the room with the large Cessaro Speakers. The room with the Sony reference speakers also performed below my expectations.

 

[asiufy]

What were the associated components used with the Dartzeel integrated?

 

[docvale]

They were the "small" Playback Designs and a pair of speakers from a new producer (I don't recall the name). The system was one of the two proposed ones by Sound by Singer.

 

[andromedaaudio]

Thats also a big concern to me as to how to scale a product, the type of music being played , a system can sound nice with vocals / a guitar , but when its asked to deliver dynamics(large scale ) it can sound as dribble .
Thats the mean reason i dont frequent shows a lot anymore , this audiophile type music.

The Scaena room was a big disappointment. Partially because there was simply too much going on in the room. At one point an attendee obliviously decided to park himself in front of the left speaker while he checked out that odd (but interesting) looking turntable. The room was simply too big. It was almost as if the subs were not connected. I've been impressed by them in the past so I'm guessing it was the room itself.

With regards to the Innovative Audio room it was a bag full of hurt. I'm not much of a Wilson Audio fan but I've heard the Sashas sound much better than this. I actually found the MBL room to be a bit of a guilty pleasure. If you can spend the rest of your life listening to Patricia Barber, Diana Krall and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir this is the speaker for you. Unfortunately I can not. For once I wasn't being blown away with ear splitting volume and inappropriate music. They were very selective about the demo music they played so the strong points of the speakers were clearly demonstrated. Bass is not a real strong point of the 101s but there is something that they do that other speakers can't seem to replicate. I'm probably sounding overly harsh. I enjoyed my time in the MBL room but I didn't hear anything there that made me want to take a pick axe to my Rockports. I could say that about every room I think.

Some of the worst sound was the room that had Zellaton speakers. They were a big zero and extremely expensive. This was the second time I've heard Kaiser speakers. Gorgeous quality and the sound does absolutely nothing for me.

There was some good sound. Apart from the MBL room, I enjoyed the Sony room. I heard the SS-AR1 at CES 2 years ago. If it (and its new brother) came out under a different brand name it would get the attention it deserves. My friend Jeff Catalano always gets good sound. The Cessaro's are behemoths but they impressed me which is something I never thought I would say about a horn speaker. I think Jeff could have improved things a little bit with some sound treatment but overall it was the essence of pure analogue. Wes Bender's room was excellent. Second time I've heard Hansen speakers and liked them. Lloyd Walker's room with Burmester was very good as well. The $999 speakers from Sjofn HiFi really kicked ass. Really impressive for the money. Veloce had some nice sound coming out of the YG Kipod (as I mentioned previously - much better sound than the big YGs in the GTT room). Overall the best thing I heard all day was Stax electrostatic phones with a Woo tube headphone amp.

 

[asiufy]

Ah, I see it on their website now... It's Kudos. I think they're a small, unremarkable british brand... Pairing it with a top integrated like that is a crime... But worst crime is that they're using Nordost cabling... Oh wow, what a mistake. Nordost Valhalla power cord almost made me return that Dartzeel integrated when I first bought it, as it made the sound thin, hollow and uninteresting. Somebody tell the "acknowledged avatar of high end audio" (their words, not mine) that even the factory supplied black cord sounds better than Nordost on Dartzeel gear...

Anyway, one thing I find fascinating, and not only with this particular show, is that some rooms are extremely polarising. Some people hate, while others think it's "best of show"...

 

[docvale]

...
Anyway, one thing I find fascinating, and not only with this particular show, is that some rooms are extremely polarising. Some people hate, while others think it's "best of show"...

I think it's normal
Sometimes just listening to music you like or dislike biases you on your opinion.

 

[Johnny Vinyl]

Ah, I see it on their website now... It's Kudos. I think they're a small, unremarkable british brand... Pairing it with a top integrated like that is a crime... But worst crime is that they're using Nordost cabling... Oh wow, what a mistake. Nordost Valhalla power cord almost made me return that Dartzeel integrated when I first bought it, as it made the sound thin, hollow and uninteresting. Somebody tell the "acknowledged avatar of high end audio" (their words, not mine) that even the factory supplied black cord sounds better than Nordost on Dartzeel gear...

Anyway, one thing I find fascinating, and not only with this particular show, is that some rooms are extremely polarising. Some people hate, while others think it's "best of show"...

Have you heard the Kudos?

 

[asiufy]

Yes, in a store in the UK. OK, it was a few years ago, and it wasn't top of the line stuff (Cardea-something, small tower).
My point is that the pairing could've been a more "traditional" or conventional, like EA, or some brands Singer has, like Peak Consult or Verity.
The fact that they're using Nordost tells me they haven't really done their homework, and there might be other factors influencing the set up choice.

 

[Johnny Vinyl]

Yes, in a store in the UK. OK, it was a few years ago, and it wasn't top of the line stuff (Cardea-something, small tower).
My point is that the pairing could've been a more "traditional" or conventional, like EA, or some brands Singer has, like Peak Consult or Verity.
The fact that they're using Nordost tells me they haven't really done their homework, and there might be other factors influencing the set up choice.

Their newer stuff must be better then as I heard them in the system of one of our members. Unfortunately I forget the Model #, but they are very similar in sound characteristics versus Totem Acoustic, and are actually quite nice. Sure, they're not Wilson's, YG's or SF's, but I think more than just unremarkable.

 

[rbbert]

...I was instead very disappointed by the room with the large Cessaro Speakers. The room with the Sony reference speakers also performed below my expectations.

Both of these opinions agree with mine from RAMF as well. IMO, the Cessaro's bass blended poorly with the mids, and to me the vinyl selections they played sounded noticeably worse than CD (I only spent about 30 minutes in that room on Saturday). The Sony's (on Sat and Sun) never overcame a big mid-upper bass hump that obscurred midrange detail (most likely the room, but who knows?)

 

[MylesBAstor]

Ah, I see it on their website now... It's Kudos. I think they're a small, unremarkable british brand... Pairing it with a top integrated like that is a crime... But worst crime is that they're using Nordost cabling... Oh wow, what a mistake. Nordost Valhalla power cord almost made me return that Dartzeel integrated when I first bought it, as it made the sound thin, hollow and uninteresting. Somebody tell the "acknowledged avatar of high end audio" (their words, not mine) that even the factory supplied black cord sounds better than Nordost on Dartzeel gear...

Anyway, one thing I find fascinating, and not only with this particular show, is that some rooms are extremely polarising. Some people hate, while others think it's "best of show"...

Not sure how much are real differences in opinion vs. taking say bass performance or other show related room issues with a grain of salt (or cup or two!). Thought the bass performances were on the whole bad at the show and as mentioned, there's not a whole lot an exhibitor can do with a square room but cry. If something sounds good at a show, it's worth investigating; if a room sounds bad, you can't necessarily dismiss it either!

 

[Odyno]

Somehown to me the Kudo's were more articulated than the Verity on the other room........

 

[Andre Marc]

Hi Bill:

Are you the famous Ryan Adams taper?