Rhapsody.Audio Listening Rooms

[Rhapsody]

Dear Bob,

A big congratulations to you for the wonderful article Julie Mullins wrote in the December 2021 issue of Stereophile about your Rhapsody Listening Room business model!


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Thank you Ron!

 

[Rhapsody]

Getting ready for a Bayz Counterpoint/Pilium Leonidas/Odin2 demo. It is a temporary set up. Will clean it all up later as I have different length Nordost cables on the way, so as to be able to makes things nice and pretty

 

[tima]

Dear Bob,

A big congratulations to you for the wonderful article Julie Mullins wrote in the December 2021 issue of Stereophile about your Rhapsody Listening Room business model!

Yes. It is a very innovative approach and a clever business model. Sound distribution at each showroom with centralized sales and product delivery and east-mid-west service. I presume little B&M overhead. Imo one of the keys is multiple choices for comparison at each showroom. Hopefully the days of 'you can only hear that in NYC' will dwindle.

Bob (@Rhapsody) - are the equipment offerings for each RLR posted on you Website?

 

[Rhapsody]

Yes. It is a very innovative approach and a clever business model. Sound distribution at each showroom with centralized sales and product delivery and east-mid-west service. I presume little B&M overhead. Imo one of the keys is multiple choices for comparison at each showroom. Hopefully the days of 'you can only hear that in NYC' will dwindle.

Bob (@Rhapsody) - are the equipment offerings for each RLR posted on you Website?

The pictures of each RLR are posted on the individual pages which are listed on Rhapsody.Audio site. Individual components are NOT listed as they will be changing/adding continually. Contact information (email or phone) is available on each RLR site, which is how one would find out the system configurations at each location.

The RLR's and myself are NOT creating this biz model to SELL. I happen to have been selling especially Pilium, Alsyvox, Diesis and Bayz across the US over the last two years at an accelerated rate. I just happened to have customers, conveniently located across the US, that love these specific brands and both them, the RLR's and myself wanted to offer the products that we enjoy for others to hear.

We are offering interested parties a chance to hear what we like. If anyone wants to purchase one of our products then I/we will facilitate the purchase/delivery/installation/support process.

 

[tima]

The RLR's and myself are NOT creating this biz model to SELL. I happen to have been selling especially Pilium, Alsyvox, Diesis and Bayz across the US over the last two years at an accelerated rate.

Goodness - whether it is a sale or a purchase I didn't mean to offend you or misdescribe what you are doing. I thought it was an innovative approach given the general lack of showrooms.

 

[Rhapsody]

Goodness - whether it is a sale or a purchase I didn't mean to offend you or misdescribe what you are doing. I thought it was an innovative approach given the general lack of showrooms.

If I came across as offended, it was not the intent. I'm too thick skinned at my age to be offended on WBF. Was just giving a general response to your question and adding some additional information, nothing more than that. No offense taken.

 

[spiritofmusic]

Bob, I'm intrigued by the property you have in Brooklyn. 8000 sq ft over multiple large rooms. Having moved from a 1930s industrial factory loft building in London, my heart always melts when I see such buildings put to good, continued use, especially live/work.
Can you post more photos of the building itself?

 

[Rhapsody]

Bob, I'm intrigued by the property you have in Brooklyn. 8000 sq ft over multiple large rooms. Having moved from a 1930s industrial factory loft building in London, my heart always melts when I see such buildings put to good, continued use, especially live/work.
Can you post more photos of the building itself?

Hi Mark,

I don't own the beautiful building. I rent a few floors in the "beautiful old lady" that she is from a good friend and long time customer. Not really posting pics other than what has been posted for the listening rooms. Visitors will have a chance to experience 1 S Portland when they visit.

 

[spiritofmusic]

Sure Bob. The little I've seen of yr Brooklyn HQ is amazing.

 

[Rhapsody]

A few pics of the outside doesn't hurt, it's quite the lady built in 1878. It's on the corner directly across the street from Fort Greene Park. In the mornings from 7am-9-am 100 yards from my front door there is an area in the park where dog owners from the area bring their dogs and they run loose in a large area of the park. 100+ dogs running wild, having fun. For me it's all like I died and went to heaven I'm a lucky camper!

Here is a write up of the house https://www.brownstoner.com/architecture/building-of-the-day-1-south-portland-avenue/

 

[Bobvin]

There certainly isn’t anywhere here in the Pacific NW to hear these brands. Portland brick & mortar dealers don’t have anything similar, even Seattle offerings are limited (though I admit I did not visit each and every store in these markets). One reason I thought this RLR thing would be fun was a chance to share Diesis Roma with folks here in Portland. I tongue-wagged generously about themafter first hearing them a couple years back, encouraging everyone, should they be in NYC, to stop for a listen.

I am having a blast getting to know these products myself. My audio buddies too! The Achilles amp is starting to hit full stride, the Botticelli external cross-over is getting run-in, and there are smiles on every face. My Etsuro Gold cartridge and CS Port phono stage now feel they are playing in the same league. I’m happy to share — it is one of the joys of this hobby for me.

I had the Romas setup for a week, was loving the sound, thinking I found my favorite. Now the Botticelli are in-room and maybe these are my favorite? I am blessed I don’t have to choose (I don’t want to leave out the Bayz, though I have decided to change out the smaller Courante for a pair of the big boys, the CounterPoints. The Bayz with their omni-directional delivery are very special indeed.)

 

[Ron Resnick]

Maybe Diesis will be your favorite for jazz? Maybe Alsyvox will be your favorite for vocals?

 

[dcathro]

There certainly isn’t anywhere here in the Pacific NW to hear these brands. Portland brick & mortar dealers don’t have anything similar, even Seattle offerings are limited (though I admit I did not visit each and every store in these markets). One reason I thought this RLR thing would be fun was a chance to share Diesis Roma with folks here in Portland. I tongue-wagged generously about themafter first hearing them a couple years back, encouraging everyone, should they be in NYC, to stop for a listen.

I am having a blast getting to know these products myself. My audio buddies too! The Achilles amp is starting to hit full stride, the Botticelli external cross-over is getting run-in, and there are smiles on every face. My Etsuro Gold cartridge and CS Port phono stage now feel they are playing in the same league. I’m happy to share — it is one of the joys of this hobby for me.

I had the Romas setup for a week, was loving the sound, thinking I found my favorite. Now the Botticelli are in-room and maybe these are my favorite? I am blessed I don’t have to choose (I don’t want to leave out the Bayz, though I have decided to change out the smaller Courante for a pair of the big boys, the CounterPoints. The Bayz with their omni-directional delivery are very special indeed.)

You sound like a kid in a candy shop!

 

[sbo6]

Magico A5's with Pilium Leonidas integrated....seductive sound!

Beautiful! Very natural and organic looking room. The system fits in with the room theme well. Congrats!

 

[Rhapsody]

New Pilium Alexander dual chassis preamplifier and Achilles stereo amp arrived today at Rhapsody.Audio. Letting them acclimate to room temp before turning on.

 

[Rhapsody]

Pilium heaven =

 

[Kingrex]

I watched your youtube interview on the Rhapsody LR growth. Looks like a great group of people you have brought together.

Interesting comments on rooms. At least your experience in NY. I was thinking of a designed room for my next home. I'm becoming very shy to the idea of room absorption.

 

[Rhapsody]

I watched your youtube interview on the Rhapsody LR growth. Looks like a great group of people you have brought together.

Interesting comments on rooms. At least your experience in NY. I was thinking of a designed room for my next home. I'm becoming very shy to the idea of room absorption.

We had designed the room that I spent the last 10 years at 24th street in NYC to be a theater. 40+ drivers. It had to be absorptive.

Then I ended up changing the room over to pretty much audio only. I should have updated the room, now looking back I made a mistake by not doing that. Lesson learned.

 

[analyzer]

Pilium heaven =

Just one technical question... I'm looking about specifications of Pilium pre and Power amplifiers...
Datasheet declare a voltage amplification of "2" (I suppose the gain in db) for the linestage and "36" for the Power amps.
It's an unusual choice; statistics shows that many linestages have more than 10-15 and also 20 db gain and rarely the Power amplifiers have more than 26-29 db's gain.
So... my question is: do you have paired the Achilles or Hercules with other brands linestages? If yes ... which were the results?
I'm discussing the matter with a close friend of mine who probably Will sell his beloved Viola Bravo II matched with his own preamp (Viola Sonata, 20 db gain) and Is looking for a replacement with Ideal electrical match...

 

[Rhapsody]

The key to the "Pilium sound" is the combination of either of the two Pilium preamps (Ares and Alexander) and ANY of the Pilium amps. I have zero experience matching either Pilium preamps with other brand amps or the opposite.

The P link (connect the Pilium pre with any of their amps) which uses normal xlr's is the avenue to get the "Pilium sound". I would not have a clue on how the Pilium gear will match with other brands. When someone asks me the question I tell them that if you are NOT going to eventually go with both a Pilium pre and amp combination or the Pilium integrated amps I suggest they look at other alternatives.

It's not to say that the Pilium amps and preamps won't match with other brands, it's that we have no idea what they would sound like. Unless I know what something sounds like and have heard it personally I would never recommend it.