California Audio Show 2013

[cjfrbw]

This is one of those setups that I wanted to hate. Why? I guess I just need something to hang my audiophile antipathies and inferiority complexes on.

Anyway, I would describe it as the best iteration of the audiophile skeleton sound I have heard to date. Enormous imaging, good three dimensionality, very detailed, good startle factor, smooth with nothing too negative to disrupt and annoy my audiophile zen.

I think when the audiophile skeleton sound gets detailed and unobtrusive enough, it gives the brain some room to synthesize the meat and bones while still providing high information retrieval.

Still I would say it is the kind of sound that audiophiles like and look for, but that does not necessarily resemble what you would hear anywhere in real life, but really, who cares if it is that good.

So in spite of myself, I would give it the best for overall iteration of a kind of audiophile ideal for this CAS 2013 show. So hang me. I hate you YG Acoustics and Ypsilon.

I am still trying to figure out what those two big tubes that looked like mercury vapor rectifiers were for.

 

[Nyal Mellor]

The two tubed device is a digital power conditioner called a Plasmatron. You'd have to speak to Robin at Loggie Audio to get the full details. Glad you liked the sound in the YG room! We did a fair bit of work on the speaker positioning and took a bunch of measurements to optimize

 

[cjfrbw]

Blue Coast Recording/Sony

Heard one demo with the female vocalist/Yamaha piano. How anybody can come away from a demo like this and talk about "Absolute Sound" is beyond me.

During the recording, you could barely hear her sing, the piano was vivid and dynamic in that way that live piano is, although several people in the audience who were musicians complained about its tuning. DSD recording.

The recording playback on Sony speakers sounded nice, and you could actually hear her singing, but the piano was at best an impressionistic rendering, however natural the illusion created by the playback.

The very well informed and interesting lady engineer discussed how it would be further polished and tinted in the after recording studio prep phase.

Very interesting demo, highly recommended for audiophiles to experience at least once.

 

[mep]

The two tubed device is a digital power conditioner called a Plasmatron. You'd have to speak to Robin at Loggie Audio to get the full details. Glad you liked the sound in the YG room! We did a fair bit of work on the speaker positioning and took a bunch of measurements to optimize

How ironic that you have a digital power conditioner that uses vacuum tubes?

 

[MylesBAstor]

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Martin Logan/Parasound room:

This one also in the top tier. Maybe a tad dry, I craved a bit of tube sweetness, but pushed all of the electrostatic buttons with speed, agility, deep and wide imaging. The larger size of the stats gave it some body as well, so not as ethereal and disembodied as smaller stats. Good integration of subs at 35Hz crossover.

I thought that this one would absolutely shred my home recorded vinyl CD needle drops because of the stat resolution. It did the opposite and blew them up and made them sound just wonderful. Parasound's designer showed up for some Q&A.

Smaller stats? Disembodied? Think you need to hear them properly set up.

 

[cjfrbw]

Smaller stats? Disembodied? Think you need to hear them properly set up.

That's what all you tiny stat guys say.

Sorry, couldn't resist.

 

[MylesBAstor]

That's what all you tiny stat guys say.

Carl no one has ever left Chez Astor and complained about disembodied images. As a matter of fact, you would swear with 15 ips tape that the musicians, not to mention the audience, are in the room with you. Sorry you're just barking up the wrong tree on this.

 

[cjfrbw]

The ethereal nature of many stats is one of their charms, but stat fans do tend to make them bigger and bigger to get a bit more heft to the sound. Didn't say I didn't like it, just that it is there in small stats that I have heard.

If you are talking just your stats, I wouldn't really know.

 

[flez007]

View attachment 11216View attachment 11217

This is one of those setups that I wanted to hate. Why? I guess I just need something to hang my audiophile antipathies and inferiority complexes on....

Thanks for taking the time to cover the show with your notes Carl, almost like being there....

 

[cjfrbw]

Thanks for taking the time to cover the show with your notes Carl, almost like being there....

You're welcome, Fernando! Of course, everybody can now read all of the opinions that contradict mine. Have fun.

 

[caesar]

The two tubed device is a digital power conditioner called a Plasmatron. You'd have to speak to Robin at Loggie Audio to get the full details. Glad you liked the sound in the YG room! We did a fair bit of work on the speaker positioning and took a bunch of measurements to optimize

Nyal, no absorbers? No diffusers?

 

[Sonus]

Great job cjfrbw! I enjoyed reading your reviews.
Although i think differently from you on almost any room you described I actually know now what's your likes and dislikes, if it was a dating site i'll probably could have fix you up with great success

By the way, since the cable was loose, some times it sounded great and some times it didn't, so if when you heard it you liked it, it was probably sounding good at that time. In any case I think it's going to sound much better today with the CD Player.

I had another chance on Sunday to listen to the VS system, still the same great sound as it was on Friday. Best in show for me.

 

[Odyno]

Any opinion on the High Fidelity Cable?

 

[cjfrbw]

Great job cjfrbw! I enjoyed reading your reviews.
Although i think differently from you on almost any room you described I actually know now what's your likes and dislikes, if it was a dating site i'll probably could have fix you up with great success



I had another chance on Sunday to listen to the VS system, still the same great sound as it was on Friday. Best in show for me.

Yeah, I'm pretty sure something must have been wrong when I heard it, it just doesn't make sense.

 

[Nyal Mellor]

Nyal, no absorbers? No diffusers?

We strategically positioned sofas and trade show display posters to kill the slap echo in the space.

We also did some work on sound sealing the door between the YG room and the VS room.

But many exhibitors do not want acoustical panels in their space for various reasons, so in this case my work was limited to assistance with speaker and listener placement.

 

[Sonus]

Yeah, I'm pretty sure something must have been wrong when I heard it, it just doesn't make sense.

I am sure everything was right, you clearly like different things than me.

Totally ok

 

[c1ferrari]

View attachment 11203

Aesthetix/Spectral/Wilson Alexia:

The distance between loudspeakers appears substantial...any estimate of that distance?

 

[cjfrbw]

The distance between loudspeakers appears substantial...any estimate of that distance?

I would guesstimate about 15 feet or so, but not to precision.

 

[JackD201]

Looks a bit more than a freethrow line.

 

[c1ferrari]

I would guesstimate about 15 feet or so, but not to precision.

Thanks, Carl, for sharing your impressions and pictures of CAS 2013.
I would have liked to have heard this room...kinda interested in the Aesthetix line :b