Axpona 2015: Vivid-CAT, AudioKinesis-Atma, Alexia-D'Ag, MBL, Raidho makng music? You?

[rblnr]

Yes, indeed. You gotta have a very understanding wife/ partner!!!

Meet my wife

 

[edorr]

Edorr,

Ain't it amazing how a"cheap", "tiny" turntable (apparently only $4K) can compete and beat out digital that's around $20K?

And I am with you on the KEF Blades. For some reason KEF is not "sexy" enough for audiophiles, but is very, very good. A true chameleon for the equipment in front of it, and people can flavor their taste with warmer or leaner amplification based on their preference.

Well, that may be a premature conclusion.

(A) I only heard the streamer (which apparently has a build in D/A converter) not sure what it was, but hardly the best digital front end available and probably not $20K.
(B) I did not hear the same content played on the TT and digitally. So while the TT clearly sounded better, it was not an A/B comparison.
(C) He played two tracks on vinyl (Getz/Gilberto and Cassandra Wilson) that I also have at home digital, and I prefered my digital.

For the record, the LP he played that knocked me off my socks (the brass was incredibly realistic), was Hugh Masekela, the album hope. If you don't own it already go get it. I will be getting a digital copy and see how it sounds on my system at home.

 

[MadFloyd]

Well, that may be a premature conclusion.

(A) I only heard the streamer (which apparently has a build in D/A converter) not sure what it was, but hardly the best digital front end available and probably not $20K.
(B) I did not hear the same content played on the TT and digitally. So while the TT clearly sounded better, it was not an A/B comparison.
(C) He played two tracks on vinyl (Getz/Gilberto and Cassandra Wilson) that I also have at home digital, and I prefered my digital.

For the record, the LP he played that knocked me off my socks (the brass was incredibly realistic), was Hugh Masekela, the album hope. If you don't own it already go get it. I will be getting a digital copy and see how it sounds on my system at home.

Was this Saturday evening by any chance? I heard the Hugh Masekela then. Chooo choooo!

The streamer was a Lumin. I have it at home. It's very good for a sub $10k unit. I prefer it to my Playback Designs MPD-5 in many ways. But I totally agree that the tt crushed the digital.

 

[MadFloyd]

Beginning to think I have tin ears; I thought the Volti room, not mentioned above, to be one of the best. .

We all hear differently and have different tastes. I went to the Volti room because someone raved about it and found it thin sounding with boomy bass. Not my cup of tea, but obviously subjective.

 

[asiufy]

We all hear differently and have different tastes. I went to the Volti room because someone raved about it and found it thin sounding with boomy bass. Not my cup of tea, but obviously subjective.

Ian, you're spoiled forever Once you go sealed cabinet, (just about) anything else will have "boomy bass" !

IMHO, of course!
alexandre

 

[edorr]

Was this Saturday evening by any chance? I heard the Hugh Masekela then. Chooo choooo!

The streamer was a Lumin. I have it at home. It's very good for a sub $10k unit. I prefer it to my Playback Designs MPD-5 in many ways. But I totally agree that the tt crushed the digital.

I was there Sunday. No doubt the vinyl was phenomenal.

 

[c1ferrari]

Caesar -- thanks for sharing your photos!

 

[MadFloyd]

Ian, you're spoiled forever Once you go sealed cabinet, (just about) anything else will have "boomy bass" !

IMHO, of course!
alexandre

So true, Alexandre!

 

[MadFloyd]

Caesar -- thanks for sharing your photos!

+1 !

 

[mauidan]

TAS's JV take on the show:

http://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/axpona-chicago-2014-1/

 

[edorr]

TAS's JV take on the show:

http://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/axpona-chicago-2014-1/

For proof this magazine is a joke look no further. Simply pushing the usual suspects that drive the industry. Magico plug was a foregone conclusion, and no mention of what nearly all wbf member attendees touted as excellent, if not best in show (vivid).

 

[lesacre]

Thanks to everyone here for your kind words about our room. We were indeed pleased with our relatively "moderate" setup, according to today's hi end audio classifications.

As far as TAS, I just wanted to let you know that not only Valin and company did not write about us, they actually never showed up. They were too busy covering 220K speakers that sounded like .........well, I probably should be politically correct and not say......

However, our first and only TAS visitor in the room on Friday morning was their marketing guy trying to sell me their full page ads.

It was my pleasure meeting you all and I am glad you all liked the sound, so did we! It was not the best that system can do but it was the best it could do in the artificial show environment.

George Vatchnadze
Kyomi Audio