Puget Audio Fest

[garylkoh]

Ok, I guess this is the ‘best sound’ of day 1….

Big Band with vocalist on the 14th floor. Thanks to Genesis Loudspeakers and Merrill Audio. Ki Choi is recording this to tape for replay tomorrow in the Genesis room.

Ki Choi did the recording, but I have got to hand most of the credit to Dr. Phillip Chance who set up the mics, and was mixing live to 2-track. That's not a trivial task as I realized when we did the direct-to-disc album. That's not to say that Ki had a trivial task as he had to make sure that the SM900 tape we used do not overload too much.

Phillip set up two Neumann TLM 50 mics as a stereo pair up high to avoid the bass gain from the floor. He had 6 channels available on the Nagra VI, but ended up only using the stereo pair of TLM50's and a direct feed from the vocal mic for the recording. This gave him the most "alive" sound. I tip my hat off to Phillip for making the decisions on the fly as none of us had ever recorded a big band before.

 

[garylkoh]

Did the live show sound a bit muffled to you. The players were all very far back in a tunnel. It was pleasant. But seemed a bit constrained.

I don't think any of us expected that 4 trumpets, 4 trombones and 5 saxophones could generate that much SPL. The PA system was overwhelmed and the singer had no chance. It's far better on the tape.

 

[Kingrex]

Are you going to share the tape? I liked the Duke Ellington song.

 

[thomask]

Songer Audio S-1, Wammerdyne 2a3 ampsView attachment 96226View attachment 96227

The Songer audio speaker is modern field speaker but in Vintage style.

I enjoyed its intimate and fast sound in Pacific Audiofest.

home | Songer Audio
page description
songeraudio.com

5a3 push pull amplifier was also interesting.

Best sounding 2A3 Single Ended Tube Amplifier | Class A Made in USA

 

[Ki Choi]

Ok, I guess this is the ‘best sound’ of day 1….

Big Band with vocalist on the 14th floor. Thanks to Genesis Loudspeakers and Merrill Audio. Ki Choi is recording this to tape for replay tomorrow in the Genesis room.
View attachment 96256View attachment 96257
View attachment 96259

Thanks, Mike for your report of the Kings of Swing with Paul Sawtelle concert on Friday night. Let me add some details of the project that might be interesting.

Live on-site recording expertise was graciously provided by Dr. Phillip Chance who prefers music over practicing medicine. Dr. Chance placed the mikes, negotiated with the sound guy, mixed on the fly two main mikes and the signer’s mike before sending me 2 channel final mix from his Nagra VI for me to record on a Nagra IV-S/QGB running at 15 ips with NAB EQ. He even provided me with the special Nagra input cables.

Thus, the real credit should go to Gary for sponsoring the concert and Dr. Phillip for doing all the heavy lifting so that the event could be captured Live-to-2 track on analog tape.

Here’s what Dr. Phillip said on FB:

This was a lot of fun and I appreciate the opportunity to make a contribution. The main pair are Neumann TLM50 microphones, a later solid-state version of the famous M50 which was used in the DECCA tree. The TLM50 were discontinued quite some time ago, and the current version is a tubed reincarnation, the M150.

Good job Gary and Phillip!

 

[Elliot G.]

Mike was absolutely instrumental in creating the high-end. If it weren't for him, the Genesis you know today would not exist. I was bidding for the company against someone who wanted to take the brand, and make cheap speakers in China. Mike convinced me to take on the challenge, hire Arnie and continue to make high-end products and he would support my efforts. Unfortunately, he passed and Lyric stopped selling Genesis.

I never knew that but this did happen after my time at Lyric. I'm glad you bougfht it Gary I always had a love affair with Arnie's speakers and owned a bunch including an IRS V.

 

[Elliot G.]

As he was all those things to me, Elliot! Next time I am in South Florida, we must meet and reminisce. For all the WBF Members, here is a photo of Mike looking dapper in front of Levinson's HQD system!
View attachment 96413

Do we know each other? I was there from 1979 to 1991

 

[Tango]

Love, love that picture of Mike Kay. Such memories!! Never forgot when he allowed me into the inner "sanctum santorum" to hear a master tape of Itzhak Perlman on the IRS system (event though I couldn't afford squat). But he saw I had the bug and went out of his way for a fellow music lover to fan the flames. RIP Mike. Some things you never forget. I remember when I first got laid, I remember my first Magneplanar experience, and I remember that master tape on the IRS. Not necessarily in that order.

I hope you remember one of those times not because it was an embarrassing experience like mine.

 

[Rhapsody]

From the Audiophile Junkie at the show. Read the comments.

Also comments on the Alsyvox/Pilium/Taiko/Esoteric/VYDA room at 6:35 in the video

 

[thomask]

During Pacific audiofest, I enjoy sound from vinyl than digital source.

This modest priced Modwright component with vinyl give very musical sound.

But I had quit vinyl 25 years ago, no turntable, phonoamp and vinyl.

Alas it may be too late to go back to vinyl.

 

[cjfrbw]

Wow. That Alsyvox from #89 sounded really good on my headphones.

 

[Rhapsody]

Wow. That Alsyvox from #89 sounded really good on my headphones.

You never know what you are going to get in hotel rooms, with wireless internet, power etc. We had a LOT of visitors loving the sound in our room. We got lucky considering all of the variables in the overall equation of exhibiting at the show.

 

[Phillip Chance]

Thanks, Mike for your report of the Kings of Swing with Paul Sawtelle concert on Friday night. Let me add some details of the project that might be interesting.

Live on-site recording expertise was graciously provided by Dr. Phillip Chance who prefers music over practicing medicine. Dr. Chance placed the mikes, negotiated with the sound guy, mixed on the fly two main mikes and the signer’s mike before sending me 2 channel final mix from his Nagra VI for me to record on a Nagra IV-S/QGB running at 15 ips with NAB EQ. He even provided me with the special Nagra input cables.

Thus, the real credit should go to Gary for sponsoring the concert and Dr. Phillip for doing all the heavy lifting so that the event could be captured Live-to-2 track on analog tape.

Here’s what Dr. Phillip said on FB:

This was a lot of fun and I appreciate the opportunity to make a contribution. The main pair are Neumann TLM50 microphones, a later solid-state version of the famous M50 which was used in the DECCA tree. The TLM50 were discontinued quite some time ago, and the current version is a tubed reincarnation, the M150.

Good job Gary and Phillip!

Thank you Gary and Ki. It was a great pleasure to join you on this project, and I sincerely appreciate your acknowledging my contributions on this Forum.

 

[Ron Resnick]

Welcome to WBF, Phillip!

 

[Phillip Chance]

Welcome to WBF, Phillip!

Thank you!

 

[Rhapsody]

Alsyvox description of the room at the show starting at 9:30 in the video

 

[Elliot G.]

Bending Wave Moves and Thrills with the Göbel Divin Noblesse speakers, Wadax Reference DAC, CH Precision electronics, and Nordost power products

Without doubt, of all the systems I evaluated at the 2022 Pacific Audio Fest, the imposing, hardly bargain-basement set-up assembled by Elliot Goldman, of Florida-based Bending Wave USA, was one of the Top Three Best Sounding. Only equipment capable of top-level sound reproduction could have...

www.stereophile.com

 

[Rhapsody]

There are many posts from attendees like this Audiogon thread regarding the Alsyvox/Pilium room-

oregon​

736 posts
08-02-2022 at 12:22am
I attended Friday and Saturday.
3 rooms were of note.
Von Schweikert Room. Big room and Huge soundstage. I found it hard to leave the room.
Linkwist room. Very tight and tuned sound. Not too crazy about the looks, but a very good sound.
The Pillium/Alsyvox Room. BEST OF SHOW! Incredible tonal balance, relaxed sound, clear soundstage and unbelievably toned, well defined bass. Never boomy (which I heard in many rooms as they are not the best rooms for demos). Several times, people looked around for "the subwoofer". No subwoofer.
Another thing I noticed- there were no room treatments! These are my dream speakers. The Pillium amp would be nice, too.

 

[thomask]

One of the component that I am eager to listen to is Lamphi Horizon Dac.

Von Schickert speaker driven by Vac amps with source of Lamphi Horizon Dac sounds clear and musical.

Then I asked the gentleman to play vinyl for comparison.

Wow vinyl sounds much more convincing from Cronus turntable.

Thus i got the feeling that as good as Lamphi Horizon Dac sounds,, it does fall short of best vynil playback in analog ease

But I do not mean that Lamphi Horizon Dac does not sound good.

Acora speaker driven by Vac amps with source of Lamphi Horizon Dac sounds clear with nice impact.


About 4 years ago, I had done comparison between MSB Select II and Cronus turntable in the same set up using same music.

MSB Select II match analog easeness of Cronus turntable at that time.

The only two Dacs that match best analog to my taste are Wadax and MSB Select II.



In the meantime you can tune the sound of Lamphi Horizon Dac through tube rolling.

Thus I will keep watching Lamphi Horizon Dac .

 

[Rhapsody]

https://www.stereophile.com/content...vox-botticelli-pilium-taiko-esoteric-and-vyda