I just wanted to post some quick thoughts on what I thought was the best of show and the worst of show. I will also include the weirdest effect of the show:
Best of show-Cost be damned, it was the MBL room for me. I spent a fair amount of time at the show with Myles and listened to his music over and over again in rooms too numerous to count. Myles has an ancient CD by the Fairfield Four. This is an a cappella group that is older than dirt. They have a bass singer whose onions are dragging the ground. There is one particular cut and I think it is “Roll Jordan Roll” that just highlights the bass singer. This cut sounded great in some rooms, but it sounded unbelievable in the MBL room (or it sounded believable). Everyone who heard it was blown away and Myles was constantly asked who the group was.
Best of show for mere mortals-Hands down for me it was Carl’s room with the Nola KO speakers powered by the ARC REF 5SE, the CD8, and the ARC REF 75 amp. The KO speakers are something very special-at least to me. Caesar beat me to the punch on these. I loved them.
Worst sound of the show-The room that had the newly revived Aragon amp and Thiele speakers with a Cayin tube CD player. The sound was so thin and bright I wanted to run screaming from the room. It was just horrible sounding. I don’t know where to point the finger because I have never heard any of this gear before. Maybe the Aragon brand shouldn’t have been brought back from the dead. Maybe the Thiele speakers suck. Maybe the Cayin CD player is truly horrible. Add the three together and you have AM radio type sound on a bad ionosphere day.
Weirdest sound effect-It had to be the Avalon room for me. There has to be some serious jigger-pookey going on with the crossover networks in these speakers because the soundstage on every track was 15’ behind the plane of the speakers. It’s kind of a neat parlor trick, but I think it would get old quick just as any gimmick that makes every recording sound the same does(calling Dr. Bose…).
Best of show-Cost be damned, it was the MBL room for me. I spent a fair amount of time at the show with Myles and listened to his music over and over again in rooms too numerous to count. Myles has an ancient CD by the Fairfield Four. This is an a cappella group that is older than dirt. They have a bass singer whose onions are dragging the ground. There is one particular cut and I think it is “Roll Jordan Roll” that just highlights the bass singer. This cut sounded great in some rooms, but it sounded unbelievable in the MBL room (or it sounded believable). Everyone who heard it was blown away and Myles was constantly asked who the group was.
Best of show for mere mortals-Hands down for me it was Carl’s room with the Nola KO speakers powered by the ARC REF 5SE, the CD8, and the ARC REF 75 amp. The KO speakers are something very special-at least to me. Caesar beat me to the punch on these. I loved them.
Worst sound of the show-The room that had the newly revived Aragon amp and Thiele speakers with a Cayin tube CD player. The sound was so thin and bright I wanted to run screaming from the room. It was just horrible sounding. I don’t know where to point the finger because I have never heard any of this gear before. Maybe the Aragon brand shouldn’t have been brought back from the dead. Maybe the Thiele speakers suck. Maybe the Cayin CD player is truly horrible. Add the three together and you have AM radio type sound on a bad ionosphere day.
Weirdest sound effect-It had to be the Avalon room for me. There has to be some serious jigger-pookey going on with the crossover networks in these speakers because the soundstage on every track was 15’ behind the plane of the speakers. It’s kind of a neat parlor trick, but I think it would get old quick just as any gimmick that makes every recording sound the same does(calling Dr. Bose…).
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The lightharmonic was in two rooms. It sounded best in the Von Schweikert and KR audio room.
