The new Bending Wave Gobel Divin Noblesse Reference System
- Thread starter Elliot G.
- Start date
I want to thank everyone that attended Axpona 2024. We tried and I think we succeeded with a ton of effort to show some of what my reference system has been doing in Florida at a show. We overcame many of the room problems, not all, and IMO produced and showed what a level 4 WADAX system along with the Gobel Divin Noblesse and the Riviera Electronics is capable of. This was our hope and I personally I believe we did that to a large degree. I want to thank Brandon Lauer who really did a great job getting the system to a level of excellence , its great to work with this very talented person and friend. We look foward to seeing all of you again at Capital Audio Fest this fall when we will be showing and hopefully getting a great result. The team will be back!
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A very fine effort, Elliot! Best of show, IME. I've got to get down to Florida to hear the real deal and see if it floats my boat fully.
For the last few years, I have mentioned the Bending Wave Audio room in every report for a good reason: the sound. This year’s system consists of the large Gobel Divine Noblesse Speakers ($250,000), which were driven by the Riviera APL01SE preamp($46,995) and AFM100SE Class A power amplifier($82,800). Digital was presented by the Wadax Atlantis Reference DAC($166,420) and Atlantis Reference Streamer($68,800). The cabling was also from Gobel.
Not only was this system very imposing in the room, but it also presented the music in a sublime effortlessness. Dynamics were not an issue for this system as it had it in spades. The imaging and soundstage were excellent for a hotel room, and the detail was superb.
this is from the sound advocate show report
thank you SA
Not only was this system very imposing in the room, but it also presented the music in a sublime effortlessness. Dynamics were not an issue for this system as it had it in spades. The imaging and soundstage were excellent for a hotel room, and the detail was superb.
this is from the sound advocate show report
thank you SA
The Big AXPONA 2024 Show Report
The largest, most well-managed, and most amazing show in North America!
Audio Expo North America 2024 Show Coverage By Greg Weaver
1504 – Magico
I've had the pleasure of knowing Alon Wolf for some time now, and it is always a delight to chat with him, especially about a new product or development. I had hoped we might get to hear the newly released 2024 issue of the S5, but sadly Alon felt that the available room was too small to allow it to perform at its best. Not to worry, the A5 – at about one-third the price of the new S5 - did a wonderful job.
System Details:
Antipodes Oladra server - $30,000
dCS Rossini Master Clock - $10,850
dCS Rossini Apex DAC - $32,800
Pilium Leonidas integrated amp - $39,000
Magico A5 speakers – in silver - $28,000/pair
Stromtank S 2500 power conditioner - $27,250
PSI Audio C214 active bass traps - $3950/each
RealTraps Diffusers - various prices
Vyda Laboratories cables - various prices
One of the first attributes to emerge here was how the music erupted from an exceptionally dense and dark background. Listening to Dire Straits here, Mark Knopfler's voice was so effortless and natural sounding, that I asked for more. Further, the Individuality of instrumental lines was remarkably well preserved, including presenting the entire tapestry of the recording resolutely and transparently. Overall, a very exceptional and delicate balance.
1506 – Perfect8 Labs
I have been a fan of Jonas Räntilä's unique Swedish Perfect8 glass-enclosure loudspeakers since I first met him and heard the Point Mk II Evolutions at CES 2013. The system was one of my Best of Show award winners that January, and I have followed his work closely ever since.
System Details:
Thrax Maximinus DAC - $38,500
Ypsilon Phaeton Integrated Amplifier – $29,000
Perfect8 Labs CUBE-T - $60,000/pair
All Perfect8 Cables – no price given
This system really delivered – and in just about every category. Jonas played some Rammstein for me and it was like we were at a Rave. The system, with its omni-polar radiation pattern, delivered exceptional dynamics and superb extension while presenting remarkable musical resolution, with captivating presence and an unquestionably truthful timbre.
Moving to some classical piano, the tonal color and texture were convincingly rich and vibrant, and musical involvement was eerily honest, bordering on downright revelatory. The ability it had to render piano was wonderful, from its shimmer and sparkle to its body and texture. Jonas and I have been talking about a review sometime after Munich.
Club Lounge – Bending Wave USA, Riviera Labs, And WADAX
The sonic results achieved by Bending Wave USA distributor Elliot Goldman in the Club Lounge on floor fifteen were amazing and represented the best performance that he has ever managed to elicit from this suite, where he has exhibited since the move to the Renaissance in 2018.
This is one diverse international assemblage of gear, leveraging the digital front-end prowess of WADAX of Spain/Switzerland, electronics from Riviera Labs of Italy, Germany's Göbel Loudspeakers, the Massif Audio Designed racks of Ontario, Canada, and using all Nordost cables from the USA.
System Details:
WADAX Atlantis Reference Server - $68,800
WADAX Alaska Optical System - $20,400
WADAX Atlantis Reference DAC - $166,420
Riviera Audio Labs APL01 Special Edition Preamp - $46,995
Riviera Audio Labs AFM-100 SE Class A Mono Amps - $82,800/pair
Göbel Divin Noblesse Speakers - $250,000/pair
Massif Audio Design Dogma 3 Shelf Rack - $3,200/each
Massif Audio Design Dogma Amplifier Stand - $800/each
Massif Audio Design Carbide Audio Isolation Footers - $400/each
Göbel Lacorde Statement Speaker Jumper cables - $2,450/pair
Göbel Lacorde Statement Balance Interconnects - 1.2m - $7,900/pair
Göbel Lacorde Statement Speaker Cables - 3.0 meter - $27,900/pair
Göbel Lacorde Statement Power Cords - 2m - $9,900/each
WADAX Akasa DC Reference Cable 1.5m - $24,900/each
WADAX Atlantis Reference Power Supply for Server - $52,700
Nordost Q base Reference Power Distribution - $18,000
Nordost QCore 1 Grounding Box - $3,000
Everything Elliot played while I was sitting in a prime seat was presented with such an engaging sense of ease and effortlessness. Imaging and soundstaging were spectacular, better than I can ever recall experiencing from any previous demonstration of the Divin Noblesse Speakers. Finally, the extension at both extremes was quite remarkable, including the precision of its pitch definition as it descended into subsonic territory. Just an amazing sounding room.
Watch WAITRESS Star Katharine McPhee's Gorgeous Rendition of "She Used to Be Mine" (youtube.com)
this has nothing to do with anything but I love this song and the incredible performance by KM
Enjoy
Sounds great on my system
this has nothing to do with anything but I love this song and the incredible performance by KM
Enjoy
Sounds great on my system
So all the traveling is done. Its now summertime in Florida, and I have some time to get back into my routine and listen regularly. I have been working on getting my reference back together and this week have done just that.
I put the speakers in the correct place ( haha) and then put the EVP custom platforms under them. The subs are still in the same place with EVP's as they were before. I then started to get them micro-dialed in. This process of very small increments take some time and when the speakers are on the EVPS easiy since they can be moved easily. Once I accomplished that task I worked the last few days getting the footers set up at the right height. This process is tedious and time consuming. I have to insert a small jack under the speakers to raise them enough to be able to turn the footers. Turn them a little at a time like a half turn, drop the jack out, insert the jack under the other speaker and repeat the process. This went on for a few hours at smaller and smaller increments until its done.
After all of this I was able to start to get back into the music like never before in this room. I have some new surprises coming in that I am interested in trying from a company that I used to do business a very long time ago, I m not sure why we stopped but alas that doesn't matter.
I am excited to try to push further now that its cooking bigtime.
Stay tuned
I put the speakers in the correct place ( haha) and then put the EVP custom platforms under them. The subs are still in the same place with EVP's as they were before. I then started to get them micro-dialed in. This process of very small increments take some time and when the speakers are on the EVPS easiy since they can be moved easily. Once I accomplished that task I worked the last few days getting the footers set up at the right height. This process is tedious and time consuming. I have to insert a small jack under the speakers to raise them enough to be able to turn the footers. Turn them a little at a time like a half turn, drop the jack out, insert the jack under the other speaker and repeat the process. This went on for a few hours at smaller and smaller increments until its done.
After all of this I was able to start to get back into the music like never before in this room. I have some new surprises coming in that I am interested in trying from a company that I used to do business a very long time ago, I m not sure why we stopped but alas that doesn't matter.
I am excited to try to push further now that its cooking bigtime.
Stay tuned
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