Manley Labs
had a terrific sounding room teamed with System Audio speakers, along with a
seafood theme. They provided a top-loading Bel Canto CDP into a Shrimp
($1,880) linestage driving Snapper mono blocks ($4,250 pr.). The sound was
some of the best of the show, and their “Tubes Rule” stickers were seen on
the nametags of many Fest-goers.
Lauritsen Akoustics
demoed Fried loudspeakers.
Descendants of I.M. Fried’s famous designs, these transmission line speakers
sounded much bigger than their size.
Hawthorne Audio provided
perhaps the most tastefully decorated and friendly room of the show.
Hawthorne
specializes in providing the DIY speaker builder and manufacturers with
drivers and quality components. This was my first exposure to fully
open-baffled design, and I was thoroughly impressed by their liquid sound.
They may not have had the bass slam and high-end extension of other speakers I
heard , but what they did in between was nothing short of magical.
Hawthorne
presented their one-of-a-kind dual-driver speakers.
Last but not least, Classic
Audio Reproductions/Atma-Sphere Music Systems had a system that
literally made my jaw drop. Their prototype field coil/horn speakers sounded
wonderfully dynamic from the top to the bottom, and their musical selection
was right up my alley. I don’t think I heard Porcupine
Tree in any other room. The finish looked as nice as they sounded.
A close-up of the mid-range power supply.
Their tube amps and front end were equally impressive.
There are a couple of rooms that deserve
mention, although I do not have pictures for them. AK member Kegger
allowed me to play some of my progressive rock and metal
through his restored Polk 10b loudspeakers driven by an amp of his creation
utilizing TV tubes with a super heavy-duty power supply. One of the tracks we
listened to is a system buster, and his single-ended amp handled the low notes
of Tony Levin’s bass runs with aplomb. Another room that sounded very nice,
and was commented on by several members, was our own hotel room. AK member MarkAnderson, my roommate for the weekend, brought
with him a stock Pioneer SX-650 receiver along with a restored set of KLH
Model Six speakers. When it was time to relax from the hectic pace of the
Fest, this meager system provided a sweet sounding respite from the action.
One of the highlights of the weekend was the
presentation of the Audiokarma.org Member of the Year award, as voted by
it’s members. Below, AK administrator and past winner luvvinvinyl presents the 2007 MOTY award to
jaymanaa.
Over $10,000 worth of door prizes were given
away over the course of the show. Sadly, I didn’t even win a toothpick.
Saturday evening’s entertainment was provided by local guitar slinger Laith
A-Saadi and his trio. Over one hundred guests witnessed some fine
tunes and tones from Laith’s Gibson flattop, Fender Strat and his fine
backing band.
One thing I have learned, over the weekend in
Michigan
, is that vinyl and tubes are back with a vengeance. Another is that
solid-state and digital gear has advanced rapidly in just a few short years.
It was a whirlwind of a time, with the chance to finally meet some of the
people whom I’ve come to regard as friends, along with re-uniting with
others I’ve not seen in awhile. Many thanks go to the administration,
moderators and members of Audiokarma, along with their wives and families,
who, with their hard work, made this show the huge success that is was. I love
audio gear as much as the next person, but it is the people that made this
Fest, and who make Audiokarma.org so special. The memories of the folks and
the gear will last a lifetime.
See you next year!
Regards and happy listening,
Ken Lawing
aka AK subscriber Urizen
High-Performance Audio Reviews
