Home Entertainment 2002 Hi-Fi and Home Theater Event

The Big Carrot Review
By Rick Becker
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Then, near the end of the show I happened to be walking past the room again, and noticed the smaller C-2 was in action and took a seat, off-center. It sounded much better, with more presence more transparency and more dynamics, but it also sounded like someone had wrenched the balance knob hard to starboard. Then I recalled my conversation with Bobby and moved over to a center seat. Everything snapped into focus and the beauty of these speakers came through. The fit and finish of the speakers lived up to the photographs in their ads. Excellent. And the $12,000 C-2 may be the better speaker for your room, too. But audition them carefully. I found that moving just one seat to the left or right, at a distance of about fifteen feet from the speakers, threw the balance off. The narrow beaming of the new Esotar2 tweeter creates very particular positioning requirements, and a pinpoint listening position.

Gershman Acoustics vindicated themselves with their presentation of the $17,000 Opera Sauvage speaker driven by the French Kora 100 wpc monoblocks. I've heard the Sauvages sounding borderline dreadful at a couple of other shows--probably both at Montreal. Here, with the tube amps, a large enough room and proper positioning, they sounded very fine, indeed. Hopefully, at some time in the show, they also ran their new inexpensive triangular column speaker, the Cameleon, that impressed me up north. At about $1,700, I thought it was a very good value. Neil Walker has a very positive review of the Cameleon in the July issue of Enjoythemusic.com

The Reference 3A MM deCopo-i ($2,500) teamed up very nicely with Antique Sound Labs tube electronics. The Royal Virtuoso ($4,000) speaker was off to the side, but I expect many visitors got to hear that model.

The Kharma Ceramique 3.2 Reference monitors ($19,000 retail, $15,500 show special) were driven nicely by Lamm electronics with a dCS Elgar Plus dac and an EMT 927 Transcription turntable at the front ends. For a system totaling over $100,000, I expected better sound. Most of this gear has a great reputation, so it was probably just the room and set-up that was lacking--or simply too many bodies listening to it.

Ditto for the Silverline La Folia speakers in a light burl veneer driven by Viva tube amps from Italy. I really liked the thick butcherblock amps stands used with the Vivas. The titanium equipment rack looked a little too slender to place expensive equipment on, but I'm sure it was quite strong--they make high-end bicycle frames out of titanium!

Odyssey showed up with the same rig I raved about at the Montreal show, but this time I got to hear the smaller $1,500 speaker, which is also an excellent value. If you're on a budget, this is a line you should definitely check out. Again, I refer you to my 2002 Montreal report.

Shifting from the modest to the immodest, I heard the $38K LumenWhite speakers that I had seen, but not heard at another show. They also have a smaller ($24K) version that was not on display. Using a dCS transport and dac, Hovland preamp, Vaic monoblocks, and Power Snakes line conditioning, this was clearly world class sound, if not optimally set up. I also admired the equipment racks with their aluminum posts and solid maple shelves. I also heard the newest LumenWhite speaker with a full range whizzercone German driver on front, a rear firing 15" woofer on the back and ports on each thin side. At $19,000, it also sounded quite nice.

Another room that featured megabuck equipment and drew a lot of attention featured the Calix Phoenix Signature Grand speaker that drew my attention in ads in recent journals. To see this $67,000 speaker in person is an awesome experience that rivaled my silent exposure to the original B&W Nautilus speaker at the Waldorf-Astoria show back in 1996. Only here, I was able to actually listen to the Phoenix. The supporting cast included the exotic and complex V.Y.G.E.R. Italian turntable with air bearings and its associated air pump. An Audio Research CD player was the digital front end and my notes say Pathos monoblocks were driving the system in "Class A". Nonetheless, as unique and finely crafted as the Phoenix speaker was, I was not particularly awestruck by the music it presented. Very good, yes. Perhaps in another setting, it might be outstanding. Their F-8 Deluxe speaker comes in at a more reasonable $4,500 in a more conventional, but still interesting, cabinet.

Another Mega-Room, this one coming in at over $150,000, included the Rockport Technologies Antares speakers at $41,500, the Halcro dm68 amps at $35,000/pr, a very expensive Clearaudio turntable, etc. For all the expensive equipment, this should have sounded better than it did for me. Perhaps it was the classical music that I just couldn't get excited about. Suspecting that might have been the case, I came back a second time and got a better glimpse of what greatness might have been there. Even with more dynamic music, I was still not overwhelmed. The Halcro amps, with their H design, did not strike me as attractive, and visually competed with the much more attractive Rockport speakers. The most handsome designs in the entire room were the two Rix Rax Hoodoo equipment stands with chrome, welded metalwork combined with 2" thick veneered wood shelves and tops. Tastefully stained with color on the top front edge, they were clearly world class. At about $4,000 each, they will only see duty in the most expensive systems. Smaller versions are available for systems and rooms requiring more modest proportions.

For a lot less money than the above system I heard vinyl sounding just as good in a Clearaudio/Aesthetix/Ayre/ Vandersteen Model 5 system. Jimi Hendrix, Live at the Filmore East on New Year's Eve, 1969. I've heard the Model 5s sound more dynamic and up front driven by a Theta Dreadnaught, but this system was pretty nice, too, if a little laid back. 

Jeff Joseph and EveAnna Manley teamed up and rented a larger room than Jeff has had in the past. This was good, as his new $20,000 Pearl speakers deserved to be heard and seen by more people, and the Manley electronics drove them to near perfection. With the American flag hanging at the front, the room had an All-American appeal that was only slightly compromised by the LaLuce turntable. Ever the politician, Jeff handed out pens and M&Ms, but if they win the Best of Show popular vote, this time I'd have to say they more than ever deserved it. The speakers excelled in voice as well as finish. The room was as perfectly set up as it could be for so many listeners. The lighting was dramatic. And the musical presentation, with that wonderful LP of Louis Armstrong, was varied and convincing.

In the Technical Innovations Department, I listened to the brand new FPS F1 speaker that incorporates a new Japanese planar wave dynamic flat panel transducer. Six of these rectangular drivers handled the midrange and tweeter of this innovative speaker that was designed for FPS by Albert Von Schweikert. The speaker was finished just days before the show and the system was comprised of a 5-disc Sony SACD player, Adcom preamp and a Spectron amp--the same brand amp used in the Von Schweikert room. The sound was different--I couldn't really get a grip on it in the brief time I spent there. I'm inclined to suggest that the drivers weren't fully broken in, but it may simply be that the new technology drivers give us a different take on the music. It would be interesting to have a more prolonged exposure to this speaker to hear what it really can do. They are slated to sell for $6,500/pr. They have another speaker on the boards that will complete a home theater set-up.

In one of the larger rooms I was invited to experience a demonstration of Synergistic Research active shielding cable.
In a $179,000 system with Lamm electronics, JM Labs Grand Utopia speakers and a dCS digital front end, a selection of music was played first with, then without, then with the active shielding. The noise floor of the room was so high, with a mega-home theater nearby, that I couldn't hear the difference. Maybe at home, in my quiet neighborhood, I might have, but I'm skeptical of the price/performance ratio of such technology. In fact because of the location of the room, the whole system under-performed. I sure hope the sponsors realize some return on their considerable effort and investment.

One guy who surely does realize a return on investment is Vince Bruzzese of the Canadian company Totem Acoustic.
Show after show, Vince holds reign in a very modestly sized room where he orchestrates his presentation and educates his visitors. Lots of others try this, but by the rapt attention people seem to pay to his speakers, it seems that he really succeeds. I could barely make my way into the room, and I came in at the end of a demonstration of what I expect was the Signature version of the classic Model 1. Even at about 80 degrees off-axis, they sounded better than I recalled the standard Model 1. I would guess they are about $2,500. The system included an MSB Platinum Reference CD player and a Plinius 8200 integrated amp. I'm not sure if it was the new Mk II model. A Stereophile review of the Model 1 Signature is pending, I believe. Hopefully this will rekindle interest in this wonderful small monitor.

In the daily photo coverage of all these show reports, Steve got a great shot of the Konus Audio Essence speakers in the 47 Labs room. This $3,500/pr. single driver speaker is dipped in resin, and then covered with a Bosnian pine veneer. Standing about 3' tall, with a broad surface facing the listener, and only one driver going from 50Hz to 16kHz, you don't expect it to deliver, but it does--at least within the limitations of the 47 Labs equipment. Once again, their thin blue cabling amazed me--they use the same gauge for speaker cable as they use for interconnects.

In the Impact Technology room I heard the Airfoil 5.2 speaker with its attending subwoofers for $35,000. Using BAT electronics--CD player, preamp and VK-75SE power amp with 75 wpc, this system rocked when they cranked it. (A lot of rooms don't ever crank it, so this was a treat). The BAT only had to drive 80Hz on up, as there is an electronic crossover to the powered subs. I was told these were the same pair that were shown last year, but there was a flat, oiled finish and the veneer seemed much better applied than what I remember from last year. Anyhow, the speakers alone accounted for about half of the system price, and took up a lot of real estate and air space with their tall towers, separate subs and attending cables.

 

Booth Displays

In the carnival room where you could buy everything from vintage vinyl soda fountain booths, to cute inflatable speakers with their own amp for $40, I found several products of interest. One was the Soundations equipment stand. Using combinations of wood, glass, aluminum and gloss paint these rugged, but handsome stands featured adjustable shelves, unlike the Rix Raxs, and were more moderately priced.

A Bauer DKP turntable with Morch arm used a plinth made of about 6 inches of plywood, left unstained. Shaped in a "Yin" (or was it "Yan"?) outline, it turned on the light bulb that said, "I can do THAT!!! Yes, in my SPARE TIME!!!" The devil on my other shoulder shook his head and muttered, "Yeah, right!" I tried to get a price, but the lady hosting the exhibit was tied up on her cell phone. I'm glad she wasn't driving.

Innada, maker of a Japanese massage chair, which is somewhat interactive with music you listen to over headphones, sent me literature prior to the show. They must have known I was in the furniture business. After waiting about five minutes, the elderly lady ahead of me finally gave up her seat. Man, that chair beat me up!!! I thought I was going to be heading for the hospital right there in NYC. After a minute or so, I finally began to draw slight correlations between the music and the beating I was taking. They should have plugged it into one of the high-end systems upstairs! Where were the Grados when I really needed them? Actually, though, the chair is more sophisticated than the comparable chair manufactured by Panasonic, in that it has pads that come up around your lower legs and give them a massage, too. It wasn't a week later that I was in the hospital for elective surgery and they hooked me up to a similar, though much more relaxing machine that periodically inflated air bladders wrapped around my calves to prevent blood clots from forming and spoiling the rest of my life. Art imitates life imitating medicine, preserving life?

 

The Higher Power

The Higher Power evidenced itself throughout the show in many ways, but three, in particular, are worth noting. The first I encountered In the Joseph Audio/Manley Labs room.
It was the inconspicuous black box from Equi=Tech nestled between the Manley amps in the front of the room. Jeff Joseph pretended not to know too much about it, except that it cost about $2600 and seemed to make the sound better. He ran the power amps directly into the Equi=Tech, and then ran an ordinary (presumably shielded) power cord over to the side of the room where the source components were plugged into a power strip. The Equi=Tech literature mentioned the debut of the Model Q650 with 650 watt capacity for source components and small amps for $1,149. This unit has six spec grade analog outlets and four spec grade digital outlets. Unfortunately, I didn't notice the actual box at the time.

The second conditioner was the new top of the line Monster unit that, like the Equi=Tech, claims great benefit from balanced operation that cancels out noise in the line. This unit goes for about $1,200, and again, I think Steve has a photo of this elsewhere.

The third conditioner was the Quantum Octave ($450) and the companion Symphony Pro ($600). From my conversation with the rep and reading of the literature, I think it runs on Voodoo. Fortunately, the proof is in the listening, and there is a very positive report in the equipment archives of Enjoy the Music.com™. Check it out--that's what we're here for.

 

Dear Santa

Everybody harps about "show conditions", but nonetheless, certain pieces of equipment jump out and make me say
"Gee, I wish I could try that out at home". This kind of gut attraction is much more relevant than picking a "Best of Show" room, where so many factors have to come together at once. Most audiophiles build their systems one piece at a time. Rarely do people walk in and say: "I'll have this system, to go, please". So here's a list of pieces I'd like to review.
I'll hope you find most of them rooted in the real world and have an opportunity to check them out at your local shop for yourself. I've avoided a few pieces that, to my knowledge, have recently been reviewed in major US publications.

Starting from the top of the report:

Samsung Tantus 50" HDTV DLP monitor, $4,500
Arcam AVR-200 receiver, $1,200
Von Schweikert VR5 speakers, $8,500 (regular version)
Piega P5 LTD speakers, $8,500
TacT M2150 digital amplifier, $3,490
VPI Aries Scout turntable w/arm, $1,500
Plinius SA-102 amplifier, $5,000
Plinius 8200 Mk II integrated amp w/remote & phono, $3,000
Wilson Benesch Arc speakers w/stands, $3,600
Cairn Fog CD player with 24/192, $1,600
Electrocompaniet ECD1 upsampling dac, $2,000
Bel Canto DAC2, $?
amphion xenon speakers, $3,600
Blue Circle Pumps monoblocks, $700
Meadowlark Swift speakers, $995
Odyssey speaker, $1,500
Odyssey power amp, $?
Totem Model 1 Signature speaker, $2,500?
Soundations equipment rack, $?
Equi=Tech Q650 power conditioner, $1,150
Equi=Tech ET 2Q power conditioner, $2,690
Monster HTPS-7000 power conditioner, $1,300
Quantum Octave power conditioner, $450
Quantum Symphony Pro power conditioner, $600

Now, don't all of Santa's helpers send everything at once!

Wrap-Up

A press release tells me that 14,864, including consumers, 2500 retailers, and nearly 500 members of the press. Kudos to Lucette Nicole and staff--the pressroom had coffee, cups and snacks right up to the end this year! Next year's show? TBA

There seemed to be a fair number of women at the show this year--maybe 3%? Many were undoubtedly related to men who brought them along. But at least one came alone.
I met up with her on the sidewalk six blocks west of the Hilton where free parking could be found early in the day. She was carrying a box labeled "Creek" and had bought a show sample at discount. The chivalrous side of me wanted to offer her a lift, but this Road Warrior climbed into the Hotel Tracker, crossed over into Jersey at 6 pm, and at 11:30 was home in Rochester listening to Stevie Ray Vaughan, one more time.

Enjoy your music, folks.

 

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