TAVES 2013 (Toronto Audio Video Entertainment Show) Report

 

  The venerable Ernie Fisher of Inner Ear fame held court inspiring visitors on how to set up a high resolution system for less than $10,000. As always, the sound was quite good in his room, this time with the three-way stand mounted Bryston Mini T loudspeaker ($2600) set up on the room diagonal. They were powered by a remote controlled 12 wpc Class A Simply Italy integrated tube amplifier ($2500) running EL34 tubes fed by a server I didn't recognize (Audia Flight?). About $1000 worth of Zen cables (which I presume means Acoustic Zen) connected everything. Ernie proudly complained that he is the oldest member of the OAFS (Old Audio Farts Society). Hey, how can you argue with a guy that puts together such a fine sounding room, and is still vertical? A lot of wisdom and experience resides in this man.

 

  

In the Audio Pathways room 861A an Audia Flight Strumento No.4 Reference power amplifier was driving a gorgeous Raidho C 1.1 speaker ($18,000) through Transparent Audio cables. The source was my first opportunity to actually hear the Bergmann Sleipner turntable ($22,000) with its floating, bearing-less platter that is both centered and supported by air, hence no bearing friction noise. I also heard the Bergmann Magne turntable ($12,900) which uses a spindle to center the platter, but still uses air to support the platter. The tangential tonearm also works on an air bearing, of course. The Sleipner was used with the copper faced NBS phono stage with front loading for MM and MC cartridges that I've seen before. It weighs about a hundred pounds. (I tried to lift one at a previous show.) The Magne was run into a Sutherland phono stage. Harmonic Resonance Systems' HRS platforms and racks were used to hold the phono front ends. In fact, they were a frequent sight, appearing in many rooms at the show. On silent display, but actively spinning was a Basis Signature turntable with Vector Model 4 arm ($4700) that was quite handsome.

 

In 861B Audio Pathways had a smaller rig featuring the new Black series from Bel Canto. The top box is the ASC 1 Synchronous Controller ($20,000) that accepts data (including DSD) from Ethernet, USB & analog, then clocks it and runs it through a processor acting as a preamp to control volume, and outputs the digital signal through fiber optics to the two monoblocks below ($15,000 each) where the signal is again locally clocked. The DAC and three stages of analog amplification in the monoblocks have a dynamic range of 128dB, putting out 1200 watts into 2 Ohms, 600 into 4 Ohms and 300 watts into 8 Ohms. Each amp comes from a solid billet of aluminum for damping and isolation of the analog and digital signals. The massive aluminum chassis also keeps the clocks cool and stable. Speakers were Vienna Acoustics' The Kiss and a laptop fed the controller through USB. And this was the distributor's "inexpensive" rig. Sound here was very good with no other people in the room except the host. But in the big room, conversations kept me from experiencing the greatness of the gear. And it was the same situation on each of several times I stopped back to this room, unfortunately.

The distributor High End Audio and speaker manufacturer Legacy Audio teamed up in room 862 for a less than satisfactory experience each time I visited. They were using a Sherbourne pre-pro to feed a Coda 15.5 that puts out 100wpc in Class A to drive one of two pairs of Legacy speakers that were on hand. I think they were trying to alternate between two-channel and a surround rig, but were having connectivity problems each time I stopped in. I just missed hearing the Aeris speaker ($18,500) that has been so highly acclaimed, and they were hooking up the Signature SE speaker (about $6500/pr). When finally the music emerged, I was disappointed in the ribbon tweeter, and had I not just heard the Raidho earlier, I might have written off ribbon tweeters forever. The Mogami signage on the floor, I learned, referred to video cables used in home theater, so that was not likely the problem. When I returned near the end of the show on Sunday they were having additional connectivity problems. Hopefully the set-up will be more carefully thought out in the future.

 

Across the hall in room 865 I began exploration of a handful of rooms noted on the program map as the Tri-Cell Enterprises Zone. Lovely music was coming from a pair of Acoustic Zen Crescendo speakers ($17,000) driven by an Acoustic Arts Player ES ($4500) with 24-bit/192kHz upsampling feeding an Acoustic Arts Power ES integrated amplifier ($4500), both resting on a glass topped table. An HRS platform quelled vibrations in the Player. I'd guess the rig was cabled with Acoustic Zen cables. This room certainly saved the reputation of ribbon tweeters.

 

Crossing the hall again to Room 864 I encountered another very fine rig with nothing less than the TechDAS Air Force One turntable on top of a stack of Zesto Audio tube electronics including their acclaimed Andros PS 1 Phonostage ($4300), Leto Preamp ($7500) and the premiere of their new Bia 120 Class A 60 wpc stereo power amplifier with ultralinear push-pull topology and special attention played to the power supply, again, all on an HRS rack. The Zesto gear is a very fresh look that rivals fine Italian tube designs with their anodized aluminum waves on the face and polished stainless steel reflectors behind the tubes. The speakers were Joseph Audio Perspective which was right--sized for the room and sounded superb, as do all of Jeff Joseph's designs. You can pretty much choose a Joseph speaker by the size of your room and the volume at which you wish to listen. Steely Dan's Gaucho was sounding mighty fine. When I returned to the room on Sunday the Air Force had been replaced with a Brinkmann Oasis turntable. Someone had laid down $100,000 and they delivered the Air Force One Saturday night. That sounds more exciting than watching hockey to me.

And with that, I'll sign off on Part 1. Am right now working on Part 2, which will be online shortly as am still busing writing it :)

 

---> Click here for Part 2.