2010 CES Coverage 10: Good Experiences, Revisiting Reviewed Products, A Couple of Might Fine Rigs

Good Experiences

Audiophile magazines produce their “Best Components” of the year issues based on what they have reviewed. While not exhaustive, they give a good clue as to their experiences with the equipment. Similarly, one should not take the following as the expression of the ultimate collection of the “best” at the show, for I did not get to hear some reportedly fantastic products like the Perfect8 speakers. I did return to some manufacturers to follow up on products, such as the King’s Audio King, one of my favorites of the past year which underwent a revision. Kindly take this listing as a stepping stone to discovery of products I heard in show systems which I feel have superior potential for a rig you establish.


Jones Audio PA-M300 Amplifier

Jones Audio Preamplifier

I like Sam Jones, as he’s a very polite, thoughtful man who is not showboating his work. When I first heard his gear at RMAF a year ago it was paired with sub-audiophile quality electronics and modest B&W speakers. I heard something very good nevertheless, and recommended he upgrade his attending components. At this show I see he’s working toward that goal; in fact, he purchased some Revel Ultima Salon 2 speakers for the demo system, the PA-M300 amps and Preamplifier – a very good move that resulted in a far more upscale presentation. The system sounded taut and punchy without dryness or harshness, despite his not yet replacing the inexpensive Denon source! I continue to be impressed by what I’m hearing from Sam’s designs.

Many times cables are underrated, or simply overlooked in systems in deference to box components and speakers. I have learned a rule of systems which has served me well: A superior system cannot be established with inferior cables. There are many systems at this show I would have liked to tweak, emanating from speakers such as the Magico Q5, Avalon Time, Eggleston Savoy Signature and YG Acoustics Anat Reference II. I would have enjoyed a day or two with them reworking their cabling, as I felt the sound was not far off from ideal, but needed adjustment.

Two brands of cables sounded superb in their systems, one was Stealth Cables, along with Essential Sound Products power cords, displayed with the Convergent Audio Technology gear and Vivid Giya 2 speakers. The other was Clarity Cable at T.H.E. Show at Flamingo Hotel grouped with Abbingdon Music Research, Dr. Feickert Analogue and Orca Design’s impressive large monitor.

It may be one of the strangest looking speakers, but the Vivid Audio Giya 2 is a killer speaker sonically, and a perfect case for not dismissing a speaker simply because of its odd appearance! I heard the bigger Giya at RMAF and was swayed very positively; here again was an outstanding sound. The Giya 2 had one of the more subtle and nuanced, yet lively presentations at either show. It’s amazing how a speaker with allmetal cones can be so well balanced and forgiving on the top-end. Vivid’s catch phrase on its literature is, “Beyond Imagination,” and their performance is certainly beyond expectation.

The Convergent Audio Technology (C.A.T.) SL1 Legend Preamplifier and JL3 monoblock amplifiers were silky smooth and powerful. Mated with an Audio Aero LaSource player, this system was the epitome of excellent sound appropriately matched to a room’s size.

Revisiting Reviewed Products

If I have time enough at shows I’ll check up on products which have been in development since I reviewed them. I was surprised to see the radical reworking of the King’s Audio “the King” speaker! The newest model, the King II, sports a traditional look with latticed and scrolled woodworking and an outboard transformer power supply. One can order this speaker in the more contemporary appearing style similar to the original King.

The King II shifts from separate panels for bass and treble to the unified grid approach in the well considered Prince II. While not having a perfect side by side comparison, I sensed an increase in detail over the King. However, the bass and treble seem less defined and possibly a bit less well separated. The onboard power supply having been moved outboard necessitates an extra set of cables, supplied by King’s Audio. I would need to judge these models in a side by side assessment to determine if these changes are an absolute step forward for this design. Noting that caveat, the King II was generating a vast, panoramic field of music not too much smaller than the huge Sound Lab Millenium-1 PX. 

I had also seen but not heard at earlier shows the King Tower, a smallish omnidirectional speaker which recalls the elegant MBL speaker line. I chuckled when I saw (I was told its presence was inadvertent) MBL amps driving the King Tower! The question was asked often, “Are those MBL’s?” However, more critical observers would have known it to be highly unlikely that MBL would insert blue foam balls between driver sections of the speaker. The King Tower was simply enchanting, exploding the sound field to give the impression that one was sitting  within a miniature galaxy of sound. While not quite “true to life” in terms of imaging, the spatial extension was quite enjoyable.

 

Together, these produced a powerful punch; the bass was reminiscent of subwoofers, not floor standing speakers, and the degree of detail was remarkable. The room was not conducive to a proper demonstration, as the quarters were too cramped, making the presentation at higher levels overwhelming in the bass and the treble overdone. I would not recommend users of the Whisper XD to opt for a nearfield listening position if they have the choice. However, the Whisper XD captures quite a bit of one of my show’s favorite speakers, the Evolution Acoustics MM Two.

Gershman Acoustics/VAC (Valve Amplification Company) room

I consistently enjoy the sound of the Gershman/VAC systems at shows. I especially enjoy the pairing of the Gershman Black Swan and the VAC power products. This year’s new wrinkle was the utilization of Gershman’s new cabling, including power, interconnect and speaker cables.

These manufacturers unfailingly assemble an eminently listenable system which dances with effortless, fluid music. I enjoy the warmth, bass presence, delicate treble and gorgeous mids. This is a system which captures much of the ultimate in an audiophile rig. There is typically a “standard” setup used for this system as I’ve seen it from show to show, with little effort to avoid room boundaries or treat the room extensively, yet the sound is superb every time. That means such a system could be taken to extremely high levels with proper positioning and room treatment at home. Compared to the absolute largest and best systems it is only limited in the reproduction of the scale of music. In terms of quality of reproduction it is among the best.

Again, noting that I did not hear every system at the shows, I did settle on what I would consider to be a rig which should be considered among the very best, and also among the most costly! Here, with pricing structure, is the system offered by BAlabo with invited partners Tidal Audio, Echole Cable and Sensory Power:

Tidal Audio Sunray speaker

Control Amplifier (linestage) - BAlabo  BC-1 MKII - $59,500
Power Amplifiers (2) BAlabo BP-1 MKII - $77,500 (each) -note: stereo amps@2 x 500 wpc each; bi-amping
DAC - BAlabo BD-1    $37,500
Music Server - Blue Smoke Entertainment systems Black Box   $6,999
Transport - Zanden Model 2000P - $30,250
Loudspeaker- Tidal Audio Sunray - $178,500
Active line level crossover for bass only - Tidal Audio LPX - $18,100

Interconnects - Echole Obsession – RCA $3,800/3 ft, plus $300/additional foot; XLR $4,800/3 ft; plus $300/additional foot
Speaker Cable - Echole Obsession $6,100 for 6 feet, plus $300/additional foot
Power Cords - Sensory Power $7,500 each
Active Digital Cable -  Sensory Power - $3,999

Isolation stands (2) and Amp platforms (2) - Grand Prix Audio -Stands - Monaco with F1 Shelves - $10,000 each; custom oversized  Amplifier platform for BAlabo $4,000

Depending on cabling needs this system tips the scale at the $550,000 mark. Did it sound like a “million bucks”, or at least half a million? Well, compared to a lot of $150-200K systems at the show, yes it did sound quite a bit better. It had the makings of a “no holds barred” approach to audio. It sounded majestic, beautiful, powerful and exceptionally expressive.