Feature Exhibitors:
Bosendorfer, Harmonix Reimyo
Bosendorfer New York demonstrated two systems and the Bosendorfer SWAROVSKI Crystal Piano. The main system utilized the $22k VC 7 full-range speaker system in piano lacquer, as driven by Einstein’s $7,500 The Last Record Player CD player, Gill Audio’s $4,500 Alana tube linestage and Art Audio’s $20k Adagio monoblock amplifiers.
Playing my own select CD, the VC 7 demonstrated a refined mid- to top-end spectral reenactment via the Art Audio monoblocks, albeit a detached and somewhat disorderly bottom-end amidst prominent room resonance. The room was a rather suboptimal setting to attempt coupling the VC 7’s side-firing woofer to.
Then Lisa Feldmann, the executive vice president of Bosendorfer New York, served up Austrian composer Hubert von Goisern’s church organ soundtrack to the Foreign-Language Oscar nominated Austrian movie, Schlafes Bruder (Brother of Sleep). Von Goisern reincarnated a mad, devastated genius’ outpour over the organ, and the VC 7 simmered the air in the room with tonal complexity that haunts my imagination even to this day. (Dagogo would like to thank Sarah Marchant, the webmaster of the composer’s website, www.hubertvongoisern.com, for background information correction on the maestro.-Ed)
On static display on one side of the Bosendorfer Exhibit was the smaller VC 2 ($16k) and VC 1 ($12k). Also noteworthy was the cabling via Dynamic Design’s Nebula Series – TBK: 1-meter interconnect ($4,000), 8-foot speaker cable ($10k), 6-foot power cord ($4,000) and a Heritage Series AC power conditioner ($2,500).
The second, smaller system was based on the $7k/pair bookshelf VC S/C, which can also be used as the center channel.
Lisa Feldmann – die sehr elegante Dame! VC S/C – ein sehr atemberaubendes Instrument!
Also supported by Einstein’s The Last Record Player, and this time with Gill Audio’s $4,500 Lissa Chip Amp and Einstein’s $10k The Absolute Tune integrated hybrid amplifier, the VC S/C was a miniaturized VC 7 for the curious bookshelf aficionado.
The Bosendorer Swarovski Crystal Piano was adorned with 8,000 of the Austrian crystals, bringing the piano’s price to $750k.
I have personally played a note on that piano, and I reckon no hi-fi can recreate it.
My kingdom for a Bosendorfer!
May Audio Marketing put on another year of winning sound system with Kazuo Kiuchi’s Harmonix Reimyo by Combak products. Renowned for the contribution of his Studio Master power cables, ALS-777 Power Stabilizer and his expertise in room tuning application in the production of many of JVC’s XRCD re-mastering projects, such as the Jheena Lodwick XRCD24 disc, All My Loving, or the Amanda McBroom XRCD2 disc, Dreaming, for example, Mr. Kiuchi introduced the consequence of years of research for a matching subwoofer to his $4,295, critically renowned Bravo! minimonitor.
Consequence, the aptly and tastefully named finished product of Mr. Kiuchi’s creative prowess, is now the definitive word for the much-anticipated subwoofer to his Bravo!. He debuted a prototype of the Bravo! subwoofer in 2005 CES, a model I had the privilege of listening to for a few weeks before that Show, and I thought it was a perfect solution. This time, Mr. Kiuchi secured a cabinetry source who is able to match the finish of his Bravo!, and devised a coupling structure to both the main speaker and the floor so thorough that it represents another mark of his ingenuity and resourcefulness.
The Bravo!/Consequence system was supported by the CDP-777 Extended K2 processing CD player ($15,495), the DAP-777 20bitK2 DAC ($5,195), the CAT-777 tube preamplifier ($15,495), two PAT-777 300B power amplifiers ($24,995) and the ALS-777 Power Stabilizer ($4,195). Cabling was of Harmonix Reimyo’s own HS-101 GP ($1,350/meter) interconnects, HS-101 Super Max Tweeter Cable ($2,775/1.5-meter) for the Bravo! tweeter, HS-101 SLC ($2,270/1.5-meter) for the woofer, connected by the Wonder-Jumper ($650/0.3-meter set), and the X-DC Studio Master 350 power cables.
CDP-777 (top), EAT-777 phono stage prototype (bottom),
each detuned with RF-57 MkII Tuning Bases,
and then lifted by TU-66ZX feet,
then put onto a Royal Stage RS-15ANV shelf Roksan Xeres X turntable (not shown) treated with
TU-800EX Tuning Mat and TU-812 Tuning Clamp,
also then lifted by TU-66ZX and put atop the RS-15ANV
Each equipment was detuned with the RF-57 MkII Tuning Bases ($315/8pcs), sitting on Harmonix TU-66ZX ($865/4pcs) tuning feet, and then was put onto a $5,400 Royal Stage RS-15ANV shelf. For the two PAT-777s, each was assigned alternatively to the TU-888 Tuning System Board ($2,400). The Bravo!-Consequence stood on the RF-909X “Base-X” tuning feet ($430/4pcs) in tandem with the TU-303EX Tuning Feet ($865/4pcs).
Analog front-end was provided by the Roksan Xeres X turntable ($4,595), with Artemiz tonearm ($2,495), Shiraz MC cartridge ($2,495) and XPS7 power supply (TBD).
The JVC XRCD’s that Mr. Kiuchi used for demonstration were treated with the RF-11 CD Tuning Sheets ($25/8pics), while the TU-800EX Tuning Mat ($315) and TU-812 Tuning Clamp (515) were applied to the Roksan turntable. The room was then treated with the infamous RFA-80i Mini Tuning Disks ($790/18pcs), while three Enacom AC Noise Eliminators ($85/each) were inserted into AC outlets.
And then I quickly put on my non-audiophile music.
A perplexed Mr. Kiuchi asked me during the replay of one of my selections if I listened to those music all the time. I replied with a resounding yes. He paused, then said, “Questionable sound quality”. To which my wife chuckled.
I had to assure the tonemeister that my love for music is not merely sustained by the best in sound quality. Quite the opposite, I have personal favorites that bring back memories of fondness and of younger years, discs that I also use to gauge the caliber of sound systems. And that I played those music in his Exhibit so that I may take advantage of the annual occasion and enjoy the music of my heart in an impeccably tuned, pure Harmonix Reimyo system.
He sighed. And my wife was utterly enlightened by it to this day, bringing up Mr. Kiuchi’s comment as her favorite Show Quote in her “casual” critique of my favorite speakers and electronics. Help me, Mr. Kiuchi.
Through the application of bridged monoblocking, the two PAT-777’s vanquished the 87dB/8Ω sensitivity Bravo!-Consequence quite impressively. Dynamic-wise, I thought either the Audia Flight 100 that I reviewed or the Linn Klimax Chakra 500 Twin could present further advantages. Watch for a Bravo!/Consequence Review in these space sometime this year.
- (Page 1 of 1)
