Gary Lea's CES review--high end and T.H.E. show.

So here we are with another year at CES. Time to fight the hordes again. To be honest I was not all that enthused about going to CES this year. Gone are the days that the idea of being able to wander around room after room of audiodom's latest and greatest was a siren's call that was too alluring to ignore. Being able to rub elbows with many of the artisans that create these wonderful musical reproduction machines at one point was sometimes a surreal event. As a fledging journalist it was always interesting to meet the more notable industry writers and hope that some of the mystical magic of their knowledge would rub off. Being able to go home and tell my audio buddies about the things I saw and look at their faces as they were overcome with envy was always a sick and twisted treat. But like many romances it did not take too long for the newness and the excitement to wear off, and all too soon covering CES became a job. It became a long, drawn out; buttocks to elbow fight to see something new and different. And, to some degree, the experience became disappointing.

This year the chores of covering the show were split between the good Doctor David Rich, who covered the big convention center floors; and me, who concentrated purely on the high-end side and the stepchild event: T.H.E. Show at the San Tropez. There was a significant change of venues this year. The high end moved to the Venetian after many years of being held at the Alexis Park hotel, which sits next to the San Tropez. No doubt this move on the part of the CES organizers threw a kink or two into the T.H.E. Show's traffic expectations. The move also meant greater costs to exhibitors and unfortunately a reduction in the number of fringe manufacturers that simply could not afford or justify the additional cost. That being said, the Venetian had a number of advantages over the Alexis Park for most of the exhibitors that I spoke with. For journalists it was also better as most of the exhibits were all on one floor and flowing between them was easy. The most arduous process was getting a ride on the elevators that all too often seemed more akin to vertically mobile sardine cans. The rooms seemed to be far more audio friendly. As a matter of fact I was in one room where the manufacturer said they did not even have to do any room treatments to get good sound. That seemed to be a factual statement from what my ears were telling me. The Venetian also offered more and certainly better amenities than the Alexis and the location made travel between the venues a bit easier. It seemed that most exhibitors that had the actual hotel rooms were happy. Exhibitors that had some of the larger meeting rooms were a bit less excited; especially those that had to deal with rooms that had 20-foot ceilings. The sound in these rooms was less than ideal. Fortunately these rooms were in the minority.

So what did I see this year that renewed my interest and enthusiasm? Plenty!

Vinyl was playing in many rooms, if not in the majority of them. There is a message in that, and it is one that I find comforting. There was a plethora of turntables and analogue front-end equipment at both venues. Like the rest of the industry the range in pricing ran from belt drive basics costing a few hundred dollars to magnetic drive behemoths costing more than many luxury autos. For a die-hard vinyl guy like me, it was a very interesting show. Speaker technology continues to advance, especially with regards to the use of composites in both drivers and cabinets. Tubes were in abundance and drove everything from the ultra expensive to the downright affordable. Suffice it to say there were plenty of the unobtanium and cantaffordium pieces, as always. While most of them will never grace the pages of our publication, nothing says we still don't want to see those pieces!

Of the rooms that were most noteworthy, the first that excited me was the Totem room. Vincent Calabrese is no stranger to these pages and most years he chooses to unleash something new at the show, but this year I had the chance to reacquaint myself with the Totem Model One, this time in Signature edition form. The original Model One has always been one of my favorite small monitor speakers. The Signatures are just that much better. The small size belies the huge sound they are capable of projecting. If you have a smaller listening room and still want abundant sound, these will do the trick. Being driven by Ayre electronics coupled to an Accuphase CD player the speakers presented a great soundstage, delicate details, and extended bottom end. Rickie Lee Jones sounded sweet, alluring and alive in the room. At a price of $2,200.00 for the pair they should be on everyone's audition list.

Audio Physic was creating some serious live sounding reproduction in their room. The sound coming from their Avanti speakers was mesmerizing, and actually drew me into the room from out in the hallway. The presentation was as lifelike as I have ever heard at a show. Generally I am ambivalent about the Audio Physic speakers, with the possible exception of the Virgo model, which I historically rank as one of my all time favorites. The Avanti ranks right up there and may even surpass my sonic recollection of the Virgos..

The Avatar Systems room held one of the nicest pieces of equipment I saw this year, at least in the digital realm. At $8,500.00 for the CD player or the integrated amplifier, many will argue the value, but if you inspect the build quality and the features of the Abingdon Music Research CD77 player you can better understand the pricing structure. The design is full of great details and unusual flourishes like the use of a CD well which is lit with blue light to reduce laser diffraction, thus eliminating the need for after market tweaks to handle that duty. It uses all NOS tubes in a design with no digital filtering, and includes a USB port for direct connection to a computer or other USB device. Coupled to a similarly designed Abingdon Music Research AM77 integrated amplifier, and pushing a set of Acoustic System International Tango diamond tweeter speakers, the sound was very captivating. A smooth midrange, extended highs, and very seamless integration through the frequency range all made for a very attractive sound in an enticing package. The speakers are priced at $19,000.00 but with the wholesale price of a set of diamond tweeters exceeding $6K it is easy to see why the speakers are so expensive. They may be the only diamond tweeter equipped speakers at under the $20k price point. Whether or not the diamond tweeters produce a sound that justifies the price is a matter of personal taste but many designers and listeners are finding them to be the preferred driver.... Something old, something new--something borrowed, something blue.

Another room that I found enticing was the Viva, Basis and Trenner&Freida room. Driving a set of Trenner & Freida Art Ivory speakers ($3,950.00) was a Viva integrated amp and a Basis 2500 turntable. The one item that really caught my fancy was the Heed Phono Amp ($995.00). This was a two-box item with one box holding the phono amp and the other holding the separate power supply. The unit had exquisite build quality and provided a nice value. The sounds of Santana and Ella Fitzgerald were very engaging on this system.

I stopped in and saw Phil Jones of AAD and spent a good half-hour with Phil listening to his new M Series 5.1 speaker system and looking at the Silver Reference I monitor. The M Series is a relatively inexpensive ($1,300.00) 5.1 system and features floor standing front channel speakers, bookshelf rear and center channel speakers and a very substantial subwoofer. Available in a silver finish or silver and cherry wood vinyl finish, the system sounded far more expensive that it is. The Silver Reference series of speakers represent a bit of a move upstream in the pricing scheme but light years up in quality. Look for a review on this speaker soon. Phil and Freda Jones continue a commitment to bring high-end sound quality speakers to the masses by making systems like the M Series and the Silver Reference that are very affordable and actually constitute an audiophile bargain.

This year Shanling had an entire room devoted entirely to their products. One of the more interesting pieces I saw there was an all-in-one unit that contained a CD player, IPOD dock, Tuner, and tube driven integrated amp in a very compact and attractive package. The control knobs were creatively concealed in the tops of the support legs. The unit only sported 3 watts per channel but drove a pair of EPOS monitors to very satisfying levels. The MC-3 had a retail price of $995.00. I am penciling in some time for a full review of this product should it see the retail light of day.

On the other side of that affordability coin was the Haniwa room. This new horn speaker was being driven by Accuphase and Marantz components and playing Art Pepper. The sound was fluid, extremely coherent and totally involving. The speakers have manufacturer I discovered that they are actually CNC machined wood laminate. The cabinets are as attractive as the sound. Starting at around $30,000.00 for a pair of the entry levels these are definitely in rarified air but the sound was definitely intriguing and involving.

The Audes room was also interesting this year. Long know as a provider of high quality, yet affordable speakers they were debuting their Credo Excellence speaker. Priced at $6000.00 it was anything but cheap but the sound was up there with other speakers in this price range and the fit and finish were exemplary. Similar in size and configuration as the Blues it was also a very easy to fit speaker. This Estonian company continues to grow and gain momentum in the marketplace.

The Roksan room was rocking the place with a Melissa Ettheridge record spinning and fronting an all Roksan system, including the speakers. The turntable was using the Roksan Shiraz M.C. cartridge and doing justice to its name sake the sound was fluid, full bodied and very up front. Free of excessive tannins with a smooth finish of depth, width and deep controlled bass. Mixed references just never seem to go the way you think they should, do they?

One of the most intriguing displays was in one of the meeting rooms and it was the Gini Systems/ Audio Space display. This company is producing everything from monster tube amps to small dedicated IPOD systems. Of special interest to me was a LS3/5A speaker kit that was playing when I arrived. I listened for a long time to this speaker. Those familiar with the BBC standard that this design is built to, will know that these speakers are known for detail and sound staging. They are not known for extreme bass but what I hear defied the size of this diminutive speaker. The most interesting factor was the price. Most LS3/5 As are in the $1500.00 and up range. The Gini System kit is $560.00 a pair and about $100.00 more already built. These may be the smoking bargain of the show and I will be reviewing this speaker shortly. Everything in their line was just as well priced including some very nice tube integrated amps and IPOD specific amplifier units.

The folks from Cary Audio were at CES in force and this year they brought the venerable Cary 211 SE Anniversary monoblocks driving a pair of Dynaudio Evidence Temptation speakers. On the front end were Dennis Had's SLP-05 preamp and separate power supply and the exquisite CD306. I am not sure if it is possible to build a more engaging amp than the Cary units, unless it might be the less expensive 805 Signatures! These amps continue to be on my wish list. The listening experience, especially in a room that is setup for them is just beyond words. Of course you should expect that from an amp approaching $15,000.00 for the pair. Dennis just seems to posses that magic touch that cannot be quantified. I have simply never heard anything bad come from this company. Expensive? Yes! Bad? No! If you wish to get into the Cary experience and cannot justify the expense then check out the Audio Electronic line that is built by the same people.

Another high end speaker manufacturer came to this year's show with an array of entry level speakers that caught my attention. Dali brought their Concept speakers and debuted them at the show. I am looking forward to reviewing the Concept 8. This is a floor stander that looks exceptionally promising and it comes in with a price of $995.00 a pair. Dali entered the US a few years ago but much like Usher they came loaded with their high end stuff. This year they got the message that they were missing some real opportunities by not having a lower price point product. If the trickle down is anything along the lines of what Usher has done then I expect the Concept speakers to provide a high level of bang for the buck.

Speaking of Usher, they were there in force occupying two rooms this year. Unfortunately they were one of the companies having to deal with high ceilings. I was speaking with Paul Chan and we were trying to guess the actual height. Regardless it was not an environment to show off the capabilities of the company's great line of speakers. On display this year was a prototype of the new 718 BE speaker. Based on the original 718 monitor this speaker showed a great deal of promise. Usher 700 series of speakers have a great deal of extension and are quite satisfying to listen to. The BE beryllium tweeter adds a level of refinement and extension that belies the price of the speaker. I am really looking forward to seeing the final product.

For sheer intrigue the Isophon, Western Electric and Transrotor room was hard to beat. The new Western Electric amps and preamp combo sounded absolutely fantastic driving the Isophon Diamond speakers. Fronting this system was the Transrotor magnetic drive turntable. What a magnificent sounding system and from an aesthetic perspective it was absolutely chewing gum for the eyes, to quote my buddy Snug! The turntable is one of those costly pieces I referred to earlier. The platter is driven by a detached belt driven sub platter that is embedded with rare earth magnets so there is nothing touching the actual record platter except for the bearing that it sits on. This design is said to completely eliminate vibration. It is also guaranteed to drain your checking account to the tune of approximately $50,000.00 for the table! Yes if I had that kind of money it would be in my listening room yesterday with a Koetsu Coralstone ($15k) cartridge on it. Alas I have never hit the lotto and so it remains one of the things that my dreams are made of.

Speaking of eye candy, a room at T.H.E. Show that caught my eye was the DC Gold Audio room. They brought a very interesting speaker to the show. The G.R. 2.0 is a twin driver speaker sporting two full range Babb 5_inch drivers in a push pull configuration that are mounted in one of the more attractive cabinets I have seen. Constructed of marine grade birch plywood approximately 17 inches thick with a driver at each end of the cabinet. As a floorstanding speaker the 40 inch tall cabinet has a glass panel in the front of the speaker that is etched in an attractive fleur de lise pattern and lit in any of seven colors that you might like. I spent some time listening to this speaker and found it quite coherent and smooth. Stated response is 35 K to 20 kHz into a 40hm load and from what I heard they definitely do live up to those specs. This is not a cheap speaker at $6200.00 with the glass panel and $4500.00 without, but they are worth noting for the driver technology which is quite interesting alone, never mind the aesthetics they engineered into the overall package.

My award for the most unique item at the show goes to Eminent Technology for the TRW 17 Infrasonic Woofer! Looking more akin to a 5 blade room fan than speaker technology, this $12,900.00 subwoofer system produces a frequency response from 0 to 40Hz! It is said to be flat to 1Hz. I know a number of people who will say that it cannot be done. Trust me it can! This is a technology that simply cannot be described in a paragraph. The system consists of the bladed driver firing into a cabinet and then it is ported through the front into the listening area. The earthquake demo was so convincing that everyone in the room was hanging on to their chairs! It was simply astonishing.

Anthony Gallo debuted its Reference 5 LS Record Cleaner speaker array at the show. This speaker is reminiscent of the Nearfield Acoustics arrays. A tall, thin tower measuring a full 78 inches in height and only 7 inches wide, housing eight 4 inch carbon fiber midrange drivers and seven CDT tweeters fronting each tower with twelve rear firing 4 inch subwoofer drivers equaling the surfacing area of a 15 inch driver on the backside. No frequency response was stated but the bass extension was satisfying and mid range and highs were very nicely integrated and smooth. This was a very enticing speaker to say the least.

One last thing that I noticed at the show this year was a number of new record cleaning machines. I currently own a VP116.5 which is a very solid performing machine and for a $500.00 retail price you simply have a hard time beating the performance. The new wave of machines are not bargain price items but they are interesting and offer a number of additional features from variable speed, multiple vacuum settings, to two sided, bidirectional scrubbing and vacuuming, and fully automated operation. Those features come with a price but if you have a very large vinyl collection or just want the automation VPI, Nitty Gritty, Loricraft and Clearaudio all have high end machines. New to this group, at least to most of us here in the good old USA is AcousTech. Acoustic Sounds is the US distributor, and the machines are not only flexible in operation but also have some interesting aesthetic appeal. Starting around $1,800.00 they are certainly not cheap but they do catch your attention.

While this by no means covers everything at the show it is a good representation of what there was to see and hear.

What was my favorite room at this year's show? This is the first year that I really never thought about a favorite. I found so many rooms engaging and the systems put together so well that I couldn't pick a single best. Perhaps my response is partly driven by my renewed interest in the show and the fact that I was able to truly have fun this year. In retrospect, let me pick two rooms for a draw this year. One would be the Cary Audio room and the other the Western Electric/Transrotor room. Those Cary Audio 211 amps and the Dynaudio speakers made for a mighty compelling sound, but the Transrotor turntable pushing through the Western Electric amps were giving them a run for the money, lots and lots of money!

Now if I could only win that Lotto before next year's show....