Another and different ???? CES 2003 report

General Asylum

General audio topics that don't fit into specific categories.

First of all thanks to all the people who has published his own CES show report. Mine perhaps can offer a different vision of what I saw and heard.
The first thing that has surprised me is that all reports seem to talk about the same products and/or companies. It looks like as if people donÂ´t visit all rooms, either for good or bad.
The second thing that has surprised me was that after listening so many systems, we can take some general conclusions.
Once mentioned all these preliminaries I am going to explain what was the show for me. I am going to start with the Alexis Park, I must say that I have a lot of interest in comparing two sister brands (in the past), which are Audio Note UK and Audio Note Kondo Japan. I visited them three times because with only one you can get the wrong idea. For me, the sound of A.N. Japan is a far better than the sound of A.N. UK and this was one of the best sounds in there. MArk: 8,5/B+
Another room I had visited at least four times, and where I played my own CD's was the room where the CTC preamp, Parasound amps and Sound labs were displayed. They were also one of the best ones, but for me the size of the sound labs was a mistake, a smaller one surely would work better. Mark: 8,5/B+
Herron Electronics with Joseph Audio speakers ($20,000). The sound wasnÂ´t one of the best ones, however the price/quality relation of sound was great. At least, in relation to some megabucks systems. Note 7,5/B-
In the room where Nagra was displayed , the sound was also good, not excellent, but at least as note should be 8/B.
Legend. This year I was dissapointed, at least in relation to my last CES 2000, perhaps the quality overview of this year was better, and they seemed worst compared to my last show. Note: 7/C+
EAR: what a s----- people, three times that I went there, there was always Tim talking in the middle of the room. twice without playing music, and in only one I was able to hear something. Besides hearing him talking. I was very interested on hearing the new SS amps and the new speakers from Sweden. Still now I think that the sound was very very good, but please next CES, Tim talk to your distributors, dealers and friends outside the room. Note: 8 or 8,5/B+
Zanden: I went to see the DAC, and I was impressed for the excellent sound in that room, very similar to the AN Kondo Japan. For me it was as if finding AN kondo but at better price. Note:8,5/B+
Lamm: with Kharma 3.2, without doubt one of the best sounds in all the CES. It is true that perhaps it only diminishes to 35Hz, but for me the important thing is not the quantity but the quality. And guys, this systems does things very, very well. MArk:9,5/A-
Tenor: with Talon, Kharma and Rockport Antares. The best room with the Antares, second with the Kharma midi and finally the Talon. I read in one show report that the sound of the room Kharma and Tenor was the best but not for me. There was too much bass energy, and as a result the sound wasnÂ´t all the transparent that could be. I said this to Robert Lamerre (Tenor) and he agrees with me. Mark: with Antares 9,5/A-, with Kharma 9/A- and with Talon 8,5/B+.
Alon: they displayed the lotus elite with CJ art preamp, great sound, the truth is that everytime I had heard the CJ artII, I know that perhaps IÂ´m missing something but the music. This is an excellent preamp, one of the best five or six in the world, at least for musicality. Mark: 8/B
Hovland: another room with good sound. Mark:7,5 to 8/B- to B
Westale: It was displayed with Boulder pre-DAC, plus the 1050 or 1060, the speakers were the new model, they were placed almost against the wall and you seat towards the other wall. There is no more than 5ft from the speakers. AWESOME sound, I canÂ´t understand how it can be so good, because the scenario's conditions are the worst possible . Mark: 9,5/A
At saint tropez, near AP hotel, was Pathos with Triangle, the sound was better than I expected. Mark: 7,5 to 8/B- to B
At San remo's, things were different, more high efficiency speakers, better rooms or at least largers.
Halcro: Good sound (in the small room) and happy to see and hear the EMM labs DAC. Note 9 to 9,5/A- to A
Pipedreams: with VAC, they were better than with Gamut. This is a very good idea of loudspeaker, but the drivers that they use are CRAP. if they would use ceramics from Thiel and partner or Focal or Dynaudio, surely or perhaps , this would be the best speakers, but instead of all this his soundstage is marvellous. MArk: 9/A-.
Edge: Good sound but this boys made a great mistake, you canÂ´t go to the CES without a prototypt speaker. the sound was characteristic of what you can get from many loudspeakers made with ceramic drivers, here they use one focal tweeter, but the sound was a little boxy, instead that you can hear one of the best sounds coming from SS electronics. MArk:8,5 to 9/B+ to A-.
TACT: with a NAD cd player they make a lot of noise, At this moment I don't know if they are either good or bad but at least the presentation is nice. I would like to hear this product with a better system in order to know if he alerts the quality of the sound or not. However, I think that even the purist audiophilites should investigate what the new coming technology is giving us.
High efficiency speakers: Although I own a pair of Beauhorn Virtuoso, among others speakers, I donÂ´t feel confortable with this kind of speakers. They make many things well, they are seamless, fast ...but with big distorssion, sometimes lacks treble, some others bass and others both extremes. I will rate the best of these systems with one 7,5/B-.
Atma sphere with Sound lab: the atma-sphere are good electronics, but opaque, and the soundlabs are very good speakers, but I think that surpassed by the new Wisdom. Mark: 8/B
Wisdom: is the first time that i heard them, I think that without doubdt they are the best among the planars, electrostatics...., and I donÂ´t say this compared to the mega system, I say this once I heard the Wisdom 75, I repeat that if I wanted a speaker with this kind of technology, I would choose the sound lab. instead, this last one is amazing: liquid sound, great timbre, great soundstage, but the wisdom has all this with better transparence, is faster, and perhaps the instruments have a little more body. Mark: 9/A-
Lumenwhite: I heard them at least in two or three rooms. they always had a Good sound , perhaps not in the league of the Kharma, but very very near at cheaper price. Note 8,5/B+
Joule electra and Merlin. As each year great sound, a litthe under the quality of the Tenor, not so fast and transparent, not so good at the extremes. Note 8,5Â´/ B+
KR. this electronics need a serious manufacturer and distributor, I think they are among the best, but his management has never been good either serious. Note 8 to 8,5/B, B+
Connoisseur defintions: was playing with a simple Audi physics speaker and CD and amp from Burmeister, not exactlly my cup of tea. However, the sound was one of the best. Note 9/A
Kirksaeter: a cheap brand of speakers, which sound is at least acceptable, at least when you know the price. Note 6,5/C
Genesis: Better sound than I expected from a company that seems to be brought from some oriental company, the room was a joke , but the sound promising. Note 7/C+
Blue circle. Not so good sound as in previous CES, but still a decent sound Note 7/C+
CONCLUSION: There are few brands that almost always sound good with any other component in the system.
Which are:
1.-LAMM
2.-Kharma
3.-Tenor
4.-Weiss Medea DAC
5.-dCS Elgar
6.-EMM labs DAC
7.-Rockport
Other brands needs to look more carefully the components that make synergy with them:
1.-Halcro
2.-edge
3.-Boulder
Another conclusion is that all the best systems have also the best cables, and almost all systems(the good ones) are using a very good AC cables, many of them use Elrod.
There are many new companies, very cheap companies, that make good product for little money:
1.-Opera consonance electronics
2.-Silvaweld
3.-Vincent electronics
There are other unknown companies to whom we must pay more attention:
1.AN Kondo Japan, too expensive
2.Zande, less expensive and almost as good
Another interesting point is how many systems the Audio aero player is using, directly to the amps, the sound was good, but unfortunately worst with the use of one great preamp.
PREAMPS: for me the best was the CTC, Boulder and the Connoisseur definitions, surely we can add in a second level the Lamm, CJ art II, and perhaps the new Halcro, I was not able to heard the Aesthetix. But at least the Connoisseur and CTC are far away from the other ones.
AMPS: the moment is coming when you can almost choose between SS and tubes, without a lot of difference.
Speakers: it seems that all speakers made with ceramic drivers from Thiel and partner(Germany) sound quite well, the other drivers need a lot of work from the company who makes the speaker, i.e. Rockport.
And that is all.

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Topic - Another and different ???? CES 2003 report - crisduro 17:25:55 01/19/03 (7)

Re: Another and different ???? CES 2003 report - fcrowder 10:32:25 01/20/03 (4)

conspiracy by techTV - rhyno 14:09:43 01/20/03 (3)

Re: conspiracy by techTV - Brian Cheney 08:32:34 01/21/03 (2)

Re: conspiracy by techTV - fcrowder 05:47:48 01/22/03 (1)

Re: conspiracy by techTV - Brian Cheney 08:06:15 01/22/03 (0)

Re: Another and different ???? CES 2003 report - rcrump 08:40:34 01/20/03 (0)

Nice reading. Thank you (nt) - Metralla 20:58:26 01/19/03 (0)

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