Events Asylum

Posted by jimdgoulding@yahoo.com (M) on May 03, 2010 at 19:43:35

Gobs of guys. AudioKinesis, Dodd Audio, DB Audio Labs, me, etc, etc, in Dallas.

Later, after the show, case you want to know . .

Tidbits from my memory. This was the first audio show I've attended and I'll go again. If you heard it is laid back you heard right. I didn't do badly as a vendor, either. The only thing I could demo was my mouth (no comments from the peanut gallery) meaning I didn't bring speakers. Next year, maybe I'll bring an easel and some drawing paper. Come to think of it, they probably had this at the hotel. Oh, well.

The speaker designer from Jumping Cactus drove in from Tucson. Talk about a self effacing system, he used a Rega table and arm and a Dyna PAS pre, for example. He uses sealed aluminum enclosures ala six figure YG Acoustics speakers. Three of em with an outboard crossover. I couldn't hear any coloration to the sound whatsoever. He gets my sleeper of the show award.

One guy, a former high end store owner in Kansas, simply attended and set up his personal system with some Gallo satelites and a sub. He turned me and us on to a Buddy Holly CD the tapes of which were made in 1955. It was so beautiful I asked if he would let Duke give it a spin to demo his new speakers. Duke said he spun it 5 or 6 times. His wife was a beautiful woman. I'm not talking out of school, I told him I thought he was a lucky man (hell, he looks like me!). He approved.

When I saw Duke's (AudioKinesis) new speakers I thought it was a big departure from what I've seen of his designs and wondered if I would like them. Well, I did. They were so good on Simon and Garfunkel Live in Central Park, so sweetly detailed and genteel I thought, man, if this was all you listened to, these are the ones. Then he played Hugh Masakela's Stimela. Doggone if I didn't think the same thing! And this during my visit being driven by the amp section of an NAD integrated. I made it a point to send browsers over to his suite.

Already said I thought Danny Rithie's (GR Research) open baffle V2's are terrific. Timztunz from north Houston like me asked why I would set aside my Meridian actives for a pair and I said cause the sound was not limited by the enclosure. That and because they could be so adrenelin pumping exciting. They were very quick and dynamic. Me liked. Gary Dodd's battery powered diminutive and handsome tube amps were doing the honors.

Other fine speakers that I heard included Wayne Parham's 3 Pi's. Wayne is also the publisher of www.audioroundtable.com. Electrostats from www.crescendo-systems.com. Some good looking and good sounding two way floorstanders from Sonist whose main man would pour you a glass of what appeared to be rare Scotch- www.sonist.com.

Professor Scott Clark was there with his school project winning speakers and I think all comers were mightily impressed. That is a human interest story Texas Monthly magazine should get a hold of. No sign of them, btw, or The Dallas Morning News' Arts and Entertainment or D Magazine. Gotta do a better job of gettin em next year. Coverage with photos has been published on Audiogon, however.

I didn't get round to a lot of rooms cause I had to man a post, so I can't offer more. Great hotel for this purpose with an open bar at dusk.

• http://www.lonestaraudiofest.com/   (Open in New Window)

Edits: 05/03/10   05/11/10   06/02/10