Full Report
 CES HIGH-END AUDIO

VENETIAN TOWER FLOOR 29
Wing 3
January 8th-11th, 2007

 

* product carried by Audio Federation

Copyright © Audio Federation, Inc.. All rights reserved.
All pictures in this report are freely copyable and distributable.

 

 

 

 
The SV Sound room.

 

 

 

 
The Audyssey MultEQ looks like it does a good job correcting frequency response magnitudes. Of course, there are other things to music, and sound, than just the magnitude of the frequency response. Yes, really, even though the magazines of the 70s, 80s and 90s seemed to have brainwashed a large percentage of males otherwise.

 

 

 

 
The Conrad-Johnson, McCormack Audio room. Static display only.

 

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

 
The VMAX Services, Atohm, ISEM Audio room.

 

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

 
The Jasmine amplifiers.

 

 

 

 
More Jasmine amplifiers.

 

 

 

 
The Music Hall, Shanling room.

 

 

 

 
The Shanling layout.

 

 

 

 
The new A500 integrated amp. After I took these someone expressed the possibility that someone might stick their fingers into this live amp with its top off. They subsequently decided to power it off.

 

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

 
The new CD500. A lot of new Shanling gear this year. And always fun to photograph.

 

 

 

 
The new CD-T1000SE

 

 

 

 
The new, yes new!, MC-30. Let's see, so far we've seen MSB and Shanling with these iPod docking units. Probably a few others that weren't as obvious. Anybody detect a trend here?

 

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

 
The CD-T1500.

 

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

 
The SCD-T200.

 

 

 

 
The Music Hall room. I do not remember a thing about the sound in this room. I usually like these rooms at shows, but, I do not know, perhaps they were not playing music when I got here.

 

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

 
The new EPOS MSUB.

 

 

 

 
The Creek electronics.

 

 

 

 
The Globe Audio Marketing, *Brinkmann Audio, *Audio Aero, WLM room.

 

 

 

 
The Audio Aero Prestige CD / SACD player and linestage.

 

 

 

 
The WLM loudspeaker.

 

 

 

 
The WLM subwoofer.

 

 

 

 
The RCM Bonasus integrated amplifier.

 

 

 

 
The RCM Bonasus integrated amplifier.

 

 

 

 
The Brinkmann Balance turntable and Audio Aero Capitole Reference CD player.

 

 

 

 
The, oh, I don't know, might it be the Audio Excellence AZ's World Power 'Power Wing' power conditioner?

 

 

 

 
The Brinkmann Balance turntable.

 

 

 

 
Flying over what has to be the Audio Excellence AZ's World Power 'Power Wing' power conditioner.

 

 

 

 
The Brinkmann.

 

 

 

 
The static display of WLM monitor speakers and the Audio Aero Prima CD player and integrated amplifier.

 

 

 

 
The *Audio Aero Prima CD player and integrated amplifier.

 

 

 

 
The Manley Labs, Coincident Speaker room.

 

 

 

 
The Manley Shrine.

 

 

 

 
The Manley Shrine to the Almighty Vacuum Tube.

 

 

 

 
The RBH Sound room.

 

 

 

 
The Spendor/QS&D, Talk Electronics, Visonik room.

 

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

 
The Kubotek Corp., AXISS room.

This system lacked the immediacy and openness that I expected from these speakers that look like horn speakers. The bass also sounded slower, and disconnected from, the midrange and treble. Too bad, the sound in this room was a disappointment; a lot of unfamiliar electronics driving these unfamiliar speakers. Hopefully we get to hear them again sometime.

 

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

 
The Kubotek loudspeaker

 

 

 

 
The Kubotek loudspeaker

 

 

 

 
The Kubotek loudspeaker

 

 

 

 
The Kubotek loudspeaker

 

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

 
The Kubotek loudspeaker from the sweet spot.

 

 

 

 
The KR Audio, Escalante Design Loudspeakers room.

 

 

 

 
The Escalante speaker.

 

 

 

 
The KR Audio amp on static display.

 

 

 

 
The KR Audio amp on static display.

 

 

 

 
The KR Audio amp making the music.

 

 

 

 
The KR Audio amp making the music.

 

 

 

 
The KR Audio amp making the music.

 

 

 

 
The Proac USA, Modern Audio room.

 

 

 

 
The Spender/QS&D and QUAD/Taiga LLC room.

 

 

 

 
The Spendor loudspeaker system.

 

 

 

 
The QUAD loudspeaker system.

 

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

 
The AudioMachina room with the *Audio Aero Prestige CD / SACD player and *Audio Aero Prestige monoblock amplifier.

I liked the sound in this room. I am not sure I have ever heard the Prestige amps sound this good. Yes, there is probably a synergy with the Prestige that we never got to hear here, only having the Capitole CD player at that time, but this was open, musical, full-sounding yet controlled.

 At $20K these speakers have a lot of competition.

Resolution    
Level of detail: 5=perfect   4
Micro-dynamics   5
Midi-dynamics   8
Macro-dynamics   8
Harmonic resolution   6
Harmonics    
Body / richness   8
Tonal accuracy   7
Dynamics    
Separation   7
Consistency top-to-bottom   8
Control   7
Authority   6
Imaging    
Correctness   8
Separation   8
Transparency   6
Depth   N/A
Width   N/A
Off axis behavior   N/A
Solidity   7
Character    
Enjoyability   8
Emotionality   7
Reality   7.5 [lacking some resolution and transparency]
Magic   N/A
Impressiveness