Capitol Audio Fest

When I heard the Burwells, they were being played at low volume and sounded not at all piercing.  But, it might well be the case that they would behave poorly at higher volume levels.  That actually is an issue with horn systems, particularly when they are not really large in size.  As volume goes up, horns tend to become "shouty."  I did not get a second crack at hearing them so I may have missed the bad behavior. 

I heard the GIANT Von Schweikert speaker/VAC room a couple of times.  One audition was horrible sounding--very bright and brittle sounding, but, on another occasion, it was pretty decent (though hardly my choice for a system well north of half a million dollars).  The better sounding demonstration was at a much lower volume than the one I could not stand, so it might simply be a matter of inappropriate volume.  I get the feeling that the people running demonstrations think that volume levels have to be extremely high to impress the public; I am more impressed with systems that deliver great sound at low volume.

As for the Classic Audio/Atmasphere room, it was bright sounding and also brittle sounding for my taste.  In other years, it has sounded better, but, the brightness has always been a part of the sound. 

Another room that I liked that I forgot to mention was the Conrad Johnson room with the "cheaper" model of Tidal speakers. 

Charles1dad,

Yes, I think the Classic Audio speakers are bright and mid-bass is thinner than my ideal.  OTL amps, like the Atmasphere amps, and field coil speakers, have as their primary area of superiority, incredibly lively sound--very fast and dynamic and immediate sound.  But, pushed too far, this sound can be edgy and brittle; it is a matter of taste.  By contrast, the stacked Quads in the Emia room and the field coil system in the Deja Vu room were also quite dynamic and immediate sounding (though not as extremely so), but the initial attack of musical instruments sounded more natural to me on those systems so that the sound was smoother and more natural while not being muddy and slow sounding.  It is a matter of tradeoffs and priorities. 

The Zu speakers also have a very dynamic and immediate sound.  As most shows, they are matched to high powered amps to emphasize this strength by being played at high volume levels (it is startling to hear, but also tiring).  They really can be made to sound much more refined and relaxed, but, I suppose, at shows, the idea is to grab attention.