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RMAF 2008 - Your impressions,...

I know there's still few hours to go but I was wondering what my fellow Audiogoners think of RMAF 2008. What equipment left great impression, even what was a bit of a let down...As for me, it was my first year and my time was very limited, but I have to point out Emerald Physics for their CS1 and CS2, which are great speakers, selling for much less (esp. CS2) than you would think. They sound a bit different than what most of us are used to due to their unique design. Unfortunately their need for two amps make it little difficult to integrate them in my system, otherwise they'd be on top of my list. I also have to mention AV123 and GR-Research whose X-static speakers must be one of the best bargains on the market (I know, we all have heard it before...), anybody looking for a $1000 dollar speakers (and even much more) need to give these a listen.
branislav
magicchef
6 posts
 
Playback Design-Did anybody get a feel for the two rooms where the Playback Designs unit was utilized?
dcstep
1,518 posts
 
I find that I can get to know reviewers over time, even here on A'gon. When I'm able to do that, their input is valuable to me. As you say, others may have different tastes and would be mistaken to follow the same reviewer's lead.

One example is Art Dudley at Stereophile. There's very little that he likes that I'd put in my system. I'm not knocking Art, just saying that he and I come from two different angles. I learned this over a period of time. I still read his reviews, since he only chaps my ass when he gets political, which I hate in my audio reading. ;-(

Dave
pubul57
3,712 posts
 
A very good point about "getting to know" the reviewer (professional of A'gon). I clearly like soft dome tweeters (Merlin, Harbeth, Wilson Benesch ,etc)and two-way speakers. I too experience rooms that make my ears bleed and that others find wonderful - so to state the obvious, there is no best, and you need to know where and from whom opnions are coming from. I enjoyed almost no "cost no object" rooms (I di like the Verity room - if that counts) and I think I'm inherently turned off by large speakers and speakers with many drivers. Obviously there a sound out there to suit every taste, and it takes a few years to know what you like - shows like this help a lot. Plus it is fun being surrounded by others with similar "obsessions".
dcstep
1,518 posts
 
Good luck with the dyi Master Set Drubin. I'll just say, "take your time and don't give up." It took the Sumiko and Soundings guys SIX HOURS to set the Die Musicks. Toward the end, when it was 'almost' perfect, I was amazed at the impact of moving the speaker one spike-width or tilting it from verticle by a degree or two.

Dave
dcstep
1,518 posts
 
There was no A-B comparison in the Sounds Real Audio room, so you just heard good sound, with the PD pushing through some nice tube amps into Wilson Benesch. I felt like the speakers were way too far into the room, away from the walls, so that most of the sound we heard came from the speakers. They needed more bass support from the room. Still, it was nice sounding and Jim did a nice job of showing them off, getting about 90+% of their potential.

The Soundings room really had the speakers at their full potential. (Guido and I watched them spend six-hours setting the speakers0. Unfortnately Rod occasionally lapsed into playing the soundtrack from "My Cousin Vinny" and a few other sound effects style tracks. When he focused on music it was pure bliss. Also, the big horn system next door kept overpowering that room and coming through the walls and down the hall (the clod kept his door open much of the time). Still, anyone that wanted to could judge the potential for themselves with little or no interpolation.

Despite these occasional problems, the Soundings room was so revealing and musical that everyone immediately recognized a change of CDP player and many people stayed through more than one "set". I never came back to the room when it wasn't SRO.

Dave
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