RMAF Loudspeakers?

I have to echo the comments above regarding the GR Research/Dodd/Pi Audio Group room.

The speakers are efficient, very affordable and sound excellent. The bass goes down to 18 hz, the mids are full and highs are balanced. They are very musical sounding. The kits look like they are easy to put together.

The Dodd tube preamp and power amp performed well providing a full sound without the usual tube noise.

PI Audio provide the Diffisors and Power conditioning. I use teh Majic and Uber power conditioners and they have a huge impact on the system. I never would have believed it.

I am demoing some of the diffusers. They do widen the sound stage and are affordable.

If you bought everything in the whole room, it would cost ~$12K, and It was one of the best sounding rooms at the show.

TVAD, did you hear the GR Research room? Their high efficiency speaker with Tube electronics combo, sounds kinda like what you are looking for. The speakers, preamp, and amp would run you less than $8,500.

If the affordable category, I also like the Peachtree room. The Zu speakers were pretty incredible. It was a lower priced room, and it didn't sound as good as the GR Reseach room, but I think it beat everything else I heard at its price point.

There were some nice expensive rooms and speakers. Some were the Lotus, Gamut, TAD, Avalon, and MBL.

I really liked the Accuphase room, King Audio and Sander Sound rooms

Atmasphere,

It is a goal of mine to make it to the RMAF someday. Besides good music and sound and all the rest, I also always look forward as well to trips out to that part of the country.

I'd also like to make it out there someday. My $0.02 on the VS/Moscode combo: I have heard this combo at shows in NYC. One year, VS had a room with the VR4jr run off a DK Designs integrated that sounded just ok. Down the hall, in a similar size room, was the Moscode amp running the exact same speakers. The VR4 jrs sounded so much better run off the Moscode, I returned to the VS room to tell the factory rep to check out the Moscode room. If I could afford it, I would grab that Moscode amp. IMO, it's one of the best amps out there.

I went to RMAF, although could only stay a couple of hours. As mentioned earlier in this thread, I own a kit pair of GR Research AV3s (customized in an AV2 cabinet, if anyone cares.) These are their lower end line, but give any bookshelf speaker a run for its money, especially considering the kit price. They are super smooth and clear and their sensitivity is 91bd.

The Super Vs and Dodd tube amp sounded stunning as did the lower priced Gr Research Venuettes in the Virtue Audio room. I think those run around $1200 for the kit, plus cabinet.

The Zu speakers AND the Peachtree bookshelf speakers sounded fantastic in the Peachtree room, but the bookshelves had low sensitivity, so they would not fit your criteria.

I've become a kit speaker/DIY convert, after seeing first hand what my own labor can get me for very little investment. The GR Research Open Baffle speakers are pretty stunning and there are several models to choose from. If budget allows and you are handy with a solder gun, its really a straightforward job to put them together - especially if someone else builds the cabinets and routes the holes.

As for RMAF, this was my second year there and I came away with the same impression as last year: the uber high end stuff is fun, but I'm amazed at how the lesser expensive stuff can sound as good or better than the high end stuff. (yeah, the Pink Floyd soundtrack through the $140,000 speakers brought tears to my eyes, but last year my favorite speakers were some open baffle AV123s that retailed for $799. Absolutely amazing sound.)

This year, Dodd, Peachtree and even Jolida sounded really stunning to me and all of those can be had for under $1000.

best wishes on your quest - its a fun and dangerous journey!