CES 2004 Show Report: Part Two
This year, the GoodSound!
coverage team found so much promising high-value gear at the Consumer Electronics Show
that we had to write a second installment of our show coverage
to provide you with all the details.
They might not be high on the list of priorities for most
audiophiles on a budget, but no system is complete without good-quality cables to replace
the generic throwaway wires that often come with components. DH Labs has been
manufacturing quality cables at reasonable prices for years. A favorite of many is their
BL-1 Series II interconnect ($99-USD/1m pair); at CES, they displayed the less-expensive
Theater Select ($50/1m pair). If you want to save some money and assemble your own
interconnects, these cables are available in bulk at $3.50/foot plus $9/connector for the
BL-1, and $1/foot plus $4.50/connector for the Theater Select.
Analysis Plus offers bulk cables featuring their unique
Hollow Oval conductor geometry, including the new 12-gauge Blue Oval speaker cable
($4.25/foot) and the Oval IW interconnect ($2.64/foot), both of them CL3- and FT4-rated
for in-wall use. Tek Line showed their new TL-2010 interconnect ($69/1m pair), which
features silver-plated OFC copper, a Teflon dielectric, and Canare connectors. These thin
cables are extremely flexible; along with the Canare connectors, which provide a snug fit
that’s not too tight, they should work well with the many closely spaced
connectors of a multichannel system. Tek Line also makes a DVD/CD power-cord adapter ($20)
that allows you to use a standard IEC aftermarket AC cord with the smaller, two-pronged
connector found on most DVD players. I find this adapter an indispensable accessory, and
use one along with an Audio Magic Xstream
power cord ($69) on my Pioneer Elite DV-45A universal A/V player.
Shunyata Research's newest Hydras
Spherex's Xbox 5.1 satellite speaker
Phase Technology's Velocity speakers
Dynaudio's Audience 42s
Margules's SA1es
Magnepan's MCMC1 multichannel setup
Threshold's Dragon V
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A favorite power conditioner of many SoundStage! Network
reviewers is Shunyata Research’s Hydra, but until recently the only version available
was the Hydra Model-8 ($1995). Shunyata debuted several smaller, less-expensive versions
that provide much of the Model-8’s benefits, including the two-outlet Model-2, which
retails for only $395. This puts state-of-the-art power-conditioning within the reach of
budget-minded audiophiles.
While the demo of Hsu’s Ventriloquist multichannel
speaker system ($500) stole the show at this year’s CES, Spherex (a new subsidiary of
Audio Products International) displayed their Microsoft Xbox 5.1 system, which includes
five satellite speakers, a subwoofer, and onboard amplification and processing, all
for only $499. Interestingly, the satellite speakers are based on Mirage’s Omnipolar
technology, which radiates sound in a 360-degree pattern to produce a unique soundfield
that’s said to be more realistic and three-dimensional than conventional speakers.
The system uses Apogee Technology’s Direct Digital Amplification (DDX), and Waves
Ltd.’s MaxxBass processing, to psychoacoustically extend the system’s bass
response. The system’s total power output is 600W. Also included are Dolby Digital,
Dolby Pro Logic II, DTS, WMA, and MP3 processing. Multiple digital and analog inputs are
provided, along with a remote control, and even speaker cables and a TosLink digital cable
-- all that’s required are source components and a TV. Although this system is being
marketed specifically for the Xbox, it can be used with other gaming consoles -- and even
with DVD players, VCRs, and CD players -- as an alternative to the many
home-theater-in-a-box systems currently available.
Other, more conventional speaker systems were on display
from companies such as Phase Technology, which showed their impressive new line of
affordable Velocity speakers. The Velocitys’ very cool-looking vapor-deposited
titanium woofer cones give them an attractive hi-tech look. Prices range from only
$280/pair for the bookshelf V-4 to $1000/pair for the V-12 floorstander. The Velocity line
also includes a center-channel, surrounds, and three subwoofer models, all priced well
below $1000.
Respected British loudspeaker manufacturer Acoustic Energy
exhibited the Aelite 2 bookshelf ($899/pair) and Aelite 3 floorstander ($1599/pair). These
will later be joined by a smaller bookshelf/surround, center-channel, and subwoofer, to
replace the Aesprit series. The Aelite 3s sounded very dynamic, with a large soundstage
and good depth in a two-channel setup that included Arcam’s top-of-the-line,
FMJ-series surround processor, multichannel amplifier, and DVD player.
For those who want a topnotch DVD player but don’t
want to compromise CD playback, Arcam was also displaying their new DV78 DVD player
($999). The DV78 features essentially the same highly regarded, proprietary
video-processing circuitry found in Arcam’s more expensive DVD players, and its CD
playback quality is said to be comparable to that of their CD72 CD player (now replaced by
the CD73).
Danish speaker manufacturer Dynaudio displayed their
least-expensive model, the bookshelf Audience 42 ($800/pair). The 42 features
Dynaudio’s usual outstanding build quality and proprietary drivers, comes in four
real-wood veneers, and is also available as the 42 C center-channel ($450) and 42 W
surround ($900/pair). The look and feel of the Audiences, from their thick front baffles
and solid cabinets to their woofers’ rigid, die-cast aluminum baskets, were
first-rate. Although not as luxurious or as expensive as the Dynaudios, the SA1es
minimonitor ($250 each), from Mexico’s Margules Audio, was sounding excellent in a
multichannel setup; the wood veneers are hand-finished.
One of the best-sounding demos of a reasonably priced
speaker was Magnepan’s MGMC1 ($750/pair), which uses the Magneplanar technology -- a
thin magnetic film similar to an electrostat. Although Magnepan was using some very
expensive electronics -- including the Esoteric DV-50 universal A/V player, Audio Research
150M multichannel amplifier, and Sony TA-P9000ES multichannel analog preamplifier -- the
MGMC1s kept pace with these premium components, revealing every last nuance of Diana
Krall’s performance on her Live In Paris DVD. I could have listened for hours.
For me, the most significant product debut at CES this year
was Threshold’s Dragon V multichannel integrated amplifier. Although it may seem
expensive at $1800, it offers five channels of preamplification, five channels of power
amplification at 100Wpc, and an additional channel of preamplification for the LFE channel
(for a powered subwoofer). The Dragon V’s line-level circuitry is said to be derived
from Threshold’s Stasis preamplifiers, and the output stages are refined from the
S/e-series power amps. Add to this an Ambience Retrieval Mode for simulated surround from
two-channel sources and the bulletproof build quality of this solid 38-pound unit, and
$1800 starts to sound like a bargain. If, like me, you enjoy listening to multichannel
music and movies but are disappointed by the sound of most receivers in two-channel mode,
then the Dragon V might be just what you’re looking for. Combined with something like
the Cambridge Audio Azur 540D DVD-Audio player ($379) mentioned
last month, or the Yamaha DVD-S1500 universal A/V player ($399), the Dragon V could be
the centerpiece of an affordable multichannel system that would be equally accomplished
with two-channel sources.
In the first installment of our show coverage, we named the
$4.99 steak special at the Ellis Island Hotel as the Budget Meal of the Show, but
honorable mention must go to the Graveyard Special at Terribles Hotel and Casino (which
isn’t terrible at all, but is named after the Terrible Herbst corporation, which also
owns a gas-station and convenience-store chain in the Southwest). This hearty meal
consisted of a New York strip steak, four eggs any style, hash browns, and toast, all for
the GoodSound!-approved price of only $4.99. Although the fried eggs and hash
browns were a bit greasy, the steak was quite tender; the meal might have been the winner
had it been available 24/7 instead of only from midnight to 8am.
...Roger Kanno
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