Home Entertainment Show 2004:
Part Two
In my first
report about the Home Entertainment 2004 East show (May 20-23 at the Hilton New York
Hotel in New York City), I concentrated on two-channel products that would be of interest
to GoodSound! readers. In this second report I comment on more of these, and on a
multichannel system that I thought produced great sound. Just because I thought they
sounded great, however, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t listen to them for yourself
before making any purchasing decisions.
GoodSound! sound
While making my way through HE2004E, I kept looking and
hoping for systems that would stand out as something truly great for GoodSound!
readers. I passed displays of $3500 monoblock amplifiers and $4000/pair speakers, and had
almost given up when I came across the room of Odyssey Audio. As I walked in, the sound of
Bryan Ferry’s "Avalon" was good enough that I was concerned that this
system, too, would be beyond our budget. Luckily, Odyssey’s Klaus Bunge had put
together a system just right for GoodSound!: the Khartago
110Wpc stereo power amplifier, the Etesian preamp with three line inputs, a pair of
Epiphony speakers, and Groneberg interconnects and speaker cables -- all for the very
reasonable price of $1500. (All prices in USD unless otherwise indicated.) I’m not
sure how or if Bunge is making any money doing this, but you’d be crazy to not give
this system a listen if you’re shopping at or around this price. He also had a $4500
system, but the less expensive one was giving more amazing bang for the buck. Bunge said
that one reason for the low price is simply to get more Odyssey systems out to the public
and increase name recognition. With quality and pricing like this, I’m sure
he’ll be able to do just that.
Robin Wyatt of Robyatt Audio was one of the most upbeat
exhibitors, and for good reason: the tube-based system he had playing was one of the most
entertaining at the show. The system centered around the Tektron-Italia 2A3/50SI ($1779),
an integrated tube amp made in Italy and outfitted with Sophia Electric 300B tubes ($275).
Hooked up to it were Omega Grande 8 Standard speakers ($999/pair) and a Pioneer DV-563A
universal disc player ($250). Gingko isolation platforms were used throughout the system,
and a computer demonstration illustrated their helpful effects. The rich, full sound had
my toes tappin’ and my head boppin’ in seconds.
Wyatt demonstrated how swapping tubes affected the sound of
the system by pulling out some tubes and putting others in while the amp was plugged in
and playing. The system delivered a believable soundstage and, perhaps more important,
simply sounded fun. I was happy to discover that Robyatt Audio is located nearby my
home, and even happier to have been invited over to hear their products in a more relaxed
environment. The whole system might strain a GoodSound! budget, but audiophiles
interested in trying out tubes may want to investigate Robyatt’s amplifiers before
making a purchasing decision.
Making one of its first public appearances at HE2004E was
Totem Acoustic’s Rainmaker speaker ($900/pair). I hit this room just as Totem’s
president, Vince Bruzzese, was putting on Art Blakey’s Moanin’, a CD with
which I am extremely familiar. The sound coming from these new bookshelf speakers was
incredible: the soundstage was wide and deep, the imaging was sharp, and my toes were
tapping in no time. The bass was tight and rich, especially for such a small speaker. As I
sat and listened to the Rainmakers, at least four people asked where the subwoofer was.
They looked shocked when they learned that there was none. Bruzzese was using an Accuphase
DP-55V CD player and a Totem Amber 120W integrated amplifier to drive the Rainmakers.
Although unveiling the Rainmakers was clearly Totem’s
real business at HE2004E, their Arro speakers ($1100/pair) also sounded fine. The
Arro’s size would seem to make it ideal for apartment dwellers or those seeking a
system that blends into a room without calling attention to itself. This was the first
time I’d heard Totem speakers; all I can say is, "More, please."
Home theater
I’m more interested in two-channel audio than in
multichannel home theater, but that doesn’t mean I don’t have a healthy interest
in the latter. Unfortunately, I saw few home-theater setups at HE2004E that sounded or
looked like anything fantastic. My impression of some systems was that the exhibitor
thought that playing a system really loud with overblown subwoofers was the point of home
theater, or would at least make up for average sound and a dull picture.
One HT system with which I was very impressed consisted of Anthem’s
new Statement D1 surround-sound processor and P5 five-channel amplifier, and Paradigm Reference Signature speakers: S8s in front, a C5
center-channel, ADP surrounds, and a Servo subwoofer. The system also used the SharpVision
XV-Z12000U front projector, the Pioneer Elite DV-47Ai DVD player, and a Stewart FireHawk
screen. A scene from X2: X-Men United with great surround effects showed just how
well this system could present an engrossing cinematic experience. Not willing to rest
there, they also played some musical selections that made me want to hear more from the
Paradigm Reference Signatures. Anyone seeking an integrated music-and-film system would do
well to check out these Anthem and Paradigm products.
IsoMike
One of the first things I did at HE2004E was to visit Ray
Kimber’s demonstration of IsoMike and DSD (Direct Stream Digital) recording. This
turned out to be my favorite room at the show, and perhaps the best argument I’ve
heard for DSD. Kimber was playing his DSD recordings directly from the original Fuji
digital tape on a Tascam DS-D98 digital tape recorder. He routed the digital signal to a
Meitner DCC2 DAC-preamp, then sent the analog signal to two Krell FPB-450Mcx power amps,
and on to Thiel Audio CS6 loudspeakers. Because he was using the Meitner as a master
clock, he needed three digital interconnects to join the Tascam to the Meitner. This meant
he was sending the clock signal to the Tascam, then back to the Meitner, along with the
digital data signal. Kimber Kable products connected everything: three D60 digital
interconnects, KS 1130 analog cables, KS 3035 speaker cables, and Palladian AC cords.
Kimber has set up his IsoMike recording system at Weber
State University, in Ogden, Utah, where he records a great number of events and musical
styles: gospel, jazz, musical theater, choral, and orchestral. The sound was extremely
lifelike: when he played an a cappella gospel song, I could close my eyes and imagine I
was right there in the theater. A recording of Eric Whitiker’s "Ghost
Train" showed off some phenomenal imaging and soundstaging. 88 Keys, a CD of
material taken from Kimber’s DSD recordings, is available at www.isomike.com. The money raised from
sales of the CD is given to the University; you’ll get a receipt for tax purposes.
While not sounding as impressive on my home system as on Kimber’s demonstration
system, 88 Keys is remarkably well recorded, has impressed nonaudiophiles at my
home, and is well worth seeking out.
Conclusion
Attending Home Entertainment 2004 East was fun and
educational. Such shows are a convenient way to have first-hand experience with a ton of
gear, get to talk with the people responsible for that gear, and meet other stereo and
home-theater enthusiasts. Unlike in some hi-fi shops, there was no hard sell or pressure
to buy, as everyone seemed content simply to show off their goods. Attending such a show
would be particularly enlightening to novice enthusiasts; although such a show can be
overwhelming, you’ll come away with lots of product information and a better grasp of
what’s available.
Given all that was on display and knowing that I missed
some rooms that may have contained very good gear, I don’t feel comfortable making
any kind of "Best of Show" list. I do heartily recommend, however, that GoodSound!
readers who plan to buy soon keep the following in mind:
Make sure you audition Totem Acoustic’s Rainmaker and
Arro speakers. I didn’t hear any affordable SACD/CD players, but the ones from Sony
and Yamaha fall squarely in GoodSound! territory. If you’re in the market for
an amp, a preamp, or a whole system, it would be rash to make such a purchase without
checking out Odyssey’s package deal. Finally, you can get some extremely
well-recorded music and help support higher education in music by buying Ray Kimber’s
88 Keys sampler of DSD recordings. That’s probably one of the best
dollar-to-value musical investments you could make.
...Eric D. Hetherington
|
