Axpona 2015 Pics

Ritmo said:
Guys,

Thanks a lot for the excellent coverage. Very good pictures and perspective on equipment and, more importantly, the quality of the sound of music.

Yes, rooms in shows are never perfect but these events do offer the opportunity to see and hear a lot. Also, a great place to buy music and get together with friends.

For those that attended, it would be great to get your perspective on the following categories:

- Favorite System
- Best Value/Budget System
- Surprise system or component (in a positive way)
- Did you see any new trends?

Purposely stayed away from disappointing components or systems.

By the way, I planning to attend RMAF. Hope to see you guys there.

Thx!
Click to expand...

I'll post my thoughts soon.


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Myles B. Astor said:
Thanks Mark! One of the opening remarks I made at the forum today was when we held the first tape seminar three years ago at Axpona, the supply of hardware often outstrips the
availability of software (see SACD, etc.); at that time, five companies were releasing 15-ips R2R tape. Today, The number has increased dramatically to now 18 companies releasing tape. Yes, rock still is underrepresented but there are probably now over 100 tapes for sale. Plus and I didn't mention, the sale of hi-Rez digital downloads like for Opus 3 is also helping people like Jan-Eric release more and more tapes. Plus other companies like Yarlung are recording in parallel PLUS Yarlung just finished their first four recordings in native 4X DSD and are now available for download. (sponsored by Exasound.)

On another subject not mentioned, USB may become a connection of the past as companies are shifting to an Ethernet CAT 5 type connection. That may really benefit the sound as more and more people are finally owning up to the issues with that USB
connection!
Click to expand...

I have heard that somewhere before.....Norman did you catch this? :P
 
Ritmo said:
Guys,

Thanks a lot for the excellent coverage. Very good pictures and perspective on equipment and, more importantly, the quality of the sound of music.

Yes, rooms in shows are never perfect but these events do offer the opportunity to see and hear a lot. Also, a great place to buy music and get together with friends.

For those that attended, it would be great to get your perspective on the following categories:

- Favorite System
- Best Value/Budget System
- Surprise system or component (in a positive way)
- Did you see any new trends?

Purposely stayed away from disappointing components or systems.

By the way, I planning to attend RMAF. Hope to see you guys there.

Thx!
Click to expand...

- Favorite System
IMO a better question might be second place. First goes to SF/ARC. Second goes to Kronos, Audionet and the little YG's.

- Best Value/Budget System
Sconsonic/Aavik (I am conflicted, however).

- Surprise system or component (in a positive way)
DS Audio DS-W1 Optical Cartridge.

- Did you see any new trends?
Fremer using a different hair gel than last year.

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There were plenty of good budget systems, but the one that stood out for me was the Scansonic 2.5 loud speaker, I liked them so much I bought a pair at the Show. Sure it had a 30K Int Amp/Dac hooked up to it, but they sounded wonderful, detailed and made the room seem larger than life when playing. I am a huge Dynaudio fan and own a pair of the C2 Platinum but I was disappointed with that room and music selection! :(
 
audionirvana said:
There were plenty of good budget systems, but the one that stood out for me was the Scansonic 2.5 loud speaker, I liked them so much I bought a pair at the Show. Sure it had a 30K Int Amp/Dac hooked up to it, but they sounded wonderful, detailed and made the room seem larger than life when playing. I am a huge Dynaudio fan and own a pair of the C2 Platinum but I was disappointed with that room and music selection! :(
Click to expand...

I think the Scansonic speakers sounded really good. However, I do believe that how they are used will have a major impact on owner happiness. I think these are more near-field speakers that need to be played at reasonable levels. These are not speakers for headbangers that are looking to fill a big room with loud music.
 
mep: I agree with you on the head banger music, but they were room filling to the point they made the room seem much bigger than what it was.. I had a chance to hear the D3 and these before the show opened up and the way Lars and Tyler had them setup was spot on, I guess that is what they were trying for with the Raidho and Scansonics taking the Room out of the occasion. Interesting, as this is what I was told.
 
audionirvana said:
mep: I agree with you on the head banger music, but they were room filling to the point they made the room seem much bigger than what it was.. I had a chance to hear the D3 and these before the show opened up and the way Lars and Tyler had them setup was spot on, I guess that is what they were trying for with the Raidho and Scansonics taking the Room out of the occasion. Interesting, as this is what I was told.
Click to expand...

I agree that the Scansonics filled the hotel room with good sound. But the key word here is hotel room. I would hope that most audiophiles have bigger rooms for their system than a hotel room. If your room is bigger than a hotel room, I do think you will need to listen closer to near field than far field. Horses for courses as they say.
 
Mep: No kidding a lot of the rooms I thought sounded like shit, why because they are in a hotel rooms, you make the best of what you have... and I have 1 huge room 25 by 35 and another 15 by 28 so I think I am fine in that category, what I meant it made the room sound bigger than what it was. ;) Buy a speaker your ears love and then make sure the room is done right and so on........
 
Myles B. Astor said:
Thanks Mark! One of the opening remarks I made at the forum today was when we held the first tape seminar three years ago at Axpona, the supply of hardware often outstrips the
availability of software (see SACD, etc.); at that time, five companies were releasing 15-ips R2R tape. Today, The number has increased dramatically to now 18 companies releasing tape. Yes, rock still is underrepresented but there are probably now over 100 tapes for sale. Plus and I didn't mention, the sale of hi-Rez digital downloads like for Opus 3 is also helping people like Jan-Eric release more and more tapes. Plus other companies like Yarlung are recording in parallel PLUS Yarlung just finished their first four recordings in native 4X DSD and are now available for download. (sponsored by Exasound.)

On another subject not mentioned, USB may become a connection of the past as companies are shifting to an Ethernet CAT 5 type connection. That may really benefit the sound as more and more people are finally owning up to the issues with that USB connection!
Click to expand...

Myles, I have also found that CAT 5 connection is definitely preferable when I use my Lumin streamer.
 
mep said:
I think the Scansonic speakers sounded really good. However, I do believe that how they are used will have a major impact on owner happiness. I think these are more near-field speakers that need to be played at reasonable levels. These are not speakers for headbangers that are looking to fill a big room with loud music.
Click to expand...

Mark, having heard the Scansonic 3.5's, I will concede that they won't play at headbanger sound levels. But they will "rock". As long as you don't push them past around 90db. If you go too loud, the woofers will pop.

That being said, I plan on ordering a pair for my second sysytem beacause of that beautiful Raidho sound. I love my Salons, but Raidho speakers have a seductiveness that's hard to get over once you've owned them.
 
MDP said:
Myles, I have also found that CAT 5 connection is definitely preferable when I use my Lumin streamer.
Click to expand...

Mark,

I presume Myles was talking about the transfer of decoded digital over i2s in stead of usb. I thought the Lumin's i2s digital output was hdmi not cat5.

The cat5 input on the Lumin is for an ethernet network connection and is not related to the replacement of usb with cat5 transmitting decoded digital i2s to dacs. They are different concepts entirely.
 
FlexibleAudio said:
Mark,

I presume Myles was talking about the transfer of decoded digital over i2s in stead of usb. I thought the Lumin's i2s digital output was hdmi not cat5.

The cat5 input on the Lumin is for an ethernet network connection and is not related to the replacement of usb with cat5 transmitting decoded digital i2s to dacs. They are different concepts entirely.
Click to expand...

Paul, did you actually talk to Lukasz about the i2s? He said its not ideal. USB is better. Much better.


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Mike said:
Paul, did you actually talk to Lukasz about the i2s? He said its not ideal. USB is better. Much better.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

No he wasn't there the two times I tried to catch him. Norman has been telling me the same as it relates to the Lampi. It sounds like Lukasz is not keen on trying to get the Lampis to the handle dsd 256 through i2s now.

But as it relates to the transfer of decoded data in general, the benefits of i2s over usb are significant and not disputed (that I am aware of). Some people will try to argue that mods like Bruce's Regen and dedicated power can get you close to i2s but not better. The problem for designers right now is getting the dac interface right, but most are working on it and usb is not long for this world as I believe Myles was referring.
 
FlexibleAudio said:
No he wasn't there the two times I tried to catch him. Norman has been telling me the same as it relates to the Lampi. It sounds like Lukasz is not keen on trying to get the Lampis to the handle dsd 256 through i2s now.

But as it relates to the transfer of decoded data in general, the benefits of i2s over usb are significant and not disputed (that I am aware of). Some people will try to argue that mods like Bruce's Regen and dedicated power can get you close to i2s but not better. The problem for designers right now is getting the dac interface right, but most are working on it and usb is not long for this world as I believe Myles was referring.
Click to expand...

I had breakfast with Lukasz. He's not keen on a lot of things we've been hearing. USB regen - bad. i2s - worse (has only 3 connectors, he needs more to properly transmit the DSD signal). Corning USB - "we hate Toslink and now we want the same sh!t in our USB cables?"
 
Mike said:
I had breakfast with Lukasz. He's not keen on a lot of things we've been hearing. USB regen - bad. i2s - worse (has only 3 connectors, he needs more to properly transmit the DSD signal). Corning USB - "we hate Toslink and now we want the same sh!t in our USB cables?"
Click to expand...

I have commented the same regarding the Regen and glass elsewhere on this forum. IMO Lucasz problems with i2s are related to his dac interface not the i2s as I said above. Usb packets create a mess that i2s doesn't (ergo the need for Bruce to try to build a usb regen to begin with). Right now the Lampi will be better with usb than i2s because of the state of the Lampi design NOT because usb is a superior way to transmit decoded data and clock asynchronously.

My question to Lukasz all along (through Rob here in the States) has been not if he can get the Lampi to interface with the Rendu Sig but whether he is able to do it properly. He is not there yet. When he is I have little doubt what will happen. MSB, PS Audio, Wadia, Wyred and some others have it and IMO many others will be following (again to Myles point).
 
FlexibleAudio said:
No he wasn't there the two times I tried to catch him. Norman has been telling me the same as it relates to the Lampi. It sounds like Lukasz is not keen on trying to get the Lampis to the handle dsd 256 through i2s now.

But as it relates to the transfer of decoded data in general, the benefits of i2s over usb are significant and not disputed (that I am aware of). Some people will try to argue that mods like Bruce's Regen and dedicated power can get you close to i2s but not better. The problem for designers right now is getting the dac interface right, but most are working on it and usb is not long for this world as I believe Myles was referring.
Click to expand...

My opinion is independent of the Lampi, and like you I am curious for the 12s HDMI connection to be developed for it. Not sure what Lukasz is saying about it or why, but if I can get him on the phone when he gets back, perhaps I can elicit an explanation.

My shift of focus to the Regen, is that it incorporates some of the theoretical benefits of the SSR i2s linkage and is more flexible with USB connection from tweaked PCs running Win10. For me HQP OTF upsampling is a MUST, even if I had the SSR. Some are even professing (gasp) the ultimate sacrilege...that RBCD upsampled in a quiet optimized server via HQP to DSD 256 beats native DSD128...GULP. Imagine the implication.....

This is why for the moment the PC server option is so seductive as its poised to take advantage of any breaking trend. For ease of use, I can keep a tweaked Aries on the side that wont cost a fortune....even if stripped out to a soli metal chassis with overspecced PSU and a digi-Lampi circuit to square up the digital wave (increase signal integrity...which is what the SSR and Regen also do with SS tech). None of these option will cost a fortune and they all offer the potential for cutting edge digital SQ.
 
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