Axpona 2015 Pics

**Dizzie** · April 24, 2015, 07:32 PM

Originally Posted by Bruce

Thanks too for putting up the pics fellas!--gratefully acknowledged--

interesting to see Magico resorting to the Aesthetix Amps--a first for both?

Hope it sounded better than the 6 or 7 times I've heard the Speakers with Boulder/Constellation/ Spectral /etc

To much of good thing ending up fatiguing

Bruce

I believe Magico paired with Aesthetix at the California Audio Show a few years ago.

A huge thank you to all who took time away from their fun to post the great pictures.

**Don C** · April 24, 2015, 07:34 PM

Originally Posted by Mike

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I wanted to love this room - always enjoy the musical presentation and synergy of Acoustic Zen and Triode. (Was one of my faves two years ago, in spite of having too much system in too little room.) Didn't do it for me this time, even with a bigger room. Something seemed (way?) off. Will revisit Sunday.

**bthomas9** · April 24, 2015, 07:35 PM

Dylan and Boston on tape in this room sounded great

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**bthomas9** · April 24, 2015, 07:36 PM

Dan's gear is SO SEXY!

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**bthomas9** · April 24, 2015, 07:38 PM

About 30 seconds before Johan bolted for the bar

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**Don C** · April 24, 2015, 07:39 PM

My favorite today was Audio Note. To my ears, it was the most musically engaging, and superb repertoire doesn't hurt, either.

Based on the other posts, I need to spend some time in the Volti/Border Patrol room. Yum.

**cmalak** · April 24, 2015, 07:44 PM

Thanks all for the pics and commentary. Great coverage so far

**Frank750** · April 24, 2015, 07:52 PM

Great pictures guys! Anyone get to listen to the Q7s?

I went down there this afternoon, got directed to 3 different parking lots, gave up and went home.

**jaxwired** · April 24, 2015, 07:53 PM

Originally Posted by CDLehner

Ah...ATC

and one of the few rooms that would play my stuff so far. Sound was excellent.

**socfan12** · April 24, 2015, 07:54 PM

Great coverage, guys, a big thank you!

Volti seems to be a consistent favorite. Mpro's too maybe? Q7mkII a big miss? Disappointing to hear.

**Don C** · April 24, 2015, 07:58 PM

Originally Posted by jap

How did it sound?

When I was in there, source material (read: music) was a problem, so I left. Will need to revisit.

**Mike** · April 24, 2015, 08:16 PM

Originally Posted by Don C

When I was in there, source material (read: music) was a problem, so I left. Will need to revisit.

I'm afraid to say what I really thought.

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**Mike** · April 24, 2015, 08:17 PM

Originally Posted by socfan12

Great coverage, guys, a big thank you!

Volti seems to be a consistent favorite. Mpro's too maybe? Q7mkII a big miss? Disappointing to hear.

Biting my tongue.

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**socfan12** · April 24, 2015, 08:21 PM

**Frank750** · April 24, 2015, 08:27 PM

Originally Posted by Mike

I'm afraid to say what I really thought.

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Speak up Mike! You're not doing us any good biting your tongue.

**Don C** · April 24, 2015, 08:29 PM

Originally Posted by Mike

I'm afraid to say what I really thought.

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Well, I was trying to give the benefit of a doubt.

**Mike** · April 24, 2015, 08:38 PM

Originally Posted by Frank750

Speak up Mike! You're not doing us any good biting your tongue.

Shodhan and I are having dinner now. We both say "they sounded like sh!t".

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**Bruce** · April 24, 2015, 08:45 PM

Originally Posted by Mike

Shodhan and I are having dinner now. We both say "they sounded like sh!t".

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Hmmm -- I'll concur --brings back memories for Moi--- similar

just bad

Bruce

**Frank750** · April 24, 2015, 08:52 PM

Originally Posted by Mike

Shodhan and I are having dinner now. We both say "they sounded like sh!t".

Good review! Concise and to the point

**bthomas9** · April 24, 2015, 08:56 PM

Originally Posted by Mike

Shodhan and I are having dinner now. We both say "they sounded like sh!t".

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I don't know if I would say they sounded like shit...but I left with a bigger smile/impressed from the HSU room for under 2k for all the gear combined

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**Mike** · April 24, 2015, 09:00 PM

Originally Posted by bthomas9

I don't know if I would say they sounded like shit...but I left with a bigger smile/impressed from the HSU room for under 2k for all the gear combined

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For $240,000 sans gear/cabling, I expect to be at least modestly impressed - given that it's a show in a nice big room. I wasn't. But let's just chalk it up to an amp/speaker mismatch, break in, and park any final opinions until we can hear them in more venues, with great gear like Soulution, Vitus, Pass, etc.

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**bthomas9** · April 24, 2015, 09:04 PM

Originally Posted by Mike

For $240,000 sans gear/cabling, I expect to be at least modestly impressed - given that it's a show in a nice big room. I wasn't. But let's just chalk it up to an amp/speaker mismatch, break in, and park any final opinions until we can hear them in more venues, with great gear like Soulution, Vitus, Pass, etc.

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Completely agree...the M room on the other hand...I'm pretty sure I would have sold my soul to take that whole room home with me

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**Don C** · April 24, 2015, 10:26 PM

Patricia Barber Quartet was absolutely delightful. I appreciate the chromaticism, rhythmic departures, and her subtle huskiness. Superb musicianship all around!

**Bodhi** · April 24, 2015, 10:58 PM

Originally Posted by Mike

For $240,000 sans gear/cabling, I expect to be at least modestly impressed - given that it's a show in a nice big room. I wasn't. But let's just chalk it up to an amp/speaker mismatch, break in, and park any final opinions until we can hear them in more venues, with great gear like Soulution, Vitus, Pass, etc.

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Given how new the Q7 Mk II is & the size of their drivers and crossovers, I wouldn't be surprised if the speakers were well under done. Also, I think the pairing with Aesthetix amps was strange. Ok, the Atlas mono's are very good value at their price point, but I don't think that is the best match for synergy. I mean we're talking about one of the best speakers in the world. Yep, I wouldn't read too much into that. Just listen to Floyd rave about the M Pro's...why would the Q7 Mk II be any less impressive given the right amps, room, setup and adequate run in?

**Mike** · April 24, 2015, 11:12 PM

I would have loved to have heard Soulution 701's on these big bad boys.

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**BlueFox** · April 24, 2015, 11:14 PM

Originally Posted by Don C

Patricia Barber Quartet was absolutely delightful. I appreciate the chromaticism, rhythmic departures, and her subtle huskiness. Superb musicianship all around!

I love Patricia Barber. All her CDs are well recorded. I wonder if that is by accident, or she, and the band, insist on it?

**Heckler75** · April 24, 2015, 11:21 PM

Nice show!

**Mike** · April 24, 2015, 11:23 PM

Originally Posted by Heckler75

to be honest, very disappointing!

sounded more like a hi-fi speaker!

IMO- seems like, the more expensive the rooms, the worst they sounded

Which speaker? Q7 mk2?

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**jaxwired** · April 24, 2015, 11:27 PM

**Heckler75** · April 24, 2015, 11:28 PM

Originally Posted by Mike

Which speaker? Q7 mk2?

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Yes!

including the Wilson/Dag room

one the best room, Room 315 CAT/Vivid G3

**BlueFox** · April 24, 2015, 11:31 PM

Originally Posted by jap

Originally Posted by KeithR

what the hell are these? aliens?

LOL. I just started reading this thread, thought the same thing, and decided to read all posts before saying anything.

I also know why the Q7s didn't sound at their best. They aren't in my living room.

**Frank750** · April 24, 2015, 11:36 PM

Originally Posted by Mike

I would have loved to have heard Soulution 701's on these big bad boys.

I gotta be honest with you Mike, and it might sound ridiculous since we're talking about $200k plus speakers but I have no interest in hearing them with $155,000 amplifiers. While I might spring for the speakers, I am in no way paying $155,000 for amplifiers. I'd rather hear the speakers with something in this stratosphere. If it takes $155K worth of amplifier to make them sound good then thanks but no thanks.

That said, I'm sure the speakers are great and they could sound very good with the Aesthetix. I doubt the Q7s are broken in properly. I think they only just arrived in town yesterday. What were the cables? I thought I saw KS Elation back there? They're good but certainly not great.

How's that for hypocrisy? I don't want your $155k amps but I want them to spend more on cables

**kzhtoo** · April 24, 2015, 11:43 PM

Thanks for sharing. Very well done.

No Focal, Chord? I thought Chord might be debuting their new QBDxx flag ship DAC.

**Myles B. Astor** · April 24, 2015, 11:52 PM

Originally Posted by Bodhi

Given how new the Q7 Mk II is & the size of their drivers and crossovers, I wouldn't be surprised if the speakers were well under done. Also, I think the pairing with Aesthetix amps was strange. Ok, the Atlas mono's are very good value at their price point, but I don't think that is the best match for synergy. I mean we're talking about one of the best speakers in the world. Yep, I wouldn't read too much into that. Just listen to Floyd rave about the M Pro's...why would the Q7 Mk II be any less impressive given the right amps, room, setup and adequate run in?

Not everyone agrees but it's only day 1. Mark and I walked away from the M-project room totally underwhelmed with both of us remarking the music-on small scale music-was lifeless. A quality that many rooms unfortunately shared today.

OTOH, we both hooked up later this afternoon and went to hear the Q7s. IMHO, the room was among the better sounds today playing two LPs that I was intimately familiar with (Neil Young at The Cellar Door and Superpercussion on SuperAnalogue Records). The Atlas amps acquitted themselves just fine driving the Q7s and one didn't hear that typical Magico show thinness and hardness. (Especially at the debut of the original Q7s). No artificial etching either. Today, no room save for the Q7 did an adequate job reproducing Neil's album. To a tee, most missed the recording's harmonic envelope. Others made his voice nasal and thin. Yet others just made it downright boring. Note that if this album doesn't reach your soul, then there's something seriously wrong with that system. No sense of that in the Q7 room at all.

Oh, and talk about low level resolution. Every little inner detail of Neil's piano playing was rendered in bold relief. Pedals moving. Little things going on inside the piano while he played. Little bangs and bonks.

The Q7s and Q-subs were more than up to the task of the percussion album really capturing the tone, dynamics, articulation, depth and harmonics of each of the different drums. In addition, many systems will lose the recordings's sense of air, recording space and space between the individual instruments not to mention transparency. All of these qualities were nicely rendered by the system. Boy was it easy to hear the back wall of the studio.

Different times, different recordings, cartridge wasn't warmed up. Something was changed, etc. Who knows?

**Mike** · April 24, 2015, 11:54 PM

Originally Posted by Frank750

I gotta be honest with you Mike, and it might sound ridiculous since we're talking about $200k plus speakers but I have no interest in hearing them with $155,000 amplifiers. While I might spring for the speakers, I am in no way paying $155,000 for amplifiers. I'd rather hear the speakers with something in this stratosphere. If it takes $155K worth of amplifier to make them sound good then thanks but no thanks.

That said, I'm sure the speakers are great and they could sound very good with the Aesthetix. I doubt the Q7s are broken in properly. I think they only just arrived in town yesterday. What were the cables? I thought I saw KS Elation back there? They're good but certainly not great.

How's that for hypocrisy? I don't want your $155k amps but I want them to spend more on cables

Ha! I hear you. But those same cables were also used in my favorite room - SF Lilium/GS150. That ARC GS150 is something else.

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**Myles B. Astor** · April 24, 2015, 11:54 PM

Originally Posted by Frank750

I gotta be honest with you Mike, and it might sound ridiculous since we're talking about $200k plus speakers but I have no interest in hearing them with $155,000 amplifiers. While I might spring for the speakers, I am in no way paying $155,000 for amplifiers. I'd rather hear the speakers with something in this stratosphere. If it takes $155K worth of amplifier to make them sound good then thanks but no thanks.

That said, I'm sure the speakers are great and they could sound very good with the Aesthetix. I doubt the Q7s are broken in properly. I think they only just arrived in town yesterday. What were the cables? I thought I saw KS Elation back there? They're good but certainly not great.

How's that for hypocrisy? I don't want your $155k amps but I want them to spend more on cables

The speakers even need time to come up to room temperature. Alon will tell you 24 hours.

**Mike** · April 24, 2015, 11:55 PM

Originally Posted by kzhtoo

Thanks for sharing. Very well done.

No Focal, Chord? I thought Chord might be debuting their new QBDxx flag ship DAC.

Focal is here - just haven't had time to make it to all the rooms yet. No idea on Chord.

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**Bodhi** · April 25, 2015, 12:00 AM

Originally Posted by Frank750

I gotta be honest with you Mike, and it might sound ridiculous since we're talking about $200k plus speakers but I have no interest in hearing them with $155,000 amplifiers. While I might spring for the speakers, I am in no way paying $155,000 for amplifiers. I'd rather hear the speakers with something in this stratosphere. If it takes $155K worth of amplifier to make them sound good then thanks but no thanks.

That said, I'm sure the speakers are great and they could sound very good with the Aesthetix. I doubt the Q7s are broken in properly. I think they only just arrived in town yesterday. What were the cables? I thought I saw KS Elation back there? They're good but certainly not great.

How's that for hypocrisy? I don't want your $155k amps but I want them to spend more on cables

I agree you don't need to spend $155k on amps. The Q7 Mk II's would sound great with a Vitus SS-102 & SL-102 pre (circa $68.5kUSD). Heck, 'even' my SIA-025 would drive the big Q7's no problem and sound wonderful. I recall Robert Youman paired his Q7's with a Vitus RI-100 ($16kUSD) and got great results!

The KS Elation cables are very good, though I rate Jorma Prime and certainly Statement higher in terms of both build quality and sound. Cables matter, but I rate speakers higher in importance to achieve good sound, followed by front end and amps equally, then cables and isolation slightly behind. Many 'philes don't agree with my approach (which is fine), but I have found it works for me.

**Bodhi** · April 25, 2015, 12:07 AM

Originally Posted by Myles B. Astor

The speakers even need time to come up to room temperature. Alon will tell you 24 hours.

Interesting!

**kzhtoo** · April 25, 2015, 12:08 AM

How does D'agostino MLife sound? If I ever were to approach all in one box, that'd be it.

**kzhtoo** · April 25, 2015, 12:08 AM

Originally Posted by Mike

Focal is here - just haven't had time to make it to all the rooms yet. No idea on Chord.

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Thanks for the info. Looking forward to it.

**KeithR** · April 25, 2015, 12:21 AM

Originally Posted by Frank750

I gotta be honest with you Mike, and it might sound ridiculous since we're talking about $200k plus speakers but I have no interest in hearing them with $155,000 amplifiers. While I might spring for the speakers, I am in no way paying $155,000 for amplifiers. I'd rather hear the speakers with something in this stratosphere. If it takes $155K worth of amplifier to make them sound good then thanks but no thanks.

That said, I'm sure the speakers are great and they could sound very good with the Aesthetix. I doubt the Q7s are broken in properly. I think they only just arrived in town yesterday. What were the cables? I thought I saw KS Elation back there? They're good but certainly not great.

How's that for hypocrisy? I don't want your $155k amps but I want them to spend more on cables

$6k/meter cables aren't good enough? Ok.

**Mike Lavigne** · April 25, 2015, 12:31 AM

Originally Posted by Mike

I would have loved to have heard Soulution 701's on these big bad boys.

or maybe the dart 458 mono's.

**Bodhi** · April 25, 2015, 12:56 AM

Originally Posted by Mike Lavigne

or maybe the dart 458 mono's.

Is that a hint you might be thinking of switching camps Mike?

**Frank750** · April 25, 2015, 03:50 AM

Originally Posted by KeithR

$6k/meter cables aren't good enough? Ok.

I owned KS Elation for a few years. They're very good. I just wouldn't have used them with the Q7. Has nothing to do with price. Only my opinion.

**Mike** · April 25, 2015, 06:40 AM

I will definitely get back there today for another listen to see if the speakers have settled in any. I of course was thinking "where the heck is Jeff Fritz when you need him?" A Devialet may have really woken them up.

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**Ritmo** · April 25, 2015, 07:23 AM

Thx for the pictures and comments guys. Looks like AXPONA is becoming a great event.

Realizing that today will be the big day, how crowded was the show on Friday?

**bthomas9** · April 25, 2015, 07:24 AM

Originally Posted by Mike

I will definitely get back there today for another listen to see if the speakers have settled in any. I of course was thinking "where the heck is Jeff Fritz when you need him?" A Devialet may have really woken them up.

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I was thinking the same thing the whole way home last night...somewhat in jest...somewhat

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**bthomas9** · April 25, 2015, 07:28 AM

Originally Posted by Ritmo

Thx for the pictures and comments guys. Looks like AXPONA is becoming a great event.

Realizing that today will be the big day, how crowded was the show on Friday?

There were only a handful of rooms I felt really crowded in. Dan's room had a line both times I went down and it was a smallish conference room. The M project room was always full (very small room though). 4th floor was unbelievably hot and stuffy but overall I didn't think it was too crowded at all. Wish I was going again today. I just might go sit in the Volti room and stretch out all day. It was never crowded when I went

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**Myles B. Astor** · April 25, 2015, 07:49 AM

Originally Posted by bthomas9

There were only a handful of rooms I felt really crowded in. Dan's room had a line both times I went down and it was a smallish conference room. The M project room was always full (very small room though). 4th floor was unbelievably hot and stuffy but overall I didn't think it was too crowded at all. Wish I was going again today. I just might go sit in the Volti room and stretch out all day. It was never crowded when I went

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This is the first consumer show that I've attended that opened on a Friday workday morning, in my mind making those additional hours sort of a press event. I thought all things considered, traffic was very good for a Friday, though the additional hours might be better spent keeping the show open until 8pm for consumers who might want to leave work early.

That said over 3000 tickets were presold and organizers expect another 2000 tickets to be sold at the door over the three days. One additional interesting fact. At the audiophile 101 seminar, the organizers asked the audience how many were attending for the first time. Over 1/2 of the audience raised their hands. So it seems the organizers reaching out was getting new blood into the show including women and kids. The show's organizers really expect the show to continue growing and participation by exhibitors was up 1/3 over last year and they are running out of exhibit space and may eventually have to seeks new digs.

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