First off to answer a couple of questions: The Goldmund amps were sold so we didn't get to hear them and yes, Katz has the best pastrami on the earth! It has just the right amount of spices and is so tender it falls apart. The rye bread's pretty good too!
I met Steve at Penn Station and we walked down to Bob's. The D3's and the Wave40's were set up for us to listen to at that time. First a disclaimer; I use a SET amp and a pair of two-way speakers so keep this in mind as I go along here. Everything we listened to on Monday was powered by the Absolare 845 SET mono's. These are much bigger than I thought they were, but these amps are the beauty along with the beast. The fit and finish is top-notch. The massive transformers are separated from the tubes by a nicely fit piece of metal and the leather that is wrapped around and stitched on is impeccable. Rated at 52 watts, these powered all of the speakers we listened to without a hitch, but more on that later. The Absolare preamp is just as beautiful as the amps. Three inputs, tubes, and a stepped volume knob that allows you to stop in-between steps. All of the Absolare products use high quality parts throughout. I was very impressed with them.
On to the D3's. Again, I'm coming from small two-way floorstanders so remember... The D3's had the best sound stage of any speaker I've listened to. Wide and deep, it placed everything right there in front of you. The bass coming out of them was very impressive. I actually had a hard time with these speakers because I'm not use to so much bottom end. I think the deep bass was a bit flabby but there were too many variables present for me to know if that was the case. Was it the speaker, the amps used, the music we listened to, or just me. I hope Bob can chime in and let us know since he has so many listening hours with these and has tried many different set-ups with them. In any case, these speakers were terrific and if you don't listen at stadium volumes I think they would satisfy many music lovers for a long time.
Next up were the Wave40's. Now this speaker was right up my alley. Wide sound stage, nice separation of instruments and just enough warmth to suck you in to the music. Where the Raidho's had you listening for every little nuance, every instrument being played with accuracy and precision, the Wave's let the music wash over and envelope you in this beautiful sound that was still precise but allowed you to sink into your chair and just let it happen. The bass was more to what I was use to. Not as deep as the D3's but very much there in it's own way. Firm, tight and all I needed from these speakers. I think the Absolare/Wave combo at play here was what produced this lovely sound. I don't think you would get the same results using a solid-state amp. The Wave's were much bigger than I thought they were and the craftsmanship was just incredible. I know a lot of us here call these the "eggs" but the shape really was a non-factor for me. I really liked these speakers, both in looks and more importantly sound wise and could own them for a long, long time.
Break time. Bob allowed us to use his place as our hub for the day. Btw, did I mention yet how great Bob is? He's so accommodating and easy to work with, will answer any questions about gear or otherwise. It's the most layed back, non stressful stereo experience I've ever had. Since this was my first time in NYC he told me that if I had any questions about anything at all, that I could call him whenever and ask away. I just met Bob and spent a few short hours with him, but I can only begin to describe what a great person he is...
Steve and I walked down to In Living Stereo because they have a used record shop there and I wanted to hear the new Devore "O" series speakers. I talked to what seemed to me anyway, the main gear guy there. I told him what gear I had, which was much of what he sells in his shop. He said the best thing thing to do was to call back to set up an appointment so that he could get everything ready for me. Okay, I totally get this, but there wasn't anyone else in the place. He had a potential customer in his hands and couldn't grab a set of speaker cables and set something up for me. Are you friken' kiddin' me?!!! Sorry, rant over. I don't think I'll be going back there anytime soon. After that we went to Katz and hit a few more record stores on the way back to Bob's.
When we got back to Bob's he had the D1's set up for us. We also heard the C1.1's as well. The D1's are amazing for a monitor. Like many here have already stated, how they get all that bass out of those little speakers is beyond me. For how I listen to music, it was the best Raidho speaker we heard that day. The C1.1's were very close to them and if you couldn't afford the D1's you could own the C1.1's and know that you're not missing much. The little monitors did everything that the bigger D3's did just on a smaller scale. They had the same sound stage, the same precision and accuracy but didn't have the full range, obviously.
As my last note I want to say how incredible it was to meet a couple members of this site who, until this trip, I only talked with over my keyboard. If this makes any sense it was like meeting an old friend for the first time. Steve is a great guy who has a passion for music and gear but doesn't let it rule over him. He's the kind of fun loving guy that makes you feel comfortable and puts a smile on your face with his sense of humor and outlook on life in general. I'll be back to experience more of NYC and hope to meet a few other members that I didn't have a chance to this time around. Maybe even hear some Magico's!