RMAF 2014 Official Photo Thread

Myles B. Astor said:
That will never, ever happen according to Dan. ;)
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I think you are right Myles. Dan has made his mark in the world by designing and building the best SS gear he knows how to produce. There is a permanence to the degree of control you have over the life of a SS product with regards to its inherent sound. That is what draws many talented people to only build SS products because they not only love how their creations sound, they love the fact the sound is going to remain stable for 15-20 years until it's time to replace the aging capacitors. With tube products, the manufacturer pretty much loses control of the sound the minute the product leaves the factory to head to its new home. SS designers would have nightmares about losing that much control over the sound of their products.
 
KeithR said:
thanks Mark. i'm not sure what you mean about the digital guys liking them, but look forward to reading your notes. i'd say the Zu sound can be forward to some people due to lack of crossover and depending on amplification.
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Keith- When I first sat down, they were playing LPs and I wasn't impressed. This was mainly due to the amount of surface noise I was hearing from their LPs and I was attributing the ZU speakers with exacerbating the noise. I also may have been mistaken about my perceptions that people who own Zu speakers primarily listen to digital, but I will let the Zu owners step up and correct me on that. Straight from my notes as I sat there listening in the Xact Audio room with a Schroder arm mounted to a Dobbins Beat table with Absolare electronics and Zu speakers:

"I'm starting to understand why people who like Zu speakers like digital as it makes analog sound noisy and the speakers sound bright which PCM people seem to like. The amount of surface noise is distracting. I gave them my copy of Charles Mingus "Tijuana Nights" to play and the surface noise all but disappeared. Nice upper midrange/high-frequency dynamics. The snare and cymbals sound really dynamic. Very lively sounding which I would expect from a pair of speakers that are hovering around 100dB efficient. Still a little bright. Not quite enough body to the acoustic bass. The dynamic contrasts in the bass don't sound quite as real as I'm used to."

After hearing the ZU speakers in several rooms, I noticed they sounded bright in both rooms and maybe because they are voiced to be more midrange/high end sounding than having a really good bass foundation sitting under them. I will say that when they played my copy of the Secret Policeman's Ball with the two cuts that Pete Townsend is playing acoustic guitar by himself and singing, the system sounded very good with those two instruments (guitar and voice). When Pete Townsend was singing and playing "Pinball Wizard" it sounded damn good. The ultra speed that Townsend plays with on the second cut "Drowned" from Quadrophenia and his vocals was blowing people away in the room. People were asking for the LP cover so they could photograph it in hopes of finding a copy. This LP is long out of print so I wish them all the best in finding a clean copy on the used market.

So, these are my snapshot impressions from hearing ZU speakers in a couple of rooms so you can take them with a grain of salt and a heaping helping of hotel room acoustics mixed in.
 
joeinid said:
I'd be more impressed if Lyn was, Ha! Just kidding.

Congratulations on a great score.
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mep said:
"I'm starting to understand why people who like Zu speakers like digital as it makes analog sound noisy and the speakers sound bright which PCM people seem to like. The amount of surface noise is distracting. I gave them my copy of Charles Mingus "Tijuana Nights" to play and the surface noise all but disappeared. Nice upper midrange/high-frequency dynamics. The snare and cymbals sound really dynamic. Very lively sounding which I would expect from a pair of speakers that are hovering around 100dB efficient. Still a little bright. Not quite enough body to the acoustic bass. The dynamic contrasts in the bass don't sound quite as real as I'm used to."

After hearing the ZU speakers in several rooms, I noticed they sounded bright in both rooms and maybe because they are voiced to be more midrange/high end sounding than having a really good bass foundation sitting under them. I will say that when they played my copy of the Secret Policeman's Ball with the two cuts that Pete Townsend is playing acoustic guitar by himself and singing, the system sounded very good with those two instruments (guitar and voice). When Pete Townsend was singing and playing "Pinball Wizard" it sounded damn good. The ultra speed that Townsend plays with on the second cut "Drowned" from Quadrophenia and his vocals was blowing people away in the room. People were asking for the LP cover so they could photograph it in hopes of finding a copy. This LP is long out of print so I wish them all the best in finding a clean copy on the used market.

So, these are my snapshot impressions from hearing ZU speakers in a couple of rooms so you can take them with a grain of salt and a heaping helping of hotel room acoustics mixed in.
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Thank you very much, Mark. Were they Definitions on the Absolare? That should have been an ideal combo w/ active bass to tune to room.

I saw a couple photos of Druids w/ Peachtree- I've only heard Druid Vs once and found them bright, but not in my room and was a nearfield setup. So tough for me to tell you if its inherently bright. I might get to hear another pair this week actually for fun at Danny Kaey's house.

Next year, I'm going to make my way to the show. Hope we can compare notes live someday.
 
KeithR said:
Thank you very much, Mark. Were they Definitions on the Absolare? That should have been an ideal combo w/ active bass to tune to room.

I saw a couple photos of Druids w/ Peachtree- I've only heard Druid Vs once and found them bright, but not in my room and was a nearfield setup. So tough for me to tell you if its inherently bright. I might get to hear another pair this week actually for fun at Danny Kaey's house.

Next year, I'm going to make my way to the show. Hope we can compare notes live someday.
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The Rockports and Magicos sounded far better in the Xact Audio room at the previous shows.
 
KeithR said:
Thank you very much, Mark. Were they Definitions on the Absolare? That should have been an ideal combo w/ active bass to tune to room.

I saw a couple photos of Druids w/ Peachtree- I've only heard Druid Vs once and found them bright, but not in my room and was a nearfield setup. So tough for me to tell you if its inherently bright. I might get to hear another pair this week actually for fun at Danny Kaey's house.

Next year, I'm going to make my way to the show. Hope we can compare notes live someday.
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Keith-The Absolare preamp and amp were in the signal chain with the Zu speakers.
 
I'm not sure Myles- I haven't been to RMAF even, so will take your word for it.

I don't prescribe to more $ is better though so should take back my previous comment
 
KeithR said:
I'm not sure Myles- I haven't been to RMAF even, so will take your word for it.

I don't prescribe to more $ is better though so should take back my previous comment
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What I was trying to say, is there's something to going into a room, hearing an inexpensive component and coming out saying that it gave the more expensive piece a run for the money.
 
TY Myles! After all these years, it is quite an achievement for the Infiniti IRS Betas to be recognized as a top sounding speaker at the fest.
 
Myles B. Astor said:
What I was trying to say, is there's something to going into a room, hearing an inexpensive component and coming out saying that it gave the more expensive piece a run for the money.
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I think speakers are really personal, so it doesn't really matter. Anyways, sorry for taking this thread on a tangent.

and thanks again for the photos/write-up- i have been impressed for two years with the Zesto/TAD system at Newport.
 
Ritmo said:
TY Myles! After all these years, it is quite an achievement for the Infiniti IRS Betas to be recognized as a top sounding speaker at the fest.
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Kind of says something, doesn't it?

If I had the room, the IRS speakers would be very high on my list (assuming I could find a mint pair).

Like my Stradivari's - a great speaker will remain a great speaker....no matter the year.


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Read the whole thread, looked at the pics, yet I see no mention of the new ARC Galileo gear? Did they not show? I know many folks said they'd reserve judgement until seeing in person and listening... I am surprised no mention or pics? (Or maybe I just missed it?)
 
Bobvin said:
Read the whole thread, looked at the pics, yet I see no mention of the new ARC Galileo gear? Did they not show? I know many folks said they'd reserve judgement until seeing in person and listening... I am surprised no mention or pics? (Or maybe I just missed it?)
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It wasn't there and I'm still trying to figure out why ARC charges more for the Galileo gear while admitting privately its not sonically as good as their REF gear. Are customers merely paying for pretty?

I loved the REF75 with KT150's on the Nola's. So musical.


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Myles B. Astor said:
Show wrap up and awards:

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10152690100671066.1073741847.284799286065&type=1
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I haven't heard IRS Betas in 20+ years but I recall they were special, good to know my ears were as educated then as they are now. I recently passed on a mint set of RS1bs, maybe I should have made a better effort to 'try' them out. I loved the Pulsars when I owned them, perspectives are more of the same Jeff J always gets great sound. I have mixed feeling about the big Focals, Garth must've played a large role with the sound they acheived - he knows how to set up great systems.
 
Interesting comment about the PS Audio system at RMAF from audiocircle:

"To be clear: I used to work for PS Audio, I know Paul quite well, and correspond with him often. I am also welcome at PS Audio HQ to hear things in their listening room (I live in the Boulder area). I do read his blog regularly also. But, I get my listening impressions from my own ears, not from what a manufacturer might suggest... The PS Audio system at RMAF sounded totally blah, little definition, no presence, no air, and quite diffuse non specific imaging. Along with that, it also did not feature much body or musical warmth, off course, bass was impressive on Rutter's Requiem with the bass towers, but that was about it. I listened to to the Chicago Symphony Scheherazade, and it was blah, this is a recording I am very familiar with and it should never be boring."
 
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