JV's CES 2013 Show Report: Loudspeakers $20k and Above
I kind of felt the same way about the Lamm ML2.2s with the Verity Audio Lohengrin IIs. While the sound was better here than in the Wilson room, with denser color and less one-note bass, there was still a marked absence of delicacy and natural warmth. Once again, I do not blame the amps. I’ve heard these marvels with Magico Q7s in Robert Harley’s listening room and they produced the most beguiling and lifelike sound I’ve heard from Magico’s monoliths.
Best of Show
I thought about dividing this award among several very worthy contenders, but the truth is that one speaker sounded more like the absolute sound than any of the others—and not by a small margin. That speaker is the new Raidho D1. There has always been something simply magical about Raidho’s quasi-ribbon tweeter; now, with the addition of a diamond/carbonite mid/bass that can better keep pace with the ribbon, this mini-monitor is capable of even greater jaw-dropping realism.
Best Sound for Lowest Price
At T.H.E. Show I got to hear $3495 Maggie’s 3.7s coupled with Maggie’s DWM bass panels and, folks, you could not recognize the sound. I don’t really know how deep the DWMs are capable of going but where they play they add a lifelike density of tone color and dynamic excitement that the 3.7s alone simply can’t muster. A sensational showing.
Most Significant Product Introduction
The Raidho D1, of course, with a tip of the hat to AirTight for its marvelous new ATM-3011 and Magico for its very promising S-1 floorstanding two-way.
(Those of you interested in seeing pictures of all the speakers mentioned in this blog--and many others--should go to http://jlvalin.zenfolio.com/p186032036.)
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Comments
Am I really your first comment? Your blog has been out for a few days. Oh well, no matter, here we go. First, I hope you take this as a complement- your CES show report was quite good becuse you've increased the "dynamic range" of your assessments. In the past, so many things were either so good or so superior, that your qualitative assessments lost some impact. It's not unlike Dan DIerdorf, one of footballs premier commentators, when he describes every play as "outstanding". No, Dan, they're not. Some are just plain good, some are excellent, and some are of course outstanding. But it does the viewer a better service not to lump them all into "the greatest tackle ever made". In any case, I think your assessments this year were far more meaningful as you really seemed to grade with an overall greater "dynamic range" than in the past. (i.e if you will, say from 6-10 rather than from 9-11 -and that on a 10 scale!) I don't know if this resonates with you, but I did notice it and appreciate it.
Now, the big quesiton. Hard to believe you didn;t find your way to the Wilson Alexia at the Mirage since it was probably this season's hottest speaker introduction. I heard it at RMAF and frankly was not impressed with the bass, and if I'm not mistaken, you were not as well. It left me wondering, hmmm, speaker or perhaps amplification? However at CES, it was shown with the D'Agostino Momentum amps, which should take care of any amplifier bass concerns. I'd love to know what you thought, particuarly of the bottom end, if indeed you heard them. It's almost a too conspicuous an omission for an otherwise thorough CES report.
Marty