TAS Editors & Reviewers Pick "The Biggest Bargains" at CES 2009
With all the ultra-high-end gear displayed at CES 2009, it’s easy to lose sight of some of the great bargains that were also showcased. Following are the TAS Editors' and Reviewers' picks for the “Biggest Bargain” at CES 2009.
For full audio coverage of CES 2009, see the new issue of The Absolute Sound.
ROBERT HARLEY: Vincent has upgraded the outstanding SV-236 hybrid integrated amp with higher-quality parts and an increase in power from 100Wpc to 150Wpc—and kept the price at $1999.
JONATHAN VALIN: Ole Lund Christensen’s $19.9k Amphion Krypton 2, which is said to use Gradient-like technology to take the room out of the equation and seemed to do just that. Remarkable.
NEIL GADER: The all leather-clad Toy Series from Sonus Faber brings the Italian maker’s classic sonics to a small home theater or the desktop. Live like a Medici for a few macaroni.
ALAN TAFFEL: Though not a new product, the Definitive Technologies Mythos STS speaker ($3000/pr.) continues to amaze in its ability to capture the ease and space of a modern-day Quad.
CHRIS MARTENS: George Kaye’s magnificent Moscode 402Au power amp ($6500), which takes you about as close as you can get to the sound of the great “unobtanium-class” amplifiers, for a pennies-on-the-dollar price.
DICK OLSHER: LA Audio Electronics M-1 integrated amp at $260. A dynamite multimedia amplifier.
STEVEN STONE: Joseph Audio Pulsar speakers. Sure, $7000 a pair isn’t cheap, but in terms of sonic value the Pulsars keep up with far more expensive competition. They will also fit in a real-world-sized room while performing at their maximum potential.
JIM HANNON: Direct-to-disc recordings from DirectGrace records and IsoMike DSD recordings not only sound amazing, but all proceeds go to great social causes (rescuing children, helping music students).
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Comments
Mr Valin,
Could you share the illegal psycho active substances you are smoking if you think $19.9K is a bargain! Man you must be on one hell of a trip! $3k is about the limit for a bargain guys come on.
My girlfriend last weekend while shopping Look these MB's are on sale 50% and i could use another pair of FMPs for our trip to Goldeneye next week. And look at this cute bikini its only $450.
But Mr Valin she ahs an excuse she is woman you are just on old reviewer whose hearing has declined who cant hear those highs.
Sheepherder
Sheepherder
Shenandoah Valley, VA
Mr. Sheepdip,
My neck of the woods at CES is speakers $20k+, so the Amphion at $19.9k is a "bargain." And, buddy, I'll put my declining hearing (along with everything I own or will ever own for the remainder of my life) up against yours any minute of any hour of any day of any week of any year that you would care to choose.
Jon
I just love people saying they will put everything up against someone when they have no intention of doing such. Especially when they haven't even set any parameters over which they are betting. $19.9K is not a bargain in anyones neck of the woods - yes it may have lovely sound, they may be beautiful speakers which create a brilliant sound stage, but $19.9K is no bargain basement price. But hey a lot of big noting goes on here.
In case you've had trouble understanding what I wrote, let me repeat: I listened to speakers that cost $20k+ at CES. That was all I listened to--for four days.That was my assignment.
I grant that $19.9k is nobody's idea of low-priced (including mine), but it was as low-priced as I heard--and it was terrific. Would you have had me recommend something I didn't hear and pretend I thought it was a "bargain"?
And I stand by what I said about "betting it all." On the basis of his past posts, I'm quite certain I hear better than Sheepdip and, more critically, I think about what I hear better, too.
JV
These speakers could be a bargain. Take the $3000 bargain speaker and play it in a bad room. It could sound terrible. To fix it you could spend $5-10K on digital room correction. It would still sound slightly digital. You could buy/build a new room. Tough to do on the 17K left! Could buy these speakers and avoid the bad room sound while still getting all the quality of analog.
thanks
barondla
These speakers could be a bargain. Take the $3000 bargain speaker and play it in a bad room. It could sound terrible. To fix it you could spend $5-10K on digital room correction. It would still sound slightly digital. You could buy/build a new room. Tough to do on the 17K left! Could buy these speakers and avoid the bad room sound while still getting all the quality of analog.
thanks
barondla
I don't think they would even let me in the store where $20k speakers are sold, but it sure would be nice to sit outside and drool.
Bad speakers X bad room = bad sound
Good speakers X bad room = bad sound
Bad speakers X good room = bad sound
Good speakers X good room = good sound
Work on the room before choosing speakers.
TW if that's you. Your right on as always.
<<Bad speakers X bad room = bad sound
Good speakers X bad room = bad sound
Bad speakers X good room = bad sound
Good speakers X good room = good sound
Work on the room before choosing speakers>>
This is very well put. But to be fair, it's hard to "work on" a hotel room, particularly in the few days that most manufacturers have at a show.
Olsher re: LA Audio Electronics M-1 integrated amp at $260
Is the part# or price a misprint?
I looked at the laaudio website but didn't find any M-1
They do show an "Integreated [sic] Tube Amplifier" - doesn't look like a 3-digit price tag