Author Topic: 2019 Taipei Audio & Art Fair  (Read 10280 times)

Offline mresseguie

  • Obsessively Audiophilic
  • ****
  • Posts: 491
Re: 2019 Taipei Audio & Art Fair
« Reply #15 on: December 21, 2019, 06:07:07 AM »
LALS Classical 15EX two-way:

These speakers sound so good that I really want a pair...knowing there's no way they will fit in our living room in Taiwan. Well, okay, my wife would never allow them in the living room. 15" paper cone and 2" compression tweeter with a very nice CNC cut wave guide. Just marvelous music comes out of them. I think the rep said they're just under $8k USD. I forgot to ask if the stands are included in that price.

My Taiwanese audiophile buddy owns a pair of Neo-Classical 12" two-ways that sound almost as good, but the 15EX play lower and have a richer sounding midrange.
Daedalus Audio Apollos; Fritz Loudspeakers LS/5-R
SW1X NOS DAC III BAL/SPL; Holo Spring3 KTE
Don Sachs Model 2 preamp
Don Sachs dual mono 300b; Nuprime Evolution STA
Hapa loom
PI Audio UberBUSS, DigiBUSS, Uber-MiniBUS

Offline Nick B

  • Audio Neurotic
  • *****
  • Posts: 4093
Re: 2019 Taipei Audio & Art Fair
« Reply #16 on: December 21, 2019, 09:36:34 AM »
Very unique, nice looking speaker.
Orchard Starkrimson Ultra amp
Supratek Chardonnay preamp
JMR Voce Grande speakers
Border Patrol SEi dac
Holo Red streamer
Hapa Aero digital coax
WyWires Silver cables
TWL Digital American II p cord
Audio Envy p cords
Roon, Tidal, Qobuz
PI Audio UberBUSS

Offline Folsom

  • Obsessively Audiophilic
  • ****
  • Posts: 852
Re: 2019 Taipei Audio & Art Fair
« Reply #17 on: December 21, 2019, 10:34:43 AM »
Wow, they're a great price too! In the US Pi speakers makes a few things in a similar vein. I actually use something not dissimilar also.

Offline S Clark

  • Audio Neurotic
  • *****
  • Posts: 1330
Re: 2019 Taipei Audio & Art Fair
« Reply #18 on: December 21, 2019, 01:06:16 PM »
Interesting how some designs seem to endure.   Altec Valencia 846B

From 1968

Speaker-GR Research LS9-XStatik-AltecFlamenco
Amp-Moscode,Dodd,Folsom
Pre-Dodd
Turntable-Vyger,Victor,TechnicSP10MK2
Phonopre-Hagermann,Jolida,GSlee   
Cable-AudioSensibility Wywires TWL
Cartridge-Dynavector,Sumiko
Tonearm-PioneerP3,Jelco
Rythmic sub

Offline Nick B

  • Audio Neurotic
  • *****
  • Posts: 4093
Re: 2019 Taipei Audio & Art Fair
« Reply #19 on: December 21, 2019, 02:54:27 PM »
Interesting how some designs seem to endure.   Altec Valencia 846B

From 1968



👍👍
Orchard Starkrimson Ultra amp
Supratek Chardonnay preamp
JMR Voce Grande speakers
Border Patrol SEi dac
Holo Red streamer
Hapa Aero digital coax
WyWires Silver cables
TWL Digital American II p cord
Audio Envy p cords
Roon, Tidal, Qobuz
PI Audio UberBUSS

Offline mresseguie

  • Obsessively Audiophilic
  • ****
  • Posts: 491
Re: 2019 Taipei Audio & Art Fair
« Reply #20 on: December 21, 2019, 04:38:22 PM »
Oh, ho!  :shock:

Yup. I do see the resemblance. I had thought it was a copy er redesign of an old JBL speaker, but I see it is more like this Altec. I went to the LALS-Audio showroom 3(?) years ago. The sales rep suggested that they had consulted with a former JBL engineer for their Classical models.

More show pics are coming...
Daedalus Audio Apollos; Fritz Loudspeakers LS/5-R
SW1X NOS DAC III BAL/SPL; Holo Spring3 KTE
Don Sachs Model 2 preamp
Don Sachs dual mono 300b; Nuprime Evolution STA
Hapa loom
PI Audio UberBUSS, DigiBUSS, Uber-MiniBUS

Offline mresseguie

  • Obsessively Audiophilic
  • ****
  • Posts: 491
Re: 2019 Taipei Audio & Art Fair
« Reply #21 on: December 22, 2019, 03:31:32 AM »
Photos:

The order is a little mixed up. First photo is three speakers made by LA Audio (Taiwan). I listened to the floor-stander and the big two-way monitor. They both had a similar sound - with the floor-stander sounding fuller. However, both were too forward sounding and there was a lot of sibilance. Listening fatigue would hit very quickly with either pair. The guy (owner?) was very friendly and enthusiastically told me about his different tube amps. I've known about LA Audio for about 3 years, and consider their products mid-fi or entry level hifi. I have no plans to ever purchase any of the LA Audio gear. Sorry, but that's my very subjective opinion.

Second photo is the Yuan Shan Grand Hotel. It's aging, but it was the hallmark hotel for a couple decades before international 5-star hotels began establishing properties in Taipei. This is where the audio show was held.

Photos 3 and 4 are of Stein Music products. The speakers were very impressive sounding - even in a hotel room. I stuck around for 4 songs and wasn't disappointed. The fourth photo is one of the Stein Music Harmonizers that the guy had set up throughout the room. He insisted they make all the difference, and that diffusion and absorption panels are unnessecary if the harmonizers are used. I did not get to listen to the speakers with the harmonizers turned off, so I cannot comment.

Number 5:

I managed to misplace one bag with a half-dozen handouts about speakers or components. One of those handouts described these speakers. Sigh. My memory tells me they're Italian. In addition to the three 3" drivers, there are woofers which play to the sides. I don't know how many woofers nor their size. Very impressive sounding and very expensive.

Numbers 6 and seven:

Medien Soundlabs - https://www.facebook.com/MSLaudio/  This guy has sold variations of this speaker for a few years now. I've visited his room each year for the last three years, so he knows who I am. The cabinets are not braced. They're not really designed to play really loudly, and are best played in a small room. This iteration of them sounded reasonably good. List price is $799, but he told me he'd let them go for ~$650. I don't know who makes the two-way Altec-like speakers ($2000 USD).
« Last Edit: December 22, 2019, 05:06:32 AM by mresseguie »
Daedalus Audio Apollos; Fritz Loudspeakers LS/5-R
SW1X NOS DAC III BAL/SPL; Holo Spring3 KTE
Don Sachs Model 2 preamp
Don Sachs dual mono 300b; Nuprime Evolution STA
Hapa loom
PI Audio UberBUSS, DigiBUSS, Uber-MiniBUS

Offline mresseguie

  • Obsessively Audiophilic
  • ****
  • Posts: 491
Re: 2019 Taipei Audio & Art Fair
« Reply #22 on: December 22, 2019, 06:52:08 PM »
Last batch of photos and commentary. [Commentary may have to wait until tonite.]

Photos #1 and #2:  Sideways 8 Audio amplifiers, Studer CD player, and third party speaker. The speakers were set in the corners of a very small rectangular room that must have been a huge challenge to make things sound reasonably good. The amp (don't recall which tubes) is $180,000 New Taiwan Dollars ($6000 USD). The audiophile buddy who accompanied me during the show would not shut up for more than 10 seconds, so I formed no impressions of this gear. I came very close to being a 'rude American', but kept my mouth in check. He's one of two 'doorways' to my meeting a helluva lot of manufacturers, leading audiophiles, and well-connected engineers in Taiwan, so I don't want to alienate him.

« Last Edit: December 22, 2019, 07:03:59 PM by mresseguie »
Daedalus Audio Apollos; Fritz Loudspeakers LS/5-R
SW1X NOS DAC III BAL/SPL; Holo Spring3 KTE
Don Sachs Model 2 preamp
Don Sachs dual mono 300b; Nuprime Evolution STA
Hapa loom
PI Audio UberBUSS, DigiBUSS, Uber-MiniBUS

Offline Guy 13

  • Obsessively Audiophilic
  • ****
  • Posts: 882
  • Audio should be simple !
2019 Taipei Audio & Art Fair
« Reply #23 on: December 22, 2019, 07:19:48 PM »

Thanks mresseguie.
Always interesting to see products that are popular on other continents
and products we never herd of.

Guy 13
Grace Digital Mondo RIT
Cambridge Mini sub 2.1
Schiit Fulla 2 DAC
Schiit SYS PCC
Sony Passive Bookshelf speakers
Lot more stuff on storage
prior to moving back to Canada.

Offline Nick B

  • Audio Neurotic
  • *****
  • Posts: 4093
Re: 2019 Taipei Audio & Art Fair
« Reply #24 on: December 22, 2019, 11:25:57 PM »
Last batch of photos and commentary. [Commentary may have to wait until tonite.]

Photos #1 and #2:  Sideways 8 Audio amplifiers, Studer CD player, and third party speaker. The speakers were set in the corners of a very small rectangular room that must have been a huge challenge to make things sound reasonably good. The amp (don't recall which tubes) is $180,000 New Taiwan Dollars ($6000 USD). The audiophile buddy who accompanied me during the show would not shut up for more than 10 seconds, so I formed no impressions of this gear. I came very close to being a 'rude American', but kept my mouth in check. He's one of two 'doorways' to my meeting a helluva lot of manufacturers, leading audiophiles, and well-connected engineers in Taiwan, so I don't want to alienate him.

I guess enthusiasm gets the best of some guys 😀 ....but I’d rather have listened like you. Thanks for the pics
Orchard Starkrimson Ultra amp
Supratek Chardonnay preamp
JMR Voce Grande speakers
Border Patrol SEi dac
Holo Red streamer
Hapa Aero digital coax
WyWires Silver cables
TWL Digital American II p cord
Audio Envy p cords
Roon, Tidal, Qobuz
PI Audio UberBUSS

Offline rollo

  • Industry Participant
  • *
  • Posts: 6982
  • Rollo Audio - Home demo the only way to know
Re: 2019 Taipei Audio & Art Fair
« Reply #25 on: December 30, 2019, 04:50:49 PM »
  Thank you for the photos and doing so for us. Must have been fun.


charles
contact me  at rollo14@verizon.net or visit us on Facebook
Lamm Industries - Aqua Acoustic, Formula & La Scala DAC- INNUOS  - Rethm - Kuzma - QLN - Audio Hungary Qualiton - Fritz speakers -Gigawatt -Vinnie Rossi,TWL, Swiss Cables, Merason DAC.

Offline rollo

  • Industry Participant
  • *
  • Posts: 6982
  • Rollo Audio - Home demo the only way to know
Re: 2019 Taipei Audio & Art Fair
« Reply #26 on: February 17, 2020, 01:56:34 PM »
  Thank you for the photos and doing so for us. Must have been fun.


charles


  I guess so.
contact me  at rollo14@verizon.net or visit us on Facebook
Lamm Industries - Aqua Acoustic, Formula & La Scala DAC- INNUOS  - Rethm - Kuzma - QLN - Audio Hungary Qualiton - Fritz speakers -Gigawatt -Vinnie Rossi,TWL, Swiss Cables, Merason DAC.