THE NEW YORK SHOW

[richidoo]

Nice pics Mike, thanks!

What did you guys think of Legacy Whisper and Focus SE? Especially the midrange ribbon, still hot?

How were the Coincident Pure Reference?

Rich

[machinehead]

I liked the legacy whisper.  Huge. Nice soundstage, maybe a little tipped up. I didnt see the other speaker, maybe I missed a room.

[machinehead]

Blades were cool.  They did everything but took everything too far.  Right over the area from something in control to a notch over in the out of control area. Dynamics! Bass. But not in control.  They have something there though 4 sure.

[mfsoa]

Thanks for the reports, Mike!

Did you hear any of the Totem Element line?

-Mke

[machinehead]

No, I also didn't hear the new Revels.  I didn't see either, I must have missed a row of rooms.

[Triode Pete]

Yes, the Gradients from Finland were a great surprise!

The GT Audio ribbons with active subs sounded really nice. Made at Greg Takesh's home in Stockholm, NJ... he said he love to host an audio meeting there! Hint, hint or bring his speakers to a club event!

The $999 "The Clue" was unbelievable! Never heard such bass in a small monitor... made in the state of Washington, too!

Yeah Andy Singer's Verity were stellar.

Soundsmith's room driven with a Strain Gauge and all Soundsmith electronics & speakers sounded great... you'd swear it was tube driven but not...

It was a fun, lonnnngggg day!

[BobM]

Yg acoustice- pa speakers! Forward and not nuanced

Sony - veiled

Wilson sasha/vtl- nice, dynamic, open , diacordant, not well integrated

Scaena- not integratwd, hole in upper mids

Kef blades on koto drum track - nice but give me something real, on regular music very nice and integrated in a big crowded room. Bigger than life but pretty and dynamic. bass is still detached

Mbl - awesome. Cohesaive, dynamic, detailed. Not overly loud but still port bass boom

Gradient - best sound so far, cohesive, live, full range, very nice amd dynamic, soind very big for their size

Woo audio - headphones, probably best sound at the show

Veloce and little yg's7 sounds much better yhan the big yg's but a bit congested and not full range

Quad 58s- sometimes its easy to say it has all been done before and its not better, just dfferent. I don't think there was anything in this room that was lass than 20 years old.

Tad - no bass, toppy high end. Crappy am radio sound

The clue bookshelf speakers - $999 and they are phenominal, against the wall, cohesive and dynamic and awesome I want a pair of these. Call Bob Learner 908-967-5990

Singer verity vac - balanced nice on cd and spectacular on hi rez apl for about $100k, then a second system of Kudas (?) speakers and dart zeel integrated for about half that which sounded dynamically constrained bit still more cohesive than most if a bit flat

Amphion hegel - nice and open if a bit horny in the tweeter and tippy on the top end and needs a sub

Harbeths - somewhat flat and non dynamic. Not what I thought harbeths would sound like

RobertLlighton speakers and electronics - ok bit nothing spectacular. Rather home made look and not fully finished. Also somewhat closed in and typical small tweeter and big woofer sound with a hole.

Walker burmeister - a bit tame and over controlled but nice

Davinci wilson sasha pass - might be some of the best sound at the show but still a bit congested on complex stuff

Red wine - great synergy between all components and speakers, need to get Vinny to a local meeting

Hansen redpoint - Wes always makes sure thing sound good, dynamic and balanced

Soundsmith on a big vpi hrx - dynamic and natural on soundsmith firefly spealers and amp. Very very sweet. Just a wow sound. Not a tube in sight but wow tube sound

GF audio - panels and self powered cone woofers. Sound nice but looks bad for only $2750 pair and awesome at 3 times the price. Someone just buy these.

Audio note - boxy and closed in sound.

Arum cantus speakers, avid tube amps, vpi classic 4 (new tt) - big and dynamic and beautiful in 3 speaker sound (yup there was a center channel speaker too)

[richidoo]

Thanks Mike!    Your impression matches mine.

The coincidents were in your pictures, but obviously didn't blow your mind! 

[Putz]

Have to agree with others.

Soundsmith monitors were very impressive as were the Clues. Great sound from such small speakers in both rooms. One guy asked where the subwoofer was.

The GF Audio's finish looked like the shingles on my house and were in a really small room but sounded pretty good. Made by a guy in Stockholm, NJ. He's coming out with a bigger pair for around $5K.

The new VPI tables were both on display. Classic 4 has a bigger plinth and 2 tonearms. The new $1,299 table  with a low end Soundsmith cart sounded almost as good as the 4.

Watched Michael Fremer demo how to set up a Scout TT. His setup equipment cost way more than the Scout did. Entertaining seminar.

Ran into Joe at the show. Said Evan (remember him) was coming but dinged up his knee. Thanx Joe for the subway pointers. 3 trains to get back to Penn Station.

I get on the Shuttle from GCS and I'm sitting next to a guy in full Rangers uniform except for the skates. Even has the gloves on. Is this guy going to the game dressed like this? We start talking and he's paid by the Rangers to sit on the shuttle to promote fan interest. Overtime. He shoots, he scores!

[lonewolfny42]

http://www.gtaudioworks.com/


Thanks for the comments and photos...

[topround]

Just got back from a full evening, it was great

Audio Note  not too good
Legacy room was a bit thin
High water sound was really great at times and very warm and bloated at others, but potential is there.

Best of show were the Gradients, clean . clear., open, huge, tremendous stage and depth and totally scalable bass modules. When he mounted the tiny Harbeths on the top the mids were gorgeous, I could live with this system4 ever I think!

I would buy these no problem.

Best turntable at the show....TW Acustic  beautiful sound

and yes Soundsmith had great sound absolutely!

and Vinny had great sound in the Red Wine room, clean and open with great tone, small speakers made for a small sound, but it was delicious!

[richidoo]

It was the Gradients in your pic Mike, not Coincidents.     I thought Gradients were only the Helsinki, I didn't know about the Revolution. Sounds like it was a hit!

http://www.stereophile.com/content/gradients-revolution

Evan if you're lurking get better soon.

[machinehead]

Ahh.. these were probably Best in show... They are the Gradient actives. Perfect for Live jazz, intimate... I would have loved to hear some Grateful Dead on them. Really dynamite. And there website says 20 - 20kHz. Just the speaker with the pic leaning up against it was playing (pair) He said that with the extra unit(next to it, you dont get lower bass, but cleaner. But it sounded pretty clean to me. I dont think I heard anything that matched it in terms of texture or live immediacy.

[BobM]

I agree, the Gradients were the bomb, but then so was the VPI room with the Arum Cantus speakers powered by Avid, and the big Singer room with Verity speakers and VAC power, and the Soundsmith room with their new bookshelf speakers.

As for the stuff nobody has heard of that you can get for a reasonable amount of money I would say "The Clue" bookshelf speakers for $995 and the GF Audio planer/cone panels for $2700.

[lonewolfny42]

As for the stuff nobody has heard of that you can get for a reasonable amount of money I would say "The Clue" bookshelf speakers for $995...

They have shown at RMAF for two years now....music always played very loud...

http://www.sjofnhifi.com/index.html

This was a good review from 2011....Link..

Here too....

http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=86983.msg849908#msg849908 

GF Audio planer/cone panels for $2700.

It's GT Audio Works...