Dynaudio’s Japanese speakers with built-in stand…
11 Likes
The Chord stuff may sound good (never heard myself), but the aesthetics turn me off.
Taste is personal but my Naim boxes are understated elegance. Form following function.
IMHO
David
4 Likes
I have no direct opinions about Chord for myself, picture and text are from my dealer’s report from Munich…
1 Like
AFAIK they have been producing their own CD mechanisms since mid 2000s
1 Like
Were you able to listen to them?
So let me start with my show report for this year. It will take me some time to write it all down as I have to do it on my iPad, and it will be quite some content. But before I start let me explain my process.
I always have a more chaotic first day as I tend to always belief that I can cover all rooms, so I start and then realize that it won’t work and that I need to skip things. Next year I promise to be better…. The process for every listening room is the same…, getting in trying to get the best seating position possible. Writing down the supplier, making some pictures and then listening to the music. I always Shazam everything and document the song then in my notes including listening impressions…., obviously if I listen a lot of music at a specific room I might not comment on every song anymore. This year somewhere in the middle I also had some other selection criterium. It’s not just how well does it sound, but I also tried to find out which systems do emotionally touch me or engage me most. As nowadays you have sometimes in principal good systems which you can’t fault so much but which are dull and not engaging beyond the fact that the sound is pretty good.
Since years I don’t visit the halls anymore as I don’t get enough time to visit it. With my two days I would actually need double the time to start thinking of also visiting the halls.
And I also started to make a note when I heard songs beyond the usual known ones which very well enable you to appreciate what is good, average and bad for every system.
When reading my report please also consider it’s just my personal opinion, I am not a professional reviewer and I also have a specific set of criteria I use. If you compare me with other I very much look at musicality of a system and how it engages. And I less into the typical hifi requirements - they are just a bonus on an already good system. That’s for instance why I got to Naim years back, even while other might have wider and more 3d soundstages….
And lastly also an advice to others. If possible visit these type of events. They are fun, and even if you are not so ok with what is at the display ….the DJ of service, the music or the overall impressions might give you a nice time off. You don’t need to go there with the fear of that you might be attracted to spend money….
For this report to work, please give every now and then a feedback. As I can only produce eight posts and then I am stopped until somebody else is responding to the thread…… so I hope you will enjoy your reading time - and I hope my music friend will also contribute additionally also some comments with his impressions. He worked with a scale of rating the systems he heard, might also give an interesting insight……
41 Likes
It is always a great read👍
2 Likes
Luxman - Part 1
Luxman was this year for me the start of the show. They played through Wilson Benesch speakers.
When playing the Moonlight Sonata I had a difficult start to get an impression, while I missed a bit the typical overtones of the piano as instrument, or mentioned else - brilliance. Couldn’t be the speakers as they are one of the better ones on the market….
13 Likes
Luxman - Part 2
Lizzy McAlpine… decent, nice layering, bass came in with a nice rounde character… but missing a bit the top end brilliance.
Omvej - strange song, light jazz…, drums came accross in a very natural way….
8 Likes
Actually the Specialized McLaren S Works Venge (as ridden by Mark Cavendish many years ago) was fabricated by McLaren - the frameset was £12k as I remember which a decade ago was bonkers money for a bike…albeit normal (ish) for a high end road bike now.
2 Likes
Indiana Line
With Dire Straits nothing special, a song which any system will play well.
Didiri- again a song which doesn’t tell you anything about the quality of the system….
Oscar and the Wolf…finally something different, amazing what scale and volume the system can produce at that size…, but it also putting the system to the edge of not sounding so nice anymore….
7 Likes
David Laboga
Al di Meola - nice polite sound on the two songs from Al. Clean sound but would expect a bit more wariness / richness in the sound. So too polite sound.
9 Likes
Audiaz - Part 1
Leanard Cohen - deep voice but nice transition to even lower tones while missing a bit the emotion too clean of a sound.
9 Likes
What is the tubes amp? I recognise the E Era French dac.
Exactly what i always felt when listening to Esoteric : too clean, too neutral, not enough involving. And a bit lean too.
3 Likes
Audiaz - Part 2
Eric Clapton - nice guitar intro, but missing something…the specific around his voice, overtones…too clean missing rawness and edge.
Carlo Bruni - this middle of the road song doesn’t help to critically evaluate a system.
All in all it’s a pity that they are feeding it with a cd player which is not on the level of the speakers and the amplification.
9 Likes
Many thanks for taking this on again Bert & for taking the time & trouble to provide such detail - the inclusion of the music is a real bonus.
4 Likes
Grandinote / Kimbercable - Part 1
Sera una noche - believable realistic sound, details nicely coming out, high notes and bells are nicely rendered….
11 Likes
Grandinote / Kimbercable - Part 2
Muddy Waters - nice soundstage, good on all kind of sound effects. However missing a bit the foundation in the sound, low end seems to be a bit thin.
Kenny Burrell - would like a bit more low end. The middle and top end and all kind of sub tones are well represented.
8 Likes
many thanks birtbird as always an interesting read