I was able to listen to the new Bel Canto all-in-one DCD player for about 35 minutes at the end of Friday when there was no traffic. There was another Japanese dealer in the room auditioning at the same time. This unit is pretty amazing. It plays CD, DVD (progressive Faroudja DCDi), DVD-A, SACD, MP3. The sound is detailed without being analytical, rich, sweet, airy, nicely extended and involving without being upfront. Excellent soundstage beyond the speakers: very good width, depth and lifelike height. Gives good sense of movement. Beautifully designed by a consultant who also works for another reputable American company. Don't think it's my position to divulge the name. Any nits? Yes. The unit does not have balanced XLR outputs and the target price is approx. $8K (which is unaffordable by me!). Due for release around April 1.
Associated equipment: Bel Canto eVo2i, Verity Parsifal, Wireworld cables (don't know the model) with RCA terminations.
The room was not acoustically treated!
Music used:
Limehouse Blues (XRCD Jazz at the Pawn Shop 10 min)
Bersntein Overture to Candide (HDCD Reference Recordings approx. 5 min)
Liszt: Jeux D'eau a la villa d'Este (Bosendorfer, Delos Recordings, approx. > 6 mins)
Stan Getz & Astrud Gilberto (SACD) provided by Bel Canto Design.
The rest of the music was from an amazing demo disc (Stellavox Japan...all Japanese writing!) brought in by the Japanese dealer One track by Helen Merrill. You can feel the emotion in her voice. One track was a beautiful piano sonata recording extracted from Phillips. The last track was a broadway-like music that has voice, orchestra and hapsichord. Could be Stravinsky. It was very long. But the sound was 3D.
I have no association with Bel Canto or any dealer. Other source components I was able to audition at the show included:
Ayre CX-7, Cary 306/200, MSB new Reference Super CD II, Gryphon Adagio, Unico new CD player, Metronome Technologie T1i, Audio Research CD3, Audio Aero Capitole MKII, Lindemann D680, Roksan DVD, Sonneteer Bronte, QUAD CDP99, Muse 10, Theta Carmen II, Talk Thunder 3.1 Balanced, CEC TL1X, Audio Analogue, Linn CD12, Sim Audio Stellar DVD, AVM (new German line, beautiful looking), Cairn Fog, Electrocompaniet (new brushed silver face plate!), Burmesster Rondo, Audio Note 3.1x, Combak Raymio, Ensemble Dirondo. |
Dennis, I'll be posting my experience very soon. |
Gunbei... were u able to get a good audition of any equipment? anything blow you away? |
Flex, I just returned from CES a few minutes ago. I wasn't brave enough to make the hop over to the Las Vegas Convention Center for the main show, I spent Friday and Saturday at Alexis Park where the high end audio show was and Saturday afternoon at the Adult Expo.
There were weird people at both venues!
Sorry to say, I can't remember anything from Linn or Lexicon, but I did go into the McCormack/Grand Prix Audio room. I only got to hear about 30 seconds of music. Lot's of people in there and the silver faceplates looked good on the GP stands. But there's no way I could make any definitive judgement of the sound since I was standing in the door way for the short period they were playing music. |
Fs_audio,
Please mention any comments on the sonic qualities of the Linn, Lexicon, and McCormack universal players if you heard them. Thx. |
Just wanted to let everyone know that we are back from the show and will have a complete report available in the next few days. If you can't wait and want a pic/info on a specific item, email me a request and I will do my best to send you something. We took over 100 pics, just hope I can remember what it was I took a pic of ;-)
Best Regards...Mike - Father & Son Audio |
Final call for requests...Leaving in the morning for Vegas.
Regards...Mike - Father & Son Audio |
It better be for $10k! ;-)
Regards...Mike - Father & Son Audio |
Try to get a picture of the new Spectral CDP at the Golden Nuget Hotel. It is suppose to be the best CDP on the planet for about 10K. |
My dad and I are leaving soon, any final requests?
Regards...Mike - Father & Son Audio |
I second the vmps and Meadowlark requests. How about the new Quad dynamic line? |
Paulwp, i have a local audio friend that has the Harbeth Monitor 40's, which i really enjoy. i'll try to report anything new from that room.
Bob, i am familiar with the excellent reputation of the Audio Magic Stealth but have never tried it. i will ask Alan Kafton, an Audio Magic dealer that will be showing at CES, about the Matrix and listen to it if possible.
Tim, i understand the whole 'work thing'.....you'll notice i rarely post during the day because i'm working......mostly trying to keep my employees from fooling around on the web. ;^) .....i can't go to CES until Thursday night because of work pressure.....so i can relate. |
Mike I've heard that Audio Magic is debuting a new AC line conditioner called the "Matrix". If you can check into that I'm sure many of us would be interested; you are no doubt already aware of the reputation of their "Stealth" line conditioner. |
Actually, the THE Show website looks sort of underdeveloped for something that's happening this week, so maybe they will be somewhere at the Alexis Park. Did I miss something? |
Mike, Harbeth will be showing a speaker or two in the Fidelis AV room at the San Remo (The Home Entertainment Show, as opposed to the CES). |
Meadowlark's new Kestrel 2. I'd like to know what you think of Pat McGinty's new "classic."
Thank you,
Joel Hueske
Fort Worth |
Plinius gear, for sure.
Does Christophe Cabasse show up for these things, or does he stay on the other side of the big pond? |
With pen, paper and digital camera - we too will be tromping from room to room, following our ears, ever ready for that waft of musical sustenance, drifting along on the wind on hope, coming from a dark and hollowed place (a hotel room) that speaks that maybe, just maybe, a part the holy grail may lie within...
But in the meantime... :-), we jot down notes about and pictures of things that we hear and like - or think someone else may be interested in (suggestions are welcome, great idea Father and Son Audio Mike!) - mostly to remind ourselves of what each system looks like (there are lots of eye-candy at this ear-candy show) and what its components are (were) [what was that CD player they were using to drive the Maxx's? Oh, yeah, of course, ...it was one of those new fangled reel-to-reel CD player thingies :-)
- Mike (aka justacoder) |
Hi!
that is a wonderful idea, really! I would be interested in what WADIA is doing in the US. Are they still strong and healthy, maybe even developing new stuff? Will their PowerDAC be picked up again?
I tried to figure out theses concerns via e-mail but there isn't any answer from WADIA - not even to two nice X-mas and Happy New Year cards.
Thanks very much for going through this for the rest of us AudiogoNers!
If I can do the same for you at the Frankfurt HighEnd Show in May, let me know! |
Mike- Sounds great! I am a little bummed that I can't make it out this year, but work still comes before playing- I need to get my priorities straight! |
Tim, i'll be there with my digital camera....i understand that Don and Bill are coming too. it is too bad you aren't coming.....maybe next year or maybe the Stereophile Show in SF in June.
i have a hard time always remembering to take pictures......somehow it seems like work then.....but i'll do my best. and then taking a few notes in each room so later i can keep my perceptions a little straight. |
What's up with NAD S500i CD? |
Cool idea. I wont be able to make the trip this year, but here are some rooms/products that I know I would want to visit:
- new Vandersteen 5A's
- Meadowlark Blue Heron 2's
- Herron/ Joseph Audio Pearl room
- Triangle's new flagship speaker
- whats up with Wadia?
- ayre and mccorormack are supposed to show SACD/DVD-A/CD players
- Innersound Eros Mk 3
Thanks and good luck. Pics are up to you. |
I am personally interested in the Quad 989s and what will be driving them at CES. I am also interested in the Wolcott presence amplifiers. Undoubtedly these will be used to drive SoundLabs, but maybe they will use them with other speakers as well. |
do check out VMPS's new RMx---lots of hype here, it'd be interesting to know if its true.
thanks
rhyno |
I'll be at both both CES and AVN next weekend! I'm gonna visit my girl Christy Canyon! ...and maybe see some hifi too. |
Go to the AVN awards and get some pictures :)
It would be nice to put a face with so many of the monikers I have become familiar with here at the 'gon so if you see Mike shooting pictures shake his hand and tell him to snap a shot- you could try to do some group pictures with your favorite gear in the back ground. I must admit so far the members I have met are NOT at all what I expected- just something I have been curious about. And like I say every year..........next year I will make it to CES :) |
love to see digital pic's of the brand new Dynaudio Contour loudspeakers being debut'd at CES2003. -and- any new Plinius gear....thx |
