Notable speakers at THE SHOW June 2011
Last weekend, the California version of THE SHOW took place in Newport Beach. The event turned out quite interesting and you can see the details along with the exhibitor list here: theshownewport.com/2011n/mainpage.php
I am writing with some news about notable speakers I heard at the event. I could not visit every room but here are four notable speakers without regards to price to begin the conversation…
Number 4: Tonian Labs TLS1 ($4300)
This is a new version of the TLD1 which features a modified SEAS driver and a modified ribbon. The speaker is quick and easily handles large shifts in dynamics. Minasian’s test recordings of drums and other instruments demonstrated a nice lively harmonic richness…while using a cheap CD player and an old Audiolab solid state amp… The speaker can rock as well as sing and it handled a wide variety of music with ease… Free jazz and “London Calling” sounded great! Thoroughly enjoyable with a no BS attitude!
Number 3: Legacy Whisper XD (~$20,000)
Big sound in a big room. The 1812 Overture never sounded better with reproduction of the full orchestra done beautifully. The speaker features DSP correction and the woofers are amplified internally; so all that is required is an amp to drive the highly efficient mid/high section. The problem? Small trios seemed too big…
Number 2: MBL Reference (~$70,000)
We were packed in a tiny hotel room in a *super* near-field situation with the speakers about 6 feet away at the most. The great thing? It did not seem to matter. A full sound stage with all instruments reproduced beautifully. No “hotel room” excuses offered or needed…Stunning…
Number 1: Tannoy Yorkminster ($18,000)
This is one that simply blew my mind. Ease of presentation, accuracy of timbre, all types of music reproduced with ease, a realistic sound stage, and a capacity for high volume without strain… all in a run of the mill hotel room (and Cary SET amps using 845 tubes). Measurements in the room apparently showed ½ db down at 20 Hz. We heard organ music, chamber music, orchestral with choir, variety of jazz, female vocals and on and on… The clincher? “Sympathy for the Devil” never sounded so right… and at an unbelievable sound level that made us all want to get up and dance.
Who else went to this event? What did you enjoy?
