RMAF: My favorites, so-so's, and disappointments


Important caveat: These are my impressions from show condition setups. Some of the best sounding systems can sound like crap under show conditions with their tiny rooms, terrible AC, etc.
I chose these speakers because they moved me emotionally - my most important criteria. My favorates, starting from the best and going down the list.
1. Acapella Triolon Excaliber: The best sound at the show. Dynamics, nuance, imaging, staging, transparency, timbre, coherence, bass extension etc. were all there in spades. Coherence was first rate which is surprising given all the different types of drivers involved - ion tweeters, horns, and conventional cone subwoofer towers. They played a recording of a duet on Steinways that was just amazing - the weight of the pianos were very convincing. Big band music was alive and there with ripping brass section. Only $170k ;-). Oh, BTW they were fed by all Einstein tube electronics costing $100k plus. In most shows, these megabuck systems just sound like crap, but this was the exception.
2. MBL 101E: Have to admit, in the past these guys sounded steely to me. But this was greatly tamed this time. Bass was a bit bloated, but the rest was excellent. Not as good as the Acapella but still enjoyable overal.
3. Usher Be-718: These dimunitive monitors impressed me greatly. Dynamics, imagin/staging, clean highs, nice clear warmish midrange, and a kickass bass (but not much below 40Hz) were surprising. I might get a pair.
4. Pioneer S-1EX: Surprise, surprise. Pioneer has come a long way with injection of TAD expertise. Very enjoyable because it was alive and dynamic. Imaging, staging, bass, and midrange was great as was the coherence except for a little zippy high end.
5. YG Acoustics Kipod and accompanying subwoofer: Very clean, pinpoint imaging within a large stage, excellent dynamics, and clean bass. Doesn't do subterranean bass. Given it's $40k+ pricetag, should go lower. But I liked it better than the bigger Anat Reference.

The so-so's, in no particular order.
1. Rebuilt Duetta's with Graz's ribbons: I'm an Apogee fan, having owned the Stages and Centaurs in the past. Although very pleasant with nice tuneful extended bass, smooth midrange and highs, it just wasn't dyanmically alive. The drumb solo was nice, but it didn't get me emotionally. I've heard Duetta's do better at shows. May be it was the Audio Research electronics that mellowed the sound to the point of Valium induced laisse faire. Or may be it needed vinyl or a bigger room. I hope better luck with the new Graz's Duetta.
2. Analysis Audio 4 panel system: Did not fair any better than the Duetta above, although 4x the cost. This is strike 4 for the Analysis Audio speakers - I have never heard them sound good, albeit all at shows.
3. Advanced Ribbon Technologies Metro: Again smooth and nonirritating, but no dynamics at all. My least favorite of the the ribbon bunch.

The disappointments:
1. Beveridge G3 electrostat hybrid: I was really looking forward to hearing these. Was this worth the $50k asking price? NO! At least not what I heard in that coffin rooom. It was claimed to be reach 115dB. Heard a recording with lots of percussion, it started to compress when multiple drums with all the instruments congealing when played at volumes approaching 100dB. The timbre of the intruments were bland, homogeneous. Everything sounded a bit foggy, not the transparency I'm used to from the best electrostats. Low bass was absent. The subwoofer is a TL that goes flat to 30 Hz, but I swear they must have turned it off. Organ music has low bass as a foundation that all other notes builds upon, but I didn't get that from the Beveridge.
2. Scena RLA speakers: Murky, bloated, and dead. Don't remember the amps but the source was the Nova Physics Memory Player. I couldn't wait to get out of the room after 30 seconds.

Some may agree and some may disagree with me like I was your mother-in-law. But hey these are JUST my opinion.
dracule1
Thanks for your observation of the Beverage.. from the previous thread on these a while back, the poster ranted and raved how these were straight from the 7th heaven of audio. Perhaps not.. a shame as I was a fan from way back when.
HI - I'm just curious if you had listened to any of the larger Usher models and have a comparison with 718's?
Xiekitchen, let me point out again that my impressions are under show conditions, so some great sounding speakers can sound lousy in hotel rooms. The Beveridge definately was not at it's best in those claustrophobic room. It was just too big for that room. The Acapella was in a large spacious room so it could strut its stuff. Palmetto Audio should have done the same with the Beveridge - If it is your first showing for a new legendary model, wouldn't you have spent the extra cash and get a room that would do justice to the speakers. It would pay off later with more sales, I think.

Opalchip, I didn't get to hear the bigger Usher model at the show because they didn't play them the 3 or 4 times I stopped by their room. If you live in a small appartmentt, the Tiny Dancer (BE-718) is the way to go.
this was my first time to any show and I had a great time.I met some great people and some snooty ones as well. I was very impressed with the LSA room, MBL, also the Ushers. What shocked me was $2500 speakers with $25000 electronics. On the educational side I learned that I love very costly digital sources. I also got home and enjoyed my system even more than before, which I was afraid that wouldn't happen. Looking foward to going again.
The Tiny Dancers were, indeed impressive. I was expecting much less. At the other end of the spectrum of price/performance high-hopes, I found bad sound coming from the Hansen Kings. Having said that, they were set up in a fairly large, tile and cement lecture hall type conference room. You know, the kind with a stepped ramp going up each side of rows along formica surfaces which accomodate about five or six chairs at each level. I fear the Kings were done a grave injustice. The room, with or without speakers, in it echoed all over the place and sounded painfully bright. I would have loved to have heard them in the Wilson room!