RMAF 2019!

I’ve read some things from Stereophile mainly but not a lot out there yet it seems.

IT looked like your typical show. The new venue seemed to go over well other than the cost of the rooms.

I have not read anything particularly new different or earth shattering so far. Mostly just more very expensive stuff that most cannot agree on and will never be able to afford.

I do hope to make it to Capital Audiofest yet again this year. I am usually able to find at least a few things at these shows that I am interested in and end up buying sooner or later. I give most 5 digit cost components a quick listen for anything new, different, or particularly good usually then just move on.

@b_limo What did you think of the Vivid speakers? I have heard them demoed with Bryston cubed gear but not Rowland. I know they were demoed in Munich with Rowland. Any comparison of the Vivid to your favorite speakers at the show.

So take this for what it is, I heard Giyas before and they didn’t grab ahold of me.  It may have been the associated equipment or maybe my tastes have changed a little, not sure.

The Kayas this year sounded really dang good.  I do love Jeff Rowland equipment and it seems to always have a delicate, refined sound with plenty of guts.  Rowland gear my is some of my favorite.  This room was in my top 5.

I saw so many rooms, its hard to remember everything.  I feel like I heard the Kayas in a room before Rowland and they sounded as good... were there Kayas in another room?

If I rated the rooms:
-Alsyvox
-Joseph Audio
-Revel
-Vivid
-YG


I missed some rooms though.  Nola was one...

The Rowland room was really narrow but deep.  The Vivids were pulled way out from the front wall pretty far.  They had one of the deepest / most holographic soundstages I’ve experienced.  

On a side note, the Paradigm Personas that I have loved since day 1 were falling short when compared to the above speakers...  I have heard personas on many occasions with different equipment in many rooms and loved them.  I guess I just needed some Joseph Audios for perspective, no pun intended.

I basically agree with this list (although not the order), with one exception, although I didn't get close to listening to very room. Instead of the Revel room, I would replace it with Goebel/CH Precision/Kronos/Nordost room.

Yeah, I forgot to mention Goebel.  They sounded great as well.  

There was a lot of good sounding rooms to me this year.  I was pleasantly surprised by the all McIntosh room too.  Those speakers sounded good to me as well.

  I was actually offered to take the Goebels for free if I was able to move them out of the room by myself... I have a bad back so I wasn’t able to move them.  I think they are close to 1,000lbs 😵