California Audio Show 2011 - Blu-ray Forum

Big Daddy · 07-21-2011, 11:05 AM

I attended the California Audio Show in San Francisco (July 15-17). I had to drive alone 400 miles to get to San Francisco. That is called dedication. The only good part was that my wife who was in Calgary flew to San Francisco to join me. She has become quite an audiophile and periodically gives me definitive opinions about high-end audio. If the trend continues, she will question my knowledge of audio in a few months.

The show had many manufacturers and audio dealers demonstrating their audio products. It was well attended. We stayed at the same hotel and had a chance to spend some time in each room and listen to heavenly music for three days. The showrooms were on five different floors. The manufacturers/dealers who were on the first floor had the advantage of having much larger rooms. As a general rule, the sound was much better in the bigger rooms. Also, the choice of the music did matter on how effective the speakers sounded.

Big Daddy · 07-21-2011, 11:07 AM

As far as the best sound is concerned, the Magico speakers get my vote, but they are too expensive for most of us to consider them. Their small bookshelf speakers cost $24,000 a pair and sound better than many full-range tower speakers. Here is the way I would distribute my vote:

If money is no Object, I would buy (1)Magico, (2)MBL, (3)Wilson or Sony speakers. The Sony speakers at $27,000 a pair is by far the cheapest of the group and is considered to be a bargain.
If I come back to earth and want to buy a pair of speakers that won't send me to the poor house, the Salk SoundScape speakers at $3,000 a pair were very impressive.
Overall, all the speakers and the electronics sounded extremely good and I don't really mind owning any one of them at random. Right now, I am suffering from a severe case of speakeritis (exposure to too many speakers in a short period of time).

crazyBLUE · 07-21-2011, 11:13 AM

Were you up all night preparing that first post Big Daddy

How did you get so many pics in a post

Looks like you had fun

Big Daddy · 07-21-2011, 11:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by crazyBLUE

Were you up all night preparing that first post Big Daddy

How did you get so many pics in a post

Looks like you had fun

It took hours to prepare the pictures and post them. I had fun, but the drive to San Francisco was too long and I am definitely suffering from speakeritis.

hometheatergeek · 07-21-2011, 02:40 PM

So BD you must be a tired old man. Great pictures BTW. So you did not try the old trick "I would hate for you to go to all the trouble having to pack that stuff up. So I will be glad

to take some of the stuff off your hands".

I have had my eyes on the these for some time. I can't think of the name right now but I do remember Dynamic in the name. Do you remember how they sound?

Blu-Dog · 07-21-2011, 03:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Big Daddy

As far as the best sound is concerned, the Magico speakers get my vote, but they are too expensive for most of us to consider them. Their small bookshelf speakers cost $24,000 a pair and sound better than many full-range tower speakers. Here is the way I would distribute my vote:

If money is no Object, I would buy (1)Magico, (2)MBL, (3)Wilson or Sony speakers. The Sony speakers at $27,000 a pair is by far the cheapest of the group and is considered to be a bargain.
If I come back to earth and want to buy a pair of speakers that won't send me to the poor house, the Salk SoundScape speakers at $3,000 a pair were very impressive.
Overall, all the speakers and the electronics sounded extremely good and I don't really mindowning any one of them at random. Right now, I am suffering from a severe case of speakeritis (exposure to too many speakers in a short period of time).

I had no idea that it was possible to survive speakeritis. You must be one tough bird.

My wallet died from it. I tried to bring it back to life by stuffing more money in it, but it just kept blowing it out on more speakers, there's simply no cure.

You dodged a bullet this time. If your wife hadn't shown up...man, I hate to think about it.

rded · 07-21-2011, 04:19 PM

Thanks for posting pics BD.

Are you going to RMAF2011?

drummerboy_2002 · 07-21-2011, 05:29 PM

I'm not sure, but I think I spotted a white pedestal with a lamp on it and a Dalek mixed in with those speakers.

EXTERMINATE!!!!

Dwayne · 07-21-2011, 06:25 PM

Awesome pics BIG DADDY!!!!! If only money was easy to accumulate. Everyone has an addiction and mine of course is HDTVs, A/V components and speakers. It sure would be neat to lay down some cash to purchase a pair of speakers that cost more than my cars. Wow.

Big Daddy · 07-21-2011, 09:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hometheatergeek

So BD you must be a tired old man. Great pictures BTW. So you did not try the old trick "I would hate for you to go to all the trouble having to pack that stuff up. So I will be glad

to take some of the stuff off your hands".

I have had my eyes on the these for some time. I can't think of the name right now but I do remember Dynamic in the name. Do you remember how they sound?

Those are the beautiful Legacy Audio Whisper speakers. Their sound was excellent. It was the last room I saw. By then I had spent all my cash on Magico, MBL, and Wilson speakers and I had to get a fourth mortgage to buy the Legacy speakers.

Johnny Vinyl · 07-21-2011, 09:49 PM

What did you think of the new Dan D'Agostino amps?

Big Daddy · 07-21-2011, 10:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John72953

What did you think of the new Dan D'Agostino amps?

The new D'Agostino amps were relatively small and paired with Wilson Sasha speakers. The sound was really smooth. Unfortunately, they were only playing some opera music and I really wanted to hear something more dynamic to see how the amps worked.

For those of you who do not know Dan D'Agostino, he used to be the main guy at Krell.

Almadacr · 07-21-2011, 10:33 PM

Thanks Big D , and its good to know that in some way Sony is catching up . Do you know if they have any idea of complementing those speakers for a HT use ?

Big Daddy · 07-21-2011, 10:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Almadacr

Thanks Big D , and its good to know that in some way Sony is catching up . Do you know if they have any idea of complementing those speakers for a HT use ?

I asked and nobody knew the answer. At the show in Newport a few months ago, they had four of the large Sony speakers, two in the front and two in the back, in a very large room and played four-channel SACD. The sound was unbelievably good and easily one of the best sounds at that show.

Big Daddy · 07-21-2011, 11:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rded

Thanks for posting pics BD.

Are you going to RMAF2011?

Thanks. It took really a long time to organize and post the pictures.

I don't believe I will go to the Rocky Mountain audio show, but I may go to Las Vegas if they have a high-end show in January around the same time as the Consumer Electronics Show. There is some preliminary Information on it on the Web.

BLUTRIG · 07-22-2011, 04:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Big Daddy

As far as the best sound is concerned, the Magico speakers get my vote, but they are too expensive for most of us to consider them. Their small bookshelf speakers cost $24,000 a pair and sound better than many full-range tower speakers. Here is the way I would distribute my vote:

If money is no Object, I would buy (1)Magico, (2)MBL, (3)Wilson or Sony speakers. The Sony speakers at $27,000 a pair is by far the cheapest of the group and is considered to be a bargain.
If I come back to earth and want to buy a pair of speakers that won't send me to the poor house, the Salk SoundScape speakers at $3,000 a pair were very impressive.
Overall, all the speakers and the electronics sounded extremely good and I don't really mind owning any one of them at random. Right now, I am suffering from a severe case of speakeritis (exposure to too many speakers in a short period of time).

Very appreciate, thanks Big Daddy YOU

RocShemp · 07-22-2011, 02:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Big Daddy

The Daleks have evolved into speakers?!

drummerboy_2002 · 07-22-2011, 06:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RocShemp

The Daleks have evolved into speakers?!

Na, that's just a lamp. The Dalek is hiding a few pics down.

RocShemp · 07-22-2011, 07:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by drummerboy_2002

Na, that's just a lamp. The Dalek is hiding a few pics down.

drummerboy_2002 · 07-22-2011, 07:46 PM

The cleaning people at the event should be fired. They left a couple shop-vac paper filters lying around as well.

07-21-2011, 11:05 AM	#1
Big Daddy Moderator Member since:Jan 2008 Location:Southern California Home Theater Gallery:79 Blu-ray collection:122 Trading Score:1	California Audio Show 2011 I attended the California Audio Show in San Francisco (July 15-17). I had to drive alone 400 miles to get to San Francisco. That is called dedication. The only good part was that my wife who was in Calgary flew to San Francisco to join me. She has become quite an audiophile and periodically gives me definitive opinions about high-end audio. If the trend continues, she will question my knowledge of audio in a few months. The show had many manufacturers and audio dealers demonstrating their audio products. It was well attended. We stayed at the same hotel and had a chance to spend some time in each room and listen to heavenly music for three days. The showrooms were on five different floors. The manufacturers/dealers who were on the first floor had the advantage of having much larger rooms. As a general rule, the sound was much better in the bigger rooms. Also, the choice of the music did matter on how effective the speakers sounded. Last edited by Big Daddy; 07-21-2011 at 11:12 AM.

07-21-2011, 11:07 AM	#2
Big Daddy Moderator Member since:Jan 2008 Location:Southern California Home Theater Gallery:79 Blu-ray collection:122 Trading Score:1	As far as the best sound is concerned, the Magico speakers get my vote, but they are too expensive for most of us to consider them. Their small bookshelf speakers cost $24,000 a pair and sound better than many full-range tower speakers. Here is the way I would distribute my vote: If money is no Object, I would buy (1)Magico, (2)MBL, (3)Wilson or Sony speakers. The Sony speakers at $27,000 a pair is by far the cheapest of the group and is considered to be a bargain. If I come back to earth and want to buy a pair of speakers that won't send me to the poor house, the Salk SoundScape speakers at $3,000 a pair were very impressive. Overall, all the speakers and the electronics sounded extremely good and I don't really mind owning any one of them at random. Right now, I am suffering from a severe case of speakeritis (exposure to too many speakers in a short period of time). HT Room: Panasonic PT-AE8000, Epson 1080UB Proj., Mitsubishi 65" Diamond Series HD TV, Yamaha-RX-A3010 Rec., CinePro 6-Ch. Amp. (350 W/Ch, 8 Ohm), Proton D1200 Amp., Behringer EP4000 & EPX3000 Amps., Oppo BDP-83, Sony BDP-S790, Audio Technica Tuntable, Mitsubishi S-VHS, 2 Def. Tech. Super Towers w 15" subs, 1 Def. Tech. Center & 1 Martin-Logan Center, 2 Def. Tech. Surr. & 2 PSB Surr., 2 Cadence Presence, 2 Bose 901 Rears, 2 Modified HSU 12" Subs, 1 ED DIY 12" Sub, 1 ED DIY 15" Sub, Velodyne SMS-1 Subwoofer Equalizer, DirecTV HD, Monster HTS 5000 & APC H15 Power Conditioners. Two-Channel Room: XiangSheng Tube Preamp., Carver TFM-45 Amp. (375 W/Ch), Behringer EPX4000 Amp., Onkyo CD player, Denon Turntable, Yamaha Tuner, 2 Vintage Polk RTA-15TL Speakers, 2 LCY 100 Super Tweeters, 2 DIY Folded Horn Super Towers with 15" Sub., 1 Modified AA HD-SUB12 Family Room: Mitsubishi 73" Diamond Series TV, Yamaha DSP-A3090 Rec., DirecTV HD-DVR, PS3, Zvox Speaker, 1 DIY 12" Sub. Last edited by Big Daddy; 07-21-2011 at 10:53 PM.

07-21-2011, 11:13 AM	#3
crazyBLUE Moderator Top ranked HT gallery Top contributor Member since:Aug 2008 Location:on the left side Home Theater Gallery:89 Blu-ray collection:393 Blu-ray reviews: 28 Hardware reviews:4 Trading Score:11	Were you up all night preparing that first post Big Daddy How did you get so many pics in a post Looks like you had fun Brent A Projector and Sound System with a Blu-ray ~ Priceless.........

07-21-2011, 02:40 PM	#5
hometheatergeek Blu-ray Duke Top contributor Member since:Feb 2008 Location:Near Atlanta GA Home Theater Gallery:44 Blu-ray collection:125 DVD collection:53 Trading Score:2	So BD you must be a tired old man. Great pictures BTW. So you did not try the old trick "I would hate for you to go to all the trouble having to pack that stuff up. So I will be glad to take some of the stuff off your hands". I have had my eyes on the these for some time. I can't think of the name right now but I do remember Dynamic in the name. Do you remember how they sound? AL “If at first you don't succeed, try something easier.”

07-21-2011, 05:29 PM	#8
drummerboy_2002 Active Member Member since:Feb 2009 Location:Atlanta, GA	I'm not sure, but I think I spotted a white pedestal with a lamp on it and a Dalek mixed in with those speakers. EXTERMINATE!!!! HDTV: Sony Bravia KDL-40V3000 AVR: Sony STR-DG1200 BDP: Sony BDP-S350 DVR: Tivo Premiere Gaming: Xbox360 (Falcon), Wii Sound Stage: Three(3) Paradigm Reference Millenia 20 Surrounds: Two(2) Sony SA-VE??? Sats Real-Sub: One(1) Hsu VTF-2 MK3 Last edited by drummerboy_2002; 07-21-2011 at 07:15 PM.

07-21-2011, 04:19 PM	#7
rded Blu-ray Ninja Member since:Aug 2008 Location:555 Naim Street Home Theater Gallery:9 Blu-ray collection:254 Trading Score:1	Thanks for posting pics BD. Are you going to RMAF2011?

07-21-2011, 06:25 PM	#9
Dwayne Active Member Member since:Oct 2008 Blu-ray reviews:1	Awesome pics BIG DADDY!!!!! If only money was easy to accumulate. Everyone has an addiction and mine of course is HDTVs, A/V components and speakers. It sure would be neat to lay down some cash to purchase a pair of speakers that cost more than my cars. Wow. FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT AND NEVER SURRENDER

07-21-2011, 09:49 PM	#11
Johnny Vinyl Moderator Top contributor Member since:Jul 2007 Location:At the crossroad of Analogue Dr & 2CH Ave Home Theater Gallery:27 Blu-ray collection:172 Blu-ray reviews:3 Trading Score:7	What did you think of the new Dan D'Agostino amps? John - I love the smell of vinyl in the morning! My personal motto: "Live Life! Leave A Legacy!" I reserve the right to post as a member. When I post as a Moderator I will select a color depending on my mood! AudioQuest - Genesis - McIntosh - Nottingham - Ortofon - PS Audio - Rega - Valab/King

07-21-2011, 10:33 PM	#13
Almadacr Blu-ray Ninja Top contributor Member since:Mar 2011 Location:Montreal , Canada Home Theater Gallery:105 Blu-ray collection:365 DVD collection:4 PS3 collection:23 Blu-ray reviews:8 Hardware reviews:3	Thanks Big D , and its good to know that in some way Sony is catching up . Do you know if they have any idea of complementing those speakers for a HT use ?

07-22-2011, 07:46 PM	#20
drummerboy_2002 Active Member Member since:Feb 2009 Location:Atlanta, GA	The cleaning people at the event should be fired. They left a couple shop-vac paper filters lying around as well. HDTV: Sony Bravia KDL-40V3000 AVR: Sony STR-DG1200 BDP: Sony BDP-S350 DVR: Tivo Premiere Gaming: Xbox360 (Falcon), Wii Sound Stage: Three(3) Paradigm Reference Millenia 20 Surrounds: Two(2) Sony SA-VE??? Sats Real-Sub: One(1) Hsu VTF-2 MK3

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