On my soapbox....

The mood, hospitality, easy-going atmosphere, and wonderful setups - not to mention Denver's remarkable scenic views - made this, the fifth Rocky Mountain Audio Fest the US equivalent of Munich's High-end affair (on a much smaller scale however). Attempting to compare the quaint and comfortable RMAF to CES is like trying to compare Madison Square Garden to Carnegie Hall.

There simply is no comparison.

The CES has become a necessary evil upon which the world congregates each year to peddle new products in a way that resembles organized mass hysteria. Year in and year out, the more folks that show up the worse it seems to become. If you've attended any CES events you know the drill with respect to taxi lines, crowded elevators, traffic, attempting to find show rooms due to poor signage and getting from one building to the next. Simple and plain, CES has lost its singleness of purpose with regard to two channel audio. It has turned into a bastion for home theater install gurus, home automation fanatics and car audio buffs. 

This loss of focus I believe, is the single most important attribute that gives the RMAF its life  - its very breath

I was informed this year's event had grown considerably over the previous (over 400 new vendor badges were issued I'm told). That international presence grew as well tells a story on its own. This is indeed good news because perhaps there actually can be an alternative to CES in the coming years if this trend continues. Call me a dreamer but lets not forget to include RMAF organizers Al Stiefel and Ron Welborne who thought this whole thing up in the first place.

Consider, with the economy presently in the toilet, there may not be another option for manufacturers, distributors and the like to choose for much longer - especially when CES and RMAF are give or take, ten-weeks apart. Finances might force most to choose the less expensive and less offensive RMAF as the alternative. Personally, I see it as a double blessing in disguise: I get the ease of travel and still hear great sounding setups

Most importantly, the show was simply great. There was plenty of good to excellent sounding rooms and many comfortable spots to rest your aching feet or tired soul.

In the end, the weatherman predicted snow for the weekend of the show. I am predicting hot temperatures and sunny skies for future Rocky Mountain Audio Fests.

Off the soapbox and on to the show...

The huge demo room featuring IsoMike recordings and three pair of Soundlab's humongous Prostats 922 electrostatic loudspeakers ($32k pair, you do the math!), driven by eight Pass X350s ($15k ea) and Meitner digital (using all Kimber wiring), was quite impressive no matter what side of the room you found your situated (thanks in a large part to a couple of GML 9500 pro series studio equalizers). Wildly open, dynamic and transparent as one could imagine using perhaps the largest 'stats in the world to create a virtual wall of sound.

What a treat it was to finally hear the mighty Von Schweikert VR9SE's ($90k pair) on tubes! Not merely any tube power amp, but the newest from Valve Amplification Company (VAC) in their Phi 200 monos ($14k). Also debuting for the first time was VAC's new Phi Alpha D/A converter ($7500). Cabling throughout featured Cardas Golden Cross, says Damon Von Schweikert, son of famous designer Albert Von S (and whom I've officially dubbed the original VR Junior). This setup was luckily featured in a large enough space to really do justice to these super-sized transducers. Immediately, I felt this setup showcased the VR9SE's infamous three-dimensionality traits. Bravo!

Nordost formed allegiances with Quantum Purifier and introduced their new series of AC/Mains conditioners in the QX2 ($1700) and QX4 ($2500). Quantum's Bill Steirhout (left) and Nordost's Joe Renolds looked quite impressed by their latest joint achievement.

Inside: Nordost put on some demo that featured the ceramic driver driven Raidho C3 from Danish loudspeaker designer Eben ($38k), Burmester electronics and Nordost Odin cabling. Sound was really airy and well balanced. I found myself smiling and thinking "finally, I've heard a Burmester stack get respectable sound!"

Eventus Audio's Italian built Lysithea loudspeaker ($28k with designer Dominico Forentino smiling left), a large stand-mounted design sounded quite impressive. Driven by Audio Analogue's Duecento Integrated ($10k) and Maestro CD player ($3,400), this had to be one of the most impressively built integrated amplifiers I've seen. Weighing in at nearly 135 lbs, I was most impressed seeing it residing at the top of the audio rack rather than on the floor. Guess the importers wanted everyone to notice it and for good reason. The sense of ease that came from this setup caught my attention because that's one attribute usually designated to the big boys. Well, then again, you wouldn't necessarily qualify this setup, or its sound, as small or dynamically challenged either. Not after hearing it. Another impressive setup.

Usual Suspects! Nice to see MBL showcasing their wares once again at RMAF 2008. Their sound is uniquely open, handsomely exquisite and powerful. The MBL 101E still hails as one of my favorite loudspeakers.

Another Italian beauty on display was the Chario Sovran ($17k), powered by an Aesthetix phono and power amp with the all-tubed Airtight preamplifier. Montegiro Lusso's high and mighty turntable ($40k) looked familiar having seen it at Munich high-end show this past spring. The Lusso 'table stood out amid all the glorious componentry here. However, I think it was the rich magnificent sound that caused the rubber-necking in the vestibule area directly in front of this setup.

Blue Circle's Gilbert Yeung's choice of CD player is no surprise considering how impressive the pro-series Alesis Masterlink players can be. That said, the Blue Circle BC109 ($6990) dual mono preamp looked as impressive as it sounded too.

Yuen did a wonderful job showing off what could be had at more affordable prices beginning with his Blue Circle Penny loudspeaker ($5k top photo), which employs the famous Ohm omni tweeter. As one would expect, the soundstage was greater than the physical boundaries and overall this proved to be another impressive sounding demo.

Dr. Feickert's Analogue Twin turntable ($9k) on display in the Avatar Acoustics room impressed me thoroughly.

Avatar Acoustics did another splendid job with regard to sound and looks. Thanks would go to the trio that included the Abbingdon Music Research CD77 ($12k), AM-77 Integrated amplifier ($12k) and PH-77 phono stage ($12k). Darren Censullo turned me on to PC-based music from his laptop feeding WAV files via the USB input from the AMR CD-77. The room, replete with Franck Tchang's Acoustic Resonators and equipment rack hails Censullo as its US importer and board certified resonatician!