Unseasonably cool weather couldn’t dampen spirits at the 2008 RMAF. In fact, it made the warm glow of tubes all the more welcome. (Truth be told, many of the rooms were stifling hot, but I couldn’t resist the imagery.) Exhibitors were numerous but, based on the crowds - or more accurately, their absence - my guess is that attendance was down from previous years, perhaps a reflection of the serious economic times. For the first time since its inception, the show spilled out of the Marriott into the nearby Hyatt. All of the rooms used at the Hyatt were of the larger variety, suggesting that manufacturers are willing to invest the extra funds in the hope of achieving better sound. The expansion of the show - especially of larger rooms - is on the one hand a positive thing, yet on the other it further diminished the sense of intimacy that characterized the first year or two. I suppose compromise applies to audio shows, as it does to audio in general. But I am being overly critical; as CP described in his accompanying report, RMAF is positively quaint compared with CES.

My time at the show was limited as I left early for a short vacation in Rocky Mountain National Park with my new bride. The consensus amongst those who met Olga was that I got the better pat of the deal, a sentiment with which I whole-heartedly agree. I am indeed one lucky fellow. But in my time at the show I visited as many rooms as possible, some more than once. As in previous years, this show report will be restricted to those systems that especially tickled my fancy; needless to say, other visitors to the show will probably have other favorites, and my omission of a particular room should not in any way be taken as a slight.

High Water Sound has always been one of my favorite rooms, and this year was no exception. Horning speakers returned after a brief hiatus (last year Jeff Catalano brought the Aspara Acoustics), this time in the form of new Aristotles (MSRP, $9,000 per pair). These follow the usual Horning design of a wizzer-less Lowther (specifically, the DX45) and Horning’s own tweeter (which blends magnificently with the Lowther). Unlike the pair of rear-firing tweeters found on other models (for example, Agathon Ultimates and Perikles), the Aristoles feature two pairs of rear-mounted woofers in push-pull configurations. My sense was that these speakers retain all the wonderful properties of the earlier Hornings - immediacy and tactile presence - with tighter bass than in the older desgin. The speakers were powered by a brand new Tron amplifier, a transformer-coupled 300B stereo model (approx. $20,000), and a newly designed Syren preamp with MC phono section. Also on duty was the new Tron mono phono stage with adjustable RIAA. Front end was the Raven 2 ‘table from TW Acustic, featuring 2 arms: Dynavector 507 with Dynavector mono cartridge, and Ortofon 309 arm with Koetsu Jade cartidge. Cabling was from Tara Labs.