The Good: One of the Best Sounding rooms at this year's event goes to the TIDAL Piano Cera loudspeakers ($26k without Diamond tweeter), Presos preamp ($28k) and Impact amplifier ($26k). Digital playback was by way of a dCS Puccini/UClock combo and the overall sonic effect was refined, smooth and ultra-musical. In a word: EASY. I've grown a strong affection for these Piano Ceras over the years and now have a pair under review (stay tuned). My time spent has only deepened my respect for TIDAL products and its designer Jorn Janczak. [see video of this room here]

The Good: Please allow me to reiterate the sound of this room once again as absolutely stellar. The VAC Sigma 160i's performance was absolutely fantastic when paired with the ridiculously affordable and wonderful sounding Tannoy DC10T loudspeaker ($7k). [video here]

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The Bad: BMC Audio, a newly launched German high-end electronics company, has officially landed on US soil. Audio Limits of Colorado usually demonstrates their electronics through the formidable Venture Audio Grand Ultimate loudspeakers ($90k) and this year they were featured with BMC's Amp 1 mono amps ($15,600), DAC1 pre/pro ($6300) and CD1 Transport ($6k). Knowing these electronics from the Munich High End Show, I know the high standards to which they're built upon. Ditto these loudspeakers. That said, I was very underwhelmed by the overall sound which to me was too dry and analytical. Call it a lack of synergy or perhaps my hopes were too high for the folks here at Audio Limits due to their incredible setup a few years back that featured FM Acoustics electronics driving a pair of YG Acoustic loudspeakers. Guess I never quite got over that setup.

The Bad: The APEX Audio suite also left me flat and uninspired. I have been a long time admirer of the JM Lab loudspeaker and Soulution electronics yet, here was another example of extremely priced componentry just didn't sound anything close to what I refer to as musical. Sometimes, I guess when components are this transparent, revealing and pricy - it's actually easier to make them sound worse. I certainly don't envy the guys responsible for trying to make these components sing after only a day or two of setting them up.

The Bad: The Audio Note UK suite, I remind you, that only last year, outperformed almost everything I ever heard anywhere, unfortunately fell flat on its proverbial face at this year's event. Weak bass, zero soundstage with no PRAT proved how challenging and difficult this type of event can be on those responsible for setting up these spaces.

...and the Beautiful: I was totally smitten when I entered the Burmester suite and got to sample this heavenly looking iPad-driven music server. This device, only a prototype, appeared very capable as both a music server, DAC, preamp and surround-sound processor. I was blown away at the ease of accessing its music library. I was so impressed, I didn't ask about anything else in the room...and didn't really care. Knowing the company I bet this Burmester Music Server won't be affordable - even by audiophile standards [My video is available here.]

...and the Beautiful: Bill Parrish of GTT Audio & Video put on what I can only describe as the Best Sound at Show, at this year's Rocky Mountain Audio Fest! This room featured the YG Acoustics Anat Signature IIIs, ($119k), Tenor Audio pre ($75k), mono amps ($100k) that was driven via a Soulution SACD/CD player and Bryston music server ($2500). This was among one of the first rooms I visited, as well as one of the last. In the end, I think the overall size, dimensionality and musicality won me over. Those Tenor amplifiers are obviously better sounding than I remember due to the plush and cushy feel to the sound I heard here. The level of dimensionality and correct tonal balance kept me enamored song after song. Images, although bigger than most systems, presented instruments in their natural space and on a three-dimensional plane: a feat I do not find easy to accomplish even under ideal conditions. Parrish has a keen ear and a lot of skill when it comes to making potentially poor sounding rooms/suites sound their best. He removes hotel artwork and lighting fixtures and replaces them with his very own tweaks. I've grown familiar to his components as well since he's also a NJ resident and lives less than an hours drive. My hope is to visit his audio salon and post a report on my findings....

Until next year.