This review page is supported in part by the sponsors whose ad banners are displayed below
CH Precision, Vivid Audio and TechDAS were hosted by the latter firm's Japanese contingent who seemed like a very serious bunch indeed and were dressed the corporate part. That's quite unlike Laurence Dickie in his own Vivid Audio room who like yours truly seems rather the corporate antichrist. How boring things would be if we were all the same.
In my review of this Davis Acoustics MV One single-driver model with proprietary widebander, I had amongst other small items critiqued its plain-Jane box appearance. In Munich its designer showed that he'd taken it to heart to restyle the cab with a svelte curve on the front; add a plinth; take lacquer finishing to China for flawless perfection; and put a second speaker terminal on the back. This adds an impedance-correction network into the signal path to linearize response in the critical range. It's lovely when honest fair-minded reviewer feedback doesn't cause raised hackles or wagging fingers but gets used to make an already good product better still. That's one ideal interaction between manufacturers and press.
Diapason's Chiara Galinotti proudly ushered passersby at their new three-way floorstander which due to size forgoes their trademark solid-wood enclosure concept to favour MDF and lacquer instead.
I'm not sure I saw entirely eye to eye with this example of the famed Italian savoir-faire on style but things do tend to grow on one over time. The mocha lacquer certainly was a very crafty choice.
Because this model is such a clear departure for the brand, here's one more shot from yet a different angle. See what you make of it.
Still on Italian style were these models from Emme and the pen of Sonus faber wunderkind Livio Cucuzza.
The bigger ones on active display had an entire battery of woofers on the back to conjure visions of Zu's original Definition.
The Bros. Grimm may have told scary stories but Grimm Audio's active speaker wasn't one of 'em. Think multiple Ncore amps, advanced DSP, an upfiring true infrasonic subwoofer, all electronics hidden inside the hollow legs. Add digital source and you're off to the races. This product turns a cold shoulder at traditional audiophiles and looks resolutely into a fully integrated future that takes strategic advantage of the very latest tech. This struck me as one of the smartest products of the entire show - but so not for classic 'philes with their mix'n'match mentality of endless kit swaps. To buy this means getting off the endless hamster mill. Or never on it. Either way would be a good place to be. Sez Mr. endlessly revolving doors reviewer.
In the traditional super speaker stakes, Gryphon Audio Design's €35'000 Pantheon was their most affordable floorstander yet and as such significantly less than the proposed €50'000 mini monitor from the Ambitious guys. The Pantheon is a d'Appolito 3-way with what look like two resistively loaded ports. Because I missed Flemming Rasmussen's press meet, I also missed getting all the data.
Considering current trends and what the same money buys you elsewhere (or rather not), the Pantheon seems like a lot of serious speaker in the luxury end of our sector. Magico may get all the press but someone ought to look into this Gryphon for a change.
