On Saturday morning, the weather became windy but was also less drippy. I skipped the breakfast buffet (my bad), wolfed down a $5 bagel and hopped aboard T.H.E. shuttle.


I really wish that exhibitors wouldn't promise that their system will knock my socks off. I am descended from stubborn Irish stock so promises like that just make me dig my heels in the floor. The Cabasse/Art Audio exhibit made such a French promise so I asked to play a few tracks from a Monteverdi CD I brought, directed by Rinaldo Allessandrini. The voices sounded lovely, considering that the system probably costs more than a fleet of minivans (and the 21-inch subwoofer is as big as a small hot tub). However, my socks stayed on. Let's just say that the demo sounded great and the reviewer was ornery.

Because I only had a bagel for breakfast, I really appreciated the Oreo cookies at the Marigo room. Too bad they didn't also have small pints of milk to go with the cookies but I was happily munching while browsing through their display of VTS Tuning Dots (sets priced from $29 up to $160) and CD Mats ($95 for the v2 mat).
When exhibitors were familiar with the 6moons website, I tended to introduce myself as the "reviewer with the pet dog" since that's the picture that appears on the site, never expecting people to
actually know my name. However, when I announced myself to the exhibitor in the Ultimate Monitor room, I heard a voice behind me say, "Mike Healey? Hello! I'm Michael Wolff." Our own Jim Bosha reviewed Michael Wolff's Source and Gain power cables and I recently expressed an interest in hearing the Empress loudspeaker cables from Grover & Wolff. After shaking hands with Michael, I then listened to several tracks on the Ultimate Monitor speakers with Wolff Source ($750 for 6 foot length) and Gain ($900 for 6 foot length) power cables and Empress speaker cables (prices starting at $70/foot) and interconnects (RCA terminations $300+, XLR terminations $400+). This system emphasized the importance of black grounds, where the sound space behind the music is so quiet at to give the impression of a silent abyss. The goal of such a design is to bring the music closer to the listener by removing the noises that we frequently tune out. Black is beautiful.
Speaking of beautiful, I met dashing designer Derek Wilson and his lovely fiancée Petra Lewis in the Overkill Audio room. Derek let me try out a techno song from the Martyn Bennett CD I brought along. The Encore loudspeakers are very revealing and did not skimp on the wide range of frequencies I know are on this recording. Srajan just reviewed this very pair in Taos.
Fab Audio from Canada offered a nice break from the usual two-way speaker designs. They invited me in to hear the Brat loudspeaker with integral stands ($2,750 US) with and without the MuRata super tweeter. The Brats let the music flow and offered a surprising amount of bass, considering that the woofer is only 6 ½ inches. The
secret is the three-port twin bass reflex loading that uses the stands as part of the cabinet design. This makes the Brat operate more like a floor-standing two-way than a regular bookshelf loudspeaker. The MuRata super tweeter (starting at $1,825/pair) enhanced the sense of air and space. However, I did enjoy the Brats on their own, unspoiled.
The Music Hall/Creek/Epos room displayed the Creek tuner I reviewed last year and the Goldring GR-1 turntable I am scheduled to review. Leland Leard, Music Hall's VP, gave me a gentle nudge to complete the review already. I took the hint and will finish it up after this show report is released. Music Hall and Creek also had some affordable new products on display, including the Creek OBH-18 MM preamp ($250) and OBH-15 MM/MC preamp ($350), as well as the Music Hall Phono Pack MM/MC preamp ($120) and the Music Hall Cruise Control turntable speed selector ($120). Vinylphiles on a budget have a lot to look forward to in 2005!
The demonstration of the Meta Duo loudspeakers from Avantgarde Acoustic was very impressive. As Srajan mentioned in his report, power was provided by the One.A amplifiers and controlled by the One.P preamplifier. The preamp has the funkiest volume control I have ever seen. Just roll the recessed aluminum cylinders to increase the volume or change preamp settings. I can just imagine the mayhem my cat could cause by jumping on top of the thing! More affordable (for Avantgarde products) were the Solo loudspeakers in the back of the demo room. These black-jet engines use a dual-concentric self-powered horn array. I wish I could have heard them but the crowds were there for the Meta Duos. Price for the Solos: $10,000/pr.
Price for the red fold-up travel bag: $7.99 at Target. The travel bag was essential for collecting all of the product brochures and related paraphernalia. According to one of the presenters in the Vitus Audio room, the black bags they handed out together with their brochures were strong enough to carry wood. When I returned home, I took the brochures and gave the bag to my 7-year old daughter. She prefers to use the bag to store books and art. Hans-Ole Vitus let me listen to their stylish display of very expensive Vitus Audio equipment powering a pair of JM Lab Micro Utopia Be loudspeakers. The demo track, with a female singer and electronic arrangements, sounded bewitching.

When I stepped back into the breezeway, I followed the 'Tubes Rule" stickers straight to the Manley Labs room. To my ears, this demonstration flat-out rocked and I enjoyed their clever use of tube traps and the sea of Manley products "in mating season" and product literature on display.
In the Audiophile Systems Ltd. room, the Arcam Solo ($1,599) made quite an impression on this reviewer [left]. CD player, FM tuner, preamp and power amp are contained in a single silver box whose features include: RS-232 control, four independent alarm clocks and a separate line-level output with independent volume control for a second room. This system-in-a-box was making big music with a small pair of Arcam loudspeakers. The exhibitor probably thought I was a nut because I was so surprised by this product that I couldn't think of a good question to ask. No wonder manufacturers hand out press packages! Dibs! I really want to review this unit!
It was past dinnertime when I reached the Overkill Audio/Crystal Cable room. Some of the other people I met said that this room had the best sound at the show. Unfortunately, one of the amplifiers had passed DC and disabled one of the woofers so I didn't get a chance to hear these speakers at their best. Still, the Manger drivers alone did a fine job with the new M.A. Recordings sampler. The music may have sounded disembodied but the spirit was still there. I especially liked the way the cables were displayed and boxed like jewelry. Also, this room gets my vote for best-smelling room at CES. It's amazing how a little perfume can dispel the Eau de Hotel!
Gabi Van Der Kley of Crystal Cable showed me the new Piccolo interconnects, which sport specially designed connectors that are more aesthetically appealing with these slender cables. The old connectors look clunky by comparison. While I'm sure that everything in the room was priced beyond what I can afford, I may bug the editor
to write a follow-up review of the least expensive Crystal power cord with Furutech connector [the new Micro at $299 - Ed.] I know: another power cable review. What am I thinking? However, these cables are different. I'm sure of it.


It was dark when I returned to the Hotel San Remo. I cleaned up, changed clothes, put on my shoes to walk downstairs for dinner and ... fell asleep. I was too tired to eat!