AudioEvo.Org

"So...have you joined AudioEvo yet?"

That was Dave Clark, editor of Positive Feedback Online, after he met me at CES earlier this month. I thought about it for a minute--I certainly thought I did. I remember browsing the forum and starting the sign-up process. But for some reason the answer wound up being a rather sheepish no. I hadn't joined yet. I'm not sure why I didn't finish the sign-up process. It was a grave misstep on my part. Every audiophile should join.

That's because AudioEvo is one of the rare audiophile/music discussion forums that actually fosters a family-like atmosphere. Many of those other forums may SAY that they're like a big family, but they're still full of bickering and flaming and feuding (okay, much like a real family I suppose!).

But AudioEvo.org maintains a much more professional and pleasant level of discourse. That's because it's full of audio journalists and manufacturers and enthusiastic audiophiles. A lot of these individuals know each other outside of AudioEvo. It's an oasis. You won't find a lot of objectivist vs. subjectivist flaming. You won't find class warfare between those who can afford high-dollar gear and those who maintain that it doesn't get any better than a $129 CD player and a $300 audio/video receiver. It's full of people who LOVE high-end audio, and that love is infectious.

I've met AudioEvo.org co-founder Gavin Fish twice in the last month, and he's one of those guys who "gets it." "Getting it," by the way, is a code phrase for those audiophiles who are having way too much fun listening to music to worry about the gear. I asked Gavin about his objectives and goals for AudioEvo.org:

"AudioEvo.org's is a true audiophile community. Formatted similar to Facebook and LinkedIn, AudioEvo.org enables audiophiles to get and stay connected with music lovers from around the world. We encourage our members to share experiences, engage in discussions, and post photos, videos, and opinions. It's really that simple!"

I've only been a member for a couple of weeks, and I'm already digging AudioEvo. (And not just because I already have the cool t-shirt.) I've joined quite a few audio groups over the years, and sometimes I hang around and sometimes I just can't get into the habit. But when I joined AudioEvo, I received a warm greeting and immediately felt like I was home. Everyone who joins AudioEvo gets the same warm welcome.

If this sounds like a great place to you, then I urge you to check out and even become a member. Just visit audioevo.org for more information.

Blackbird Audio Gallery's Music Night with Dean Peer

The alarm clock didn't go off. It was 5:05 am when I woke up. I had a 6:15 flight to San Diego. The Austin-Bergstrom Airport is 25 miles from my house. And I still made it on the plane with ten minutes to spare. I don't know how I did it, but I think I tampered with the time/space continuum somewhere.

Even though it wasn't an auspicious beginning, I still had a blast at the Music Night at Blackbird Audio Gallery. I saw plenty of my old audio friends, met a few new ones and actually got to sit down with Dean Peer for a while and talk to him about his music, his bass and his plans for the future.

I haven't been in Southern California for a while, and my usual tradition in these instances is to head straight to Tommy's for a #1, chili cheese and mustard only. That's exactly what I did.

Then I took up a long-standing invitation to test drive a BMW M3, which I did as well. What a beast this is with its 414 horsepower and its roaring V-8. This one even had the hard-top convertible option. The price? $77K. Yeah, I want one. I'm only human.


Then it was on to the show! Here are some pics from the event:

Here's was Dan Muzquiz' set up for the evening. It consisted of pretty much the same system as he showed off at CES...Trenner & Friedl ART monitors with the new super tweeters, Heed Audio Electronics and digital front end and a Basis 2200 turntable with a Vector tonearm and a Transfiguration cartridge. It sounded spectacular, but the bass was much deeper and fuller than it was at CES. Then I spotted it, crouched between the ARTs and the Heed monoblocks...a Trenner & Friedl subwoofer! This isn't a current model, by the way; T&F has been around a long time and they have many models from the past that they still like to show off.

Here's a shot of the ARTs with the new super tweeters.

Here's the Basis 2200 with the Vector arm and the Transfiguration cartridge. This was a supremely musical analog rig that was detailed without being analytical. It's funny that as a general rule I tend not to like the sound of acrylic turntables--and yet I've always enjoyed every Basis turntable I've ever heard. They must sprinkle fairy dust on them back at the factory. I'm sure a lot of this magic also had to do with the Transfiguration cartridge from Japan, another audio brand that has never failed to move me with their amazing products.

Here is the Funk Firm turntable I wrote about a couple of months ago. That's the new FXR arm, which is very beautiful in person. The very thin and richly-colored arm tube adds an unexpected delicacy to the overall appearance. The Basis may have had the stage for Music Night, but I look forward to listening to one of these analog rigs in the near future.

Here's a pic of Dan thanking the crowd for showing up. Next to him are Colleen Cardas, George Cardas and the man of the hour, Dean Peer. Dan was incredibly gracious and made a point of thanking everyone for coming out.

Another pic of our gracious host.

Standing room only at Chez Muzquiz.

This is Dean Peer signing my LP copy of his 1992 album Ucross. He was extremely surprised when I handed it to him, saying "Where did you get this? I don't even have a copy of this!" He them told me to take a picture of him signing it because it was a historic occasion. According to Dean, this version of Ucross, the original, is now extremely rare because it was subsequently re-released several times by different record companies with different covers. He told me that another LP version is set to be released soon. I asked him, "Does that mean this version will be worth less?" He replied, "No...it will be worth a lot more." It doesn't matter, because I'm not selling it.

As I mentioned, I did get a chance to sit down with Dean and talk. Dean actually lives in the Austin area as well. I asked him if he was going to be playing at SXSW in March, but he'll be in Canada at the time. I told him I'd enjoy seeing him live whenever he played in Austin. In a slightly self-deprecating manner, he said that people always expect him to be a wild, flamboyant bass player after hearing what he accomplishes in recordings. He admitted that most of his other-worldly bass sounds are created through very small and precise movements of his fingertips. In other words, he can be very still when he plays...you know, like a typical bass player. I still want to see him play live.

He spoke a bit about the recording process for the Airborne recordings. Dean is much more than a bass player, he is an accomplished record producer and engineer as well. He described the very technical digital processes that went into the recording but also stressed the simplicity of the solution, thanks to the latest digital innovations. When asked about whether or not he was satisfied with the results of the Airborne LP pressing, he was enthusiastic. Dean said that he and the studio engineers were trying to make the LP sound like it came straight out of the '70s. The sound quality of Airborne is so breathtaking that it didn't even occur to me that a "vintage" sound was the target. After hearing Dean's comments, I can now hear what he's talking about. There's definitely a funky, loose '70s vibe running through the entire album.

Finally, I asked Dean what was next. He said he wanted to work on a project that was all about the year 1959. He discussed all the intriguing things about that year...it was the peak of Jack Kerouac's creativity, Alaska and Hawaii became states and it was the last great year of classic jazz recordings. I also mentioned that it was the "year the music died," referring to Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper, and he nodded his head in agreement. Finally, Dean said that he was born in 1959, which is why the year has such special meaning for him. I'm looking forward to hearing this project.

This is a wine stopper that Dan gave me (as well as others there) as a thanks for coming out. It's a beautiful handmade stopper from a friend of his at A-Skewed Creations. Thank you, Dan, for hosting this event! I look forward to the next one.

I'd also like to thank everyone I met for being so gracious and friendly such as the entire Cardas family, Gavin Fish of MIT and AudioEvo.org, Marc Almirall, Dave and Carol Clark of Positive Feedback Online, David Aitken and of course Bob Clarke of Profundo, who told me a few amazing stories about how he got started as an audio distributor. Thanks everyone!

Dean Peer Music Night at Blackbird Audio Gallery tomorrow

Seems like I just got off the plane from Las Vegas and now I'm hopping on another one to San Diego. So far it's been an exciting 2011.

I'm headed to Blackbird Audio Gallery in beautiful Santee, California, to attend Dan Muzquiz's Music Night. We're celebrating the limited edition LP release of Dean Peer's Airborne. Dean will be there to sign my LP. I'll also get to meet up with a lot of the friends I made at CES.

I'm really looking forward to it, and of course it'll be blog-o-rama afterward. Talk to you later!

Chris Bell's I Am the Cosmos remaster

My friend Brian Weaver just sent me a link to the Big Star Blog, where they have a short little film that shows the recent remastering of Chris Bell's "I Am the Cosmos"/"You and Your Sister" single at Ardent Studios. It's less than five minutes long, but it's obvious this is a moment of musical history. If you know Chris Bell's sad, sad story, you know he never got the recognition he deserved.

All fans of vinyl and Big Star should watch this at http://bigstarblog.tumblr.com/post/2721498635/vinyl-remastering-of-chris-bells-i-am-the-cosmos?ref=nf.

Margules Group Mexico at CES 2011

Remember this turntable? Well, I was able to meet with the gentleman from Margules Group Mexico, the company that is trying to make these turntables a reality. They stopped by the Cardas room for a while and I was able to speak with them about these amazing designs as well as their strategy for bringing them to the audio marketplace.

Julian Margules, the patriarchal head of Margules, spent a few minutes providing me with updates. He let me in on some amazing information such as:

1. They want to bring these turntables to the international market for less than $1000. This will include the arm, which for now is a Rega OEM arm based on the highly-tweakable RB-250.

2. Oh, wait...there's more! For $1000, Sr. Margules wants to include a built-in phono preamp that's built right into the gorgeous plinths. That means this will truly be a plug and play analog solution.

3. Sr. Margules told me if he can't make this the best-sounding $1000 turntable on the market, he simply won't do it. He realizes that there will be some real challenges in accomplishing this, but he simply won't compromise the sound.

4. These designs were actually produced by design students in Mexico. He was amazed at the style, simplicity and execution from these 18 and 19-year-old individuals.

Colleen Cardas told Sr. Margules that she wants the first one...serial number #001. AND she wants it in pink. He hedged a bit--you can tell he wasn't nuts about the whole "pink" thing. But he will try to deliver.

I told him I wanted the second one off the line. I made it easier by telling him I wanted the one in wood, however. I hope Margules Group Mexico can achieve these goals, as I think this will be an exciting product that will really shake up the affordable turntable market.

CES 2011--random photos

Here are some of the random photos I promised.

First up is the VivA equipment that was featured in the Profundo room. This was just a static display but it shows how beautiful this Italian-made tube equipment really is. I've known about VivA for quite some time, but I haven't had a chance to listen yet. I will have my chance when I visit Dan Muzquiz for the Dean Peer Music Night in San Diego this weekend.

Next up is a quick pic of the SimAudio MOON 600i integrated amplifier, I reviewed the LP 5.3 phono preamp for TONEAudio a couple of years ago, and I felt it was the best phono preamp at its price point (about $1400 at the time). I also used the I-7 integrated amp as a reference for several months and thought it was a superb mix of advanced technology and stunning sound quality. It seems like I always forget how much I enjoy SimAudio gear, and this is a chance to show the Canadian company a little love. I really dig the black/gold finish on this amp.

Here's the Trenner & Friedl ART monitors in a slightly different wood veneer than mine. It also has a white Corian baffle instead of the black I have. These are such beautiful little speakers.

This is one of the middle models in the T&F lineup...the Ella. Dan Muzquiz reports that this speaker is an unbelievable match with the VivA Solista integrated amp. You can check out his blog on the Blackbird Audio Gallery website for an interesting article on this combination. Again, my photo does not do justice to the amazing fit and finish of Trenner & Friedl loudspeakers.

These are a few of my favorite peeps...

Here some pics that I stole from both Colleen Cardas and Trenner & Friedl. They're much better photographers than I am.

First, here's a pic of Colleen Cardas and her nephew Luke at CES. I'm probably speaking out of turn here, but Luke is the real mover and shaker behind Cardas Audio.

Here's another pic of the Cardas think tank with musician Dean Peer. Dean cut his hair prior to CES, and almost no one recognized him.

Here's a much better pic of the Dukes. As someone else said, "Holy crap...I'll never listen the same again."

This is Bob Clarke of Profundo pouring me some more wine. I drank more excellent wine at CES than I have in the last ten years.

This is Bob and his wife Stacy. She was a ray of sunshine and offered tremendous support to everyone there.

Here's a pic of Colleen and Andreas Friedl. I want someone to hand feed me Cheetos. I'd pay handsomely.

Here's Peter Trenner. Another ray of sunshine. His love for good music is infectious.

Here's Dan Muzquiz, me and Colleen. Sammich!

Bob and Colleen.

And finally, Dan, Andreas and Dean. Thanks everyone for showing me a good time!