RMAF 2019--Stenheim Loudspeakers, CH Precision, NVS Sound, LinneberG

My latest show report from the 2019 Rocky Mountain Audio Fest is now live at Part-Time Audiophile. You can read it here.

T.H.E. Show 2019--Sunny Components, CH Precision, Stenheim, AudioQuest and Technics

My latest show report from T.H.E. Show 2019 is now live at Part-Time Audiophile. This one covers an impressive sounding room from Sunny Components. You can read it here.

The Battle of the Super DACs

At this year's CES I was far too busy to get out and see other rooms, but I did make a special trip (with Bartolomeo Nasta of Unison/Opera) to hear two products, both DACs that retail for more than $30,000. The first, Light Harmonic's DaVinci, was the hit of the Rocky Mountain Audio Fest in October. I'm good friends with Gavin Fish of Light Harmonic, and I regretted missing his room at RMAF so I made sure I listened at CES. The second DAC, the CH Precision C1 Digital to Analog Controller (which also contains a preamp), was recommended to me by a group of well-heeled Austin audiophiles who claimed it was so good that they were trading in their $100K dcs digital stacks for a chance to own this Swiss beauty.

What was most surprising about these two very expensive systems was how different they sounded from each other. The Light Harmonic system, which included Wilson Sasha speakers and that gorgeous Momentum amplifier from Dan D'Agostino of Krell fame, offered a warm, rich and enveloping sound that completely immersed the listener in sound. The CH Precision system, which featured the new A1 monoblocks (which retail for about $75,000 per set) and Zellaton speakers from Germany, had a much more laid back and revealing presentation. While both systems were utterly captivating, I found myself leaning toward the CH Precision gear while Bartolomeo preferred the Light Harmonic system.

Unfortunately I was unable to get decent photos from the CH room because it was so dark (I've included one pic from the CH website), but Bart was able to capture several images of the DaVinci. What's most remarkable about the Light Harmonic is the sheer size of the DAC. Bart asked Gavin, "Why is it so big?" Gavin explained that the unit, which is extremely heavy as well, contains no less than five power supplies. As you can see from the pics, the DaVinci was flanked by two other similar units--one is a digital streamer and the other is a digital transport/server. A lot has been said about the polarizing style of the Light Harmonic gear (one scribe called it the Darth Vader of high-end audio), but in person this gear is impressive, substantial and very well-made.

So why is the Vinyl Anachronist suddenly obsessed with $30,000 DACs? Well, I'm the first to admit that digital playback has gotten so good over the last few years that I'm no longer a staunch vinyl "bigot." I would be deliriously happy with either the CH Precision or Light Harmonic gear. Those knowledgeable about high-end audio are also keenly aware that this year's $30,000 DAC is next year's $10,000 DAC, and so on. I've gone on record (pun intended) that I will play LPs for the rest of my life, but it's nice to know that I can still be satisfied with digital technology in case all those LPs and turntables disappear in the coming years. I'm very thankful that companies such as Light Harmonic and CH Precision push the performance envelope in the manner that they do, and that the hi-fi future looks incredibly bright.

Madeleine Peyroux at the One World Theatre in Austin

I've been resisting blog entries about live shows I've attended here in Austin for several reasons. First, I think it's a waste of copy space to report on concerts that have already happened--I mean, what are you supposed to glean from such articles? The event already happened, so what's the point of gloating about it? And second, it's really hard to take decent photos of darkened stages without a press pass and a high-dollar camera rig.

That said, I wanted to talk about the Madeleine Peyroux concert I attended Friday night at the One World Theatre in Austin because a) Madeleine Peyroux is such a fun performer, and b) the One World Theatre is such an outstanding venue. I'd never been to One World before, but in a nutshell it's an intimate venue with just 300 seats, and those chairs are arranged in a way that guarantees that every seat is a great seat. It's not cheap to attend concerts there, but they consistently attract the type of talent that appeals to those who don't particularly like conventional venues with their vast spaces and overbearing sound systems. If you want to see your favorite performers up close and in a space with excellent acoustics, I can't think of a better place than One World.

A have a couple of Peyroux LPs in my collection, both MoFi pressings, which indicates that she's a performer who values great sound quality on her records. Performing live, she reveals a playful and sanguine approach that suggests she's knocked back a few backstage before the curtain raised and she's ready to hang out with her audience and have some fun. (I know that sounds vaguely troublesome, but the overall effect is of pure charm.) Her banter between the songs is engaging and humorous, and she's not above an obscure joke or two. When she sang the title track of her latest album, Standing on the Rooftop, she explained how it related to her upbringing in Brooklyn and how as a girl she would often retreat to the roof of her apartment building to reflect and suggested to the Texan audience that they may call the song "Standing Outside Your House." It was funnier when she said it.

Her back-up band was talented and seasoned, and nearly every song gave her fellow performers a chance to improvise in the true jazz tradition. I was amazed at how deeply the musicians could dig into her retro-tinged songs and find a unique groove in which to play. I know I like to bash female vocalists and the manner in which audiophile embrace their hipness, but Peyroux is much more quirky and adventurous than women such as Diana Krall, Patricia Barber and Rebecca Pidgeon.

A final shout-out goes to Scott Oliver, an Austin audiophile who invited Colleen and me out for the evening with a group of fellow music lovers. We had a wonderful dinner at the Grove Winebar (which Scott described as the only cool place to hang out on the Westside area of Austin), and we were able to talk audio with a very well-heeled group of audiophiles who championed a very lofty selection of gear that I'd never heard of--CH Precision's $33,000 preamp/DAC, anyone? Thanks goes to Scott, his wife Maria, Bill Blaylock of Concept Electronics and everyone else who came.

Colleen and I plan to return to One World in September to see Bela Fleck, one of Colleen's favorites. I'm looking forward to it!