Random and Belated Musings from the 2015 Rocky Mountain Audio Fest, Part 1

If you look back on my blog over the last few years, you'll see that this is the time of year, around the holidays, when I start apologizing for not keeping up. To put it succinctly, I'm pretty busy this time of year. Mostly it's because we've just finished the busy season and now we have to prepare for CES. I'm not talking about the holidays per se, because after eighteen years in retail management I learned that life is so much better when you simply ignore those pesky dates. It's quite edifying when some poor retail clerk asks you if you're "ready for the holidays," and the look that you give them clearly communicates that of course you're ready for the holidays, that it's easy to be prepared when absolutely nothing special is planned.

Bah-humbug.

But I really need to apologize to a few people because it's been more than two months since the last RMAF and I haven't talked about anything yet. I was all set to do so--this was the first RMAF in five years where Colleen Cardas Imports wasn't an exhibitor. Since Colleen and I had spent most of the summer traveling all over the country, and I took that big trip to Australia through September. I think there was a point where, about halfway through the summer, we said to ourselves that RMAF just wasn't going to happen. But since it's only a semi-treacherous five-hour drive across the Rocky Mountains to get to Denver in October, we just decided to show up as attendees and visit as many of our industry friends as possible. And I thought hey, I could cover a show just like I used to, back in the B.C.! (Before Colleen.)

The closest thing we had to a home base was the room that featured ModWright amps, Endeavor Audio Engineering speakers, Triangle ART analog and Skogrand Cables. We were eager to meet with Leif Swanson of Endeavor--we shared a room with him back at the Newport Show where our PureAudio amplifiers were paired with his huge E-5 towers. Everyone involved loved that combo, and we talked about doing future shows together. Leif was running several rooms, however, and we never seemed to be in the same one at the same time. Perhaps it was because he saw us first? Hah!

Fortunately, Leif connected with Dan Wright of ModWright Instruments for amplification for this show. I've known Dan since my TONEAudio days when I gave extremely favorable reviews to one of his preamps, and I used one of his phono amps to review some cartridges. In the last few years since I've seen Dan, ModWright has become a major player in the US amplifier market, and the two systems where Dan's amps were used were among the top three or four best-sounding systems at the show. (In another room, Dan's new 845 monoblocks were VERY impressive--you can read about them here.)

One thing that Dan hasn't changed over the years--that lovely blue LED glow that emanates from the top plates of his amps. I always felt that those lights were so soothing to look at while you were...listening...to...zzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

Analog was supplied by Triangle ART. I have sort of a connection with Tom Vu and his company as well--Triangle Arts is based in Anaheim, my hometown. It seems that at CES, where we help man the Unison Research and Opera room every year, we're always across the hallway from Tom's room. His turntables are beautiful gleaming metallic sculptures, gigantic and solid in an ultra-industrial sort of way, but more affordable than you'd think. I'm especially interested in his new line of cartridges, which are creating a lot of buzz in the industry right now.

Now it's time to talk about a new favorite person of mine in the industry, Knut Skogrand of Skogrand Cables. Knut is from Norway, and he makes gorgeous-looking cables with some of the most ornate jacket designs I've seen. I don't mean crazy, futuristic looking cables that glow chartreuse, but opulent and silky jackets that are designed to reflect the classic art and architecture in his home country. Knut's cables also sound as good as they look, which is pretty friggin' good.

I've listened carefully to his system at both the Newport Show earlier this year and this RMAF system and I can genuine say that it's easy to relax and not even worry about visiting other rooms at the show, because this will be enough. Sure, Knut shared some wonderful Scotch with me during my visit to his room, but that didn't influence my decision about the sound quality one danged bit. How dare you.

Speaking of Newport back in late May, that's where I first met Knut in person. We'd been Facebook friends for a while, and he and Colleen have been playing Words with Friends on their phones for the last year or more. Knut's one of the few people who can beat her consistently at it, too--except I think Roy Hall might be a badass player as well. (Look at me, droppin' names.) Anyways, we were in a big group of people, and for some rare reason or another I became either assertive, demonstrative or animated making one of my points. Knut leaned into toward me--and probably down as well, since he's one of those really tall guys in high-end audio--and he said, "I thought you were an introvert." I had to laugh, because I can get uncharacteristically nutty talking about audio, and that's when I first suspected he was a very cool dude.

He confirmed that at RMAF. First, I brought up an amazingly obvious question about 2L Recordings, you know, like "Hey Knut, you're from Norway and 2L Recordings are from Norway and have you heard about them?" And that's right when I noticed a sign right next to Knut's arm, on the folding table he was leaning against, that said "2L" right on it in big letters. So yeah, Marc, I've heard of them. So there's THAT.

But here's the coolest part of the story, for me at least. While Knut and Colleen were talking, I turned my attention back to the system and I started paying attention to the weird, funky music Knut was playing. It was instrumental prog rock, more '80s than '90s, but it was so dynamic and wildly imaginative that I just started laughing. I turned to Knut and said, somewhat drunky-drunkily, "What are we listening to?"

"Mike Oldfield," he replied. He stood up and handed me the LP cover. I have a couple of Mike Oldfield LPs, just Tubular Bells and its sequel, but I'd never heard of this one, Amarok, a 1990 release that Oldfield intended as an hour-long instrumental protest song (split up into two thirty minute sides, obviously). I fell in love with this album for a lot of reasons--I love how it's one long song that's constantly evolving, and Oldfield is able to introduce humor and whimsy into this prog rock theme without conjuring up images of elves skipping through the forest. Some of the typically bright and edgy synthesizer sounds of the '80s are present, but in the more frantic and intelligent context it's merely part of the complex texture of this music. And did I say dynamic? This recording will have you constantly fiddling with your volume control because the quiet parts are really quiet, and the loud parts are really loud.

So when I told Knut how much I loved this album, he pulled the LP off of the 'table, put it in its jacket and handed it to me. At first, and i know this sounds terrible, but I thought Norway might be one of those cultures where if you compliment someone on one of their possessions, they have to give it to you. I joked about that with Knut, and he laughed and said, "No, no, no...it just makes me happy to give it to you!" And that's why Knut Skogrand is a cool dude.

Finally, this is a speaker by a guy named Jeff Joseph. I think the name of his company is Joseph Audio, or something like that. Every time I visit his room at a high-end audio show, it sounds really, really good. Everyone who goes into his room comes out of his room and says, that was one of the best rooms we've been in. So I don't think I'm going to tell you anything new about Joseph Audio, other than the fact that this speaker, the Perspective, is probably the Jeff Joseph speaker I'd want to buy for myself. I love its compact dimensions, despite the fact that it's a monster when it comes to soundstage depth and low frequency performance. I'm a big fan of the Perspective's little brother, the two-way Pulsar, and I think it has the most impressive and natural bass of any speaker its size. I also think his flagship, the Pearl3, is one of the world's great loudspeakers, but I don't have the space or the moolah. But the Perspective is just right, in so many ways.

When I started this blog entry, I thought I could get it all in one shot. But I'm getting exhausted and I think I'm dividing into two parts. The second part will mention two new turntables that I heard that might be new contenders for the best analog rigs I've heard!

Joseph Audio's New Speakers at the 2014 CES

It's no secret that Jeff Joseph has discovered how to get a small speaker to sound like a really big speaker. Have you heard the Joseph Audio Pulsar? Have you ever heard a two-way bookshelf speaker do this nice of an impression of a floorstanding three-way tower before? Neither have I. Back at the New York Audio Show last spring, CCI lent a Unison Research Unico 50 integrated amplifier to the Joseph Audio/Channel D room. I walked in toward the end of the show and listened to a few demo cuts from Jeff--who has an absolutely encyclopedic knowledge of good music--and it was simply a breathtaking system with an expansive sound that broke down the physical dimensions of the room.

The Pulsars are expensive--$7700 per pair--but after a minute of listening you'll understand why. There are only a couple of two-way stand-mounted monitors that I enjoy more than the Pulsars; one is from Magico and costs $27K/pair and the other is from TAD and costs $37K/pair. I like the Pulsars a lot.

That's why I made a couple of special trips to the Joseph Audio room during CES--because I wanted to hear the Pulsars in action. I was surprised, however, to learn that Jeff was debuting two new speakers at CES--the $3700 Prism and the $7000 Profile. These new models don't look quite as opulent as his premium line (Pulsar, Perspective and Pearl3), but they have clean yet subtle angles that are very attractive.

Just as I approached a system that featured the small, stand-mounted Prism, someone told me--either Jeff or dealer Shayne Tenace--that the deep bass and huge soundstage of the Prism was going to remind me of the Pulsar. It did. While it's become an audiophile cliche to talk about mini-monitors that "defy physics" by creating extraordinary amounts of bass, the Prism could be the next bellwether for this type of thinking--all for a price slightly less than half the cost of the Pulsar. And while I suspect the Pulsar outdoes its little brother in terms of sheer size, it was almost shocking to hear the Prism create deep, tuneful bass that could instantly put a big smile on my face.

Of course the main event was centered around the Joseph Audio flagship, the Pearl3. The system was quite extraordinary--big Bel Canto Black monoblocks and other electronics, a Brinkmann turntable and arm (thanks, Colleen, for telling Andrea Brinkmann that she reminds me of my first wife), the Soundsmith Hyperion cartridge and Cardas Audio Clear cables. I'm shaking my head slowly because I wish I had spent more time in that room, listening to LPs on a completely mind-blowing audio system.

Joseph Audio at the Munich High-End Show

For all of you attending the Munich High-End Show right now--and I wish I was among you lucky people right now--the High End Society in Munich deleted the Joseph Audio catalog listing by mistake. Considering Jeff Joseph usually achieves the best sound at the show, you should definitely visit him in Room E117, Atrium 4.1 OG!

Menotti's Amahl and the Night Visitors on LP

I received this LP as a gift from Jeff Joseph of Joseph Audio when I visited him last month in Long Island. Jeff loves this recording so much that he bought a bunch of sealed copies, and occasionally he gives them out as gifts (I'm one of the lucky ones!). This was on the Harry Pearson's TAS list for many years, and after a few listens it's easy to see why.

At first this recording seems a bit odd; first, it's a Dynagroove pressing and I remember hearing some complaints about these pressings as they were too thin to track correctly. This LP, however, seem perfectly normal in thickness. Second, it's from a 1963 television production from NBC and conducted by Herbert Grossman--someone I've never heard of before. (Later I found out that he studied under Leonard Bernstein, one of my favorite composers/conductors.)

Once you start listening, however, you'll be amazed at the superbly lineated soundstage, especially from front to back. A children's opera about the arrival of the Three Wise Men, Amahl and the Night Visitors is a production that requires a lot of movement on the stage, and I've never heard a recording that tracks its performers with this level of precision. In other words, you'll know EXACTLY where everyone is as they sing and walk and turn and interact with each other.

I first heard this LP at Jeff's factory sound room which consists of a VPI TNT turntable and arm, a Cardas Heart cartridge, Bel Canto electronics and of course a pair of Joseph Audio speakers--in this case Jeff's flagship Pearls. It was a stunning experience, and I was duly impressed in every way. Now that I can listen to this gem in my own system--a perfectly mint version to be exact--I feel blessed. If you find a copy in good condition, I heartily recommend it.

A Visit to the Joseph Audio factory

After attending the AXPONA NYC show, I was invited to spend a couple of days out on Long Island to visit Joseph Audio's factory and hear more of his upcoming Perspective loudspeaker. Jeff Joseph lives and works out in Melville, NY, creating some of the finest loudspeakers in high end audio. I've been a big fan of his Pulsar monitor, a smaller version of the floorstanding perspective, and I feel that no other small loudspeaker projects quite a big, beefy and refined sound.

The first pair of Perspectives I encountered at Joseph had perhaps the most beautiful wood veneer of any speaker I've seen for quite some time. Here they are, in a brilliant, uniquely grained rosewood.

I was able to compare the Perspectives to the Pearl, Joseph Audio's flagship speaker. The Pearls projected an unbelievably deep soundstage and offered very impressive bass performance in Jeff's large testing room. On LP after LP (Jeff uses a VPI TNT turntable with a Cardas cartridge, mated to Bel Canto amplification), I was treated to an amazingly fine-tuned presentation that was easily one of the best I've heard.

Once the much smaller Perspectives were placed into the system, the sound was remarkably similar, albeit with slightly less bass (the Perspectives reach down to the low 30s while the Pearls hit 25Hz) and a slightly smaller soundstage. Jeff told me that he has strived to maintain a family resemblance in terms of sonic for the Pearl, Perspective and stand-mounted Pulsars. The Perspectives are scheduled to retail for between $11,000 and $12,000 a pair, and they provide a very compelling combination of performance and appearance at that price point.

The Pulsar, in the meantime, seems to be a huge hit. Much of the factory floor space was devoted to outgoing stock, as you can see here. I saw a veritable wall of Pulsar boxes with all types of wood veneers ready to be shipped out.

Here's an unfortunate Pulsar that was shipped back to Jeff after the customer dropped it. You can see the damage to the cabinet on the top right side. While it's heartbreaking to see a beautiful speaker like this damaged, Jeff was confident that it could be repaired. I included this photo to show that even in piano gloss black, the Pulsar is a stunning speaker. (I always prefer wood veneers, and Jeff offers some of the most lustrous and opulent cabinets around.)

Jeff is also an avid collector of vintage audio. He's always looking for the big bargains, the pieces that seem beyond repair, and then he repairs them. I saw at least one of everything from a Linn LP-12 'table to Fisher and Scott receivers to a wealth of open-reel tape decks. At one point Jeff and I discussed all the components we've owned in our life, a popular audiophile pasttime.

Perhaps my favorite of Jeff's vintage pieces were a pair of classic Bozak Bard outdoor speakers that he had set up on the back patio of his home. As we ate delicious burgers (the beef was ground by Jeff in his kitchen just minutes before he placed them on his BBQ grill), he treated me to a series of classic rock cuts. I was completely surprised by the warmth and immediacy of the Bozaks. I think I'm going to have to find a pair on eBay.

I had a great time; it was actually the first time I've ever been to Long Island and I was impressed with how beautiful it was. Thanks, Jeff, for the hospitality!

AXPONA New York This Week!

Well, I'm off this week to another AXPONA show, this one in New York City. I haven't been in New York since the mid '90s, so I'll be excited to see all of the positive changes I've heard about.

In conjunction with CEA, Home Theater and Stereophile, the AXPONA NYC show takes place June 24-25 at the Affinia Hotel, located at 7th Avenue and 31st right across from Penn Station. Of course I'll be reporting right from the show, and hopefully I'll get some nice scoops.

After I'm done at AXPONA, I'm going to visit Jeff Joseph of Joseph Audio at his factory in Long Island. His amazing Perspective speaker is being readied for launch, and I'm hoping to get another listen.

Tickets for AXPONA are $25 per day, and the hours are 1-8 pm on Friday and 9am-5pm on Saturday. You can find out more from the AXPONA NYC website at http://www.axponanyc.com/.

Joseph Audio at CES 2011

Right next to the Cardas Audio room at CES was the Joseph Audio room, where Jeff Joseph was showing off his new speaker, the Perspective. This slim floorstander fits nicely between his flagship Pearl2 and the premium bookshelf monitor Pulsar. I was able to hear both the Perspective and the diminutive but mighty Pulsars for some time, where they were driven by Bel Canto electronics and hooked up with Cardas Clear.

I told Jeff I couldn't believe it's been 20 years since I first heard his RM7s in an audio store in Maryland, just outside of Washington DC. I remember pointing to the little two-ways (which still exist in his line in an XL version) and asking about the company. The salesman replied, "Don't know much about them, it's a brand new company." After auditioning them, I almost bought them on the spot. The only reason I didn't was that I was po' at the time.

20 years later, Jeff and his loudspeaker company are still going strong, even though they've maintained a relatively low (albeit steady) profile. I've heard many of Jeff's speakers over the years at various audio shows, and I've enjoyed every model. Right now, my favorite is the Pulsar because I love really high-quality small monitors. I love the way they disappear in a room and image like crazy. The Pulsar, however, go very deep in the bass for their size. Jeff was even bold enough to play some pipe organ music for me (an organ-only version of Pictures at an Exhibition) and I was extremely impressed with their combination of solidity and delicacy.

The new Perspective, however, went even deeper. These are gorgeous speakers (sorry the pics are so dark, but the lighting in the room was on the sultry, seductive side), and extremely well-crafted. Jeff even upped the ante by playing vinyl on a Clearaudio table with one of those exotic strain gauge cartridges from Soundsmith. First of all, every cartridge should be lighted from within (it helps with cueing, and it looks awesome). There was just something about Jeff's room that was relaxing, classy and very satisfying.

I was also a guest at his wine and cheese event and went a little overboard with both. (I also ate more than my share of M&Ms). At the same time, I cracked open a bottle of Lagavulin single malt scotch and shared a couple of glasses with Jeff's brother David as well as a few others. So it evened out. Congratulations to Jeff on a fine new speaker!