Another Visit with the Arizona Audio-Video Club

More than two years ago, Colleen and I visited the Arizona Audio-Video Club at the invitation of our Los Angeles and Phoenix dealer for Opera and Unison, Bill Coomes of The Sweet Spot. Bill is officially the first US dealer for the Axis VoiceBox S loudspeaker, so Colleen and I are returning to demonstrate his new line of Australian loudspeakers for the AZAV members.

We are planning to feature the Axis VoiceBox, of course, as well as a Unison Research Triode 25 integrated amplifier/DAC and a Unison Research Unico CDE CD player. All cabling and power management will be provided by Furutech. We also plan on bringing our prototype of the Unison Research SH headphone amplifier along with the Furutech H128 headphones.

The monthly meeting of the Arizona Audio-Video Club will be held at the Marriott Airport Hotel on Wednesday, February 25th at 7pm. The address of the hotel is 1101 N. 44th Street, Phoenix. You can find out more info on AZAV on their website.

In Support of Equipment Supports

"I am Pichet!"

Pichet is a distributor and importer from Thailand who always comes to visit Colleen and me in our room at CES. The quote above is how he always announces his arrival. I'm not going to ask why his business card says Chen Paul with PICHET scrawled along the top in block letters--it just reminds me too much of that scene in Barton Fink where Chet the hotel clerk hands his business card to the titular guest, and it just says CHET in, mysteriously, the same handwriting as Pichet.

That's not to say Pichet isn't legitimate in any way. He's very well known in the audio industry. Colleen's known him forever. He represents such brands as Wilson Benesch, Usher, LAMM, Hansen Audio, Playback Designs and more. He's the real deal. But he is truly a salesman in the best sense of the word, and he's usually visiting us to see if we're interested in any of his products. I'm not talking about Wilson Benesch or LAMM, brands I'd normally jump at, but the stuff coming from the other direction--the Far East--and I'm still a little skittish on that subject. But he's insistent, and he likes to tell me to keep things and get back to him later. I once bought a new car I didn't need in the same exact way.

To his credit he brought a small two-way bookshelf speaker that was actually made in Denmark. It was well-made and attractive...for a two-way bookshelf. (You know I keeeed. I love two-way monitors and think they're beautiful.) We didn't have a chance to listen to it, mostly because there was only the one, but I'd welcome an audition some day. But then he gave me a little acrylic box packed with these four little equipment supports.

You know, equipment supports. Footers. Thingies you stick underneath your components. Whatever you want to call them. I haven't really used them in years. Back in the '90s I used the Black Diamond Racing cones under all my gear, but I got out of the habit of sticking them under all those heavy boxes when I became an audio reviewer because I was always swapping things in and out, something that continues to this day--albeit for a different reason. Most of the electronic components I represent already have substantial support feet that were designed specifically for the product. So I don't think about it much these days. Just ensure you're using a decent equipment rack and you'll probably be fine, according to me.

Probably. But then there's these things, Pichet's little footers. They're nicely machined and shiny, but as Pichet says, they're not insanely expensive for what they are. In fact, they're downright cheap. I think he said "Something like $80 for a set of four, that's all!" Then he mentioned another equipment support manufacturer who "charges $1000 for basically the same thing!" Now I'm not going to say that these little metal pucks, which retail for a mere $20 each (same as a single Black Diamond Racing cone back in the '90s) outperform something that costs $250 per puck. But I will say that for $80, these look really nice.

So I placed them under my Unison Research Unico CDE CD player, where I thought it would do the most good--I've always heard the biggest differences when placing footers or vibration control devices under source components like CD players and turntables. And while I'm far from the tweakiest audiophile on the planet, I did hear a rather subtle difference almost immediately. The sound was slightly more relaxed and organized, and the soundstage expanded in the rear. (That's what she said.)

You've probably noticed that I haven't mentioned the manufacturer or even the brand name of these footers. That's because I'm supposed to call Pichet if I "like what I hear." Then I can get "more information." For now, I do have a few clues. First of all, it says Tombo Audio Products on the acrylic case. I also have Pichet's website address, which is www.audiocomgroup.com. His company's name is ACG, for the record.

But I do like these. So for now, I'm going to leave these in place under the CDE.

CCI at the Rocky Mountain Audio Fest 2013

I'm back from the 2013 Rocky Mountain Audio Fest in Denver. This year's meet--the tenth annual, by the way--seemed a little quiet compared to past years, but perhaps that's because we were on the second floor of the tower, which seemed like an orphan since it was so isolated from the action on the seventh through the eleventh floors. Still, CCI had a productive show...we added a dealer or two as well as a new product line. I'll elaborate on that in a couple of days on the CCI website.

Once again we shared our room with Dan Muzquiz of Blackbird Audio Gallery and Bob Clarke of Profundo, so we set up two systems side by side and switched them every hour on the hour. It never failed that as soon as we switched over, someone would come into the room and request a tune or two on the other system. In addition, I was without Colleen's help for the first two days of the show--it's getting busy at CCI these days--so I had to rely on Dan and Bob's help more than usual.

With every trade show that we do--and this was our sixth of 2013--there's always one particular component that emerges as the star. This year it was the Opera Callas loudspeaker, which seemed to defy physics in terms of low bass output. Last year we used the floorstanding Opera Grand Mezza loudspeakers and were vexed by the lack of deep bass in the room--it was almost as if someone disconnected the woofers. It took plenty of tweaking late into the night before the show to coax the lowest frequencies from those five-inch woofers. With the Callas speakers, however, the bass was deep and impressive as soon as they were plugged in. Since we were once again sharing with Blackbird Audio Gallery and Profundo, we had to place the Operas in front of the big floorstanding Trenner & Friedl Pharaohs--and everyone was convinced that they were subwoofers. No, all that bass (the Callas is rated down to 32 Hz, amazingly enough) was coming from the little Operas.

Quite a few show attendees were curious and initially critical of the five--count 'em, five--tweeters on the small but beautifully finished Callas. Most visitors were very aware of the Callas review a couple of months ago in Stereophile, and John Atkinson's follow-up in this month's issue as well. JA was very skeptical of the use of two tweeters above and below the SEAS woofer, and of the "triplet" array of tweeters on the back panel--I think his exact words were "It shouldn't work!"--but his measurements supported reviewer John marks' enthusiastic review. As a result, almost every "serious" visitor to the room walked behind the Callas to see those extra drivers.

Here's the crazy thing--the Callas has been around since the '90s. It was reviewed in Stereophile by Sam Tellig many years ago. It hasn't changed that much since then...perhaps new drivers and a few improvements here and there, but it's been the same basic design for close to two decades. Yet everyone thinks the Callas (and its big brother, the Grand Callas) is sporting some revolutionary new design.

Finding an amp for the Callas proved to be the real challenge. We planned on debuting the new Unison Research Triode 25 integrated amplifier at RMAF, but it didn't quite make it to CCI headquarters on time. We plan on showing it at CES in January, complete with its optional USB DAC feature. So we decided to bring in the gorgeous push-pull P40 integrated amplifier instead. This is the first one we've brought into the US, although it's been selling well in Europe for several years. It features a stunning Murano glass faceplate that really captures and reflects the light when placed properly in the room. Since the glass is hand-blown, each faceplate is slightly different from the next one. Unfortunately, a bad EL34 tube flared up and we didn't have a replacement tube until our Denver dealer, Blu Note Audio, helped out. By the time we got the new tube in, the P40's replacement was already impressing the crowds--so we left everything as is and showed the P40 in a static display right at the entrance of the room.

The P40's replacement was a seemingly modest Unison Research Unico Nuovo, part of the hybrid amplifier line. I brought it as a back-up amp, yet it shined in the RMAF spotlight. The Nuovo was just reviewed by Marvin Bolden of StereoMojo (review to appear very soon); he was so impressed he bought the unit. Here you see the Nuovo paired with my trusty Unico CDE CD player--the same one I've been using in my system for over two years, and the same one we've used at probably a dozen shows. I know CDs are fading away, but this is still one of my favorite players out there.

One of the highlights of the show occured when Dean Peer popped into our room, plugged in his bass and started playing for the attendees. Too bad he was only there for about twenty minutes.

The other system in the room was also very impressive. Bob Clarke brought in his usual battery of pint-sized Heed Audio components from Hungary--preamp, power supplies, phono stage, monoblock amps, DAC and transport, all small enough to take up a single shelf. But if you know Heed, you know that it's small but mighty. The turntable is the awesome Basis 2500 Signature, mated with the Basis unipivot arm and the new flagship Transfiguration Proteus cartridge. The speakers, like last year, are the Trenner & Friedl Pharaohs, but this time they're in a striking pure white finish.

Before we left Denver, Colleen and I headed over to Blu Note Audio for a visit with Brandon Howell, the owner. Blu Note is our Unison Research dealer in Denver, and they've spent the last year building a state-of-the-art home entertainment and automation store that's truly impressive. I immediately saw two of our Unison amps--the S6 and the Simply Italy--sitting in a place of honor along the main wall of the showroom. I've never seen the Simply Italy with the cherry faceplate before...this was the first one we brought into the US. The S6, also in cherry, looked great right next to it. I told Brandon about the new Triode 25, and he's getting one of the first units. I told him to place it right between the two other amps.

The nicest thing about RMAF 2013 is that we only had to drive five hours back to Western Colorado, as opposed to 20 hours back to Texas. It snowed while we headed over Vail Pass, but it wasn't dangerous--just breathtakingly beautiful. Now that we're back home, Colleen and I are already planning CES as well as a PureAudio dealer event next month at Blackbird Audio Gallery. In addition, we have a new product line to promote. But I do want to thank Dan and Bob for making this year's RMAF run so smoothly, and I can't wait until next year!

First Impressions: Carot One Ernestolone DAC/Headphone Amp with the Cardas Audio EM5813 Ear Speakers

Tha Carot One Ernestolone arrived first thing this morning, so now I get to start experimenting with computer audio and DACs once again. Carot One is an Italian company that offers a full line of tiny tubed integrated amplifiers, digital-to-analog converters, headphone amplifiers and earbuds, all at extremely affordable prices. (It is manufactured in China, but it's designed and tested in Italy.) The Ernestolone, sort of the flagship of the line, is all of these products combined--DAC, headphone amplifier and even a 15wpc integrated amplifier--in a package small enough to fit in one hand. It weighs less than a pound, even though the chassis is made from fairly thick aluminum. Most importantly, it comes in a gorgeous anodized orange-copper color that is even more beautiful in person.

Why the Carot One? First of all, it was recommended to me by Aleks Bakman, the man who created the world-class ONEDOF turntable. Aleks tends to champion those who brands that meet his very high engineering standards, and these diminutive and fun little amplifiers fit the bill. Second, I needed a headphone amplifier to evaluate the Cardas earbuds, as well as a pair of the new Furutech headphones which are being sent my way as I write. I also need a DAC...badly. Unison Research is introducing a DAC and a headphone amplifier in the next few months, but I need something to help me play music at the Rocky Mountain Audio Fest next month.

So for the next few weeks, I'll be playing with the Ernestolone in a number of different configurations. I'll hook it up to laptop and use the DAC to listen to the handful of high-rez FLAC and WAV files I've downloaded over the last couple of years. I'll hook it up to a pair of efficient speakers, like the 90dB My Audio Design 1920S, to see it how it performs as the center of a conventional home hi-fi system. For today, I hooked the Ernestolone directly to my Unison Research CDE CD player using Cardas Audio Clear Light interconnects and listened through the Cardas Audio ear speakers.

I started off listening to Janelle Monae's new CD, The Electric Lady, and was immediately impressed by the deep bass and the big soundstage inside my head. Both the Carot One and the Cardas earbuds need breaking in somewhat before I start commenting on the ultimate sound quality--a caveat I always make when I write on of these "First Impression" blogs. There was a little congestion through the midrange, something that will obviously open up after a few hours. But this is a relative warm, smooth combination, which is essential to good headphone listening. Who wants to stick something that sounds harsh and screechy deep into their ear canals? Smooth is gooood.

What's amazing about this combo is that it's very affordable and it's already achieving decent sound. The Cardas Audio EM5813s are $425, and the Carot One Ernestolone was 499 Euros, which I think wound up costing me about $650 delivered to my door. That's a shade over a grand for a well-engineered and very attractive duo.

More Pics from the Unison/Opera room at CES

Ready for CES 2013!

Today was set-up day for 2013, and like last year we were finished before noon in the Unison Research/Opera Loudspeakers/Cardas Audio/CCI room. In our main system we have the Unison Research Simply Italy integrated amplifier, Unison Research Unico Upower booster amplifier, Unico CDE CD player, Opera Mezza and Opera Grand Mezza loudspeakers. This is the US debut of the Upower, which can quadruple the output power of low-powered tube amplification without significantly changing the sonic signature of the original amp. So the 12wpc Simply Italy now becomes a 48wpc powerhouse that can work with most speakers.

CES starts tomorrow at 10am at the Venetian in Las Vegas, and I'll be taking more photographs and posting them later. The Unison/Opera room is 29-117, and the My Audio Design (MAD) room (which is sharing with Viola Audio and ZenSATI cables) is located on the next floor in room 30-228. Please stop by and say hellow to me, Colleen Cardas, Bartolomeo Nasta of Unison/Opera and Timothy Jung of MAD.

CCI Visits the Arizona Audio Video Club

"Interesting and professional guests!"

That's how Colleen and I were described by the members of the Arizona Audio Video Club after we were the invited guests at their November meeting on the 28th. Both of us thought, "Wow...we've never been called that before." But we'll take it. We've also never attended an event like this before, but I have to admit it was a lot of fun--even though we didn't know what we were going to talk about once we were standing in front of the packed conference room at the Phoenix Airport Marriott. We decided that Colleen would talk about CCI--who we were, how we got started, and what lines we carried--and I would describe the system we brought and play some music. I was warned that there were many engineers in the club so I knew I'd have to be ready to explain all of the technical aspects of the gear we brought. I did a lot of homework.

We kept the system as simple as possible because we knew we'd only have a couple of hours to set-up the system and make it sing in the rather large room. One person seemed surprised that we didn't bring a turntable since I'm a "vinyl guy," but that would have been too much to assemble. Instead, we brought the Unison Research Sinfonia integrated amplifier (27 wpc, single-ended parallel ultralinear pure Class A amplification that uses 6550 valves in the output stage, $6495), the Unison Research CDE CD player ($3895 plus $225 for the optional optical DAC) and the new Secondas from Opera Loudspeakers ($3995 per pair)--finished in a beautiful gloss white. We also had a pair of the new little Opera Mezzas ($1495 per pair) on hand. Both pairs of speakers were the first in the US, so it was a real treat for the members.

The system was wired with Cardas Audio Clear Light speaker cables and interconnects, Cardas Audio Golden Reference power cords, and Audience jumpers for the bi-wireable Secondas. Steve Wooten, president of AAVC, provided a PS Audio line conditioner. The rack was from Quadraspire.

I then played three cuts for the members: "Midnight Sugar" by the Tsuyashi Yamamoto Trio from The TBM Sounds! sampler, "A Whiter Shade of Pale" from Halie Loren's They Oughta Write a Song... and "1 Speed" from Dean Peer's Airborne. The system sounded surprisingly good in such a big room; it's amazing how a group of warm bodies can tame the resonances in a big open space. Then Steve Wooten (pictured here) took over and allowed members to play their music. Bill Coombs of The Sweet Spot, our dealer in Phoenix who helped to put together the event, commented and how quiet and attentive the members were during the demo...much more than usual. Afterward we received several emails from members telling us how nice the system sounded.

Colleen and I would like to thank Bill, Steve (who treated us to a great dinner beforehand) and the members for a wonderful event. Special thanks go to another member, also named Bill, who brought a pumpkin pie cake that was the real hit of the evening. Almost every email we read said, "Great sounding system...and that cake!"

CCI Visiting the Arizona Audio Video Club Next Week

CCI is proud to announce that Colleen and I will be the featured guests at the November 28th meeting of the Arizona Audio Video Club! We are demoing the Unison Research Sinfonia integrated amplifier, the Unison Research Unico CDE CD player and the Opera Secondas (the same white pair that recently received rave reviews in both AV/REV.com and TONEAudio). Guests are welcome as long as they RSVP at wootsmusic@live.com. Event starts at 7pm at the Phoenix Airport Marriott, 1101 N 44th Street in Phoenix. See you there!

Getting Ready for the 2012 Rocky Mountain Audio Fest

It's that time of year again...time for the Rocky Mountain Audio Fest, one of my favorite trade shows in the audio industry. This particular gathering has really become a favorite of a lot of audiophiles because it's not as business-centered as the Consumer Electronic Show in Vegas (which isn't even open to the general public). The atmosphere is more friendly, less stressful and generally just more fun for both attendees and exhibitors. Plus you get to travel to Denver in October, a really exciting time. Will it be warm? Will there be snow on the ground? Who knows?

Colleen and I are doing a rather novel thing this year; we're teaming with Bob Clarke of Profundo (Heed, Transfiguration, Trenner & Friedl and VivA) and Dan Muzquiz of Blackbird Audio Gallery in Santee, California for our room. We'll have two separate systems on display, although we will be sharing the turntable. Bob will be bringing the incredible Pharaoh loudspeakers from Trenner & Friedl and a wide variety of gear from Heed Audio. We've also mounted a Transfiguration Phoenix cartridge on our Unison Research Giro turntable, and it's making great music in my listening room as we speak.

In the photo above you can see the basic Colleen Cardas Imports system. Going clockwise, we have the Unison Research Simply Italy integrated amplifier, the Unison Research Giro turntable with Transfiguration Phoenix cartridge, the PureAudio Vinyl phono preamplifier and the Unison Research CDE CD player.

For speakers we are using the brand spanking new Opera Grand Mezza speakers. Right now I'm breaking in the very first pair out of the Opera factory in Italy; this will be the US debut.

This year's RMAF will take place from October 12-14 at the Denver Marriott Tech Center Hotel in Denver, Colorado. The Blackbird Audio Gallery room, where Bob, Dan, Colleen and I will be hanging out, is located on the 11th floor in Room 1113. We hope to see you there!

Lone Star Audio Fest 2012

It's difficult to go to a small regional trade show such as LSAF and not compare it to the grandaddy of all high-end audio gatherings--the Consumer Electronics Show held every January in Vegas. Regional shows are usually more casual and therefore populated by manufacturers who are more hobbyists than major corporations. In other words, LSAF is organized by audio lovers, men who build amplifiers and speakers and want to share their passion with fellow hobbyists. They freely discuss their designs in detail and never show concern over such things as corporate espionage, reverse engineering or copyright infringement.

I had to remind myself of that since I was representing an established high-end audio company who doesn't necessarily share design secrets. When someone asked me how much voltage was getting to the grid of our Simply Italy amplifier, I had to resist telling him it was none of his business. Instead I told him I didn't have that particular specification available. That gentleman left in a huff.

Colleen and I first visited the Lone Star Audio Fest last year, when Polk Audio marketing guru Russ Gates asked us to stop by and possibly supply him with some cables. Since Colleen still represented Cardas Audio back then, she happily obliged. I tagged along and blogged about it and was entertained by the do-it-yourself vibe and actually had an unexpectedly great time. LSAF is an antidote for those terse, all-business trade shows such as CES--it's free to attend, everyone knows each other and no one really expects to get a 500-piece order from a dealer. It's relaxed and fun, much like Texas.

So when Russ asked CCI to partner with him again this year, we didn't hesitate to say yes. I offered him the Unison Research Unico Nuovo integrated amplifier and the CDE CD player because a) we had them in stock and b) the Nuovo had 90 watts per channel and I had no idea how efficient his Polk speakers were. Last year Russ demonstrated the flagship LMiS707 speakers ($4000), and I was very impressed with them. They would have deserved a Best Sound in Show Award if it hadn't been for the $18,000 YG Acoustics Carmel speakers in the Advanced Home Theater room. Polk is definitely trying to break back into high-end audio, and the 707s are fantastic speakers for the money. This year Russ was showing the slightly smaller LMiS705s ($3000) which appear to offer the same drivers in a slightly smaller enclosure.

The night before the first day of the show, however, Russ was concerned that the system, which also included Chris Sommovigo's excellent and affordable Black Cat interconnect and speaker cables, was a little bright. He wanted to know if he could do some tube-rolling to soften up the sound. While the designers at Unison Research suggest sticking with the stock tubes--Giovanni Sacchetti has tried everything in the world and prefers the sound of the Russian Tung-Sol tubes--I told Russ to give it a try. But by the time we arrived in Dallas the next morning, Russ was much happier with the sound. Colleen and I were worried about the HUGE bass the Polk speakers put out into the room; it was slightly detached and one-note in quality. But we made it through the first day, which saw light attendance, in one piece.

Just before midnight, we received a text from Russ. We had brought the Simply Italy integrated along for a static display; it's brand new and selling like hotcakes. I had already told Russ that we could try it in the system at some point--like I said, I wasn't sure how the little single-ended amp's 12 watts per channel would work with the Polks. Then Russ told me that the Polk had 91 dB efficiency. "Dude," I said, "that's way more than enough!"

So he quietly took the Nuovo out of the system, replaced it with the Simply Italy, and instantly fell in love. "I want to take it home and name it," he texted us. From that point on, we were very happy with the sound of the system. To that stern older woman who told me that Polk Audio and Unison Research was an odd pair, no it's not.

My only reservations about our set-up was the small, squared room with its rather thin walls; deep bass was still rather forceful and there were some bothersome room reflections--in other words, it was a typical hotel display room at an audio trade show. But for anyone who thinks that single-ended, modestly-powered amps are wimpy at the frequency extremes, the Simply Italy will prove them wrong. Our system sounded big, powerful and exceedingly musical.

Thanks to Russ' room-running skills, as well as the rather modest size of the entire show, Colleen and I were able to venture out and visit every room. This year, the show seemed less DIY and more commercial, probably best exemplified by the big Legacy Audio room downstairs just off the lobby. Legacy was showing off their new Whisper XD speakers, and the entire set-up was as big and as impressive as any demo I've seen at shows like CES and the Rocky Mountain Audio Fest. The Whispers delivered a GIANT sound but still resisted making the instruments sound larger than life.

It's hard to see these huge electrostatic panels from Crescendo Systems and not instantly think of Wife Acceptance Factor (WAF), although Colleen thought they were pretty cool. (She found out that she could get them in pink.) This photo just doesn't do justice to the immense size of these speakers, especially since owner/designer Kim Beumer is an exceptionally tall gentleman. Nevertheless, his speakers offered an almost delicate sound; it was amazing how different areas of the huge panels seem to produce just the right sonic effect without becoming distorted or overwhelming. Mr. Beumer is also one of those designers who is it in for the love of audio...his magnificent creations can be yours for just $6000. International shipping alone on these puppies might double the very modest price!

This modest system from Paolo Audio really caught my eye as well as my ear. First you'll notice the lack of parallel surfaces on these small single-driver speakers, which are called the Klassika (the drive unit is from Tang Bang in China and offers 93 dB sensitivity and a bass response down to 50 Hz). It's a striking look, one that I really enjoyed. I asked the cost of the speakers, and the final price had not been set; when purchased with the matching $4200 Klassika integrated, also shown in the pic, the system price is an affordable $5900.

Honestly, if these speakers are less than $2000 a pair, then I would have considered taking a pair home for a second system. Both the amp and the speakers, coupled with a modest Pioneer DVD player as a digital source, offered a very pleasing and relaxed sound that was seductive.

What's that, you ask? One of those Mpingo discs? Nope, that's the remote control for the Paolo Audio system. It only controls the volume, but it does so with style and panache. You simply point the bottom at the system and turn it like a big mid-air knob. Very cool.

Arguable the most interesting product offered by Paolo Audio is the Petit speaker pictured here, which is basically a tiny version of the Klassika speaker. Designed for use with your computer, the Petit contains a small 4" driver that has a frequency response from 80 Hz to 20 kHz. That's not bad for something you could easily hold in one hand. This I might buy one day.

This very interesting system was from Seijin Audio, a Utah dealer who is planning a move to Austin, Texas. The system was unusual in that it matched affordable products (Jolida), expensive products (Vitus Audio) and in-between products (Linn). While the sound was excellent, Colleen and I fell in love with the equipment rack. Made by a company called Custom Isolation, these supports feature beautiful acrylic shelves that resemble brushed aluminum at different angles.

Oh yeah, the rack can also change colors. I think Colleen has finally found the equipment support of her dreams.

From the feedback gathered at the end of the show, LSAF 2012 was a big hit. This is definitely a show at a crossroads; half of the people there wanted the show to grow and expand and become something big like Rocky Mountain Audio Fest, the other half wanted to keep things modest and casual and friendly. Colleen and I have already spoken with Russ about next year. He wants to do some vinyl, and I'm more than willing to help. He and his girlfriend Cyndi Myers were exceptional hosts (Cyndi told me she reads my blog, so hello, Cyndi!), and we can't wait for next year!

Sneak Preview of Lone Star Audio Fest 2012

Here's our system for the Lone Star Audio Fest all set up in the Polk Audio room by our friend Russ Gates. It features our Unison Research Unico Nuovo integrated amplifier, Unison Research CDE CD Player, Polk Audio LSiM705 speakers and Chris Sommovigo's Black Cat Cables.

The Lone Star Audio Fest will be held from May 4-6, 2012, at the Embassy Suites Dallas-Park Central. You can find out more info at http://lonestaraudiofest.com/. Stop by and say hello to Russ, Colleen and me.

2012 Lone Star Audio Fest

Here's the official press release I just wrote:

"CCI is proud to announce that we will be partnering with Polk Audio at the upcoming Lone Star Audio Fest in Dallas, Texas. Polk will be showing off their new LSiM705 speakers (we heard the flagship LSiM707 speakers last year at LSAF, and we were mightily impressed), and we will be hooking them up to a Unison Research Unico Nuovo integrated amplifier and Unico CDE CD player. The Lone Star Audio Fest will be held from May 4-6, 2012, at the Embassy Suites Dallas-Park Central. You can find out more info at http://lonestaraudiofest.com/."

Colleen and I went to the Lone Star Audio Fest last year, which I wrote about in this blog. I have to admit, we had a great time. It's the polar opposite of a trade show like CES, where it's business, business, business. LSAF is relaxed, casual and small--but fun. You'll see a lot of DIY rooms--which means you'll see a lot of speakers made out of unfinished plywood. That doesn't mean, of course, that they don't sound excellent--they often do! These primarily Texan DIYers, hobbyists in most cases, are selling schematics, kits and may not even have a finished product to show. It doesn't matter; these types of rooms are more often about the sharing of ideas than the making of money.

That said, there were quite a few "professional" rooms last year. Scott Warren of Advanced Home Theater in Plano, Texas really impressed me with a system that included a Luxman integrated amplifier and CD player, MIT cabling and the fantastic YG Acoustics Carmel speakers. I also heard great sound from rooms that featured such products as Vapor Audio speakers and Melody tube amplifiers. My other favorite room was run by our friend Russ Gates from Polk Audio. He was debuting the flagship LSiM707 speakers, and I had to admit that you get a LOT of speaker for just $4K a pair.

Russ asked us to partner with him this year because he really wanted to check out the Unison Research gear we carry. This year, he's showing off the LSiM705 speakers, the 707's little brother. These speakers, which retail for just $3000 per pair, look almost identical to the 707s--same amount of drivers in a slightly smaller enclosure. I'll look forward to hearing them.

Check out the LSAF website for more info, and we'll look forward to seeing y'all in May!

Audio Doctor/Unison Research Event

I know it's obvious, but Jersey City, New Jersey is worlds away from Central Texas. There's the whole population density issue, which really comes into play when you look for a place to park. Texas is the land of rock star parking, except when you're at SXSW in the middle of March. Suprisingly, however, people in Jersey City say hello to you as they pass you on the street, just like they do in Texas. The accent's just a little bit different.

Colleen and I attended our dealer event this past Saturday at the Audio Doctor right in the heart of Jersey City, and it was quite unlike our other dealer events we've held. Dave and Paula Lalin--proprietors of the Audio Doctor and its namesake--works out of their home, but what a home it is. I counted four stories including the basement, and there's a ton of equipment in every nook and cranny. On one level is a state-of-the-art home theater system with rows of seats and a huge projector screen, and other rooms featured entire systems as well as The Rack, a huge fixture that contained a multitude of amplifiers, CD players, DACs and more.

CCI was featuring such Unison Research pieces as the S6 and Unico 50 integrated amplifiers as well as the CDE CD player. We had a few noteworthy guests show up such as Stephen Mejias of Stereophile, Steve Guttenberg of CNET and TONEAudio, Michael Trei of Sound and Vision and Laurence Borden of Dagogo. It was a reunion of sorts for Dave, Steve, Michael and Paula, who all worked at Sound By Singer in Manhattan at one time or another.

Dave and Paula have created a truly unique audio store in thier home and carry a huge variety of brands at the Audio Doctor. If you'd like to come visit them, give them a call at 877- 4AV CURE or email them at sales@audiodoctor.com. You can also check out their website at www.audiodoctor.com.