Gryphon Audio was recently relaunched in the US at The Source AV. The Pantheon Reference speaker sounds incredible. There’s this rhythmic involvement with the music while Jimi Hendrix’s Born Under a Bad Sign was played. Rich, textured, and full-bodied.
I may actually get these drivers for a DIY project. Amazingly transparent and fast.
I was one name away from taking the gold! (shakes fist)
You might’ve seen these speakers in the lobby area. At $3,000 for a pair, I thought they sounded amazing.
All about that CanJam. The Godfather of Headphones is in the hizzzzouse.
We spent an enormous amount of time in this room. The presentation was enjoyable and there was a sense of community within the audience. As each component was removed and included back into the system, the differences were stark. The only purchase we made at the show were Nordost’s QRT products. They provided our B&W system with 3-4 foot of more depth and more clarity.
Grub Trucks – Lots of hungry audiophiles as most of the menu was unavailable by the time we got to them.
Been quite curious about HB Design’s power strips…
Another star of the show, the Verity Audio Lohengrin IIS Speakers ($133,000). Outside of my preference of a warmer tone, I thought these speakers were perfect. They disappeared from the room and presented a realism and coherence I haven’t heard in any system. The concept of soundstage and imaging didn’t cross my mind as I was immersed in this effortless and natural construction of the original piece. I didn’t want to leave my seat.
A closer look at the Abyss Diana driver…
Loving the look and sound of ZMF’s auteur.
Diana sounds great, especially with Jude’s own personal DAP (felt like a Head-Fi God for a few minutes). The Fibonacci hole pattern provides a nice touch of elegance and function.
Abyss Phi – My preferred headphone.
Campfire Polaris. Beautifully built.
First sub-$1000 DAP from Astell & Kern at $700. The AK70 MK2 sounded superb and I like how it feels in my hands.
The new kind of CD…
The $599 Acoustic Research AR-H1 Open Over-Ear Planar Magnetic Headphones. They sound and feel better than what the price would suggest. Had a great time chatting with Eric Suh and will be receiving a review sample soon.
Poly is coming! October 19th (UK) with other countries to follow.
Aaudio imports: Wilson Benesch Cardinal Flagship loudspeaker ($114,500)
Martin Logan Neoliths ($80,000/pair)
Thrax Lyra ($19,000) with Basus bass unit($40,600). “The Lyra/Basus/Teres combo creates an active speaker system with unmatched synergy and visceral impact.”
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Thank you for the Kind words about our room being the biggest surprise! Quicksilver amps as an important part of the system! The Spendor speakers are A4 not D4 - they are a fun captivating speaker. Sorry we did not have any components with zirconium !
I've corrected the typo. Thank you for setting up such an enjoyable listening experience. :)
Beautiful photo's, thanks!
Amazing show report - so many pictures!
Agreed, Stereophile writers are so full of themselves with their blathering prejudicial adjectives, which room, music or presenter didn't strike their fancy, not giving systems a chance to redeem themselves, lousy photography, plus the endless model numbers and price listing's make for a difficult translation of experience.
Your approach is uplifting and positive for it's been said "a picture tells a thousand words".
I appreciate that David. I think these show reports are complementary across all the other publications. We're just trying to paint an insightful picture for our readers. Luckily I don't have "assignments" and post whatever I think will bring more value to my readers. I personally feel it's difficult to isolate which component you're hearing in the room. I could make a speaker sound warmer or brighter with a swap of a power cable. That's why the Synergistic Research and Nordost demos were so enlightening, adding/removing one component at a time. This also applies to headphones. However, when a system sounds great notwithstanding these show conditions, that's when I zoom in. :)
Great photos! I appreciate all the details as well. I hope you don't mind if I repost a few with credit.
Be my guest, Will! Really enjoyed the ZOTL10 Mk.II at this show and your headphone amp with the ZMF headphones and HD650s at a previous show. I believe it was a San Diego cable booth.
I was at the show and thought the best speakers were the Lumen White, Monitor Audio, Tekton DIs, Revels, and the B&O powered speakers. The Micromega all in one system was very impressive. Thanks for the nice show report.
Thanks, Rob. I spent a bit of time in the Micromega room as well. Impressive sound for such a minimalistic setup. He also demoed the effects of the IsoAcoustic Gaia(?). The Lumen White had a realism I didn't hear in most rooms.
Hi,
Just to say sincere thanks for all your efforts - the best coverage of RMAF so far.
I do some reviewing myself (for 6moons) and I would love to have been there myself, but the 4.5k miles that lie between Glasgow and Denver proved a flight too far, at least this time around.
Interesting too to see Gryphon touching down in the States. I worked at their sole UK dealership for six years so I know the brand inside out. Also, it's always nice to read about Tannoy sounding good in far flung places, because the factory is just a ten minute stroll from my front door.
Finally & coincidentally - we share a favourite in Springbank 21; seriously it's been my #1 dram for many years. Although I more often 'make do' with the 15yr old if funds are tight, which is to say usually!
All the very best.
Hey Bill, you know what they say, great whiskey palates have great ears. ;) I was impressed with rich textures of the Gryphons at the show. Tannoys have a similar sweet and meaty tone. Never been to Glasgow but you're very close to ALL the whiskey action. I'll plan a trip to Scotland one of these days. Let me know which show you'll be attending next and we'll hang.
Any trip to Scotland and I'll happily be your whisky guide, absolutely. And if I do make it to the States I will definitely give you a shout. Keep up the good work. All the very best.
Jay
Your observations and kind words for the Merging Technologies room reflect some of the same comments we received from many music lovers as they visited our room. Thanks for taking the time
Mike
HI,
On behalf on VANA, the North American Distributor for Audio Physic, thank you for visiting our room and pointing out the beautiful Avantera III Loudspeakers:)
Nancy Weiner
Managing Director
VANA, Ltd
and the CODEX!