AKFest 2010

[poppachubby]

Very good thread PoppaC!!! Thanks for sharing....

You do realize that your audiophile credibility is dead forever by declaring the most "mass market" SS and Cone speakers (Marantz and Paradigm) as the best sound at the show???

Seriously though, it illustrates a good point that sometimes audiophiles get so caught up in being snotty about brands and tech, that we'd dismiss excellent products without even listening to them.... I can't count how many times I've heard brands like Marantz, Paradigm and Klipsch get ripped on, by persons who haven't even heard the model in question...

Looking forward to the rest of the pics... and hopefully audionoob's thoughts on the show as well

Thanks for the compliment as I'm not too confident about "reviewing" as such. You would have loved the Dali's as I know you have a thing for small monitor style speakers. Keep an eye out for them as I'm sure they'll make a splash. They were noob's find.

As for the show, I suppose personal taste plays into it. The rooms I didn't enjoy had gear that did all it claimed to do, except entertain me.

There were a couple of instances where noob and I didn't agree fully. He enjoys "laid back" more than I do, but for the most part we would leave together in agreement.

The Marantz/Paradigm had the best vibe while still remaining true to all of the academic categories we judge in. Quite simply, you had to be there to hear it. I think there are quite a few Marantz fans on AR in terms of SACD, and certainly some Paradigm fans also.

We missed the Jolida room which was a big dissapointment. We stuck our heads in and he ran down the gear they were demo'ing. Looked amazing.

[Ajani]

Thanks for the compliment as I'm not too confident about "reviewing" as such. You would have loved the Dali's as I know you have a thing for small monitor style speakers. Keep an eye out for them as I'm sure they'll make a splash. They were noob's find.

As for the show, I suppose personal taste plays into it. The rooms I didn't enjoy had gear that did all it claimed to do, except entertain me.

There were a couple of instances where noob and I didn't agree fully. He enjoys "laid back" more than I do, but for the most part we would leave together in agreement.

The Marantz/Paradigm had the best vibe while still remaining true to all of the academic categories we judge in. Quite simply, you had to be there to hear it. I think there are quite a few Marantz fans on AR in terms of SACD, and certainly some Paradigm fans also.

We missed the Jolida room which was a big dissapointment. We stuck our heads in and he ran down the gear they were demo'ing. Looked amazing.

Shame you missed Jolida, I'm always interested to hear opinions on their gear (I may not own any tubes yet - but I want some in my 2nd or main system eventually - variety is king)..

I'm actually a fan of Marantz CD players... The last CD player I had before I switched completely to Music Servers was the CD5001... If I was a rabid classical lover, then I would have opted for the Marantz SA8001 instead of my DAC1...

One clarification though: I'm not a small monitor guy (other than on my PC)... 1) I do like deep bass (just not boomy and/or over-emphasised bass) & 2) Not an 'audiophile' reason - but I much prefer the look of a big pair of towers over monitors on a stand... Especially the old school 3ways with the 12 inch woofers!!!

[poppachubby]

I'm actually a fan of Marantz CD players... The last CD player I had before I switched completely to Music Servers was the CD5001... If I was a rabid classical lover, then I would have opted for the Marantz SA8001 instead of my DAC1...

Yes, it's one area they managed to keep their reputation in tact with. Of course having Philips behind them never hurt either. There are a couple of vintage models I would love to own, but I'm now considering research on SACD. Research aside, I won't have the budget for a proper SACDP for some time.

One clarification though: I'm not a small monitor guy

Oh. Sorry I seem to recall you having love for M-Audio and such. I just thought big sound from a small box would intrigue you.

[Ajani]

Yes, it's one area they managed to keep their reputation in tact with. Of course having Philips behind them never hurt either. There are a couple of vintage models I would love to own, but I'm now considering research on SACD. Research aside, I won't have the budget for a proper SACDP for some time.

Yep, their SACD players have been well respected by audiophiles for quite some time... Their amps have been respected in Europe and Asia for quite some time... but still get a hard time in the US, despite some excellent reviews... The amp you heard at the show is rated Class A in Stereophile...

Oh. Sorry I seem to recall you having love for M-Audio and such. I just thought big sound from a small box would intrigue you.

Oh it is intriguing... I actually do like active speakers quite a bit (for budget buys)... The M-Audios are excellent entry level speakers... I honestly can't think of an amp/speaker combo I'd prefer at $400 (or possibly even $800).... However, I donated the M-Audios to someone who really loves small monitors: my younger brother...

[frenchmon]

I'm actually a fan of Marantz CD players... The last CD player I had before I switched completely to Music Servers was the CD5001... If I was a rabid classical lover, then I would have opted for the Marantz SA8001 instead of my DAC1...

!

Yeah...i hear ya, im a fan as well....I really like their Reference line stuff and I hear the new "Pearl" stuff is off the chain.

frenchmon

[bobsticks]

What an outstanding review! Thanks for sharing your insights and the excellent pics...I'm crafting a memo right now to various members on the State and Federal Gaming Commisions as to why I need a lottery win to afford that Mac stack...beautimous...

Greenies for you, sir...