2012 California Audio Show

[tube fan]

tube fan

With your love in with Fremer because he "knows the absolute sound and hi-fi and accuracy" and hate for Art because Art likes musical instead of accuracy then I can't figure why you didn't like MBL.

Fremer on MBL

"Why belabor the point? No box above the bottom octaves and a 360° radiating pattern should produce imaging and soundstaging superior to that of any boxed or planar speaker, and once the speakers had been placed properly, the 101E Mk.IIs did just that, reproducing with eerie verisimilitude recordings of large orchestras as well as of small ensembles in intimate settings, such as a superb-sounding reissue of Johnny Hartman's I Just Dropped By to Say Hello (LP, Impulse!/ORG 176). The sound was intimate and properly sized, and produced Hartman's baritone with a natural warmth free of congestion or bloat."

Renders ALL panels and direct radiators like your speakers as piles of crap.

"The speakers' presentation of physical instruments and musicians in space required no suspension of disbelief—the holographically three-dimensional picture was just there."

"With all of these recordings, the MBLs produced as believable a rendering of the sound of a solo piano as you're likely to hear from any speaker"

"The Reference 101E Mk.II is among the most revealing speakers you're likely to hear. It ruthlessly reveals the sonic characters of the equipment it's hooked up to, which means that that system, including the cables, must be assembled with great care. It's also tricky to set up, and requires both an optimally sized room and careful placement in that room. Although my entire system has changed in the eight years since the first version of the 101E Radialstrahler was here, I feel confident saying that the sound of the Mk.II is more refined and well behaved, and far more capable of speaking with a uniform, focused voice. The combination of MBL's 6010D preamp and the 9011 amplifiers that I reviewed last month driving the 101E Mk.IIs was among the most formidable-sounding audio systems ever assembled in my room." MBL Radialstrahler 101E Mk.II loudspeaker Page 2 | Stereophile.com

But no - the Kef LS50 sounds better? Be serious.

I have said many times that MF is NOT one of my favorite writers, because of his love of high power ss amps and inefficient speakers. Plus, he rarely reviews anything that I could afford. Art Dudley, on the other hand, prefers analogue, low power tube amps, and speakers they can drive. I suspect, warts and all, I would vastly prefer Art's system to MF's. BTW, Stephen Mejias preferred his inexpensive system to the upwards of $500,000 one he heard at MF's, which included the MBL 101 E Mk II speaker: "I was very happily surprised. Whether it was because I was back in Jersey City, in my own room, surrounded by my own things, or because I was high on winter moonlight, I can't be certain--but as I sat there listening again to "Holes," I couldn't help but think that the experience wasn't merely as good as what I'd heard earlier that day at Mikey's--it was better." I have been to wine tastings where both the group and I preferred a $10 wine to ones costing up to thousands of dollars. Price is NOT an indication of quality.

[RGA]

Jack Roberts CAS coverage - I found his views interesting.

He also chose his 5 best rooms. We agreed on only one room (although this time I chose a best four because 4 rooms stood out for me and were a "step up" over the rest of the rooms.

If I had chosen a fifth room it would have been Bob Hodas' room which made Jack's top five.

Jack Roberts CAS3 Coverage, Part III: Music Lovers Audio, MBL, Audio Image Ltd., Blue Moon Audio, Audio High, Loggie Audio, Dared Audio - Event Reports - Dagogo

Me CAS3 Coverage, Part IV: MBL, Acoustic Zen/Triode, Zu Audio, Vivid/Aesthetix/Brinkman/Synergistic Research, Angel City Audio/Melody/Wywire, Lumenwhite speakers/Ayon, Soundscape/MartinLogan, Von Gaylord Audio - Event Reports - Dagogo

CAS3 Coverage, Part IV: MBL, Acoustic Zen/Triode, Zu Audio, Vivid/Aesthetix/Brinkman/Synergistic Research, Angel City Audio/Melody/Wywire, Lumenwhite speakers/Ayon, Soundscape/MartinLogan, Von Gaylord Audio - Event Reports - Dagogo

Jack's top 5 rooms CAS3 Coverage, Part V: Top five rooms - Event Reports - Dagogo

My last page is being edited TBA

[tube fan]

I cannot understand how the AN room made it into Jack's top 5. From my listening (went all three days) of the AN system, it was not in the top 15 rooms: boring and colored.

[RGA]

Well it didn't make my top 4 and if I had a fifth it would have been Bob Hodus' room.

Jack must have heard something he liked on Sunday. I was surprised Von Gaylord didn't make his list - I know Adam Labarge also loved the Von Gaylord room. Their problem was that their system was not in the room you walked into but in the bedroom so you could walk in and see nothing playing and walk out.

I didn't hear the Magico room on Sunday - I don't know what the hoopla is over Magico - seems like TAS loves them but that is usually good reason to look somewhere else.

[RGA]

Last page is up

And no Audio Note did not make my best rooms final cut nor did Audio Space.

CAS3 Coverage, Part X (final): Bob Hodas Acoustical Analysis/Focal, Electrocompaniet/Brodmann/MIT, Zesto Audio/Merrill-Williams/WyWires/TAD Labs, Loggie Audio/YG Acoustics/Esoteric/Ypsilon/Stage III - Event Reports - Dagogo

[bobsticks]

That was some great coverage. Thanks for the links Rich. I can't imagine i wouldn't have found quite a bit to appreciate in any of those rooms.