T.H.E. Show in Los Angeles

Just returned from T.H.E Show and if you are able, you owe it to yourself to stop by. While its impossible to seriously visit each room for a serious listen, I popped in to many rooms as was convenient while taking in each floor. I started at the 10th floor of the Hilton and worked my way down. its amazing how many start a the bottom and work their way up. I never stood in line for an elevator and only a couple of times did I have to wait to get into a demo. In the interests of being kind and giving every exhibitor the benefit of the doubt, if I thought the sound in their room didn't measure up I'll chalk it up to show conditions in a hotel room. Many were able to overcome it, several did so to such a degree that it was astonishing. Without further adieu, and I'll keep this short, starting at the top.....floor of the Hilton that is.

1035) Stopped by Audio Note, very good. Always want it to be incredible but it seems to fall just shy for my tastes. VERY good though.
1001) Empirical and Vapor, ok sounding, but with great potential....it was early.
805) Upscale Audio, always cool, no music was playing when I stopped by but Kevin Deal is a great guy and has done more for the tube side of the hobby than he is given credit for.
716) Evolution Acoustics. Nice sound from the MM1(?) speakers but the room was boomy or lean, depending where you sat. dude was adjusting lights on the speakers and should have been working with placement.
709) Voxativ, driven by tubes, a little too loudly as to screw up the balance of the speaker. They were showing their smaller stand mount single driver and it was nice but nothing special. Steve Hoffman was there in front of me and being chapperoned by a big guy, who seemed very deferential. Needs a haircut.
703) KEF. Playing the LS50 stand mounts. Simply the best buy in audio....I'm going to have to buy some of those to support a company that puts out a product like that. They would shame MANY of the floorstanders at the show and the midrange was just right.
704) Fidelis. Showing Wilson Benesch speakers which they now distribute for North America(USA?). Nice and smooth, imaged very well. Dont remember the electronics. The speakers were real eye candy....a dark burl gloss walnut!
603) Katli Audio. Went by the room, Fred Kat is a great guy butno music was playing, I didnt see Fred in the room and I kept moving. pass Labs always sounds nice though.
619) Venice Audio. Peter Selesnick was showing Harbeth 30.1 speakers and Naim electronics. Outstanding sound and a great guy. Those 30.1's are too small to sound that full. Nicely done.
San Clemente Room) On a Higher Note. Vivid speakers sounding great.
Monarch Ballrooms) The Source A/V. Showing McIntosh, Boulder, D'Agostino. First of all, the D'Agostino gear looks like it was made by Bugatti. Very nice. While the black with copper accented integrated was impressive, I thought the equipment in natual aluminum was nicer looking. D'Agostino monoblocks playing through the big Focals was breathtaking. Probably 30 seats and there was a line to sit and listen. No worries though, it seemed no matter where I went in that room, it was the sweetspot, huge, natural sounding performance reproduction. Jason Lord of The Source is always good for advice and he'll tell you straight, a great dealer. he also had a room full of MBL but I didn't want anything more that what I'd just heard from the D'Ags/Focal.

Arium Hotel
Lobby) Burmester stand mounts were very, very good.
230-232) Blackbird Audio and Profundo playing Trenner & Friedl Pharoh speakers and Heed amplification. Profundo was playing Viba tube Gear with the RA Box. Nice mids but something wasnt right for me. Bass was absent for the RA Box which cant be right based on what I've read. Both rooms were playing too loudly.
231) Wavetouch. Makes small standmounts with what looks like small horn guides for each of the 2 drivers. The owner of the company was quite courteous, left you alone and let you listen. The were terrific sounding, I was surprised. Attractive aesthetics.
222) MSB. MSB electronics and Wilson Benesch speakers. Wow. Wow! You could walk through the soundstage it was that 3d. Smooth, elegant, dynamic. The gentleman in the room named Vince was very nice, accomodating and I was shocked to discover they borrowed the speakers for the weekend. This room had the sound that led me to believe this equipment was purposely matched with those speakers....maybe they should in the future.
219) Volti. Beautiful and large speakers. Sounded better than any Klipsch I ever heard. The owner apologized when I walked in that the music was too loud but some VIP wanted it cranked. What a nimrod, (the vip not the owner). The speakers were rocking but hard to tell about smooth it was so loud. Worth a second look.

Various headphones and amplifiers and DACS. Standouts were Audeze and Woo, Chord Hugo.

My best of show was a tie between the Source A/V/D'Agostino/Focal combo and the MSB/Wilson Benesch Rooms. YMMV