RMAF 2016................Boenicke W5

The two rooms that sounded good to me were the Audio Alternative room with ARC and Vandersteen (complete with Richard Vandersteen out front!),and the Nagra/Avalon room.

One of the more fun rooms was Oppo demonstrating the Sonica Grand (IIRC).  Far from best in show, but a lot of music from a compact package. 

I second the Avalon Nagra room, I thought it was very good.

$3600 paltry for speakers that size?  Really?  That got my attention. 

My reaction was the same as Mapman’s...I can’t believe we’ve gotten to the point, even here on AG, where $3600 for speakers this size is now considered paltry. If one lights their cigars with $100 bills or is the leader of an OPEC country, $3600 is probably lunch money but it still seems like a healthy amount of money to me.

Gawdbless, specifically which brands and models of speakers that cost many times more than these at $3600 did you feel were not in the same league? To me, "many times more" has to mean a multiple of at least 3x, which means you’re talking about $11,000 speakers at minimum not being in the same league and it would help to know what these reference points are for you.

Agree, $3600 is not a "paltry" sum of money. 

Most of the systems I listened to were bright, edgy, and forward; whether due to the room, speakers or electronics I couldn't say.