Axpona reviewers perceptions and reality


Just read the Absolute Sounds' review of speakers $20k and many of  the speakers and systems singled out by Mr. Vallin were in our opinion were mostly subpar and many of these systems were extremely expensive to the tune of $500k and above price levels. 

Many critics love the big Von Schweikert/Vac rooms we felt that in both recent shows: Cap and at Axpona these rooms were way too massive for even these large and expensive speakers and these systems did not have the room lock effect where the speakers are actually presurizing the room and therefore producing the realistic size and scope of a live performance.

Other disappointments that critics liked

The High Water Sound room was just dismbodied, soft sounding and utterly uninvolving,.

The CH Precision room not that good especially for the insane price tag of $500k for this room at least.

The YG acoustics/Audionet was an extremely expensive rig that failed to impress.

The Hanawi  speakers first sounded great on an old recording totally disapeared and then sounded aweful on a modern record dead, no dynamics, limited top end no bottom.

We do agree that the YG Linenberg setup was very good and way less expensive then some of the other rigs.

Both Magico systems were horrible, the gigantic Magico dual sub system was impressive in the way it filled the space with scale and  image size and bass output,  but was lifeless and dead sounding, and the CH Precison Magico setup was also boring and uninvolving with an insane cost of probably another $500k level room.

We also agree that the Wilson/Arc room was magical

We also thought the MBL's sounded very good

We also thought the Avante Garde room was also extremely good. 

The point is Mr. Vallin hailed many systems as being best in show that in our opinion didn't deliver the goods at all

The Piega room was not anything special, the German Physics again not bad not that good either, most omni's don't sound right to us,. the Eikons were good for an all in one and the Haniwa's were just aweful other than a 1950's record they were playing which sounded great.

Best Sound of Show (price notwithstanding): This is a tough one, given that most of the contenders competed on a fairly even footing. So I’m going to declare a tie among the Stenheim Alumine Five, (We didnt hear these no comment)

the YG Hailey 2.2,   the MBL 101 E, the Goebel Divin Noblesse, the Magico M2, the Magico M6, the Avantgarde Duo Mezzo XD, the German Physiks Borderlands, and the Piega Coax 711.

Best Sound of Show (for the money): I didn’t get to hear the new $695 Maggies (that’s how busy I was), which reputedly were terrific, but in my category the Eikon and the Haniwa were pretty darn appealing.


Our best in show for expensive speakers and systems was very, different then Mr. Vallen's just currious what others tought of his listings:


Our best in show no particular order

Wilson/ARC

Gryphon Room

T+A Solitare 

Vimberg (best bang for the buck reference speaker at show at $36k sounded amazing)

MBL

Grande Utopia EM/Naim Statement Our pick for best in show 

Avante Garde


Worst in show for very expensive setups


Both Magico rooms

YG/Audionet

Piega/Air Tight


What do you guys think of our list and comments on Mr. Vallens opinions.


Dave and Troy

Audio Doctor NJ



128x128audiotroy
Re the grammar: If you find multiple words not spelled correctly
and many grammatical faux pas, you tend to discredit the writing
as having less value. 
I am biased, but I thought both rooms with the new Spatial Audio speakers sounded excellent.  Ditto for the lovely Salk Audio speakers, they were very impressive.  As alway, the MBL room got audio prize from me, particularly with respect to their $17K stand mounts speaker.  Very holographic presentation and solid bass performance sans a subwoofer.  

I heard the new PS Audio speakers and thought they sounded nice, but few others seemed to agree.  I was really impressed with the little Vanatoo powered speakers at $350 and $550, they could be the heart of very nice modestly-priced system.  Finally, I reckon the star of the show -- and I didn't get a chance to hear them, were the new $650 Magnepans.   What a deal for a big sound!
Mr. JON VALIN, STINKS!!!!! (I was there, 2015 Chicago). Magico STINKS!!!!! Martin Logan, STINKS!!!! Synergistic Research Cables & Tranquility Base, STINKS!! Silent Running Audio (SRA) the total: $11,000 STINKS!!! .... OH MY GOD!!!! Harmonic Resolution System (HRS), & Critical Mass Systems, the TOTAL: $22,000.00 (i.e. J. Valin) STINKS!!!... AND do to: FANTASIES!!! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Now, ARC, CONRAD JOHNSON, McINTOSH, darTZeel, ZANDEN, and YPSILON ELECTRONICS.... REALLY, REALLLLLLLLY GREAT!!! TARA LABS, NORDOST, HIGH FIDELITY CABLES and SCAENA LOUDSPEAKERS..... THAT'S IT! THAT'S IT'S! (32 years-old audiophile).

kingbarbuda, Grant just posted a sketch of his new LRS/MMG stands on the Planar Asylum:

https://www.audioasylum.com/cgi/vt.mpl?f=mug&m=236523

His idea is to make them more economical so that they don’t cost as much as the speakers.

Agree that the issue with the Magicos (and many other speakers I heard) was the acoustics of the rooms, and the bad seating/crowding. I’ve heard them sounding much, much better. Also, I had to wonder at some of the demo material! Things like processed voice. How is that supposed to show off a high end speaker? But what can you do . . .
I was there for 2 days and there was just too much to see everything. But the best room, in my opinion, was Odyssey audio. Klaus's systems really rock and for the money, you can't find better. He really knows how to set up a room to optimize the sound. The second day was better than Day 1.