Home Entertainment Show in Los Angeles

I also speant Sat. at the show. Reading some of the above comments just shows why we need so many different brands. We all have a different idea of what sounds good. I thought, in regards to high end speakers, that the Peak Empress were so bad to be unlistenable, while others thought it was the best room. I thought the Optimal Enchanment Room, The Brooks Berdan Room, and The Lamm Room were the three best sounding. Each was different so, it would be hard to give "best" to any of the above three.
There were some bargains with good sound there. When asked, the Usher room was willing to hook up their newest model, retail $700. A audiophile's dream speaker, no of course not but, very pleasant sound and more truthful to the music than some of the multi-thousand dollar speakers I heard. Excellent buy for a starter system, vation rental, second system, etc.
I also thought that the speakers in the Acoustic Zen room were quite good for the price. They were to heavy on the low end but, I bet that with a little foam rubber to tune the ports that could be overcome.
In the Rethim Room was a fascinating turntable. I would be willing to bet that few asked about it because it simply looked over the top expensive. Thick, 3 or 4 inch Ebony platter and Ebony plinth. Very impressive machined stainless steel (I believe, should have asked) for the rest. Two arm capibility, Maxon motor with controller designed by Tom Evans on the way. I think the builder said it weighed 160lbs. It rested on a very beautiful matching stand with cable suspension. I knocked on it while it played and the arm was unaffected. Total cost $8000. Not cheap but, if you bothered to take a look at it and then considered the cost of other TTs at the show it seemed a bargain. Of course, the most important part is how did it sound. I have no idea, never heard the speakers before, or the rest of the equipment so can't say anything except that in show conditions I couldn't say that the Coliburn sounded any better.

Agaffer,

That table was from Sound Engineering out of Nashville Tennessee, and I must have returned to that room 6-7 times. That quality of precision machining and design was breathtaking. $7,900 is a lot of money, but if ClearAudio, SME, or any of the other big names were selling it, the price would have been $20-30k easily.

It is an entirely new version of their SE-1 with a new plinth design and in black ebony wood with brushed stainless metal instead of Cocobolo and gold. The wood platter is made up of a constrained layers of differing thinkness plies(?). Bob Benn, the owner of Sound Engineering, told me that the ply combination was actually designed by the experts at Gibson Guitars, which happens to be just down the street from his shop.

The tonearm was the $6k Swiss made DaVinci Audio Labs (pic1, pic2). The designer/builder is actually a fine Swiss watch and clock maker by trade. And it shows in the workmanship.

In fact, it is the arm that Brinkman sold with their top tables until they decided to copy it on their own. Theirs does not even come close even though the appearances are nearly identical.

Agaffer, I was one of those who didn't ask because I didn't want to hear a number starting with 20, 30, 40. It's astonishing that, in this market, he's asking $7900. Maybe $7900 can never constitute a bargain for a 'table, but it's hard to believe that his economics aren't completely out of whack relative to the competition. BTW, I concur: Bob is a real gentleman and engaging tour guide.

Agaffer, I agree Coliburn in the way it was set up was a let down, even with Koetsu and Steel head in the chain. I blame the small speaker and amp it was mated with. Looks wise also, there are better looking TT's out there. I am sure it would have done great if it were paired with big speakers/room/amplification.

Product at the show I want most: the new Spiral Groove turntable from Allen
Perkins. An industrial design that is a superb, understated blend of retro and
contemporary. At $20K, I'll never own one.

Highlights for me were the field trip to RTI/Acoustech Friday night and the
recordings Steve Hoffman played Saturday in the Lamm room from his secret
stash. Especially the Beatles stuff. If only...

Also, this was perhaps my fourth or fifth Isomike recording demo from Ray
Kimber and it was just as impressive as always. No real commercial potential,
I suppose, so Ray is doing this as a labor of love. He deserves a medal of
some kind.

I haven't been to a HE show in 2-3 years, but this one seemed small and
underattended. So many usual players were MIA. I wonder if there's a future
for this show. At least in LA.