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NEWS: THE ABSOLUTE SOUND ON HE 2003 |
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| HI-FI BY THE BAY [Issue 143, pg 45-47] Robert Harley and Wayne Garcia report from San Francisco's Home Entertainment 2003 Show "... When I made my list of the best sounds at the show, my top two picks happened to represent opposite extremes of the technology spectrum. The first system was easily the most technically sophisticated and advanced at the show: Meridian's 861 controller, 800 DVD-Audio player, and five DSP8000 active digital loudspeakers. High-resolution DVD-Audio signal are sent digitally to the loudspeakers where they are processed with DSP (including digital-domain crossovers), |
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| converted to analog, and amplified in the speaker to power the speaker's drive units. This ultimate Meridian system costs about $100K. Meridian's Bob Stuart handpicked some spectacular high-resolution multichannel recordings on the trade day when the room was reasonably quiet, and the results were astonishing. Sidewall reflections imaged perfectly between the left fron and left rear, right front and right rear loudspeakers, resulting in a palpable sense of being inside a large acoustic. This was easily the best demonstration I've heard of DVD-Audio. Ironically, my other favorite at the show featured LP playback, tubed electronics and horn loudspeakers. I'm talking about the Avantgarde Trio and Basshorn loudspeakers powered by all Balanced Audio Technology electronics (see Wayne Garcia's full description later in this report). This over-the-top system was staggering in its resolution, dynamics, and musical expression. I sat through two structured demos, and both times the audience of about 25 people spontaneously burst into applause at the end. In all my years of attending hifi shows, I've never seen an audience react that way to a demo. I'd never really understood the attraction of Avantgarde horn loudspeakers (probably due to demos in small rooms and very close seating positions), but now I "get" it. This system was capable of resolving very fine degrees of nuance and expression, coupled with powerful dynamics and a sense of palpability. Bravo." - Robert Harley [Editor-inChief] |
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"... Speaking of Balanced Audio Technology, the best sound I heard at the show was a pair of Avantgarde Trios (notoriously difficult to get "right" at shows) backed by the company's Basshorns (yes, huge), BAT electronics (multiple VK-150SE amps, the VK-51SE preamp [reviewed in this issue], the VK-P10SE phonostage with Super-Pak power supply, and VK-D5SE CD player), Cardas cables, and a phono rig comprising the La Luce turntable and a Cardas Myrtle Heart cartridge. On the Classic Records pressing of Satchmo Plays King Oliver, the sound was exceptionally fast, dynamic, and present in a way that only horns can be, while Elvis' version of "Fever" was the next best hting to having the King in the room with us..." Wayne Garcia [Editor] |
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