Amir's 2023 Pacific Audio Fest Report Continued

[amirm]

This is continuation of day one report on 2023 Pacific Audio Fest. I have a few more writes up from day one and then will cover today's visit. The show was less crowded on Sunday which was just fine with me. I had more time to spend time with some manufactures. It was also a pleasure to meet quite a few more members from ASR of youtube channel. I had not thought that a lot more people could recognize me now give my videos! Reception from everyone who knew me was extremely positive and a highlight of my visit today.

 

[amirm]

Daedalus suite whose founder is also that of Pacific Audio Fest.

Fancy woodworking but I am not sure the end result is very attractive. The drivers also clash a lot with the woodwork.

Edit: this is from first listen:

Eagles perform "Hotel California" at the 1998 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony (look up may be wrong)​

Tinny and horrible sounding. No center imaging. If it is the same as this youtube sample, it sounds horrible there as well.

 

[amirm]

PureAudioProject. Interesting company. You get to build your own speaker configuration by purchasing modular pieces that you put together yourself (cost $8,500). Very nice folks. They had a Denafrips (Terminator II 12th) DAC they were using for digital playback.

Stuff you have to do to use these flat speaker cables:

The crossover comes on a PCB and you then choose the type of passive components you want to use:

Carmell Jones - I'm Gonna Go Fishin' (1961) LP​

Sounded OK. Listening to youtube, the digital version sounds better.

Don Byron - Frasquita Serenade (1997)​

Sounded good (wrong look up?)

HEART BEAT Antonio Forcione​

Sounded Excellent although everything from Forcione sounds excellent.

El Amor Es una Flor​

Dave Holland Quintet - Global Citizen​

Very nice, open sound.

 

[amirm]

Wells Audio. TAD speakers:

Over the top on cables I would say although that is quite common at these shows:

Yello - Kiss in Blue (feat. Heidi Happy)​

Superbly recorded track. Sound was fine in this suite.

 

[JSmith]

That USB cable is not expensive enough for the rest of the system...

Their speakers do have a nice look though.


JSmith

 

[Keith_W]

@amirm would you be interested in attending the 2023 Melbourne hi-fi show? It's in October. I am sure we could cobble together enough ASR'ers to buy you a few drinks.

 

[amirm]

Songer Audio. Looks like time travel to 1950s (I am sure on purpose):

That looks like a Mola Mola DAC/streamer. Strange pairing.

Fatima Yamaha - What's A Girl To Do (Done031)​

Sounded nice.

A show would not be a show without London Grammar:

Rooting For You (Demo)​

Good warm sound.

 

[amirm]

Innuos. Unusual Acora Acoustics VRC speakers made out of granite. A bit expensive at $218,000!

This is how you do VU meters!

Audio Research Amp:

christina perri - jar of hearts [official music video]​

Bright, hissy vocals

 

[Talisman]

Bright, hissy vocals

Of course, because granite "sounds cold"

 

[amirm]

Spatial Audio. I listened to this suite both days. These are the shots from first day:

Dominique Fils Aimé | Feeling Good​

Nice track and it sounded good there.

 

[amirm]

Popori Acoustics Electrostatic Speakers (WR1):

José James - Ain't No Sunshine (From Pier 59 Studios, NY)​

The look up must be wrong as my notes say: "Light Sounding with bass missing."

 

[amirm]

Andrew Jones' Mofi Speakers:

It was being shown by Just Audio which is an outfit which refurbishes old gear in addition to selling new. In the middle is a Sansui receiver. They were selling it for $5,000! It was in excellent shape.

This Hifi Rose streamer was in a few rooms:

Interesting use of very wide aspect ratio display. Might as well use the whole face of the unit.

Beck - Heart Is A Drum​

Nice strings (this may be the wrong look up). Sadly their wifi went down and I could not listen to anything else.

 

[amirm]

Nola Speakers: $150K a pair:

I walked up to them and listened to the midrange/tweeter array. There was clearly cancellation as you moved your up and down. At my seating position, moving a few inches to the right and left resulted in loss of highs. Sound was actually better on axis than non-toed in alignment they had here. As an aside, many companies had speakers situated this way.

Nola Baby Grand Reference Gold 3 Speakers. Man, could they not more words to the name???

Paul Simon - Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard (Official Video)​

Vertical beaming. Rough highs. A bit boomy.

 

[amirm]

Tekton Nebo speakers, Atmosphere class D amps and other bits:

Holly Cole: Soldiers Things​

Nice. Tweeters beam at close distance.

Neil Diamond - I am... I said​

Cool taps in the right channel....

 

[amirm]

JR Suhre is the name of the man and speakers! Said he was designing speakers in 1950s and back at it now. It uses an array of small drivers running full range with a long pipe going through the very think box and shooting out the top:

Look close... what do you see? Yes, Topping and Hypex amplifier! I asked him how he learned about them. He said "on some site they were showing very good measurements of them!" Told him who I was and we then had a very nice conversation. He wanted people to buy the whole system and get done.

Miles Davis - Freddie Freeloader (Official Audio)​

I thought it sounded good!

 

[amirm]

That's it for day 1. Man, I thought I grind through this quick and post all the day 2 pictures and music. I am beat now so that has to wait until tomorrow. Google says I took 75 pages so that will take a while to post.

 

[amirm]

@amirm would you be interested in attending the 2023 Melbourne hi-fi show? It's in October. I am sure we could cobble together enough ASR'ers to buy you a few drinks.

Thanks for the invite. Exhibitor list is quite small though. I wonder if it is going to get better.

 

[dweeeeb2]

These shows need an ASR booth. The idea being to produce great sound at realistic prices.
No sponsorship etc. just cheapest transparent components with EQ, ?sub, etc
Just to show you don’t need millions

 

[amirm]

My thought is that at some point we want to have our own show with proper seminars, tutorials, and of course, exhibitors that believe in audio science/engineering.

 

[BR52]

It seems cables and lifters makes the best revenue for the companies. . They can’t mess up anything as long they’re giving contact. And it looks so scientific.No knowledge needed. For me it disqualified the complete setup. In the long run the whole Hifi business will be in trouble if customers recognize they are fooled.