Amir's 2023 Pacific Audio Fest Report Day 2

[Milesian]

“The first suite I hit was from a company with a new approach to system design: active speakers with full streaming and DAC built in! The company was Cabasse and their Rialto speaker:”

Amir, hasn’t KEF been doing this for the past five years or more?

 

[voodooless]

“The first suite I hit was from a company with a new approach to system design: active speakers with full streaming and DAC built in! The company was Cabasse and their Rialto speaker:”

Amir, hasn’t KEF been doing this for the past five years or more?

I guess in the context of this exhibition, where all you see are fridge-sized amps and DACs or record players, this must be a radical approach

 

[al2002]

Dutch & Dutch 8C active speakers:

Really, one of the highest fidelity sounds at the show. The only minor hit was that speakers being small, projected a 4 to 5 foot high image. In this regard, it could not compete with full sized speakers. But in every other respect, it blew others away. The clarity of bass due to room optimization and dipole bass was apparent. As was the ability to play with authority at any volume (in the small room at least).

These are conventional woofers, not dipoles. The mid range has a cardioid radiation pattern.

 

[Frank2]

I've made a playlist on Qobuz:
Listen to the playlist ASR 2023 pacific audio fest by Frank on Qobuz https://open.qobuz.com/playlist/15703673

 

[Soniclife]

Whatever happened to Depeche Mode? Loved listening to them in 1980s and 1990s

They kept going, making new records and touring, they released a new album recently, their first after one of them passed.

 

[mglobe]

I've made a playlist on Qobuz:
Listen to the playlist ASR 2023 pacific audio fest by Frank on Qobuz https://open.qobuz.com/playlist/15703673

Thank you!

 

[Orion76]

My humble little Parasound P6 made it into one of these shows! Right next to a $6,000 AQ Niagara power conditioner...

 

[Martijn Mensink]

Dutch & Dutch 8C active speakers:
[...]
Really, one of the highest fidelity sounds at the show. The only minor hit was that speakers being small, projected a 4 to 5 foot high image. In this regard, it could not compete with full sized speakers. But in every other respect, it blew others away. The clarity of bass due to room optimization and dipole bass was apparent. As was the ability to play with authority at any volume (in the small room at least).

Amir, thank you for taking the time to thoroughly listen to the 8c's. I'm very pleased with your impressions of them!

I hope you'll allow me to briefly call attention to our new US distributor, Dutch & Dutch North America, because they really deserve it. Dutch & Dutch has been active in the US market since 2018, but since Bill Chi and Gabriel Jones (an ASR member) took over at the beginning of this year, brand awareness has increased significantly. After the AXPONA show a few months ago, the Seattle Pacific Audio Fest is only the second US hifi show Dutch & Dutch has ever attended. At both shows Bill and Gabe successfully put the 8c's in the corners of acoustically challenging small hotel rooms, and they garnered very positive responses from the press and the general public. I couldn't be happier with our new distribution .

 

[Se7enAtx]

Easily my favorite of the show. The bass output down to 20hz from two speakers that size was astounding.

Thank you. We actually measured flat to 15hz during set-up.

 

[mps]

Review on Dutch & Dutch 8c's.

Dutch & Dutch 8c Review

Pulled from my website here: https://www.erinsaudiocorner.com/loudspeakers/dutch_dutch_8c/ Note: The YouTube review isn't up yet. Hopefully will be this weekend. Didn't want to put off the release of the data any further. Dutch & Dutch 8c Speaker Review Friday, Mar 5, 2021 Foreword /...

www.audiosciencereview.com

 

[Se7enAtx]

So it seems like they should be perfect in my new listening room which is going to be around 3.5 by 6 meters.

Feel free to PM me directly. Depending on where you're located, we're working on more ways to let people do in-home demos.

Reading about speakers is fun, but actually getting to some hands-on time in your own space tells the better story.

 

[Vovgan]

Oh, man!… k I’m not big on gear porn but the songs that you provided are fantastic!! Discovered so many new artists that I like. Searched them all on Amazon Music and many are in Ultra HD/Atmos which is great. Listened up to Sara K. so far. Have been stuck to electronic / downtempo music for too long, forgot how good the “normal” music can be.
Great listening during apres-coup in your country. Thank you.

 

[amirm]

Music discovery is one of the top reasons I go to audio shows!

 

[extraterrestrial]

Jason Victor Serinus from stereophille picked the D&D 8c as best of show today. At axpona Mickey from twittering machines also picked them as best of show. These speakers must be something special

 

[williamwally]

Whatever happened to Depeche Mode? Loved listening to them in 1980s and 1990s:

They actually just came out with a new album titled "Memento Mori". The title being appropriately sad since Andy Fletcher died just weeks before recording the album. They're touring the album this fall.

 

[Robbo99999]

Purpose of going back for a second day to 2023 Pacific Audio Fest was to see a few suites I missed. But importantly, to spend more time in the ones I had already seen. Both goals were accomplished although I hit the closing time before I felt really finished. I was being up till 3:00am so was hard to get there in the morning.

The first suite I hit was from a company with a new approach to system design: active speakers with full streaming and DAC built in! The company was Cabasse and their Rialto speaker:

At first they look like ordinary speakers but waive your hand on top of the right speaker and it lights up with the UI:

Display changes to show album art when playing music! Yes, you can't see it from far but you can navigate using it. Speakers communicate over network (challenging) and support both Wifi and wired ethernet:

As you see a woofer is mounted on the back to compliment the coaxial on the front. 400 watts of amplification which is a lot for such a small speaker.

First track I heard was Dire Straight's Money for Nothing:

Sounded decent.

Another classic in the form of Patricia Barber's Ode to Billie Joe

Neat channel separation. Good bass for such little speakers (I didn't know there was a woofer in the back at this point)

Till Brönner, Dieter Ilg - A Thousand Kisses Deep (official video)​

Nice details!

Spoke to them about getting a sample for review.

The downside of including all that stuff inside the speaker being it might add significant cost to the product which all gets lost if the speakers fail, I suppose it's convenient though. Good idea about trying to get samples at these events.

 

[MacClintock]

RE: Your audition of Stax headphones "Sounded exceptionally clean at low to medium levels. Sadly, just like my vintage stax headphones, got severely distorted and output no more power past 3:00 pm on volume control."

Try them on a better amplifier like a KGSSHV or Carbon amp. The Stax amps are inferior, they can't swing enough undistorted voltage to really bring the Stax headphones to life. Also, with more clean voltage swing available, you can EQ the bass to be closer to the Harman curve without causing the amp to clip. The SR-007 (original version) on a Carbon amp with the appropriate EQ are the best 'phones I've ever heard. I like them even better than my Dan Clark Stealth 'phones, though I do love those too.

Unfortunately all these Mjölnir amps are pretty expensive. Do you have any idea if the new Topping EHA5 is good and powerful?

 

[Se7enAtx]

The downside of including all that stuff inside the speaker being it might add significant cost to the product which all gets lost if the speakers fail, I suppose it's convenient though. Good idea about trying to get samples at these events.

I can only speak to the DD8C, but will say that it is highly serviceable, with most repairs being possible in the field, including by owners with some very basic skills.

The entire electronics package can be changed out in less than 5 minutes, and despite the fact that we don't use surface mount components, even the most difficult to reach component (the tweeter) can be swapped out in about 20 minutes.

Again, this not only makes the product highly serviceable, but as a platform, it is also easily upgradeable down the road.

-Gabriel

 

[stevenswall]

Purpose of going back for a second day to 2023 Pacific Audio Fest was to see a few suites I missed. But importantly, to spend more time in the ones I had already seen. Both goals were accomplished although I hit the closing time before I felt really finished. I was being up till 3:00am so was hard to get there in the morning.

The first suite I hit was from a company with a new approach to system design: active speakers with full streaming and DAC built in! The company was Cabasse and their Rialto speaker:

At first they look like ordinary speakers but waive your hand on top of the right speaker and it lights up with the UI:


Spoke to them about getting a sample for review.

Curious how their dispersion is. I don't see the need for non-coaxial speakers, but I do see a need for more coaxial/coincident models for center channels and immersive audio.

 

[Trouble Maker]

Did they talk much about the baskets? I imagine they must be are FEA optimized and 3D printed.
These are from the $550k speaker? I guess that level of tech is what you get for the mere average home price in the US.

Edit: They have some info on their site.

Børresen M6: Perfect blend of form and performance

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