VTV ONLINE
VOLUME 1 2007
2007 CES/The Show Page 4
Exclusive VTV Report by Garrett
Hongo, VTV Associate Editor
Music Reference/Zu Cable, Randal Williams of Alpen Audio
This system wasn't on exhibit at either CES or The Show, but set up in a the living room
of a 2br condo at the Fairfield Suites by Randal Williams, a dealer from Colorado. He'd
trucked them in so he and friends he shared the condo with could have some house
sounds every night after they'd attended the show. They invited me over for a long listen
after we'd toured the exhibits one day, and I was treated to one of the longest, most
relaxing, and engaging sessions I've yet experienced in any setting. The Zu Cable Druid
Mark IIs I heard sounded NOTHING like I'd been warned they would. Twice I almost
bought a pair myself, only to be dissuaded by friends who found them overly warm, not
properly full-range, or "too beamy" and in need of a larger listening room than
I had
available in my home. The condo living room was about 14'x 20' and the same size as
my living room. I listened nearfield, with the speakers about eight feet away and six feet
apart. The sound was always warm, surprisingly resolving, and completely musical. I
played my Mozart Mass, the Beethoven Violin Concerto, several recital CDs by Angela
Gheorghiu, Renee Fleming, Joseph Calleja, and a few tracks of a Living Stereo "La
Traviata." In each case, the music came through fine. The amps were Roger Modjeski's
Music Reference RM-10 MkII (35W/4ohms for $1900) and Music Reference 6EM7
(2.5W for $950)--excellent values and outstanding in their sound. The RM-10 MkII uses
four EL84s as power tubes, while the 6EM7 uses exactly that--two 6EM7s, an old
television sweep tube.
Fairfield Suites Condo Sound System: Zu Cable Druid Mk IIs, Music Reference
RM-10
MkII; Modwright SWL 9.0SE; Slimdevices "Transporter" Network Music Player;
Sony DVD player; Zu Cable Gede ICs and Libtec speaker wires.
Music Reference RM-10 MkII (stock photo)
Music Reference 6EM7
(photo by G. Radulesk)
Preamp was the Modwright SWL 9.0 SE. Source was a cheap Sony DVD player that was
pulled from under the TV in the condo and a Slimdevices "Transporter" network
music
player Randal brought to use as a DAC. Wires were Zu Cable Gede ICs and Libtec
speaker wires. With either Modjeski amp, the sound was superb--faster and more
dynamic with the 10K Mk II, more relaxed and warm with the 6EM7.
Convergent Audio Technology
This was for me by far the best sound in the show. CAT was introducing a new,
reference-level, full-function pre called the SL1 Legend ($15,995 w/phono, $13,995). It
was matched with their JL2 Triode Powerhouse stereo amp (100W), which uses sixteen KT88s.
The source was an Ayre C-5xe universal player. Wires from Transparent Cable and ESP
Essence power cords.
CAT SL1 Legend (top), Ayre C-5xe (middle shelf), and CAT power supply (bottom)
CAT JL2 Triode Powerhouse Stereo Amp with Transparent
Cable Ultra PC and XL V
Reference Speaker Wires
Satellite View of CAT JL2
Ascendo System Z-F 3 Speaker
The sound on the Mozart "Mass in C" was magnificent--sweet, full, and clean with
good
harmonic tapestry and superb treble extension in the choiring voices and fine inner detail
and resolution in soundstaging. A very pure sound without whiteness or haze that
achieved real grandeur and pathos, a system that allowed the emotions of the soloist,
choir, orchestra, and composer to come through. The speakers were the Ascendo System
Z-F 3 (89dB/5ohm, $25,000/pr.) --a German-made three-way about in the middle of their
line. The
Ascendos have ribbon tweeters which are impedance-adjustable and crossover-adjustable.
Whoever set them out knew what they were doing, as they sounded precise as well as
gorgeously rich with a fine timbrel saturation without confusion in the trebles.
Balanced Audio Technology
BAT had, to my ear, one of the three best sounds at CES. BAT was introducing their
new pre, a four-box balanced unit called "The Rex." It had both a positive and a
negative
box, each with its own power supply, and the X-Pak accessory--a two-tube current-source
module that could be lifted out and another popped into its place depending on what tonal
character you wanted for the system. There are three standard options for changing the
sound of The Rex:
1. The standard 6C19 tube current source (installed at the factory).
2. The 6H30 SuperTube current source (which requires the purchase of
the X-PAK accessory).
3. The 5881 tube current source.
In order to change the tube type, the user needs to remove the installed current source
board, replace it with either another board (designed for a particular tube type), or
install
the 5881 tubes as a direct plug-in.
The amps were the VK-150SE monoblocks with the Russian power tubes, the source the
VK-D5SE player, and speakers Magico Mini monitors on proprietary stands. The system
produced great hall air, rich midrange voices, and silky trebles on my reference CD.
BAT VK-150SE Monoblocks
BAT Rex Pre, Control Module, Postive Box
BAT Rex Pre, Power Module, Negative
Box
BAT X-PAC Tube Module
BAT VK-150SE Top View
Final Thoughts and Conclusion
I came away from CES with a greater sense of the scope of high end
audio and a much
better grasp of what particular pieces of equipment work best for the music I love. In the
end, I favored valve amps and traditional cone speakers, SACD/CD players like the
Esoteric line, Ayre C5xe, dCS P8i, and Cary 306 over redbook. While dawdling in the
Air Tight room, I came to a broad generalization that the Japanese tend to prefer a clean
and lean sound, while Americans love mighty dynamics and power. And, though I
realize saying this risks flattery, I thought that Europeans not only have the most
easeful
and elegant manners, but also seem to have a higher appreciation for luscious design
looks (Pathos, Sonus Faber, MBL) and sonic refinement. Obviously, I must oftimes
prefer the leaner Air Tight sound myself, as I own the ATM-2. However, I also own a
Cary SLI-80, with a lush, romantic sound detractors call "highly colored." Both
of these
are paired with Sonus Faber speakers in the Home line. Just before I left, a SS amp was
offered to me at a great price, but I resisted. Good as it sounded, it would have been an
extravagance, and I went home with dollars
still in my pocket--not your usual Vegas experience.
And the strolling naids?-- I left them to desport in Venetian canals
and fountains, cavorting with more licentious and carnal fauns than I, ephebe and devotee
of audio, slouching towards Bakersfield to be born.
Garrett Hongo
(all photos by author unless otherwise noted)
Garrett Hongo, Associate Editor VTV
1735 McLean Blvd.
Eugene, OR 97405
Stay tuned for more interesting articles on the 12AX7, reviews of
the new Markhill 300B amp by David Bardes, MORE!!!
