Rocky Mountain Audio Fest 2004 - A Photo Report, Part 4
by Dave and Carol Clark

The VMAX Services Room (Pathos, Triangle, Audio Analogue, Carin, Unison Research, you know, all the cool French and Italian stuff) room showed a rather modest system using Opera speakers (Super Pavarotti) that was nice and musical. Simple and elegant in its presentation, this system did little to annoy the listener.

The Unsion Unico CD player and Unico integrated. Really nice stuff!

Ocean Acoustic showed off their Lowther based speakers and amplifiers from Experience Music. The amplifiers use 300Bs and put out a cool 6-watts per channel ($9300 a pair).

The Ocean Acoustic speakers used the Lowther DX series drives in cabinets that are quite elaborate in terms of their construction ($3300- $4600 depending on driver and wood). While we did not find the sound of these to our liking (not a Lowther fan for the most part) the room was a hoot to visit as the guys running the demonstration were really hip. Young and enthusiastic, with an interest in music not reflective of the typical middle-aged-anglo-audiophile, this was a nice place to hang for a while.

The Bauls Audio room used the Bastanis speakers and their own DIY amplifiers to fill the room with music.

The Layday 300B monoblock kits ($1099) at 9-watts per channel with the Prometheus speakers ($1595) and subwoofers.

Another BIX table in the Bauls Audio room.

Vacuum State Electronics (Warren Gregoire and Associates) showed their Ikonoklast speakers and modified Sony SACD player. The speakers were placed wide into each corner resulting in a very wide soundstage. Interesting...

Thee High End showed the full-line of Usher loudspeakers with Rogue Audio. This room was really impressive both in terms of the low-price of admission (the Usher speakers are ridiculously inexpensive for what they offer to the consumer) and the quality of the music being heard. Great sound!

Audio Federation showed the Marten Design Coltrane speakers with either Audio Note or Edge amplification. Very clean and articulate, this was a very musical room.

Audio Federation used the EMM DAC and transport. Not for the faint-of-cash audiophile, this room probably had one of the more expensive systems on display. While money does not always equate the best in sound, this room was pushing the envelope!

The Audio Note amplifiers with Nordost Valhalla cabling.

Page 2

POSITIVE FEEDBACK ONLINE © 2004 - HOME

BACK TO TOP