RMAF. One of the best times ever. Ever. Since it started and till now, an event we have always looked forward to attending—together. People. Food. Music. Drink. The best moments that last for a life time. Good times for sure. Missed last year due to Carol's successful battle with cancer. No way could I attend while she dealt with the affects of chemo and her surgery. No way. The love of my life… But this year, as she continued to deal with the complications of chemo combined with other health struggles… yeah, go. Have a good time. You need to get away. You need to connect to our friends. The music. The food. You need this. Well, that is what Carol said and while I agreed, I knew it would not be an easy trip, not without her and not having to field question after question as to how she is doing. Bitter sweet. Not an easy task, not something I cherished doing. But she is so loved by the industry—over the past 20 some years we have developed deep and loving friendships with so many people associated with audio and music—that I knew what to expect coming in to RMAF. Had the same experience last year at the 2014 Newport Show—constantly being inundated by friends and acquaintances who wanted to know the latest—so yeah, he we go again.
Another show for sure; but clearly another show that holds so many special memories, connections, and emotions. like seeing my 'server' friend in the Great Divide resturant, fellow PF contributors, friends from magazines, long time friends who are either manufacturers or distributors, and so on. For us, these shows have become more about the people, the conversations, the shared moments... then the odds and ends. The rooms pretty much merge together as an endless chain of system after system playing ho-hum music from similar points of view (enough "Keith Don't Go" please). For sure there are the rooms that stand out as something different and those are the ones we always seek out. Either for the music, the people, or whatever it is they are showing. So here is my much belated RMAF report… not anything one should consider all-inclusive, but what made my trip the emotional get-away we both needed. Good drinks with good friends...
Lambert Play it by Ear
Steve Holt
David Robinson
CanJam 2014
Headphones
Mr. Speakers
Schiit Audio Valhalla 2
Auralic powered by Amarra
hifi
Cavalli Audio and John Williams
Woo Audio WA7 Fireflies
Wywires cables
Audeze headphones
Oppo Headphone amplifier
Headphones 'phones
Jason Liao from Oppo Digital
Michael Goodman from Centrance
Vinnie Rossi
ALO HeadAmp
Astell & Kern
ModWright, Daedalus Audio, WyWires
ModWright PH 150 tube phono stage $7900
Dan Wright from ModWright Audio
Fort Collins Audio, Hegel, Quicksilver, KEF, Kimber Kables, and Pro-Ject
Bricasti Design, Tidal Audio
Fidelis, Harbeth, Acoustic Signature, Tellurium Q, Stein Music
Your Final System, Meitner Design, Von Schweikert Audio
Audioengine
Angel City Audio, M&G Audio, Melody Valve, Skogrand Cables, Jupiter Condenser
Tweek Geek, Acoustic Imagery, Bybee Power, Waveform Fidelity
Auralic
Alan Langford from DEQX
Audio Skies, ESP Loudspeakers, Pear Audio, GamuT
exaSound Audio Design, Magnepan
PranaFidelity, WyWires, Modwright, Oppo, ORG, Groove Notes Records, VPI, Miyajima, J-Corder
Steve Norber of PranaFidelity and Mat Weisfeld of VPI
GTT Audio & Video, YG Acoustics, Kubala-Sosna
PS Audio
Von Schweikert Audio, Constellation Audio, Master-Built audio cables
Dave Cope of Audio Note
Raven Audio, Burwell & Sons, Douglas Connection, Mytek Digital
Audio Pathways Inc., Bergmann Audio turntables
VegasImage Audio, Triangle Art, NAT Audio, GIK Acoustics, Audiophile Vibration Control
Chapman Audio
Stuart Jones from Chapman Audio
Mockingbird Distribution, Abis, Jakutis Analog, Jasmine Audio, Pyon Sound, Tiglon Hybrid Sound
David Robinson
Bryan Gladstone
Pete Davey
John Zurek
George Cardas
Constellation Audio, Raidho Acoustics, Ansuz Acoustics
Mytek
Gilbert Yeung from Blue Circle Audio
Blue Circle Audio
Arnold Martinez from Tweak Studio
Roy Hall from Music Hall and Joe Reynolds from Nordost
Nordost
Audio Desk
On a Higher Note, Vivid, Luxman
Philip O'Hanlon
Sean Casey from Zu Audio
Bel Canto, Joseph Audio
Cary Audio, ADAM Audio
Audiohouse, Cardas Audio, Joseph Audio, VTL Amplifiers, Grand Prix Audio, Bel Canto Design
Audiohouse, Joseph Audio, Parasound/Halo, Kimber Kable, SME, Sound Anchors
Jeff Joseph on Day 1
Jeff Joseph on Day 2
Jeff Joseph on Day 3
Ron Sutherland and Richard Schram
Wavelength Audio, Computer Audio, USBDACS.com, Vaughn Loudspeakers
PureAudio Project, Wyred 4 Sound, Wireworld, Acoustic Geometry, miniDSP
Skogrand Cables, Daedalus Audio, Modwright, 2L, Stillpoints, Amarra
Knut Skogrand
German Physiks, BDR
Tub's Audio, Palmer Turntables, Border Patrol, PureAudio, Red Wine Audio, Analog Instruments
EnKlein, Sutherland Engineering, Thrax Audio
Triode Corporation, Acoustic Zen, Twin Audio Video, Black Ravioli
Jason Victor Serinus
Ryan Speakers
DeVore Fidelity
Rory Rall of Benchmark
LH Labs Geek, Gavin Fish
Zesto Audio, WyWires, Merril-Williams Turntable, TAD Speakers
Zesto Audio
Mojo Audio, Belleson, Superpower, Atomic Audio Labs, Brines Audio, Oasis Audio
Benjamin Zwickel from Mojo Audio
Dynamic Sounds Associates, VPI, Robyatt Audio, Kanso Audio Furniture, Silver Circle Audio, Wells Audio, DanaCable
Channel D, Pure Music, Pure Vinyl, Seta
Mark Block
Colleen Cardas Imports, PureAudio, Furutech, Opera Loudspeakers, Unison Research
Blackbird Audio Gallery, Axis Loudspeakers, Unison Research, Profundo
Colleen Cardas
Lamp
Rug
Nola Loudspeakers
VTL, Wilson
Andy Reagan from Jerry Harvey Audio
David Solomon of Tidal with Dave Clark (who fights for his girl)
Steve Guttenberg
Can Jam 2014
Michael Mercer
Larry Owens and Alan Langford from DEQX
High Water Sound, TW-Acustic, Tron-Electric, Horning Hybrid, Zen Sati, Silent Running Audio
GamuT, Pear Audio, Audio Skies
Michael Vamos of Audio Skies
Lawrence Audio, Jeff Rowland Group, MG Cables Kinetics Noise Control
Enigmacoustics
Hugh Nguyen of Angle City Audio
AudioKinesis, James Romeyn Music and Audio, Atma-Sphere Music Systems, Modwright, Wireworld, Parasound
Tortuga Audio, Volti Audio, Alura Horn Speakers, Triode Wire Labs
VAC and Focal
Irv Gross from Constellation Audio
Hifi Imports, Polymer Audio Research, Thrax Audio, Weiss Engineering, EnKlein Cables, FM Acoustcs
Wes Bender
Fidelis, Harbeth, Acoustic Signature, Tellurium Q, Stein Music
Jason Victor Serinus with the Queen of the Rocky Mountain Audiofest Marjorie Baumert
Love ya Al!
