RMAF 2013: Joseph Audio, Jeff Rowland, VPI, Soundsmith, Cardas Audio
Heroes in their own right, but together, man.… It was like The Avengers or something. An LP of Elvis Presley and the Jordanaires performing “Peace in the Valley” was transfixing. I was able to pick out each individual voice: the bass singing with weighty authority, the sopranos clear, and of course Elvis coming out silky smooth. Everyone in the room kind of went real quiet for the duration, with that hush as the final notes die away that tells you everyone’s heard something kind of special. Then someone shouted out, “Leave it on!” and we all stuck around for the next track. The whole system offered a superbly black background that let the music speak for itself.
Everything in this room demanded my full sonic attention, but not in a flashy or overly precise way that made me say, “Wow, that’s a good stereo!” Instead, it was all about the music. This was hands down one of the most immersive and richly textured listening experiences I had at RMAF 2013.