Tribes.
We all belong to, or identify with one whether we know it or not.
Some of us are very cognizant of our tribe, and let our freak flag fly. Others are more guarded about it, solitary even, not sure where they belong – or if they belong – to one.
But, if you’ve ever been out in the dark night of a social deep-freeze for long, tending a little audiophile fire to keep yourself warm, and suddenly look up from the small circle of light thrown by the glowing 300B tubes, and realize there are other faces huddled around in the darkness near you – friendly faces – it’s a revelation of sorts. At least it was for me.
This passion for music, and my ability to string words together in a way that doesn’t put a reader off, has led me to the pages at Part-Time Audiophile, and more to a long-winded point, Chicago for AXPONA this past April, where I came to grips with the idea that I had found a new tribe to run with, and I was having fun again. This was my first AXPONA show, and first time in Chicago, and I had an absolute blast; the city, the people, the sights, the restaurants, the bars – the show itself – it all added up to a trip I’ll never forget. Oh, and the incredible gear on hand at the Westin O’Hare, let’s talk about that.
There were some real sonic standouts at Chicago for me, and because we all hear differently, and there is no right way to hear or enjoy music, what I thought were the rooms that spoke to my bent of enjoying music, might not be yours. You dig?
I’ll touch on “Best Room,” “Best Sound,” and “Best Product,” but in a way that reflects what I thoroughly enjoyed the most, piqued my interest the most, and caused me further pause to question some lingering high-fidelity preconceptions I held.
Best Sound
ENIGMAcoustics and Questyle
A far cry from the T’nT (turntables & tubes) I usually lean on for sonic bliss. Coincidentally (because of a review of the CTH-8550 integrated amplifier), I’d done a recent Q&A with darTZeel wunderkind Hervé Delétraz, and asked him about circuit topology, because I was feeling giddy about my Class(A) allegiance. So here’s a relevant excerpt from that Q&A:
RA: I’ve heard some tremendously musical solid-state amplifiers of late, in both Class-A, Class-A/B, and Class-D. What is your take on the current state of solid-state amplification now, and moving forward?
HD: “As I like to say, I think we may be able to design an amplifier where the sound would be independent from being Class-A, A/B, D, or even transistor or tube. The main reason these designs have particular sonic signatures depends more on the designers themselves than the operating class or technology used. I said “the main reason”, since there are some basic differences you can’t escape. If I will have some time one day, I will try to build different classes of amps that sound the same… just half kidding!”
If you’ve got as many audio engineers working on Class-D amplification as I think there are right now, I don’t think Delétraz’s statement is far off. I think we may soon hear amplification where the sonic signature is independent of circuit topology.
Best Room
Audio Note UK
Best New Product(s)
I’m including two new products that debuted at AXPONA 2016 for my picks, the first is the Vinnie Rossi LIO integrated amplifier, and the second is the Audio Note UK TT-3.
The Audio Note TT-3 is a product which AN UK Capo di tutt’i capi Peter Qvortrup has been working to bring to market for a number of years. It’s the culmination of much of the company’s considerable engineering prowess that graces their flagship TT-3 Reference, but at roughly 1/15th the price ($10,000 USD estimated price with Arm Three).
When I wrote about the TT-3 after first hearing it in Chicago, I said “One of the most instantly recognizable attributes of this new turntable was, in my opinion, its ability to produce perfect, and rock-solid pitch regardless of what was being played on it.” It is that trait, I believe, that will continue to separate AN UK ‘tables from a very competitive pack. The TT-3, the TT-2 DeLuxe, and the older Voyd-based models all share this same ‘massive torque for speed stability’ approach (which carries up the line to its ultimate conclusion in the TT-3 Reference). But, ultimately, it is the intense musicality the newest AN UK ‘table is capable of delivering on all types of music that make it a true standout in my opinion.
Honorable Mentions
Several rooms deserve Honorable Mention, but I’m going to finish up with two, the Lakeview Audio room that Kris Kosiba put together, and the Highwater Sound room put together as always, by Jeffrey Catalano. I can’t thank these two gentleman enough for their efforts at creating such engaging, synergistic, and above all musical environments.
I had such an amazing time at AXPONA, I’d like to thank all the wonderful people who raised a glass with me over the weekend there, and helped open my eyes to this new tribe I feel I can now count myself part of. Cheers to ubër-talented scribe Brian Hunter from Audio Head, my publisher Scot Hull, Brannon Mason of Noble Audio, and Norbert Schmied from Mobile Fidelity.
Until next year Chi-town…
Stunning photography!
Thank-you so much John! Much appreciated!