RMAF 2018 A.A. Show Report & Pictures
 

So we all arrived in Denver and had a fun first day......Some pretty good sound as well.....seems to be a bit better sounding than many of the rooms last year. So this will start the show report....we've already taken a bunch of pictures so we'll add throughout the weekend. So without further ado, RMAF 2018

After the show ended today, the A.A. members met down at the brew house for some drinks and food.

Below is Rob Cabral and wife Jodi (I hope I spelled this right) and to the right is Tony Bon (Anton)

https://i.imgur.com/9u762Ar.jpg

Next left to right we have Steve (SL1800), Marc (2fastdriving) and Marc (mtot)

https://i.imgur.com/ssx7PYH.jpg

Finally a group pic including me (audioguy3107) with standard UGA visor during football season.

https://i.imgur.com/PXdMcoG.jpg

We'll be seeing Brian (briweed) and Freddie (FreddieFerric) tomorrow.

Revel, Mark Levinson and Audioquest Niagara power conditioning.....most of us agreed that this setup looked much better than it sounded. I still love the look of Levinson gear, even if it isn't up to the standards of their products back in the early to mid 1990's.

https://i.imgur.com/VAHdEhr.jpg

Words really don't do justice for the monstrosities that made up the ESD Acoustics room, a Chinese company new to me. The hosts were very nice but none of us could get over the sheer amount of equipment that made up this system. We listened to it, enjoyed it, but still don't really understand what was going on here, I mean, just look at all the electronics, holy crap. By the way, they were bigger in person than in the pictures. We think that gold thing on the top is a CD player but we're not entirely sure, maybe it dispensed potpourri, who knows. Also, they told me that EACH basshorn alone weighs close to 250 kgs. yikes. As for the sound, they sounded nice...interesting but very diffuse, like a large wall of sound but hard to tell with the demo material. We'll be back here to demand different songs!

https://i.imgur.com/2FbSVbX.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/9ZFMBuc.jpg

Verity Audio Monsevalts......these were impressive but volume way too loud in this room. Victory of the day was getting them to play "Whole Lotta Love" off Led Zeppelin II. While very loud, it was impressive. Sounded like a small live concert. Speakers seemed to be a bit far apart but it was a large room. Notice the corners....those are subwoofers, not room treatments. It was really an all out assault on the ears.

https://i.imgur.com/GtqRsgn.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/Ykr7nGk.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/OPIvo7D.jpg

Rockport Aviors with Constellation electronics. This was a nice but unimpressive sounding room, Marc got them to play "Sailing To Philadelphia" off Mark Knopfler's solo effort. We were all surprised that this system didn't do more for us for the price, maybe it was the room.

https://i.imgur.com/1Y98prR.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/L3uFNbb.jpg

Wilson Benesch and Ypsilon. I really think this suffered from the room it was in, I thought it sounded nice but not for the price. We did get to hear Holly Cole's "I Can See Clearly Now" and it sounded good but not as good as you might think. I really love the finish on the Wilson Benesch towers though.

Edit: We believe that the round black trashcan/stool looking thing in the middle may have been a sub, but we're not exactly sure. I was going to go sit on it but Marc and Steve held me back.
The more I look at it, the more that I think I have no idea what it is.

I'll continue tomorrow.....tuning in for the evening. Tomorrow, pictures from Von Schweikert/VAC, Martin Logan/Dan D'agostino, Piega/Soulution, The Gryphon, Sonus Faber/Audio Research.

https://i.imgur.com/9JH3Z8y.jpg
nothttps://i.imgur.com/nDmEjIQ.jpg

Nice Pics! Keep them coming.

Mark Levinson today released two new integrated amps, the 5802 and the 5805. These are the "little brothers" to the gorgeous sounding 585 integrated. The 5802 is a digital only unit, while the 5805 adds analog inputs, including a phono input. Each produces 125 wpc into an 8 ohm load, and are said to double output into 4 ohms. Impressive looking units.

The 5805:
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1914/...8843c7b7_h.jpgDSC_0007 by MDTshots, on Flickr
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1970/...e12ba1be_h.jpgDSC_0008 by MDTshots, on Flickr
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1961/...41a4c669_h.jpgDSC_0009 by MDTshots, on Flickr

The 5802:
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1959/...394f6c5c_h.jpgDSC_0010 by MDTshots, on Flickr
https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1943/...5abdaf76_h.jpgDSC_0011 by MDTshots, on Flickr

Did they have multiple systems set up in the room? It looked like it in other pictures I’ve seen. And, while I get why exhibitors do this, it seems to always result in subpar sound. Which is too bad, because those Salons can really sing.

One of the new integrateds was driving a set of the new-ish Revel F228Be, which deliver fantastic sound at the $10k price point.

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1962/...7d3b7646_h.jpgDSC_0006 by MDTshots, on Flickr