RMAF 2018

Impressive

Here are my impressions and images from the Rocky Mountain AudioFest 2018. There is too much to see, so I wasn't able to visit every vendor. I made my list and visited the venders that interested me.

First, stuff I was pretty impressed with
Then there was stuff I just thought was good
There was some I was less impressed with (meh)

Items are presented in room number order

1018 - Bryston Ltd.

Very balanced. Maybe a little forward. Good bass, not congested. Quality sound. Fast call sounded great. I was pretty impressed. Listening to the mini T, $3500. TOTL is $8500

1103 - EgglestonWorks

Viginti speakers. Very deep ,as in inches, speaker. Image is wide. $39k. $5500 for the Emma. No bass issue.

3021 - Vanatoo

Listened to the small ones $319 show special. Sounded great. Highly recommend these or the Encores over AudioEngine or Kantu

5024 - McIntosh Laboratory Inc.

Now we’re looking at McIntosh! These $60k speaker and system sounds fantastic. Using room correction, and it’s working.

538 - Mojo Audio

Ether 2 through system a was sublime, but barely enough power. VOCE with prototype woo was pretty damn good. No shortage of bass! Very very tight.

589 - Joseph Audio

Basically sound great! Image, balance, fullness. Just a very realistic sound. Bass is tight and it boomy or muddy. Not as full bass as some, but very realistic. Possible best in show (for me)

6000 Abyss Headphones

Diana Phi $4k. Fit is light and comfortable. Good bass, clear, crisp. Maybe a little lacking in dynamic punch on the bass (compared to the utopia). Big cups, but my left ear touches the driver, good seal. The bass is wonderful.

6007 - CAS Hospitality Suite

Working restroom! You have no idea what this means when you are stuck on the 6th floor.

7025 - ArtistCloner

Very good image. Speakers way away from the back wall. Lovey, musical. $12k with stands.

9007 - Paradigm Electronics

Persona bookshelf $7k/pr. Good bass. Balanced sound. Good image. Actually pretty impressive

CANJAM 16-17 - ZMF Headphones

New verete headphone. $2500ish. Clear, clean, tight, open but some isolation, warm, but not overly warm. Very nice. Listening through Zach’s “glen” OTL amp. Punch, in a good way. Complicated music doesn’t melt together. Maybe a little polite (amp). There are also two pad options, warm and warmer. Aeolus, also warm, but also very good. (note, I think after Hands listened, Zach "tuned" the headphones a bit on the fly, and made them less warm)

CANJAM 46 - InEar GmbH & Co. KG

Prophile8 $1428. 8 BA drive fit well, look good, sound great. Can be tuned to increan bass or treble.

CANJAM 64-65 - MrSpeakers

Ether 2 through Brooklyn DAC+ and pass HPA-1 (at moon audio). Cable is nice, loosely sleeved quad cable, not microphonic. Great image. Clear, good bass, crisp mids. Bass is tight, but not th-900 level, still good sub bass. Some will still call these bright. I would use warm sources (tubes) with the Ether 2. At the schiit table through rag yiggy, fantastic. May be on par with the PMx2, but the PMx2 may have better mids. I still prefer the pmx2

Crestone Peak - Musical Surroundings

Wow. Amazing everything. This is real bass.

Evergreen Ballroom D - IsoMike

Focal grand utopias in quad configuration. Huge room, huge speakers. Incredible imaging. Fantastic bass

Humboldt Peak - YG Acoustics LLC

Yet another massive and wonderful system. Holographic sound. Sonja speakers $76k/pair

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