Article: CES 2016 Wrap-up

[The Computer Audiophile]

You can view the page at http://www.computeraudiophile.com/content.php?r=678-CES-2016-Wrap-up

[ted_b]

Chris,

Did you ever get in touch with Shahin (EMM). He has a DA2 with your name on it (and later an MA-3 with mine), so you can review vis-a-vis the current DAC2X. Sounded great in their room, and will supposedly offer 256fs input (currently 128fs limited) soon. The thing runs natively at DSD1024 (16X).

[The Computer Audiophile]

I ran out of time and didn't make it to see EMM.

[miguelito]

I was very disappointed with coverage of CES 2016... Your's is the best I've seen.

[The Computer Audiophile]

I was very disappointed with coverage of CES 2016... Your's is the best I've seen.

Thanks for the kind words.

[MarkS]

I was very disappointed with coverage of CES 2016... Your's is the best I've seen.

 

Agree!

[AllanMarcus]

Great coverage. Thanks.

 

Is the Wire World headphone cable polygraph available for purchase?

[The Computer Audiophile]

Great coverage. Thanks.

 

Is the Wire World headphone cable polygraph available for purchase?

Hi Allan - it's something they bring to shows for all to try.

[Gadgety]

Martin Logan flagship Neolith loudspeakers. This was a difficult room in which to place such large electrostatic loudspeakers. I'm glad I stayed for a while and was able to select several tracks of my choosing. The first few tracks didn't really cut it for me. I believe the room was a major factor with reflections and frequency humps that didn't suit the music well.

 

I don't know that an ESL is particularly hard to set up in a small room as long as care is taken with the rear reflection. It would have to be a tiny, tiny room to blame the room for poor sound. Usually it's bass or standing waves that messes stuff up. From the shot it looks like there are blinds behind the speakers, better than a bare wall, or worse, glass, so the rear reflection should partly be taken care of. The Martin Logan management sound incompetent to me, can't create a good sounding demo for their $80,000 speakers? Years spent on development, on design, and then fail at the basics? Everyone with any acoustics knowledge at all knows that the room influences the sound, and they just have to deal with it.

[beetlemania]

I was very disappointed with coverage of CES 2016... Your's is the best I've seen.

 

Chris might have the "best" but Audiostream and Stereophile have far more pics and room-by-room reports.

[beetlemania]

"I'm tired of hearing about Andrew Jones and Elac."

 

LOL, thanks for this! I am very interested in hearing his new speakers. From the reports, they might reset the optimal price-performance ratio. But I'm hugely disappointed that "Elac USA" is made in China. Not sure I can support workers applying lacquers w/o protective gear.

[The Computer Audiophile]

Chris might have the "best" but Audiostream and Stereophile have far more pics and room-by-room reports.

 

When it comes to show reports, more pictures and individual "articles" get publications the most clicks. I'm not playing that game.

[beetlemania]

When it comes to show reports, more pictures and individual "articles" get publications the most clicks. I'm not playing that game.

 

Yes, I don't have a problem with your coverage and am very glad to have read it. I quite like your take on MQA as I'm still confused about what it is/how it works. To the extent that Stereophile has broader coverage, I'm sure it's simply because they sent 4-5 people to Vegas.

[NWDave]

Great round-up. Any word on when the HD3 will be ready for purchase? I just bought a pair of A2+ from Audioengine two weeks ago ... would love to upgrade before the 30-day trial period. Thanks.

[20hertz]

"I don't know that an ESL is particularly hard to set up in a small room"

Not the ESL panel but the forward firing 12 inch and rear firing 15 inch drivers created the difficulty, many standing waves and easily over pressurising the the small room.

 

These big Logans need room to breathe.

[Gadgety]

"I don't know that an ESL is particularly hard to set up in a small room"

Not the ESL panel but the forward firing 12 inch and rear firing 15 inch drivers created the difficulty, many standing waves and easily over pressurising the the small room.

 

These big Logans need room to breathe.

 

Yep, like I said usually it's bass or standing waves that messes stuff up, the ESL is usually pretty forgiving, even in small rooms. It's still incompetence to demo a speaker after so much work and investment and failing to take care of the basics. The tech is here today, as we all know. In fact it's been available for over 15 years. It's just disappointing they botch it.

[The Computer Audiophile]

Yep, like I said usually it's bass or standing waves that messes stuff up, the ESL is usually pretty forgiving, even in small rooms. It's still incompetence to demo a speaker after so much work and investment and failing to take care of the basics. The tech is here today, as we all know. In fact it's been available for over 15 years. It's just disappointing they botch it.

Awfully tough words from someone who never stepped one foot in the room.

[cmarin]

Awfully tough words from someone who never stepped one foot in the room.

 

+1

 

I'm afraid I was stealing the sweet spot when Chris first got to the room. I have to say that that the Martin Logan flagship speakers and the constellation electronics sounded very good to my ears.

[herndonb63]

CES 2016 report:

No mention of the most impressive EgglestonWorks Ivy room? It was powered by D'Agostino's Momentum 400 monoblocks, Momentum Preamp, a dCS DAC and clock, with Transparent cabling. It was the most effortless, non-fatiguing, real sounding system I've experienced. Listened for at least an hour and half, maybe more. Awesome.