Derek Skipworth Audio Thesis
Rosso Florentino Fiesole speakers, Norma amplification, Wireworld platinum cables, Star Sound Technology stands.
Audio Thesis' third demo system is another example of resetting that high-water mark for state of the art sound on display at LSAF. In 2018 the Rosso Florentino Fiesole speakers were one of the top sounds we enjoyed. From that strength with his new line of Norma electronics and the new version of Fiesole in play the elusive goal of combining extreme transparency and high levels of information retrieval with a smooth easy to listen to musical presentation appeared.
Rosso Florentino Fiesole
Like a top level athlete the system did this in an effortless fashion. What is fun at this state of the art level circa 2019 is the juicy richness of the tonality on display simultaneously with a transparency we normally only hear when mid octaves are dialed back to achieve the excessively Hi-Fi etched relief effect. None of that here as the skill of the speaker, electronics, and cable designers along with Derek's setup blend into a sophisticated balance this yielding a luscious musical effect. 'Joyous' was the word that came to mind as the music bounced along on one track.
Audio Thesis has been granted USA distribution agency for Norma amplification. True to their Italian heritage the styling on these is restrained and elegant with the subtle details that speak quality. The addictively musical sound Norma produced in the three different systems testified that Audio Thesis has another winner. Norma and Rosso Florentino together finds Audio Thesis as our North American specialist in fine Italian Hi-Fi.
Michael Lundy Uilleam Audio and Douglass Connection
Uilleam Audio demo system included GR-Research open baffle and monitor speakers. Uilleam Audio is a custom build shop where Michael Lundy uses his considerable fabrication and finishing skills to individually build speaker systems for clients. These are primarily the designs from GR-Research with Michael open to others so long as the design rights are obtained or open sourced.
The big system was NX-Otica open baffle monitors atop dual 12" open baffle GR-Research/Rythmik Audio servo subs with A370PEQ3 sub amps. The sub and monitor together make one full range speaker which played down to 15Hz. These speakers had a curly figured cherry veneer.
GR-Research NX-Otica by Uilleam Audio
The second pair of speakers was the GR-Research X-LS Encores with upgraded crossover components. They were clad with figured, spalted Ambrosia maple. This was 5/16" solid wood (not veneer) over 3/4" MDF cabinets with 3/4" solid wood baffles. The wood was cut from a 2" thick 10ft long slab and milled to final thickness in Lundy's shop. This allowed for both grain matching and book matching the front baffles.
Electronics included PS Audio Stellar Gain Cell DAC/pre-amp, Stellar S300 power amp, OPPO 105D transport for optical disk media. Digits to feed the DAC sourced from a Windows based music server running Roon, SOtM USB sound card powered by SOtM external linear power supply. Power conditioning by PI Audio Group Uber Buss on the power amps and Digi BUSS on the front end gear. Equipment supported on SolidSteel equipment rack. Cables by Douglas Connection Alpha and Bravos series. Acoustic treatments by GIK Acoustic and PI Audio Group.
The GR-Research, Uilleam Audio & Douglass Connection team again delivered state of the art results at LSAF 2019. NX-Otica with its servo-sub array 'has it all', bandwidth, wide dynamics, transparency, slam all with no hint of aggressiveness or listener fatigue. Michael shows up with a very wide range of music on his server and disk collections. With any of these selections or whatever music walks in the door with attendees this system delivers sublime reproduction. I believe this happens because Danny Richie designs for un-colored low distortion true to the source reproduction and Michael Lundy executes those designs with the choice parts upgrades and meticulous craftsmanship. To the bespoke speakers add carefully selected partnering components plus Douglass Connection's Alpha cables and the result is state-of-the-art reproduction at an attainable cost.
LSAF 2019 offered one of those rare opportunities this show specializes in, specifically with a short walk from the first to second floors one could compare the top GR-Research designs. In the Uilleam Audio room NX-Otica with dual 12" servo subs vs. the towering NT-Xtreme speakers with Servo Sub 5 downstairs. The takeaway was after hearing the majestic and visually imposing NT-Xtreme the NX-Otica delivers most of the big boy's performance in a very much more domestically friendly package.
Where size is at a premium and a conventional monitor is required the X-LS Encores are fully competitive with offerings from more heavily marketed manufacturers. Clad in the glowing Ambrosia maple pride of ownership is off the charts. The X-LS is very much a 'truth to source' design with exceptional octave to octave balance and transparency.
X-LS Encores
Calvin Johnson
Calvin Johnson's demo system included GATO FM 6 speakers, KR Audio VA900 integrated amp, Resonessence MIRUS PRO DAC, High Fidelity Cables, and Clarity Cables.
Before discussing what was heard one must mention the 50 kg gorilla in the room, or more accurately Kronzilla. The Kronzilla SXI integrated amp with the huge T1610 Kronzilla power triodes teased LSAF attendees as it sat on static display. That bane of audio show exhibitors shipping damage sidelined the SXI for 2019. Calvin vowed to bring it back in 2020 and he strikes me as a man who makes things happen.
The KR Audio VA900 integrated amp was very much not on static display, along with the GATO FM 6 speakers the sound presented confounded my expectations.
A prejudice or expectation of mine perhaps best laid to rest is when a system features a-list European hi-fi components at its core the sound will be very refined and advanced and also tending toward the dry and controlled. In engineering terms tuned to the over damped side of neutral. Not when Calvin Johnson curates the system. Here the tone was fat and rich, an audio equivalent of tiramisu. The kind of tonally juicy hi-fi that plastered grins on our faces as we listened and enjoyed. With the tonal richness came transparency and source detail retrieval that went on for miles. When the music presented large dynamic swings they were tracked effortlessly, the Resonessence MIRUS PRO Invicta DAC front end into the VA900 amp delivered both micro and macro dynamic contrasts. Apologies to High Fidelity Cables, and Clarity Cables, I was remiss in failing to ask which were in use where, suffice to say the result spoke loudly for the quality of everything in the system.
One of the close ups at the top of this report is the Resonessence MIRUS PRO Invicta in honor of Calvin who talks and talks about how important it is to the exemplary results obtained. And because of its outstanding industrial design.
Rick Craig Selah Audio
Selah Audio displayed two speakers for the show, the Omaggio and Ritorno. The Omaggio is a line array and the name means "homage" or tribute" in honor of D.B. Keele and his work. The Ritorno is a 2-way monitor that's a "return" or "throwback" design with a forward-looking bent of technology. Electronics included MiniDSP, and D-Sonic on the Omaggio line array and Benchmark DAC/pre and power amp for the Ritorno.
As an engineer I have been intrigued by D.B. Keele's CBT Loudspeaker Arrays (CBT = Constant Beamwidth Transducer) (http://www.xlrtechs.com/dbkeele.com/CBT.php). CBTs are often seen as the large curved arrays flanking the stages of a-list venues providing even coverage for 1,000s of attendees. As an aficionado of good industrial design I have been less than thrilled with attempts to adopt the distinctive CBT curved array to domestic use. That changed the instant I walked into Rick's room and laid eyes on the Omaggio. The curve of the baffle is necessary for the time delay that is part of the CBT technology, the curves added to the sides and back of the Omaggio are what do it for me. Calculated and considered form meets function. Kevin Kendrick is the 21st century woodworking craftsman with the design chops and 5-axis CNC mill who made such an exquisite design possible. They even brought along a quarter scale model showing the extensive internal structure that supports the eye pleasing curves.
And the sound did not disappoint. Line arrays typically offer dynamic ease and wide bandwidth thanks to the large driver area the multitude of drivers bring to the party. What the CBT technology adds is coherence and a wide listening area thanks to the constant directivity. The Omaggio sounded very good in the hotel room, my guess is in a larger great room it will scale to magnificence.
But wait, there's more. Selah Audio also brought their Ritorno 2-way monitor powered by Benchmark's AHB2 power amplifier.
Craig describes the Ritorno as a "throwback" which I believe refers to using a large 8" woofer in a two way design. I approve, in the sea of 2-way monitors using 5" woofers the significantly larger area and resulting dynamic ease the 8" driver brings to the party is most welcome. Not at all throwback we see features including ceramic as the woofer driver material, ribbon tweeter, and faceted low diffraction enclosure. Both the woofer and tweeter are very recent introductions from their respective sources. The Ritorno thus serving as a good example of how smaller boutique operations like Selah Audio can rapidly bring latest technology to their clients. All this in another exquisitely executed enclosure with the demo pair wrapped in exotic 'sinker' cypress veneer. An all too brief audition showed Rick has all those elements expertly integrated delivering the performance one expects from a state of the art monitor in 2019.
