[All prices are in USD unless noted - Ed]

Henry Wilkenson

Las Vegas is a must see city on its own merits or vices. It is a city that warrants at least one visit in your lifetime. If nothing else, it is one of the more spectacular cities in the U.S. For those of you who have never made the trek, there is a good deal to see and do besides gambling.

The annual Vegas CES is a terrific experience for several reasons -- the chance to meet with colleagues that you have not seen in years is wonderful, as are the parties and luncheons. However, the main treat is the chance to see, hear and play with equipment that one only dreams. Being able to meet the designers and other legendary figures of audio is the icing on the cake.

There are several conventions and trade shows going on in L.V. at the same time. If you aren’t careful, you could wind up in the wrong place. The cab drivers here are very friendly and like to chat with their passengers. I told him that I was a writer for Audiophilia on line; he assumed that I was attending the 'adult entertainment' show that is also in town. I had to explain that I wrote for Audio-phili-a, not ought- to-feel-ya magazine!

The high-end section of the CES takes place in several venues. The Alexis Park is where a large number of high end manufactures are found. They are also located at the San Tropez and the Golden Nugget. At the same time, there is the alternate show simply called, T.H.E. SHOW, held principally at the San Remo hotel and the large Convention Center. So, one can imagine how covering the CES is a great deal of fun but at the same time a very formidable task.

My first stop was at the Golden Sound room in the Alexis Park. Allen Chiang is the president of Golden Sound. I became familiar with his line of room tuning and isolation devices several years ago. When Allen began producing his Red and Blue line of power cords, they quickly became my references (review forthcoming). Since that time, Golden Sound has expanded their product line to include the Premier Series Multiple Channel Speaker Systems. The Model SP-100 is their top of the line speaker. At 78.8” X 14.2”X 19.7” (H x W x D) and weighing in at 136 lbs. each, with a frequency response from 28hz to 20Khz, a sensitivity of 91, and an impedance of 4 ohms, these are pretty impressive speakers that are designed to produce room filling sound in very large rooms. If the main speakers do not satisfy your desire for bass, there are matching subwoofer panels that weigh 198 lbs each. These units will set you back $12,800 and $15,000 respectively. The line is rounded out with the smaller Model SP-200 priced at $6500 and a center channel unit, the Model C-100, priced at $7,000. The sound of the system could best be described as very robust. While these speakers were way too big for the room, they did show off a very clear midrange and pretty good top end extension.

Golden Sound has also produced a new line of power cords, speaker cables and interconnects. The Navigator series are constructed with oxygen free copper and are said to produce a full warm sound. They follow in the company’s tradition of offering cost effective products. Their P7 Power Cable lists for $150 for a 6 foot cable and $6.00 per additional foot. The P12 Power Cable lists for $200 for a 6 footer and $12.00 per additional foot. The Navigator Interconects retail for $130 per meter pair and $10.00 per additional meter. In the cable world, these have to be considered a real bargain. You can check out the full product line at www.dhcones.com. The Golden Sound speakers were being driven by the Chateau Research Anaco 2 digital power amplifiers. These diminutive amps will output 500 watts RMS at 4 ohms with 1800 watts peak power. These beautifully finished little babies will set you back $6,000 the pair.

The high-end segment of the audio industry is full of people with vivid personalities. Passive people with few opinions will not be found here. Roy Hall, the founder of Music Hall and distributor of Creek Audio, is a case in point. He has been the guiding light of his company since its inception. Early on Music Hall earned a reputation for offering high quality products at very reasonable prices. They continue that tradition with their latest offerings. I was particularly impressed with the Music Hall MMF-9 turntable and the Maverick SACD player. The MMF-9 employs a unique triple plinth construction with four Sorbothane hemispheres that separate each of the plinths for superior isolation. Also included is a completely decoupled motor assembly, electronic speed control, and adjustable tiptoe feet. All of this will set you back $1499, $1699 with a Music Hall Maestro Cartridge. The Maverick is a 24-bit/96-kHz Upsampling SACD player that uses the SONY CXD2752 decoder chip. It also employs Burr-Brown PCM1738 24-bit /192kHz DAC for standard CD and SACD playback. SACD player was making some really nice sounds with Creek electronics and Epos speakers (also imported by Music Hall). With a list price of $1,500, this is the SACD player to watch. The sound quality of this player suggests a much higher price tag. For those of you who might prefer the sound of tubes, Music Hall is also the importer of the Shanling SCD-T200.While I didn’t get to hear the SCD-T200, if Roy Hall is the importer, you can bet that it will sound very good. Aside from the great sound of the Music Hall room, I also learned that I have a taste for Campbel Town Loch 25 year old scotch. Roy is a man of many talents.

Roger Sanders and Gary Leeds have produced a full line of innovative and solid electronics and speakers under the InnerSound banner. As a result, there were some lovely sounds to be heard in the InnerSound room where their new I 2, 150 watt per channel tube power amp was on active display. This is an ultra linear push pull design that is said to be stable into any load. This power house will set you back 10K. Driving a pair of their Isis electrostatic speakers, the sound was warm and detailed. The 'sweet spot' was quite small, typical of many electrostatic speakers. From that spot, the imaging and transparency were remarkable. The rest of the electronic line up consisted of the I Pre balanced preamplifier, $3,200 including remote, and their well received I Phono, fully balanced phono stage. This is a slim line design that matches the rest of the InnerSound electronics -- it has to be heard to be believed. That might prove difficult since dealers have been hard pressed to keep them in stock. You can catch the entire Innersound line up at their website, www.Innersound.net

I was also quite impressed with the turntable that was also being demoed in the Innersound room. The Red Point Audio Design Testa Rossa turntable is impressive to say the least. In my opinion, this is a drop dead gorgeous design. Good looks are only half of the story. This table is about function above all. Outfitted with the new $ 3,800 Triplaner tone arm, the sound was amazing. The massive, suspension-less design is made of high grade aluminum and plastics. The motor is a 12 volt DC design that is infinitely adjustable. You set the speed by use of a volt meter. This method is more involved than pushing a button. However, it ensures spot on speed accuracy. This is a very serious statement turntable that weighs in at 130 lbs., and will set you back about 12K. www.Redpoint-Audio-design.com.

New and Unusual

There were two unusual products I discovered at THE Show. The first was the Thorough Bass, Inc line of subwoofers. Designer and company President Jan Plummer has come up with a line of subwoofers that don’t look like speakers at all. When I walked into the room, I thought they were amplifiers sitting on the floor. For instance, the Magellan VI has a frequency response of from 20Hz to 100Hz +/- 3db, and weighs 15.5 lbs. Their diminutive size belies their prodigious output. What’s more is their ease of placement. In this room, they were placed in the corners -- there was no hint of room excitation, or any other of the problems that are usually caused by subs. In fact, the satellite enclosures were vibrating more than the subs. These were powered by their TBI 200su amplifiers. These are 200 watt full range amps that had no problems driving the subs. According to Jan Plummer, the inventor of what he calls the EARTL/Reflex technology, a very low mass driver requires little diaphragm travel to produce long wavelength signals in this patent pending design. What you end up with, is a relatively small box that blends well with a wide range of satellites, goes deep and loud and is really easy to place. The prices range from $600 for the 5” Shielded to $1,250 for the 6” Aluminum active sub. You can check out the entire line at www.musicalsubwoofers.com.

Where are the Speakers?

Perhaps the most unusual item that I came across at The Show was the Madison Fielding Flagstone series of all weather speakers. These speakers are actually planters. Yes that’s right, Planter Speakers! These are not novelty items rather they are a serious line of indoor and or outdoor audiophile speakers. When I entered the Madison Fielding room, I heard some very good jazz playing but I couldn’t tell where it was coming from. All I saw was a row of planters. These are planters that are intended to hold live plants that you water the same way you would with a typical planter. The planters/speakers are weather resistant and can be left outdoors. They are also an indoor alternative for listeners who rather not have a typical pair of speakers in their room. Many wives will be very happy about this. As I have already said, these speakers/planters sound surprisingly good. If you look at the spec sheet, you will find audax drivers used through out with frequency responses that range from 35Hz to 20 KHz. Visit their website to see the wide range of options available, www.planterspeakers.com.

Live vs. Recording

For me one of the real highlights of the competing T.H.E. Show was the performances of the musical group Misty River Band. These are four ladies who have the ability to make musical magic. A fiddle, guitar, accordion and up-right bass plus four marvelous voices make up the group. Their music is totally acoustic and can be considered a mixture of country, bluegrass, folk and Celtic. Their individual voices have a clear purity that is compelling and their harmonies are spellbinding. The idea was to have Misty River perform and be recorded on the spot.

The recording was set up and made by the famous recording engineer and record producer Chris Huston. The group was multi-mic'd but there were no effects or fixes used for the playback. The idea was to compare the recorded versions to the live performance using a super system consisting of Albert Von Schweikert’s VR-11SE statement speakers and Valve Amplification Company and Oracle electronics. A number of songs were recorded and played back over the evening, but the one that I remember most distinctly was If you Needed Me'. Fortunately, this song is also on their CD Rising. It is here their magical harmony really shined. The 'buzz' the somewhat staged event created was exciting.

The first playback was quite close to the live performance except for the bass and the harmony. The bass in the recording exceeded the live performance. Some of the air and much of the harmonic textures that I heard during the live performance was missing. With the next attempt, the excessive bass was corrected but the recording still couldn’t capture the delicacy, air and the vocal textures of the group. On individual voices, the system came very close. It just couldn’t get the harmonies quite right. The individual voices together rise, fall and intertwine in a way that is very subtle and delicate. I wouldn’t have noticed the absence of these details if I hadn’t heard the group live.

I purchased both of Misty River’s CDs and they became an instant reference for female voice. The CDs are well recorded and proved a real test for other systems on which they were played. Several other systems did various unpleasant things to their music, but I found the Innersound room provided the best playback outside of the Von Schweikert/VAC/Oracle room, (www.vonschweikert.com). Currently the band performs mostly in Oregon and throughout the northwest. This is a group of solid musicians who are playing some very sophisticated music. If you are fortunate enough to hear them live, you will not soon forget what will definitely be a most enjoyable musical experience.

Among the larger rooms at T.H.E. Show was the Edge Electronics room. They were exhibiting several active systems. First was the NL Signature One power amp with the Signature One pre-amp. List prices are $31,000 and $8,950 respectively. They were driving the Epiphany Audio model 20-21 speakers, list price $20,900. The second was the G8 dual chassis 200 watt per channel power amp ($7995.00) coupled with the G2 preamplifier ($3995.00). These were driving the Epiphany Audio model 12-12 speakers, list price $10,900. All of the cabling was by Analysis Plus. On the whole the sound was good, but my sense is that their potential was not reached under show conditions. The Edge amplifiers are the first laser biased amps in the market. According to the manufacturer, the amplifier delivers much better performance by incorporating a 630 nm laser operating directly on the silicon substrate of the bias transistor. It is further claimed that the sound is much clearer, open and unrestrained. The folks at Edge didn’t stop with just pre amps and power amps. They have gone a step further and now produce their own power line conditioners. The Edge Power Cubed³ is a conditioner with a difference. The conditioner is designed to remove even the smallest amount of any DC component from the AC line. They say that even small amounts of DC has a very degrading effect on toroidal transformers. The Power Cubed³ is available in 1500 and 1500 VA outputs and have a list price of $2,500. Hopefully, I will be able to obtain review samples and will be able to tell you more about these products.

Tenor Audio was showing their gorgeous 300 HP amplifiers in a bridged mono configuration. They were driving the Kharma Midi Grand Ceramic speakers. The source was the new Mitner DAC and transport. This is super high-end gear and it sounded like it. The 300 HP is a hybrid design that is designed with a high capacity power supply that is said to be able to function into any load without any ill effects. A pair of these amps will set you back CDN$45,000.

The makers of Stillpoints resonance damping cones have come out with the Stillpoints Equipment Suspension System (ESS) in collaboration with Gyford Productions. This is one of the most unusual equipment racks that I have seen to date. This component rack is striking in appearance. It is a high tech low mass design that incorporates stillpoint cones and allows the equipment to dissipate its onboard generated vibrations, while minimizing reflections of those vibrations, back into the equipment. The price of the ESS with four clear shelves is $4,100. With four green or smoke shelves is $4,200.

The Clearaudio room was chock-a-block with their 'tables on static display. Everything from their newest Emotion with the Satisfy tonearm, $1,000 list, to the $17,500 Master Reference AMGb. I also have reason to believe that there may be a line of electronics coming from Clearaudio in the near future.

Over in the Musical Surroundings room, the terrific sounding Asthetix Saturn series of electronics were in use. Of particular interest to me was the Asthetix Rhea phono stage. This all tube, two chassis unit boasts three discrete inputs that allow for use of multiple tonearms, a built in MC cartridge demagnetizer and much, much more. This is another intriguing product on my review wish list.

Good things were also happening in the deHavilland room. Their 50 watt GM-70 SE TriodeTube monoblocks were on display. Driven by the deHavilland UltraVerve All –Octal Vacuum Tube Preamplifier, the sound was warm and very engaging. With all of those tubes in operation, sonic edge or hardness was no ware to be found.

Roy Harris

The components and their exponents were in full array. The designers hoped they could sell their wares and earn their pay. Visitors came from near and far to hear what they had to say, listen to what they had to play and perhaps do some business. The products were manufactured in distant places -- Asia, Europe and Latin America too. It was an equipment zoo. If you wanted to play with the 'toys' and avoid the noise, you would look and not touch for they cost too much.

Las Vegas with all its distractions--gambling, shows and sights to see, is exhilarating and CES is inviting and can be exciting. However, those with ears without any fears entered the rooms without a care but decibels were in the air. When the sound was not to their liking, some went hiking. When the sound was bad, others got mad and made a fuss. They preferred to ride the shuttle bus. When the sound was good they were very quiet. They listened and listened. You could hear a pin drop and eventually they said 'please do not stop-- the music'.

Industry Trends/News

For the CES show as a whole, the following table is a 6-year statistical history:

Except for 2001 and 2002, the number of exhibits increased, but the trend in growth was unclear. Except for 2002, the number of attendees was increasing but the growth in attendance was inconsistent. It would seem that there was greater volatility in attendance and more stability with respect to the number of exhibits. However, both seem to show a positive trend.

The 'highend' exhibits were held at two venues. The first, the Alexis Park Hotel, was part of CES. The second, T.H.E. Show, held at the St Tropez and San Remo hotels, was sponsored by a company not affiliated with CES.

The following table is a 6 year statistical history of T.H.E. SHOW:

The column labeled ratio is calculated by dividing the number of exhibits into the number of exhibitors and is therefore, the number of exhibitors per room.

There was an increase in attendance, exhibits and exhibitors, before and after 2002. There seems to be a trend towards room sharing. The number of exhibitors per room has been growing since 1999, interrupted only during 2002. 2004 is an interesting year. After a spurt from 2002 to 2003, the rates of growth in all cases declined. However, attendance seems to grow faster than the other variables. It will be interesting to see what happens next year. Note: Officials from T.H.E. SHOW have stated that the rate of loss of manufacturers, which at 2000 was 20 %, has declined to about 10 % in 2004. Some manufacturers have switched from the Alexis Park to the St Tropez, citing as reasons, more favorable hotel management attitudes and better logistics. A statistical history of the Alexis Park and its analysis were not available in time for this article. I will write about this subject in a separate article sometime later this year.

A representative from Phillips indicated that the company would no longer manufacture stand-alone SACD players. Is Sony next to follow? The other large Japanese manufacturers still support the format. Yamaha, Teac, Pioneer, Onkyo Integra, Denon and Marantz displayed universal players. In addition, McCormack featured its year old universal player and Rowland will be introducing one later this year. According to Pioneer, as long as Sony supports SACD and continues to add software titles, Pioneer will maintain its support of the format. Muse plans to introduce a universal player later this year, in spite of the position of its chief engineer/designer, Kevin Halvorsen, who asserts the superiority of DVD over CD and SACD, even preferring PCM over DSD. His objection to DSD is based upon its recognizable sonic signature and the problem such a signal poses to a preamp. While in-band noise is low, there is noise in the range 20kHz to 50kHz. When the preamp 'sees' the out-of-band noise, IM distortion is created.

New Technology

1) Digital Wireless Transmitter and Receiver: The Firebird Sounds Company introduced a transmitter with a built in A/D converter and receiver with a built-in D/A converter. An analog signal can be sent to a receiving component without the need for a long length interconnect cable. In the near future, devices will be able to pass a digital signal, eliminating an extra stage of conversion. Anecdotal evidence confirmed minimal signal loss for this process. Other products include a wireless digital amplifier and wireless subwoofer.

2) Soaring Audio SLC-A300 100 watt solid state amplifier ($3400) SLC is an acronym for signal loss compensation, which incorporates 'patented analog image enhancement'. The primary benefit is a perceived smoothness of sound with no obvious loss of detail, especially from CDs. Other features include wide bandwidth (.1 Hz to 300 kHz), 32 storage capacitors and bi polar transistors.

3) State Technology Research, Ltd Collimators -- This product is available in 4 versions. One with feet can be placed over or under a component ($475). The same version without feet is placed over a small speaker ($425). Another can be used as a speaker stand ($1650/pair) and the fourth is an image-loc pillar placed in the room ($950). These magnetically powered devices are designed to eliminate diffusion of the signal, time distortion, minimize room acoustic deficiencies and in general improve accuracy of presentation.

4) Westlake Audio Phoenix effect Distortion Compensation -- The 'Phoenix effect' has been defined by Glenn Phoenix, Westlake Audio President and Chief Engineer as a 'by product of all electrical signals flow that causes what can be described as ghosting'. The benefits of P.E. distortion compensation include improved imaging, better transient response and an inherent smoothness not always available through high quality sound reproduction. This proprietary technique has been incorporated into the Superflex interconnect cable and the Lc265.1VF speaker system, which had their debut this year.

5) Westlake Audio Cable Muffs -- These Omega foam-based products support speaker and interconnect cable and power cords. Their shape is a cylinder with a hole in the middle, resting on a rectangular base. The price is $49.95 for a set of either 5 large, 8 medium or 10 small sized items.

6) Nucore capacitorless crossover -- Nucore introduced its new crossover, a shallow-sloped (3DB/octave) damped inductor. The principal advantage of this design is the minimization of phase distortion. This crossover was incorporated in the FAA Sound Technology model 1.0. The speaker was demonstrated with the Hallograph.

New Products

1) Audio Research VM220 Tube Mono Block Amplifier -- Using 8 '6550' tubes per channel, this 200 watt amplifier has an MSRP of $9990.

2) ESP Concert Grand -- ESP was a viable company during the '90s. Evidently, the company is back in business by introducing this $22,000 statement product.

3) Coincident Technology Grand Victory -- This new 2 way design includes a ribbon mated to 4 paper treated 8 inch woofers with a sensitivity of 100 db, at a retail price of $9499.

4) VMPS Hybrid Ribbon Speaker -- This addition to the VMPS line is priced at $3500 and is crossed over at 280 HZ to a cone woofer.

5) Wadia 921 -- A prototype of the 921 decoding computer system consists of a controller/preamp and 2 DAC/power supplies. Priced between $20,000 and $30,000, it will soon accept SACD input. Currently, the system accepts only digital input--coax, Toslink, AESEBU and ATT glass. It can be upgraded to accept an analog input.

6) Teac Esoteric Statement CD Players -- Two prototypes were on display at the Convention Center. The model UX1 at $13,000 is a universal player having 2 DACs per channel and the model SACD X01 is a SACD player having 4 DACs per channel. It has been suggested by their National Sales and Marketing Manager that the SACD is the superior player for both DSD and PCM formats.

7) Accuphase DP 77 SACD player -- This player supports data rates of 192kHz/24 bits and 2.8224mHz/1 bit. There are two power supplies, one per channel, and there is a phase lock loop circuit. The master clock produced by this circuit is devoid of pulse distortion and jitter. The D/A conversion is implemented using 4 Delta Sigma type converters in a parallel mode which results in an overall performance improvement by a factor of 2.

8) Muse Model 11 SACD player -- This CD player supports all formats, accepts sample rates up to 192kHz and is priced at $4000.

The Sound

The 'sound' in most of the rooms was very disappointing and, in my opinion, worse than what I heard last year. While one can speculate as to probable causes, there is one acoustical issue and one hypothesis that is worth discussing.

The Hotel St Tropez was built around 1978. Its floors are made of wood. On the second floor, especially, I noticed some warping. At the Alexis Park, the floor is constructed of wood over cement.

Achieving 'superior' sound is not a priority for some exhibitors. If one's goal is primarily commercial, 'good' sound may not increase one's odds of attracting new dealers or creating positive sentiment towards a product. If the sound quality is 'too good', there may be more involvement with the sound and the music and less concern with commerce. Perhaps, a static display is a more efficient way of generating sales. In fact, some manufacturers, especially those at the Convention Center, have chosen this approach.

There may be an implicit or explicit motivation to avoid sonic excellence. The exception to my hypothesis was the Von Schweikert room at the San Remo, where a comparison between live and recorded sound occurred. The stereo system consisted of VAC electronics and the VR11 SE speakers ($100,000).

An all-female folk/bluegrass band, the Misty River Band, was being recorded and the recording was played back and compared to the live performance. Instruments included voices, an accordion, acoustic bass, acoustic guitar and violin. Overall, the recording was impressive in spite of some shortcomings. However differences between the live performances were obvious, especially with respect to timbre, tonal balance and bass response. Given the extent to which the original signal is 'processed' before it reaches one's ears, it was surprising how close the live performance 'sounded' in comparison to its recreation. Although as previously indicated, the sound quality at the Alexis Park and St Tropez was in most cases mediocre, there were some good values and decent sounding stereo systems.

The stereo systems listed below are separated into price categories based upon their total cost. The price in parenthesis is the cost of the speaker.

I. Less than $1001

A. Hsu VT-12 ($499) -- Consisting of five satellites, each of which is a 2.5" full range driver, a center channel -- 2 4" x 6" woofers with one 2.5" midrange/treble driver and an 8" powered sub, the electronics included a Pioneer 563A CD player and an Onkyo TX-SR501 receiver. The sound was open, detailed and fun to listen to. This system is a S-T-E-A-L !!!!

B. Thorough Bass (Prototype) -- This simple system consists of 2 3" satellites and a powered sub woofer. Using a Kenwood discman and a 4 channel Alpine (Car Audio) amp, the system was musical with good bass and pleasing tonality. Although no price was established at this time, there aim is to price the system between $500 and $1000. At a price of $500, this speaker system is a good value.

II. $5000 - $10000

A. Polk Audio LSi9 ($1038) -- Powered by a Sony integrated amp/DAC, the DA 9000ES and using as a transport a SONY 9000ES SACD with Audioquest cable, the cabinet was well braced and did not intrude. Male voice sounded natural and cymbals did not bleed one's ears.

B. Roan Model 7 ($1500) -- Powered by Monarchy electronics, Monarchy interconnects and the Sony 500 SACD player, clarity and neutrality were its hallmarks.

III. $10000 - $15000

A. Magnepan 3.6 ($4600) -- This simple system had no preamp, included the Sony 999ES, Cardas cable and the Soaring Audio SLC A-300. It was the best combination of solid state and Magnepan I have ever heard. The strength of ribbon drivers were evident without the edge often associated with the combination of ribbons and solid state.

IV. $30000 - $40000

A. Amphion Krypton ($16,500) T+A, a German company provided the digital source and an 80 watt integrated tube amplifier, while cabling and a power conditioner were furnished by Transparent Audio Marketing. The CD player was designed with 5 software algorithms which altered the sound in not so subtle ways. The sound had the positive characteristics of tubes and solid state without the downside of either.

V. $40000 and up

A. Westlake Audio Lc265.1VF ($6875) -- The combination of Westlake and Boulder produced a sonic palette with barely audible cabinet colorations. Accuracy and realistic dynamics were the beneficiary of this synergistic arrangement.

B. Merlin Millenium VSM ($8960) Merlin, Cat and Audio Aero Capitole Mark II combined to produce a tube like sound with liquidity, bloom and lush, tactile presentation.

My vote for Best Sound of the Show is the Magnepan 3.6, Soaring Audio combination. I also consider the Audio Aero Capitole Mark II the 'product' of the show. Based upon my many years of CES attendance, it is to my ears the best sounding CD player I have heard within the last 5 years.

Further Thoughts

What is the essence of CES?

Diversion (escape from 'home' into glitz, gambling and fantasy), Diversity (a variety of technologies, products, people, sound and music), Ostentation (very expensive conspicuous consumer durables), Talent (smart designers, capable manufacturers and clever sales persons). For me, the lure of CES is the possibility of encountering useful and interesting technology, a component or stereo system of great merit and a memorable or educational experience. This year, CES had all three-a technology to solve the problems of AC, The Audiophile APS 1000 ($2395), which converts AC to DC then back to AC, and can power a stereo system, using up to 1000 watts, from 8 minutes to over an hour, depending upon the number of DC batteries used; an outstanding CD player; and a taste of the potential of reproducing a live performance.

My perception of the sound quality at most of the exhibits at the St Tropez and Alexis Park during this and last year's CES have brought to mind the following questions:

1) What source material is most suitable for evaluating stereo systems?

2) When experiencing 'bad' sound, what is the likely cause, the recording or the stereo system?

I believe one should find recordings which have the potential to discriminate 'good' from 'bad' sound. I am concerned with flaws which may go unnoticed when certain sources are used. When one has discovered a CD which sounds 'good' on some stereo systems and 'bad' on others, one should investigate suspected causes, using devices such as spectral analyzers. If a stereo system problem is confirmed, then the source is probably a good candidate for exposing stereo system deficiencies. In addition, there are specific 'anomalies' of sound which are likely to be the fault of stereo systems rather than a recording. If one is lucky to elicit such a 'reaction' from a stereo system, the catalyst is again a good evaluation tool.

If instead, measurement does not reveal an obvious flaw in the stereo system and it is not clear that the stereo system is or is not the contributing factor, the CD in question may not be suitable for uncovering component and stereo system coloration.

One can never be sure that a recording is inferior. If one listens to 100 stereo systems with the same CD and all 100 have 'bad' sound, it is possible that the next stereo system can sound 'good' and when given an 'audiophile quality' CD to play, it still may sound good. In such a situation, 100 stereo systems may have a problem. Many recordings are not as 'bad' as they seem. Changing one's digital front end may drastically alter the sound and change one's perception of the sound of a recording.

At one of the rooms in the Alexis Park, a speaker system was subjected to The Eye of the Sparrow, from Dave Grusin's CD, Discovered Again. I suspected a problem in bass response, probably a consequence of cabinet coloration. Use of a digital equalizer/spectral analyzer confirmed my hypothesis. I am therefore confident that this selection is an excellent diagnostic tool.

Had I relied upon 'audiophile' quality recordings which tend to sound 'good' on most stereo systems, I believe I would not be able to observe problems typical of many stereo systems, especially the 'boom/sizzle' syndrome.

When a stereo system sounds 'good' using a so-called 'bad' source and sounds 'very good' with so-called high quality recordings, there is factual evidence of well designed components and an intelligently configured stereo system.

Choose your sources wisely or you may get fooled into thinking you have a silk purse when instead it may be a sow's ear.

Martin Appel

This was my first time covering this monumental, cacophonous and sometimes, dizzying event(s). The CES and its cheaper knockoff, T.H.E. SHOW, were monumental in scope and impossible to explore by one person in any depth. My impressions of the event were along many lines and reflected diverse interests. I realize that I'm supposed to be focusing on high-end audio but there was such an explosion of so many juicy products that much of my time was spent at the Convention Center exploring different worlds. Flat panel TV's, home theater exhibits, hand held devices of all kinds; phones, palm devices, digital cameras and camcorders, to name a few, fascinated me. Connectivity, flexibility, and the interaction in the digital world created possibilities that were nothing short of science fiction a few years ago.

Another major impression is how truly international in scope this event is. Products from the proverbial four corners of the globe were on display. It was like walking through a bazaar of staggering proportions: 'We make tube amplifiers, too!' (Look at our silks).

Speaking of international flavour, the Chinese were there in abundance, with all sorts of beautiful tube electronics and speakers of all types. I look forward to bringing to our readership some reviews of some of these products. One of these companies now owns the venerable Acoustat name and is producing two models of electrostatic hybrid speakers with detachable subwoofer modules. The speaker is designed in Italy and produced in China. Another international hybrid. There were many other products of similar multi-nationals. Some of which were well-known, proud of their efforts, and wanted to bring quality products to keep costs down -- and some who didn't want you to know where their manufacturing plant was and were still charging prices that were commensurate with labor costs at home!

Let's talk about an interesting experiment. Take a pair of $100,000 speakers, Von Schweikert's VR-11SE, powered by another $125,000 (approximate) of VAC electronics and Oracle sources, all connected up with Acoustic Zen cables and power cords, bringing the system cost to anywhere between $250 to $300,000. This cost did not take into account the variety of room treatments, but who's counting? Now take the singing group Misty River, four talented women, whose voices I fell in love with. Record them live. Compare their sound of live singing and instrument playing, recorded right in front of you, played back immediately through this mega system and be the judge of how well the recorded sound matched the 'live' musical event. Chris Huston, whose thirty-year career is filled with platinum and gold records, and who has recorded just about everyone, was the recording engineer. Chris explained that he didn't have the proper recording set up and the right mics to do the process justice. So it was a flawed process from the start. I would have to say after sitting through three consecutive evenings of trying they could not get it right. I did play one of Misty River's CD's through the system, with the group listening with me, and the results were much better, but not close enough to live to satisfy me or the ladies. Even though flawed, the experience was quite an education and I'm glad that I could be there for it.

In another room, I saw and heard Tom Bohlender's Wisdom Audio's Adrenaline speakers. They sounded extremely natural and accurate. The only problem was that I couldn't hear them in anything but a home theater set up. I talked to Tom and his Asst.Vice President, Steven Sinkoff, both very gracious fellows, about a review sample and they seemed amenable. Can't wait.

Later on, I heard the InnerSound room at the Alexis Park. The Eros IIIs were making gorgeous sounds with their i-TUBE amplifier and Redpoint's handsome turntable. The cabling was by Acoustic Zen. InnerSound also had their solid state, ESL 800 monoblocks there and I asked them to switch them on. I preferred the sound with the monoblocks. The room was equally divided between tube and solid state preferences. Whatever makes you happy.

Additionally, I had the pleasure of going to a presentation by Innersound's President, Gary Leeds and Chief Designer, Roger Sanders, where they were showing some prototypes of upcoming products. The sound was awesome. They said that they still had some tweaking to do. Can't wait till they start production and send me some products for review. Maybe spring, or early summer.

One of the benefits of a show like this is meeting new people and hearing new products. Roy Hall of Music Hall was one such person. He had an Integrated amp and a two channel SACD/upsampling CD player, the Maverick, in tandem with Epos speakers that made for a beautiful, delicate sound that was enchanting -- the antithesis of the 'mega system.'

Strolling along with colleagues Mike Levy and Henry Wilkenson, we stopped at a booth manned by Norwegians promoting their company, Soundcare, SuperSpikes. President, Terje Borgen, gave me some footers for speakers and equipment for review on the spot. They are unique in that the spikes are self-levelling and sit within their own protective base so the spike itself does no damage to floors or shelves or equipment. They have a range of footers going from $75 a set to $3,000. These look like Titanium concoctions worthy of the moon lander. I will be following up with a review.

Hi-Vi Research, produces Swan speakers. Another Chinese company. They were at the show, but I only saw a static display; they were very handsome looking. Their ribbon hybrid speakers appear promising. I'm looking forward to hearing them.

Stillpoints had a beautiful looking equipment rack, or should I say equipment suspension system. It was an elegant, functional design of glass and metal that caught everyone's eye. I wonder if my wife would like one for her birthday?

Serendipity often plays a big role in one's experience. Mike Levy and I were trying to find an InnerSound presentation at the Aladdin Hotel and stumbled into a Panasonic press dinner and DVD-AUDIO presentation for multi-channel surround sound for cars. After a sumptuous meal we proceeded to sit inside a 2004 Acura that came standard with the Panasonic system. When the music started our collective draws dropped. I've never heard anything approaching music in a car that would be considered high end like this before. The car disappeared. Tuneful, taught base. Clear separation of instruments and voices. A soundstage to die for. This was truly something new. I don't own a car, but I might buy one and just sit in and listen. [I wonder how it would sound at 100 mph on the Long Island Expressway? -Ed]

I enjoyed myself very much this year -- seeing all the craziness, covering my first CES, hangin' with my Audiophilia colleagues, Mike and Henry, and making new acquaintances. There were many rooms and displays with much heralded equipment that I did not get to see and hear. C'est la vie. There's always next year and coming up in late May is the Home Entertainment show in NY, dedicated to audio and home theater only. I'll be there. It's my hometown.