Blogs
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Floorstanding Speakers from $2,000 to $20K @ CES 2009
|For many reasons this was a CES to remember. And although this is not the best of times for some, there was still a lot of fertile ground to cover in this broad segment—a task ...read more -
TAS Editors & Reviewers Pick "The Most Significant New Product at CES '09"
|What was “the most significant” new product at CES 2009? Our TAS Editors and Reviewers weigh in with their opinions. For full audio coverage of CES 2009, see the upcoming issue of "The Absolute Sound." ...read more -
TAS Editors & Writers Pick "The Best Sound" at CES 2009
|Several TAS editors and writers attended CES 2009 in Las Vegas. Each was asked to select his choice for “Best Sound at CES.” Following are their selections: Robert Harley: The Magico M5 loudspeaker ($90,000) driven ...read more -
Best Intros at CES: Vandersteen Model Seven and Wilson MAXX Series 3 Loudspeakers
|Contrary to what some people may think (see my Magico M5 blog), I did listen to other ultra-high-end speakers besides the Magico M5 at this year's CES, and after the M5 the two I thought ...read more -
CES 2009: Turntable Lust Part I
|Ultra-high-end turntable systems helped produce some of the finest sounds of the show. The use of magnetic suspension to float platters, magnetic drive, twelve-inch arms, exotic materials, sophisticated stands to isolate ‘tables from structural resonances ...read more -
Three Glass Slippers: Speakers With Glass Enclosures
|One of the odder and more unexpected surprises at this year's CES was a trio of loudspeakers that used thick sculpted sheets of tempered glass for their cabinets or, in one very expensive and remarkable ...read more -
CES 2009: The Best Sound Money Cant Buy
|In the recesses of the Alexis Park Hotel, I heard perhaps the best sound at either CES or T.H.E. Show . Keith Herron was featuring his wonderful Herron Audio electronics, including his new SP-4 hybrid ...read more -
Vandersteen Model 7 Preview
|Vandersteen Model 7 Loudspeaker Preview Robert Harley One of the “must-hear” systems at CES was Richard Vandersteen’s all-new Model 7 loudspeaker. The buzz surrounded not just the exceptional sound the system produced, but the radical ...read more -
Robert Harley's Best of CES
|Best of CES Robert Harley Best Sound The Magico M5 loudspeaker ($90,000) driven by Soulution electronics through MIT cable was easily the show’s best sound. As I mentioned in my earlier blog, the M5 combined ...read more -
CES Day 4: Product Debut, McIntosh's Spectacular XR200 Tower
|The McIntosh XR200 is a more approachable “real” room speaker that takes it’s cues from big Mac’s flagship XRT towers. With a trio of 8** woofers per side, subsonic bass is and was a bone-crushing ...read more -
The Best Sound JV Has Ever Heard at a Trade Show
|The Magico M5 floorstanding loudspeaker was undoubtedly the most anticipated debut at CES 2009 and it didn't disappoint. For those of you familiar with the great MartinLogan CLX its sound is easy to describe and ...read more -
CES, Day 3: A New Reference from Gallo Acoustics
|Improving the breed is part and parcel for the high end. Few are as successful and original as the sounds and shapes that stem from the imagination of Anthony Gallo. The new, evolutionary Gallo Acoustics ...read more -
OMG, Magico V2, Fierce, Fantastic & Formidable
|Channeling the spirit of the ultra coherent, two-way the Magico Mini II couldn’t have been an easy task for the masters at Magico but the new V2 seemingly does the impossible. This 2 ½ way, ...read more -
CES Day 2: New Speakers from Joseph Audio & RBH
|Joseph Audio’s statement speaker, the Pearl has been a stand out success for this company–now in its 17th year. At $28,500/pr however it wasn’t for every budget. So Jeff Joseph took his venerable compact winner, ...read more -
CES Day One: Affordable Electronics, a Big Surprise, and One Stunning Sound
|The 2009 Consumer Electronics Show opened yesterday to what seemed like lower attendance and scaled-back aspirations. Nonetheless, every exhibitor with whom I spoke was happy with both the quality and quantity of foot traffic through ...read more