There are a lot of nice things to say about the California Audio Show. Since it is a smaller show, you have time to listen and to visit with people you only see at shows. Overall both exhibitors and attendees seemed to enjoy this year’s show based on the comments that I heard.
In fact, I only have two negatives to mention. First, this show continues to get smaller. While the size of the show is one of the best things about it, it would be better with ten or twelve more rooms. My other complaint was that the internet on the second floor was not sufficient, and streaming didn’t sound very good in the rooms on that floor.
For this report, I’m focusing on three rooms that did sound very good.
Boardroom 1 – AAudio Imports
Brian Ackerman, the owner of AAudio Imports, put together a very impressive combination of brands in Boardroom 1. The speaker system centered around the Wilson Benesch (UK) A.C.T. One Evolution speakers ($36,500) with the Wilson Benesch Torus + Amp Infrasonic generator ($12,900) providing very deep bass. The speakers were sitting on Wilson Benesch Carbon Plinth speaker platforms ($3,400). The equipment rack was a Wilson Benesch R1 Carbon modular Hi-Fi rack ($25,500).
The source was an Aurender SN10 Music Server ($8,000) and an Ypsilon DAC 1000 Valve DAC ($24,500). The amplifier was an Ypsilon Phaethon Hybrid Integrated Amp ($25,000) pictured above. All of the cables were from Stage III (approximately $48,000). The power distributor was an HB Cable Design PowerSlave Marble II ($16,500).
The sound in this room was the best that I have ever heard from any Wilson Benesch speakers. It had an incredible blend of deep tonality and detail, and it wasn’t bright or edgy. It also had an incredible soundstage. I don’t think reproduced music from a digital system gets much better than this. In fact, I’ll be honest and admit that not many analog systems sound nearly this good.
Boardroom 4 – Margules Audio
Another room on the first floor with great sound was Boardroom 4 featuring Margules Audio. Julian Margules, owner and chief designer, is pictured above with the Margules Orpheus 1.3 speaker ($19,000) and Carlos Smith, Margules’ North American distributor. Margules not only brought the Orpheus 1.3 speakers to the show but also their new Margules Mavox speakers ($4,000).
All of the electronics in the room were from Margules. The power amplifiers were a pair of U-280sc 1.4 Black Class A tube amps switched to mono. The preamp was their SE 220 1.3 Black Class A Preamp ($4,000). They were also using their FB 47db 1.3 phono preamp ($800) with their Magenta TT-10 Turntable ($2,800) with a Soundsmith cartridge. For digital, they had a prototype music server with a built-in DAC. All of the cables were from Atlas.
Both speakers sounded very good and the Mavox speakers were incredible for the money. With the Orpheus 1.3 speakers, however, this room competed with any room at the show for any amount of money. The sound was big with rich, beautiful tonal colors. It was very natural and alive sounding with an unmatched soundstage.
Whammerdyne / PureAudioProject
Another room on the first floor where the sound was pleasing to me was the Whammerdyne Heavy Industries and PureAudioProject system. The speakers were the PureAudioProject Classic 15s. Whammerdyme supplied their 2A3 integrated amplifiers, their Wham the One power supply and their WhammWire cables.
This was another great sounding system for the money. It was open, spacious and had great air. It had all that I have come to expect from world-class 2A3 SET amplifiers and great open-baffle speakers. The balance from the very deep bass to the top-end was impressive.
In the end, though, it is the beauty and coherence of the Voxativ wooden full-range driver that makes this speaker so special. This driver allows this dynamic speaker with powerful bass to also be beautiful and delicate in the midrange when it needs to be. PureAudioProject is to be commended for how well they have integrated the OB-A15Neo 15-inch bass drivers with the Voxativ full-range driver.
Note: Take a look at pictures of all of the rooms from this show in our Day 1 and Day 2 posts.
