Rocky Mountain Audio Fest 2014

Nick Danger

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#1
Had the opportunity to attend RMAF last Sunday and wanted to share a few pics of some stuff I thought sounded good to my ears. Speakers were the most impressive gear for me this year:

Linkwitz Lab


For me, maybe the 2 most musical speaker designs that I heard.


But if not the Linkwitz, the 2 offerings from Volti were sonically great and the most visually stunning speakers- real audioporn:



These speakers probably need a room a bit bigger to really stretch their legs and I think the sound suffered a bit because of it. If I had the cash, they would be sitting in my house.....


Couple towers from German Physiks sounded great and got a surprisingly high WAF from the missus. Would probably want to hear some Decware ERR's or Ohm's before I pulled the trigger on these.



The deal of show had to be these single drivers from Jumping Cactus Loudspeakers. These speakers coupled with a quality active crossover were amazing- 1" MDF with veneered finish, full range driver and no ports, baffles, filling, etc..

These sounded good enough to have me building a pair of speakers myself after the Holiday season.

Schiit Audio has come out with a few more new products, including an adjustable MM/ MC phonostage and a passive preamp for two sources. As usual, the pricepoint is spot- on.

The show this year was pretty good as usual, but I didn't see many sources other than vinyl and a LOT of digital. Would have liked to see more open- reel gear. Maybe next year. If headphones and their accessories are your thing, you would have been in heaven. Every year it seems like more and more vendors are in the Can Jam room.

Bunch more picks posted here.
 

Retrofett

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#2
Very cool, thanks for putting these up. Wish I could have heard those single drivers. All of those speakers look extremely impressive.
 

Elite-ist

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#4
Thanks for the pictures, Douglas. Attending an event like that sure helps to broaden your horizons. Not a cassette tape deck or open-reel deck in sight - that's too bad. I would love to take various mix tapes I've received from members to play through those systems. Regarding the speakers, I really like the Volti Audio Vittoras. They have that Klipsch-like build.

Nando.
 

NavLinear

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#5
Thanks Douglas for taking the time to shoot the photos and for sharing them with us. The RMAF looks like a top notch event and the speaks look awesome.
 

orange

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#6
That all looks cool but I have no idea what most of those things are.
 

ksrigg

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#7
What power amps was Linkwitz Labs using? Those HUGE monoblocks....They shoulda had a WOPL

How did the Volti La Scala looking speakers sound?

You have some great pictures of some beautiful gear. What were those shiny nuclear reactor looking things in one of your pictures? It looks like something from Star Trek...
 
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Fishoz

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#8
Checked out a couple items from your pictures. Did'ja notice the NAT 170w single tube amp - out of Serbia!!! I think they call it a Magma because of the glow it puts off.
 

Nick Danger

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#9
What power amps was Linkwitz Labs using? Those HUGE monoblocks....They shoulda had a WOPL

How did the Volti La Scala looking speakers sound?

You have some great pictures of some beautiful gear. What were those shiny nuclear reactor looking things in one of your pictures? It looks like something from Star Trek...
Linkwitz(at least the 6- driver speakers) were powered by two 5- channel Emotiva amps rated at 1000 watts each. Not sure how this setup was crossed over, DSP, etc. but they sounded great and for my ear, better than anything else at the show. Volti Vittoras were just awesome- looking and sounding. You need a big pocketbook and a big space to contain these suckers.

Think you are talking about the NAT tube amps in re: to the reactors. These have been at the show the last three years and I take a pic or two every time I see them.
 

Nick Danger

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#10
Checked out a couple items from your pictures. Did'ja notice the NAT 170w single tube amp - out of Serbia!!! I think they call it a Magma because of the glow it puts off.
Great looking amp but as beautiful the kit in the NAT looked, the room was not memorable for me sonically and it was at least $750,000 worth of gear.
 

Nick Danger

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#11
Thanks for the pictures, Douglas. Attending an event like that sure helps to broaden your horizons. Not a cassette tape deck or open-reel deck in sight - that's too bad. I would love to take various mix tapes I've received from members to play through those systems. Regarding the speakers, I really like the Volti Audio Vittoras. They have that Klipsch-like build.

Nando.
Zero tapedecks, Nando. Saw a few open reels but only one that was in use, a Studer of some sorts and it was actually recording when I was in the room. They also had a J- Corder Techics 10" deck, but at $10,000, yes $10,000 and still probably needing to be restored mechanically/ electronically......meh. It was not plugged in and not sure if it was auditioned at all during the show.
 

ksrigg

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#12
The amps looked impressive. The Linkwitz speakers I have seen before. I think they have had a similar speaker in the lineup for years. They were available as a kit, as I remember. I think Madisound sold them for a while. I was tempted to build them a few years ago..

The reactors look awesome, but I'll bet, based on their price, that may be the same pair you have seen for the last several years...

I bet you had a ball. I went to CES a few years ago, and it was one of the best days I have ever had listening to all the different audio offerings..
 
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