Rocky Mountain Audio Fest 2009

I noted in my TAS that I received today that Mr Valin gave the Vandersteen 7's 'Best Sound' of the show............while they sounded 'good' I don't recall one of us feeling they were anywhere close to being best.

Heck, I was in the room at the same time as Robert Harley when Richard Vandersteen and he talked of an audition and that he would get out a 'properly broken in' pair, apparently the show pieces were not final or complete ?

Thanks Dave for the good thread and pictures. While the Vandersteen Model Seven's are not in my price bracket I am really looking forward to hearing these one day.

Glen

twich54 said:

I noted in my TAS that I received today that Mr Valin gave the Vandersteen 7's 'Best Sound' of the show............while they sounded 'good' I don't recall one of us feeling they were anywhere close to being best.

Heck, I was in the room at the same time as Robert Harley when Richard Vandersteen and he talked of an audition and that he would get out a 'properly broken in' pair, apparently the show pieces were not final or complete ?

Click to expand...

Dave,

I was in the Primrose Room on Friday morning when JV did his little audition of the YG Anat Refs.

I had a chance to hear some of his reference cuts in this room.

After reading him slam the demo, I really don't get it. The music was played at such a low (barely audible) level, I have no idea how he came to the conclusions he did.

Point is that I question all these "professional" reviewers and what they have to say, which further reinforces the basic premise of high end audio.

Listen before you buy.

Gordon

Gordon Gray said:

Point is that I question all these "professional" reviewers and what they have to say, which further reinforces the basic premise of high end audio.

Click to expand...

Agreed, Gordon. Any "professional" reviewer that would give a strong opinion of a component based on a short audition under show conditions is pretty unprofessional, in my book. I heard the Anat's three times at the same show, and twice they sounded awful but once they sounded pretty darn good. So what conclusions can you draw from that? Simply that you can't make valid judgments about a component based on hearing it in show conditions. And if that is clear to a novice like me, shouldn't a professional reviewer understand it?

Now, to his credit, JV did mention that the same speakers sounded much better in another room. But then, earlier in the same column, he attempts to place the blame for overall lack of great sound at the show, in part, on the ubiquitous use of digital servers for sources. Then, in the same breath, he admits that some of the better sound at show, including his best of show, were using digital front ends. His column reads to me like a very intelligent person that has little of substance to say, so he just blows a bunch of verbal smoke to fill up space. Now I remember why I let my subscriptions to Stereophile and TAS lapse.

Like several people have already said, thank you for taking the time to post all of the photos and make all of the comments. This must have taken a lot of your time MiTT/Tim.

Rich said:

Now I remember why I let my subscriptions to Stereophile and TAS lapse.

Click to expand...

Likewise...