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Positive Feedback ISSUE 9
october/november 2003
VSAC 2003 - A Terrific Regional Fine Audio Show!
Photo Essay, Part II: The Second Day, First Chapter
by David W. Robinson
Once we were up and about on the second day of VSAC, it was time to get busy! I decided to start on the third floor and work my way down. The first thing that I checked out was the Electronluv room, where the good mad doctor Josh Stippich was once more wowing the masses with designs not seen on any planet in the nearby vicinity of Earth. (No lie!)
Caption: Uh, YEAH!
Ever since Josh's work splashed down (or was beamed down!) at VSAC 2001, his work has attracted the attention of audiophiles everywhere for its combination of beauty and esoteric audio craftsmanship. He deserves an award of some kind for fusing eye and ear so seductively—kudos, Josh!
Designs like this speak for themselves…
Right next door to Josh, Terry Cain had his room equipped with Cain & Cain speakers, Electronluv electronics, and a radically cool computer-based PCM digital playback from hard disk system that was hard for IT types to resist!
An Electronluv preamp… mondo kewl, for sure.
A closeup of the VRS Audio Systems PCM playback system…computer as source!
Let's not forget analog—a Teres Audio turntable lurked in the corner of Terry's room.
Fine audio as fine art…
The Teres Audio/Bolder Cables/Radii/VMPS/Hagerman room caught my eye for different reasons—more terrific turntable action!
The Teres Audio Model 340 turntable… if you love wood and vinyl, you love this…
The Teres Audio turntable was paired with the Hagerman phono amp…more cool tubes (and dampers!) galore….
Some of Brian Cheney's VMPS speakers at work with Teres Audio/Bolder Cables/Radii and Hagerman.
The Exemplar Audio/Galibier Design room featured some classic horn-loaded cabinets…
…and the appealing new Galibier Design Signature turntable. Thom Mackris and I are already talking about working up a review of either the Signature or the new Extreme model; I'll let you know how this turns out. Note the unique broad drive band… quite the departure from past wisdom.
Cabling and power treatment were out in force!
Much to my sorrow, Winston Ma was not able to attend this year's VSAC—it's just not the same without Winston!—but his products were in evidence in the First Impression Music/Premier Audio room. Also present was the Exemplar Universal player, with some of Winston's fine SACDs and XRCD24s.
Now here's a radically kewl idea… the NYL Ultrasonic Record Cleaner from Bent Audio! Yes, we are already in the queue to review it… and no, you'll have to get your own!
Some of the Bent Audio components on display… good looking stuff.
Galibier's turntables were here, as well. Thom Mackris' work is very promising; I'm really looking forward to giving it a listen later this year.
Jim Hagerman of Hagerman Technology with his new tubed phono amp.
Turntable technology that is this beautiful crosses from engineering to art…Galibier as daydream…
After leaving the Bent Audio/Hagerman/Galibier room, Dave Clark (right) and I saw none other than Ron Hedrich of Marigo Audio.
Another fine moment with Audiobud Steve Rochlin. Steve's a confirmed Ferrari lover, just as I am passionate about Porsche—but I don't have a way cool driving suit, mit shoes!
Yowzah! The height of fashion, Steve!
The Lowther/Experience Music/Vacuum State Electronics room had a clean look and feel.
Doc B.'s room (Bottlehead/MagneQuest/Progressive Engineering/Paul Stubblebine Mastering) was in an awful lot of ways the best of the show.
Of course, a lot of that might have to do with 30ips Stubblebine ¼ inch half-track masters as a source, eh?!
Doc B. presenting his work.
Doc. B and Michael Romanowski getting ready to fire it up!
The Doc has got some exceptional SET designs going these days… gorgeous to see, wonderful to hear. Quite a lot of work went into his setup, it's clear. (Love the LP there, too! I really miss 12" album jacket art work—don't you?)
Dave and Carol Clark digging the fine sound in Bottlehead City
…ditto for Roger Gordon and Dave Glackin…
…and double-damn
ditto for
Well, so much for the third floor; I'll be covering the next two floors in my next show report.
I've got to sneak out right now and publish some of the top secret, "please don't publish THOSE photos!!!" photos…heh heh!!