Rocky Mountain High: Denver's high-end audio fest
The Rocky Mountain Audio Fest 2008 was held at two hotels: the Denver Marriott Tech Center Hotel and the Hyatt Regency Tech Center on October 10 through October 12, 2008.
UPDATE: Click here to view more pictures from the RMAF.
The hundreds of manufacturers participating at the show proves high-end audio is alive and definitely kicking. RMAF has a very different vibe than the Consumer Electronics Show held in Las Vegas every January--RMAF is friendlier, without a hint of corporate oppression that dominates mainstream shows.
The KEF Muon super speaker.
(Credit: Steve Guttenberg)High-end audio is a smaller industry, where established brands such as Krell and Vandersteen compete against fledgling start-ups. Every manufacturer sets out to build the very best performing products, without the dulling constraints that Sony or Bose has to contend with.
Cruising through the 160 demo rooms I noticed an interesting trend, a minority of companies were using CD players. Maybe half had music servers/laptops, 30 percent were spinning vinyl, a couple had reel-to-reel analog tape machines, and the remainder was CD based.
Jolida's new $399 JT-10 all-tube integrated amplifier sounded awesome. It's a gorgeous glass encased design, a little jewel of an amp. Jolida also showed the JD 9 tube phono preamplifier, which was also sounding phenomenal. I believe it's $450, what a deal!
Vacuum tube electronics were plentiful, perhaps even in the majority compared with solid-state. Sure, a lot of gear was pricey, but budget high-end brands, such as Audioengine were making great sound on the cheap, the Audioengine 2 speakers run $200 a pair. Clever name, the Audiophile One is a tiny, $249, 30 watts per channel stereo amplifier. It's no toy, the little thing comes in a bunch of colors and it's built to a very high standard.
High price is no guarantee of ultimate sound quality, but the very best performers are never cheap. The best sound I heard, by far, came from the Focal Grande Utopia EM speakers ($180,000 per pair). The speaker boasts several breakthroughs; check Focal's Web site to learn more. KEF's reigning statement speaker debuted last year at $140,000, but the Muon now runs $165,000 a pair. Aren't you kicking yourself?
Turntable manufacturer Thorens has been around for 125 years, predating consumer audio by a long shot. Its new TD 160 HD boasts a number of breakthroughs and goes for $899, but the brand offers a vast range of more affordable models.
RMAF will return to Denver next October, and I'll be there. Hope you can stop by and see and hear the show for yourself.
Steve Guttenberg is a frequent contributor to magazines and Web sites including Home Entertainment, Playback, and Ultimate AV. He is a member of the CNET Blog Network, and is not an employee of CNET. Disclosure. 
- by pubmat October 28, 2008 10:47 AM PDT
- If you think Klispsch is king, that you're seriously limiting yourself. They have some good stuff, but there's a LOT more out there that sounds as good or better.
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