in this issue

CES2006 REPORT
Ascendo
Ascendo Systems M/S three-way ribbon/cone hybrid
loudspeaker ($45k)
Convergent Audio Technology SL-1 Ultimate preamplifier ($9k)
Convergent Audio Technology JL-3 Signature monoblock
amplifiers ($36k)
Reimyo CD player ($13k)
Though these ingeniously time-aligned ribbon/cone
hybrids from Germany didn’t image much outside their
boxes, spreading sounds between the speakers but not
far beyond them, they still evinced gorgeous tone color
with simply marvelous reproduction of strings (both
the string itself and the body of the instrument) on the
Barber Violin Concerto, tremendous dynamic power,
and great low-level detail. Part of their excellence, I’m convinced,
was due to the driving electronics from Ken
Stevens, who, for his showing here and in the MAGICO
room, earns my second Best Electronics at CES award.
Despite the slightly curtailed soundstage, the Ascendos
were certainly one of the better sounds of the show, narrowly
missing a Best Sound award. (P.S. The Reimyo CD
player was also fabulous.)
Avalon/Hovland
Avalon Acoustics Eidolon Diamond loudspeakers ($33k)
Hovland HP-200 full-function tube preamplifier ($9500)
Hovland Stratos solid-state monoblock amplifiers ($34k)
Hovland-modified
Kenwood LO-7D
turntable with Grado
Statement cartridge
I haven’t been a fan of
Avalon Eidolon Diamonds,
but they certainly
showed well this
year driven by Hovland
electronics. Light in
balance, they were airy,
nimble, articulate, and
fast-sounding. On the
Prokofiev sonata LP,
they came very close to
the lifelike sound I hear
in my own system at
home. Cooler than the
Ascendos and not as
voluptuous in tone
color, they are
realistic in their own
right, with wonderful integration
of their drivers. Certainly,
one of the better sounds at CES
Eben XCentric
Convergent
Audio
Technology JC-1
and, like the Sound Labs, Lumen Whites, and Ascendos, razorclose
to one of the very best.
Signals-SuperFi
Peak Consult Zoltan loudspeaker ($37k)
Continuum Audio Labs Caliburn turntable/tonearm/isolation-rack
system ($90k)
Wavac HE-833 v1.3 SET amplifiers
Boulder 2008 phonostage preamp
Boulder 2010 linestage preamp
This 90 grand turntable/tonearm didn’t sound sixty grand better
than a Walker Proscenium Gold, IMO.
Jeff Rowland Design Group
MAGICO Minis ($22k)
Rowland 302 solid-state stereo amplifier ($14.8k)
Rowland Synergy full-function solid-state preamplifier ($6200)
SME Model 20 turntable with SME 4 arm and some farchachdat
strain-gauge cartridge
Jeff Rowland was having some trouble with his strain-gauge cartridge,
which may have contributed to the slightly smoothedout,
less lively, more homogeneous sound of the MAGICO Minis
in this room. For instance, while the violin and piano of the
Prokofiev sonata LP had good meat on their bones, they didn’t
have the life they should have had—and did have—in other
exhibits. Nor did the speakers seem to have the same reach and
coherence in the bass that they had in Alon Wolf’s room.
DALI Loudspeakers
DALI Megalines ($40k)
McIntosh electronics ($God only knows)
This room was a true disappointment, since the ribbon/cone
hybrid Megalines are among my favorite linesource loudspeakers.
With McIntosh driving them, they sounded wiry, flat, and boomy
on the Barber Violin Concerto—a hard feat to accomplish with a
74 THE ABSOLUTE SOUND ■ APRIL/MAY 2006