French Vintage HiFi
  • Hardware
  • M.A.D. Speakers
  • Music
  • Interviews & Reviews
  • Store
  • Links
  • Contact us

A great place to discover French Vintage hifi products
&
​much more…

Review - Australia Audio & AV Show 2014 - Melbourne - Part 1

21/10/2014

Comments

 
Picture
Intercontinental Rialto Towers Melbourne - such a good venue for the Oz Audio Show
I can't believe it has been a year already since I was last in Melbourne for the previous Show!
I woke up at 4.00am to catch the first flight from Sydney and was in Melbourne way before the opening time. Walking from Spencer Street Station to the Intercontinental is only a 15 mins walk, invigorating as the cold Melbourne morning air was "au rendez-vous". And the place was packed with 70,000 Jehovah Witnesses attending their annual gathering at the near by Etihad Stadium. Quite a sight and a very polite, well dressed and orderly procession, it was!

With 42 exhibitors and maybe 50 rooms to visit, it is not a huge show, but all the important players in the local market and their suppliers are committed to give the audience a good time!
And a good time I had, indeed...So here is my report organised in a different format, as I can!

Involve Audio - The most innovative product and it is Australian!

Picture
Combine electrostatic speakers, innovative signal processing technology, and a hint of vintage quadraphony and you are close enough to describing Involve Audio. Here are a few diagrams that might help understand how it works. And by the way, it does work!
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
The interesting thing is that technically, you could use your own speakers and definitely your own amplifiers, as they are not part of the system. However, the way the speakers are designed, they take full advantage of the decoded signal and will bring you the best surround sound result.
I actually find the look of the speakers quite interesting and they sound pretty good at the price.

Kyron Audio - the most awarded product before and during the Show

Picture
If you follow me on this blog, you will know that it is no secret that I really like those speakers - actually, I should say this system. I have been a great advocate since the beginning of Leon and Lee adventure with the Gaia, and now there is no excuses for not considering buying their gear, with the introduction of the Kronos. You need only a source to play music, and that be be your audio files on your computer, iDevices or Androids, and why not connecting an OPPO player and a  turntable. That should leave you some spare cash out of a 100K$ to buy more vinyls...
And I have been vindicated by Michael Fremer of Stereophile fame who could not find enough praise for the Kronos on his blog Analog Planet: http://www.analogplanet.com/content/kyron-audios-kronos-best-sounding-system-you-will-ever-hear.
Michael was invited at the Show to run a turntable masterclass and he was enticed to go and have a listen to the Kronos. The boys were a bit nervous, I heard, but then they got over it!
Picture
Picture
Picture
Happy boys - Sound & Image Award for Best Speaker 2014
Picture
Kyron Audio - all the trophies!

The cutest products

Picture
Dared Audio Headphone valve Amplifier
Picture
Woo Audio - WA7 Headphone amp and DAC
I didn't get a chance to listen to these cuties, but I have found memories of discovering WOO at the CES in 2012, where their minimalist look and great sound opened my mind to this genre.
I will have a whole chapter of this review on headphones, miniDACs and amp in episode 2.

SONY - the most innovative and coherent offer in AV

Picture
SONY Headphone with integrated DAC and Amp for just $500. A very elegant and well performing option for music lovers on the go. Full review with all the other I tried in Episode 2 later in the week.
Picture
Then on to a proper hi-end 2-channel system, that you can then move up to a 5.1 system
Picture
Hi-Res Audio for dummies
Picture
SONY 85" ULTRA HD 4K Screen - one word - Amazing!
Picture
SONY ULTRA HD explained
Very good private demo of the various capabilities of the Hi-Res Audio new products from SONY, coupled with the amazing 85" - that's 2.15m diagonal! The video signal processing, the hi-speed refresh rate and the new pixel technology make you feel more looking at a slide projector than a TV screen. Who remembers the first demos by Dr Faroudja at CEDIA in the 90s. Incroyable!
The audio side of things was not as stunning, but it was very good indeed for a Japanese designed speaker. I like the new three-part tweeter. Things were on the brighter side as a result.

Where are the French?

Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Although these four French brands of speakers have reputable distributors in Australia, none of them chose to show their French wares at the Show, and I believe the Aussie audiophiles are missing out on some great products. Hopefully this will be different next year.
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Devialet had team up with Athom and a special edition of their GT-1 to give us one of the most spectacular demo of the Show. No sub, just two very good bookshelf speakers. The CD transport was provided by OPPO, although the DAC in use was the Deviate. The speakers were also further equalised with the proprietary SAM technology which covers about 60 different speakers as of today, but up to 200 before the end of the year. The system is keenly priced as well.
Picture
Picture
SAM and ADH technology explained. This is very similar to DEXQ used in Kyron Audio and Legend
Picture
OPPO was presenting the new universal player, headphone amp and planar headphones. What else do you need?
Picture
Audio Marketing was showing the middle of the FOCAL range - the Electras
Picture
YBA and Allnic in an imposing show of force.to take you to Audio Heaven

Speaker oddities

Picture
Picture
DC10 Audio horn speaker
Most speaker designers follow some of the same principles and end up with different box designs, relying on proprietary drivers, esoteric loading, complex crossover and cabinet geometries variations to deliver what each believes to be the best sound at that price point.
On the other hand a few, like Kyron Audio, Siegfried Linkwitz and the two culprits here, Brodmann and DC10Audio make wonders out of designs that are not following the book.

I have been willing to find out about these speakers in real life for quite a while, as I suspected that although their design is very unconventional, they might actually work very well. And guess what? I was quite impressed! And yes they were very well fed by a YBA CD transport, an Allnic DAC and an YBA amplifier, and I was welcome to play one of my favourite CDs - Patricia Barber's Cafe Blue, A Taste of Honey on HDCD - and the high sensitivity coupled with the horn dispersion made it for a very smooth, dynamic and precise sound. And they look gorgeous too...WAF!
Picture
Brodmann speakers, designed by famous Austrian piano makers
I have discovered these speakers at the CES in 2012 and was quite intrigued by them. I have since had a chance to listen to them numerous times here in Australia with mixed results. But at this Show, they were paired with Thrax -  which I first heard driving Kaiser speakers - and an Ypsilon CD transport which i love the look of - and the result was mesmerising. Having just not one, but two tweeters on the front baffle for the top of the range model shown here (a no no in MY book...) and the bass-midrange drivers on the side of the cabinets, you need a particularly good positioning to reproduce the sort of diffuse sound that you experience in the concert hall when you are far away from the orchestra. These speakers are amazing on classical orchestral music, and at reproducing cellos, one of my favourite instruments. Thumbs up!

A few turntables for good measure

Picture
Acoustic Solid Wood MPX with optical cartridge from DS Audio, distributed by GrooveWorks
Picture
DS Audio Optical Cartridge
Picture
The monumental McIntosh turntable and associated gear
Picture
REGA P9 and BMR speakers. Very nice system
Picture
AVID Reference Turntable with SME arm
Picture
A small part of the Pro-Ject family
Picture
Probably the most expensive turntable at the Show: TechDAS Air Force One with Simplicity II Tangential Pivoted Arm and TechDAS TDC01 Ti Cartridge. all this for the modest sum of 100K$...
Picture
Audio Note Turntable
Picture
Spiral Groove Turntable
Picture
The amazing Caliburn turntable
Picture
Speaker bits as the name doesn't suggest is into importing Thorens turntables, Ortolan cartridges and repairing turntables, when they are not busy reinventing vintage hifi!
That's it for Episode 1! On the next and final episode, I will review DACs and headphones and their partnering amps, all the major British brands including my report on the private listening session of the Statement amplifier and associated gear from NAIM. And obviously, all the nice Australian gear like Legend, Richter, Osborne and Krix. Until then...good night!
Comments

    Author

    Born in France, well travelled, relocated to Sydney in 1997.
    Loves to cook for family and friends from seasonal and local ingredients and listen to live and recorded music, the subject on hand here!
    I am an electronic engineer by trade, speaker designer of some fame in the mid 80s, now involved in techncal and architectural products for the Building Industry.
       www.archinterface.com.au
    I also blog on food, wine and travel, focused on all things French:
    www.ourfrenchimpressions.com

    Picture

    Archives

    July 2023
    January 2021
    April 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    January 2018
    April 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    October 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    May 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    August 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010
    October 2010
    September 2010
    August 2010
    July 2010
    June 2010
    May 2010
    April 2010
    March 2010

    Categories

    All
    2012 International Ces
    215 Rtf
    24/192
    24/96
    320kbps
    384/32
    3A
    3A Acoustic Pressure Feedback
    3A ADAGIO
    3A ANDANTE
    3A APOGEE
    3A ARIOSO
    4040
    4050
    4240
    4260
    6moons
    96khz/24bit
    A2T
    A31
    Acapella
    Acoustical Beauty
    Addax
    Advance Audio
    Aeolus
    Aerosystem One
    AGILENT
    AHL Toltèque
    Aiff
    Alain Calmettes
    Alain Guillaud
    Alain Wacquet
    Alexa
    Alpheratz
    Ambronay Editions
    Amplifiers
    Analog Collector
    Andre Charlin
    Andre Charlin
    Android
    Anne-Sophie Mutter
    Anniversary
    Antelope Audio
    Apple
    Aria 5
    Astell & Kern
    Astin Trew
    At5
    Atohm
    Audax
    Audioaccess
    Audioanalyse
    Audioconnection
    Audioconnexion
    Audioconseil
    Audio Dynamics
    Audiogon
    Audio Heaven
    Audiolineaire
    Audio Marketing
    Audio Note Japan
    Audio Reference
    Audio Trends
    Audio Vintage Forum
    Australian Hifi Magazine
    Australian HiFi Show 2012 Sydney
    Australian HiFi Show 2012 - Sydney
    Avantgarde
    Aw Audio
    Aw Audio Ea 16
    AWOX
    Axente
    Bang & Olufsen
    Barney Oliver
    Bass Reflex
    Bc Acoustique
    Bee Jaz
    Belgium
    Beomaster 5400
    Bergman
    Bergmann Magne
    Blog
    Bluetooth Speaker
    Bmr
    Bose 901
    Bourbon Lancy
    Bowers & Wilkin
    Brad Serhan
    Braun
    Brett Whiteley
    Brigadier Audio Group
    Brigitte Bardot
    Bryston
    Bs50
    Cabasse
    Cabasse Artis
    Cabasse In Australia
    Cabasse Ocean
    Cabinet
    Cabinet Design
    Calliope Cd Player
    Cambridge Audio
    Canon
    Canor
    Carol-Anne Cassidy
    Cd
    Cd1
    Cedia
    Cedric Leon
    Ces 2012
    Chambord
    Charles & Ray Eames
    Charlie Hebdo
    Chateau Jean Faure
    Chinese New Year
    Christian Gerhards
    Christian Grados
    Christophe Cabasse
    Class D
    Classic Hifi
    Classique
    Clement
    Compact Disc
    Confluence
    Confluence Cantilene
    Confluence Pastorale
    Consonance
    Cote Paris
    DA-650
    DA-750
    DAI-1CHI
    Dan D'Agostino
    Daniel Dehay
    D'Appolito
    DAR
    Dave Wilson
    David Allen
    Da Vinci
    Davis
    Davis Acoustics
    Denis Beau
    Denon
    Design Principles
    Devialet
    Devialet Phantom Speaker
    Deviate Expert Amplifier
    Dgg
    Diatone
    Digital Audio Review
    Digital Downloads
    Dire Straits
    D-Premier
    DSP
    Dual
    Dual Turntable
    Duntech
    Duocell
    EA 11
    EA-11
    EA 12
    EA-12
    EA-16
    Ead
    Ecm
    Edison
    Edison Cylinder
    Electrocompaniet
    Electrodynamic Panels
    Elipson
    Elipson 1800 Series
    Elipson 1801
    Elipson 4050
    Elipson 4240
    Elipson 4260
    Elipson BS50 Original
    Elipson Bs50 Tribute
    Elipson In Australia
    Elipson Planet L
    Elipson Religieuses
    Elipson Studio Pro
    Encel Stereo
    Epure
    ERA
    Era Turntable
    Europe Audio Diffusion
    Evaanna Manley
    Filter
    Finland
    Flac
    Flamingos
    Foam Suspension
    Foca
    Focal
    Focal. JM Lab
    Focal. JM Lab
    Form And Function
    Fostex
    France Acoustique
    French Hifi
    French Product At The Ces 2012
    French Products At The Ces 2012
    French Technology
    French Vintage Hifi
    Ft96h
    Full Range
    Full Range Speakers
    Furniture
    Fx120
    Gaia
    Galaxy
    Garrard 401
    George Cabasse
    Georges Cabasse
    Ghislain Prugnard
    Gilles Milot
    Grado
    Gramophone
    Grande Utopia
    Grande Utopia Em
    Grand Utopia Be
    Group Delay
    Grundig
    Guarneri Homage
    Guarneri Memento
    Guy Hf
    GUY.HF
    Habitat
    Harman Kardon
    Hd212 Pro
    Hdtv
    Helma Paulson
    Helmholtz
    Hencot
    Heritage
    Hewlett Packard
    Hewlett-Packard
    Hifi Antique
    Hifi Furniture
    Hifi News
    Hifi Stereo Magazine
    Hifi Video
    Hifi Vintage
    High Efficiency
    High Efficiency Loudspeakers
    High End Show Munich
    Holst
    Hotel Paris Marriott Rive Gauche
    HP
    Icon Audio
    Ina
    International Dynamics
    International Hifi Show Melbourne 2016
    Interview
    In Wall Speakers
    Ion Tweeter
    Ipad
    Iphone
    Ipod
    Ipod Dock
    Ise Amsterdam
    Isokinetic
    Itrax
    Ja500
    Ja80
    Jacki Pugh
    Jacques Mahul
    Jacques Mahul
    Jadis
    Jane Birkin
    Japanese Vintage Hifi
    Jarre
    Jarre Technologies
    Jc2 Bp
    Jc3
    Jc Verdier
    Jean-Claude Fouurière
    Jean Hiraga
    Jean-Jacques Capello
    Jean-Marc Hauchard
    Jean-Marie Hubert
    Jean-Marie Raynaud
    Jean-Michel Jarre
    Jean Paul Guy
    Jean-Paul Guy
    Jean-paul Guy
    Je T'aime...moi Non Plus
    JFF Diffusion
    Jmb Acoustique
    Jmlab
    John Darko
    Josef Svalander
    Joseph Leon
    Jullien Thaler
    KC-X1
    KEF
    Ken Kessler
    Kenwood
    KEYSIGHT
    Kingsound
    KM-X1
    Kondo
    Kreon
    Kronos
    Ktr Lab
    Kuzma
    Kyron Audio
    Laborie. Oppo
    La Maison Du Haut-Parleur Paris
    La Marseillaise
    Langsche
    La Sphere
    Las Vegas
    Leedh
    Lenco
    Len Wallis Audio
    Le Studio Hifi
    Line Array
    Linkwitz-Riley
    Linn
    Loudspeakers
    LVMH
    Lyra
    M.A.D.
    Magnepan
    Magnesium
    Mamiya
    Manley Labs
    Marantz
    Marcel Rochet
    Marc Fontaine
    Marc Le Bihan
    Marc Rushton
    Martial Hernandez
    Martin Logan
    Martin Logan Ethos
    Martin Viktorin
    Mas Amiel
    Max Chalambeau
    Mcintosh
    Melbourne
    Melbourne Hifi Show October 2011
    Membranes
    Memphis Slim
    Mercuriale
    Meridian
    Metronome
    Metrum
    Michell
    Michell Orbe
    Michel Visan
    Micromega
    Microphase
    Microphase Audio Design
    Microphase Csw
    Microphase Triton
    Micro Third Four
    Midi
    Minute
    Mirare
    Mitchell Engineering
    Momentum
    Montpellier
    Morel
    Mosfet
    Mp3
    Mulidine
    Music
    Nad
    Nagra
    Neil Young
    Niagara
    Nikon
    Norway
    Novotel Paris Tour Eiffel
    Nuvo Technologies
    Ny 2014
    Nye 2014
    Ocean
    Ocellia
    Olivier Decelle
    Olympus
    Ondine
    Onken
    Open Baffle
    Open Reel
    Oppo
    OPPO BD 95
    OPPO BD-95
    Oracle Audio Technologies
    Origin Live
    Ortophon
    Otl
    Outdoor Speaker
    Parasound
    Paris
    Paris Hifi Show
    Paris Hifi Show 2011
    Pascal Louvet
    Passion Elipson
    Passion-elipson
    Patrick Pennetier
    Patrick Vercher
    Paul Amiel
    Paul Miller
    Pel Integrale
    Penaudio
    Phantom
    Philippe Lesage
    Philips CD-PRO II
    Phl Audio
    Phonophone
    Pierre Breart
    Pierre Clement
    Pierre Etienne Leon
    Pierre-Etienne Leon
    Pierre Lurne
    Pierre Riffaud
    Planet L
    Plus Loin Music
    Point Musiques
    Pono Player
    Pro-Ject
    Provence
    Qobuz
    Quad
    Quadral
    RAAL
    Radiance
    Raymond Lerat
    Recital 12
    REF 65
    Rega
    Rega Arm
    Renaud De Vergnette
    Ribbon
    Rj Baffle
    Rohde & Schwarz
    Rubber Suspension
    Salon De La Hifi Et Du Cinema
    Salon De La Hifi Et Du Cinema Paris 2011
    Salon De La Hifi Et Du Home Cinema
    Salon De La Hifi Et Du Home Cinema 2011
    Salon Du Vintage Paris
    Salon Haute Fidélite 2015
    Salon Haute Fidélité 2016
    Salon Hifi Paris 2012
    Salvator Dali
    Samsung
    Sanken
    Sasha
    SAT
    SAT MK2
    Sats
    Scientelec
    Seas
    Season Greetings
    Secam
    Senheise
    Serge Gainsbourg
    Shanling
    Siare
    Siegfried Linkwitz
    Signature
    Small Speaker
    Sme Arm
    Soledge
    Solen. Impedance Compensation
    Solid State
    Sonab OA 14
    Sonab OA-14
    Sonus Faber
    Sony
    Sooloos
    Soolos
    Sophie Marceau
    Soulution 540
    Spat
    Speakers
    Spearkers Corner Records
    Sphaeron Excalibur
    Sphere
    Steinway Lingdorff
    Stellavox
    Stenheim
    StereoNet
    Stormaudio
    Studio Six Digital
    Sub 10
    Subwoofer
    Summit X
    Supravox
    Suspensions
    Sweden
    Sydney
    Sydney Opera House
    Tandberg
    Tangential Arm
    Tangential Arm Turntable
    Tape Recorders
    Td 350
    Td 550
    Terence Conrad
    The Bellagio
    The Bellagio Las Vegas
    The Decca Sound
    T.H.E. Show 2012
    T.H.E. Show Las Vegas 2012
    T.H.E. Show Vegas
    The Venetian
    Thiel
    Thorens
    Thrax Audio
    Time Alignment
    Tosca
    Traffic
    Transrotor
    Triangle
    Triangle 1180
    Tributaries Cables
    Triphonic
    Tubes
    Turnatable
    Turntables
    Tw8 Tweeter
    Uher
    Unison Research
    Utopia
    Valves
    Verve
    Vicoustic
    Vienna Acoustics
    VIFA
    Vintage Hifi
    Vinyl
    Violet
    Virtual Pivot
    Vismes
    Voigtlander
    Wagner Electronic Services
    Waterfall Audi
    Waterfall Audio
    Watt/Puppy
    WFR12
    Wilson Audio
    Winter & Winter
    Wisdom Audio
    Yba
    Yba Hifi
    Your Week In Provence 2015
    Ypsilon CDT-100 CD Player/transport
    Ypsilon Electronics
    Yves Bernard Andre
    Zig Zag Territoires

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
  • Hardware
  • M.A.D. Speakers
  • Music
  • Interviews & Reviews
  • Store
  • Links
  • Contact us