When I first attended a T.H.E. Show in Las Vegas, it was the 5th anniversary of this event. Their June 2024 show in Costa Mesa was their 28th. Time flies.
The organizers chose to use the Hilton Orange County/Costa Mesa again this year, an excellent choice because it has many large exhibit rooms, friendly staff, and relatively wide hallways (which were properly air conditioned this time). The hotel is well maintained, close to both the freeway system and John Wayne Airport, within walking distance of a broad selection of reasonably-priced restaurants, and it has plenty of parking (albeit expensive if you’re not staying at the hotel). Fortunately, there is more parking in a pleasant residential neighborhood a couple of blocks east, which is free.
My audio buddy, Amnon Silberger, and I decided to grab a room at the host hotel this year, and after a snafu at the front desk – which the capable Amy sorted out – our stay was quite comfortable. We had a nice view from our room, and I spent an hour relaxing on the balcony (from where I took the shot above).
Many of us can’t start a good day without a good cup of coffee. Fortunately, Kean Coffee was on hand to provide same. The gregarious, very knowledgeable barista had lots of stories and information to share. Amnon (in the checkered shirt) is as particular about his coffee as I am about my scotch and he had many questions, while the amiable Jeff Smith of Silversmith Audio looked on. Jeff lived in San Diego for many years while he was in the Navy, but moved to Wyoming when he retired.
I felt that Peter Noerbaek’s PBN Audio system offered the best sound of the show last year. That system utilized only the center columns shown here, which were placed in a room half this size. Those four 18-inch JBL woofers were more than enough to fill that room.
He said that the 10 woofers used in this system were capable of saturating the entire floor. “Show me?” I requested, but Peter demonstrated the kind of restraint that eludes many Aquarians. He only let them fly after show hours, which was truly a thrill. They filled the room like a real orchestra, which gave me goosebumps. With this system, you’ll never wonder if you’re getting the full impact of the music. Neither the midrange nor the high end suffered for it as they held their own, revealing details with surgical precision and no audible distortion.
If you insist on hearing concerts at your convenience, this is as close as you’ll get to concert hall sound without a ticket.
Remarkably, all the electronic components in this system were built by Peter personally (except for the computer and the dbx speaker management system – which controlled the response of the sub towers). That insures quality and perfect component matching.
It seemed reasonable to assume that this would be at least a million-dollar system, but to my surprise, the combination can be bought for $350,000 including the four speakers. That’s less than some companies charge for a pair of speakers. If you want only the four towers, you’re looking at $160,000 — less than the price of some turntables.
It was nice to see Merryl Jaye and her outstanding paintings back again this year. Her ability to capture the spirit of famous musicians is remarkable. Apparently, she sells prints of her paintings now, so if you’re eager to have an artistic image of your favorite musical artist on the wall, you can check them out at merryljaye.com.
The first lecture at the show was presented by Norman Varney of AV Room Service. He emphasized the importance of room acoustics in the overall sound of a system, and that appropriate wall treatment can mitigate room modes, first order reflections, and reverberation times. I couldn’t agree more. My feeling is that poor room acoustics limit the potential of an audio system like bald tires undermine the handling of a Ducati.
Fuse Audio sells a number of interesting products including vintage-looking table radios and Bluetooth speakers, and functional vertical record players (for about $200) – unique gifts.
If you want a simple, unobtrusive system that produces outstanding sound, the Danish Børresen 2.5-way C3 speakers might be for you. The woven carbon fiber drivers presented startling dynamics and deep bass. The planar tweeter sounded clean and accurate. The speakers sell for $38,000 per pair. and the Axxess Forté 3 amp/DAC/streamer for $11,000. The music source was Qobuz.
This system proves that you don’t need a tall rack of equipment to get great audio. Many $50,000 systems I’ve heard couldn’t touch this sound, let alone fill a huge room. The enthusiastic presenter was a delight to watch in action.
The AGD Productions room featured $30,000/pair Ocean Way speakers. The designer, Alan Sides, wasn’t there this year, which is a shame because I always learn from his considerable studio experience. These speakers are the same as were presented last year, and all the same superlatives apply.
The Ocean Way speakers were powered by $40,000 AGD Gallium nitride tube electronics. They aren't tubes in the classic sense because they were filled with solid-state electronics. The resolution of the bass was compelling, so the amps must have exercised a powerful grip on the speakers.
In an effort to broaden the scope of the show, Emiko Carlin, T.H.E. Show CEO, included cars (below) and some items of interest to the ladies. It’s a brave foray into the unknown and only time will tell if this new idea pans out.
Neither John Garrett nor I could figure out what the hell this thing is. It was located in one of the hallways and we presumed it was a piece of art, but who knows, maybe it’s a kid’s toy or a baby carriage. It didn’t take us long to give up trying to figure it out.
I met John, a professional photographer and photo restorer, at the show and for some reason, we just hit it off. I’m not sure why because he looks like a retired pirate, but hey, he’s got a great sense of humor and we shared a lot of drinks er…laughs. I look forward to seeing him at the next show.
Many of us have to deal with WAF, the "wife acceptance factor,” the one area where the PBN system may not excel. I can hear it now: “Sure, you can buy those four towers, so long as you keep them in the garage.”
On the other hand, I can’t imagine any spouse objecting to these Steinway Lyngdorf Model B speakers. The piano-black finish is stunning. That’s not chrome gleaming along the vertical sides of the baffle, it’s polished black enamel. This active, $120,000 speaker is a 4-way dipole design with an aluminum baffle and frame.
So how does it sound? I have no idea. They are reputed to be indistinguishable from a live Steinway piano, but nobody played them during the times I visited. Located in a giant, noisy hall along with a bunch of other vendors, my guess is that this was a static display intended to attract customers to the nearby Atlantic Home Entertainment store.
OC Autosource, a retailer of high-end vehicles, is located across the lobby from the hotel. They invited attendees to their private showroom to enjoy the cars and appetizers.
Amongst the Italian, German and British motorcars was this fine Mustang. At the time it was introduced, I’d have given my left……..well, you can read the rest of the story in last month’s coverage of the La Jolla Concours d’Elegance (in Issue 207).
Last year, the affable Ozan Turan from High End by Oz let us down. He promised an evening audition of the German-made Lansche Audio 5.2 speakers ($60,000/pair) with the plasma (ionic) tweeters, but his room was locked all evening. My guess is he met some old friends and found they had a lot of catching up to do. He made the right choice.
This year, he partnered with the folks from Cake Audio, and I guess they kept him on the straight and narrow because we were able to enjoy an evening audition free of crowds and distractions. It amazing how much better speakers sound under those conditions. This system presented spectacular sound: full bass, resolving midrange, and sweet highs. The associated electronic equipment (listed on the posters along the wall) retails for about $180,000.
Last year, we were gobsmacked by the $4,500 Tonian Labs speakers (the blond ones in the center). The bass and soundstage emanating from such a small box coupled with an inexpensive generic amp had to be heard to be believed.
This year, Tony Minasian introduced a bigger model at $9,500. I suggested to him that people shopping in that price range might want to make an aesthetic as well as an acoustic statement, and I’m not sure these utilitarian-looking boxes will satisfy that desire. I hope I’m wrong, after all, Harbeth, Spendor, and ProAc seem to be doing well, but America is a different market.
The Waterloo Signature speaker from JPorter Studios is an active 3-way system featuring ceramic/aluminum drivers. The cabinet is made from 32-layer Baltic birch and the woofer is mass loaded by a 62-inch transmission line. Their price includes the rolling stands, which makes it easy to place the speakers at the ideal acoustic location for active listening, then roll them out of the way when not in use.
The sound was very neutral with great bass, dynamics, and a remarkably smooth high end for a hard-dome tweeter. Vocals were highly resolving, natural and unstrained. These speakers represent great value for $15K and my guess is that Mr. Porter (shown) won’t hold that price for long.
Thoughtfully, he provided a comprehensive printout listing the equipment, prices, and features. I don't know why all exhibitors don't do that.
T.H.E. Show organizer Emiko Carlin somehow got three competing speaker manufacturers to sit down in front of an audience and expound on their audio philosophies. That was quite a coup which made for a very interesting discussion. The transcript of this meeting could fill a book so I’m not about to repeat it here (it’s probably available on the web).
Each of these manufacturers make products that I’d be proud to own. They are Richard Vandersteen of Vandersteen Audio, Bill Dudleston of Legacy Audio, and Andrew Jones of KEF, TAD, ELAC, and most recently MoFi (he just can't seem to keep a job for much more than 15 years).
For me, this panel discussion was the highlight of the show.
Emiko Carlin has been active in organizing T.H.E. Show for years. This year, she bought it and became CEO. Her energy, enthusiasm, charm, and experience mean that this event is likely to be popular for many years to come. As you can see, I’m glad she’s in charge.
Disclaimer:
As usual, I wasn’t able to audition all the systems at the show due in part to time constraints, and also to the fact that the place was so packed on Saturday afternoon it was difficult to access an optimum seating position in any room. Even when I could, it was rare to find a room free of errant conversations (that should have been conducted out in the hall). Sundays are even worse, which is why I never stay for them.
The systems I featured in this article were chosen in part because I was able to hear them on Friday or after hours, when things were quiet so I could give them a proper audition. There were many systems I wasn’t able to audition in this fashion, so they were not featured even though they might have deserved accolades. Hopefully other reviewers will cover the slack.
Lastly, all photos were taken on a cell phone because I’m sick and tired of lugging a brick around my neck. Not only that, it’s hard to wipe Bunnahabhain off the lens.
