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I was very pleased with the turnout of the Great Plains Audiofest. It started out as essentially a combined club meeting for the Tulsa and Houston Audio Clubs, but quickly became something more. Many of us had been itching for something like this for a long time, so it was immediately evident that this should become an annual event virtually from the start. We kind of threw together the show quickly, from conception to event in just two months. So that's not a lot of time to get the word out. But I was amazed with how great it turned out. Next year's success is assured, and we'll probably extend through Sunday and make that a seminar day. We made the mistake of not posting any schedule on the GPAF website, opting instead to make announcements here. That's fine for the "locals" and people involved in the clubs, but there were a whole lot of people that found the GPAF website by other means. So they did not know we would be taking down on Sunday and I heard there were several people that came Sunday afternoon, some even coming from out of town. I'm very sorry that happened, and next time we'll put a schedule on the GPAF website. Still, the event was incredible. I got to see a lot of old friends and I made a lot of new ones too. This deal is a keeper. The Embassy Suites is beautiful and its staff was pleasant and helpful. Room acoustics in hotels are never good, what room is, really, but as that goes, these were probably towards the better end of the scale. All room boundaries were very solid concrete except the wall facing the atrium. It was drywall and not braced. But the rest of the room and furniture inside was solid. The carpeting and furniture deadened the room just enough that no one treated their rooms at all. The systems sounded pretty good in those rooms. The atrium was attractive, and the open area tended to keep each of us from "walking" on each other acoustically. The hotel staff was slightly concerned that we would make a lot of noise that might fill the atrium - and we most certainly could have done that - but that's not what these kinds of shows are about. Music levels are typically no louder than conversation levels, or maybe just a bit above. Ironically, the fountains in the atrium below were louder than anything else, and it made us all tempted to shut our doors for serious listening sessions. Click photo for larger view
Geddes and AudioKinesis Room It was a real treat having these two at GPAF. I've known Duke for quite some time, and I think he must be the nicest guy in the business. When you meet him in person, he'll always greet you with a big smile full of warmth. Real warmth, not just the salesman smile. He has teamed up with Dr. Earl Geddes to bring a truly exceptional series of loudspeakers to market. The Summa loudspeaker was on display at GPAF. Geddes Summa Loudspeaker They were handing out flyers and diskettes with information about the speakers, so they came prepared. In case you missed your copy of the diskette, here is the specifications document that was on it: Cum Laude I really like these speakers. They are a DI matched two-way, with a 15" midwoofer and a 1" compresson driver. So naturally, I'm in agreement with its design principles and really liked their sound. Duke LeJeune and Earl Geddes Earl is one of the most interesting people in the business. There are a lot of talented people in this business, but Earl is alone in one aspect. He is both academically popular and also approachable to the general public. You don't see that very often. Most of the people that publish a lot in academic circles don't involve themselves much with the public. Those that get directly involved with manufacturing, sales or DIY aren't usually publishing a lot for peer review. But Earl does both, and I think that's to his credit. In person, Earl is a lot of fun. He is just as quick to get into a discussion if the situation is right. He loves to take a contrarian position, often arguing a point that opposes his own published and stated views. Earl sits quietly and watches, and if the conversation takes a turn that is interesting for him, out will come a stream of information. But as you might expect, he marks his words with passion, not like a repository of information but more like an artist striving to make the painting just right. Duke and Lori LeJeune Duke brought his wife Lori, and she was a most pleasant and gracious hostess. To tell the truth, she stole the show. Lori brought some little lamps that got everyone's attention. She sold more of them than she brought. Check out the lamp at the lower right in the photo below. As the lamp slowly changes colors, it steams off water vapor that looks like fog that settles in the valleys at dawn. It hangs in the air, sneaking over the edge of the lamp and drifting away. That thing was so cool, I just had to buy two of them. Earl and Duke, standing beside the Summa loudspeaker
Great Plains Audio Society Room The Great Plains Audio Club room was manned by Mark Margiotta, who recently purchased an Audio Note system, including a pair of Audio Note Conquest monoblocks and AN/E Series speakers. Mark was very helpful preparing for the Great Plains Audiofest, as were many of the other members of the club. We had all talked about doing something like this, and when it came time, everyone pitched in to do their part to make things go as smoothly as possible, to help out of town visitors and to make sure everyone felt welcome. Here is a photo of the Tulsa gang, all of whom could be seen in the halls and rooms of the Embassy Suites last weekend: Standing, from left to right: Mark Margiotta, Phil Wilson, Wayne Parham, Forrest Merrill, Mark Fitzgerald and Akhilesh Bajaj Seated: Anitesh Bajaj And one more, Bill Wassilak: Bill Wassilak standing beside Johan Van Zyl and Vinay Balamuru of Rhino Acoustics (BassMax) Mark Margiotta brought in his Audio Note system and he and Phil Wilson treated people to munchies and drinks throughout the day Saturday. Mark has been a long time vacuum tube enthusiast, and has a very nice vinyl collection. He has recently switched from planars and high power push-pull tube amps to SET and higher efficiency speakers. It was nice that he brought his new Audio Note system, both because it is a great sounding rig and also because the Audio Note dealer couldn't make it. Audio Note USA's David Cope planned to be here, but did not show up. I was told that he may have had a death in the family, and if so, we reach out to him. David skipped the Stereophile show to be here in Tulsa, so it would have taken something major to keep him away. We wish him the best. Mark's system sounded very nice and served as a fitting demonstration of Audio Note gear. Audio Note Conquest Monoblocks, AN/E Series Speakers, Sota Satellite turntable, Meridian CD player and Audio Illusions Preamp
Wayne, Great for those of us who could not attend to see the pics and the people. I had to settle for the "WAF" (Wrongsideofthetracks Audio Fest) here in Columbus, Ohio (See General forum for info). One of these days I will have to travel down to one of your(Tulsa audio groups) get togethers. Ron
Brines Acoustics Room If you've never heard a single driver speaker, then this room would have spoiled you. If you have, then this room might have surprised you. Single driver speakers have often been touted for their coherence and imaging. But the tradeoff usually means limited bass and reduced volume, sometimes some coloration. Brines' speakers don't have these tradeoffs. You get the single driver magic and the bass. Even from Lowthers. That's right, I said Lowthers. I'm the guy across the atrium running the huge 15" 600 watt woofers in horns and I'm telling you these speakers made some serious bass. Brines FB-16, FT-1600 and LT-2000 loudspeakers FT-1600 FB-16 LT-2000 Deep bass wasn't the only thing that impressed me about these speakers. The overall presentation was good, and tonal balance was right. Bob Brines choses components that have controlled cones so midrange is nice and treble is extended without being shrill. He also uses a compensation network to ensure that the response is just right. Bob Brines In the photo below, you see Bob Brines' SP-10 subwoofer, which uses a Peerless 850146 in a 2.0ft3 cabinet tuned to 30Hz. It sounds good with the small FB-16 speakers, but isn't required with the larger ones. They go to 40Hz. On the other hand, crossing over to the mains at 100Hz reduces IMD by reducing bandwidth, so it is an option to consider with any of the models. But the bottom line is that the larger speakers don't need a sub. Jim Rivers showing his appreciation of Brines' speakers You'll notice that Bob brought a portable CD player and a Tripath amp, both sitting on top of the sub in the picture above. These are small enough to carry in your shirt pocket, and make plenty of sound. But Bob also connected three nice tube amps, just so we could all hear several system combinations. The AudioTropic Musical Machine, Nelson Audio Image SE8 and Heart Audio Stoetkit Jr. MkII were played in the Brines room at one point or another. The Musical Machine sounded very nice, and is really a great match for single driver speakers. It's a beautiful amp with lovely sound, but it didn't have quite the power output Bob wanted. I suspect the Walkman didn't drive it to its full level. The Image SE8 is a wonderful little amp, but it didn't do it for Bob, so it was used elsewhere. But the Stoetkit struck a chord. Heart Stoetkit Jr. MkII sitting on Brines SP-10 sub Bob seemed to like the Stoetkit, and I understand because I was smitten by that little amp too. Frank Stuppel provided those to AudioRoundTable.com participants as a group buy last summer, and I fell in love with it right away. You can find more information about the Stoetkit in the FSAudio forum. Here's a closeup view: Heart Audio Stoetkit Jr. MkII So there were lots of things to see and hear in the Brines Acoustics room. If you're interested in single driver speakers and you didn't get a chance to hear them, make every effort to audition a pair sometime.
Houston Audio Club Room Fred Thompson manned the Houston Audio Club room and treated us to his FredArrays. Man, these speakers really sound good. Much better than they have a right to, given the cost figures Fred claims. I told him he should sell them, no kidding. Give 'em a name like "Great 888" and sell 'em for $888, whatdya think? But Fred says there's no sexier name than FredArray. FredArray speaker I am so glad I got to meet Fred. We've visited so many times here that I felt like I knew him. He is really a neat guy, and more talented than he gives himself credit for. I'm telling you, those speakers of his are really neat. Fred Thompson with his FredArray speakers I wouldn't change much about the Great Plains Audiofest next year, but one of the things I'll definitely do differently is to allow myself more time. For example, next year, I'll ask someone in the Tulsa group to act as concierge, getting neccessaries for out of town exhibitors that need them. I'll ask another to act as photographer. And another will be in charge of promotions and press releases. The reason is that I found myself doing this stuff and it gave me little time to sit and listen as much as I'd like. I really wanted to spend more time in Fred's room, to listen to his Ella amp and other goodies. I got to hear several songs on the FredArrays - enough to realize they were pretty awesome speakers - but I intended to get back more. We were able to eat dinner together Saturday night, along with our wives, the Margiotta's, the LeJeune's and Earl Geddes, and that was a pleasant evening. But I really wanted to spend more time with Fred, because he is such a nice guy and he has a lot of really cool toys to check out. Here is some of the other equipment: Dk Design Group VS.1 Reference MkII Integrated Amp and Scott Nixon Tube DAC Ella Amplifier with KT88's
Abraxas Audio Room Abraxas Audio specializes in hand-built, made to order amps. But unlike some of the other custom builders, you can get a nice amp from Abraxas Audio for less than a few thousand bucks. In fact, you can get an amp from Jef for just a few hundred bucks, and it's really a great looking and great sounding amp. That's less money than most of the popular kits, so you might be asking how Jef can afford to make these groovy amps so inexpensively. I'm thinking he has a rich uncle or something. Just look at these things: The way I identify Abraxas Audio amps is by color. Most of them have a brushed aluminum chassis with an anodized or painted color trim, but each is different. The first one I saw and heard was the blue one that Jim Denton bought. It sounded surprisingly good, especially for the price. Must be the rich uncle. At GPAF, Jef brought a yellow amp and a black amp, and Jim's blue amp was there too. Jef and Deborah at Abraxas Audio If you're wanting to make the plunge into a lower power SET amp, I suggest you drop Jef a line. You can get an amp from him for less than you'd spend on a good kit, and you won't have to pick up an iron. Here's another view:
Re: Great Plains Audiofest Writeup, Page 3
I'm very sorry to have missed the show; it looks like a great time was had by all. As Wayne indicated, it did take something quite serious to keep me away, but we don't need to go there . . . . I really appreciate Mark M. preventing a complete lack of Audio Note gear, and I want to apologize to the folks who were hoping to check out more of the AN goodies. I'd like to make it up to the Tulsa crowd by offering to send an Audio Note digital front end for your next get together. Lessee - demo CDT1 and DAC3.1x which sound great and would be quite the deal, or new CDT2/II and DAC1.1x Signature which are ultra brandy new products . . . . . ?
I think I can speak for all who attended when I say we're real sorry to have missed you too. Both for empathetic reasons and for selfish reasons - We wanted to see your cool AN gear. The Audio Note system that Mark displayed sounded great, with deep full bass and luscious mids. I had an Audio Note Kit 2 playing on Friday, Sunday and part of the day Saturday, and it sounded very nice. It's playing right now, as a matter of fact, with Nat King Cole surging through the tubes. I bought the amp from Mark and Brian sent me out the transformer caps - a real bugger to put on, but they really dress up the amp. So Audio Note was represented very well, and all the AN gear looked and sounded great. Audio Note Kit 2
Sorry to have missed you too, David. Hope all is well. Since Mark & Wayne displayed the AN gear, i vote we let them decide what digital gear to get from you at the next GPAC club meet. thanks -akhilesh
Heck, I just really wanted to see Dave.
Element Cable Room Element Cable makes high quality interconnects, but the prices aren't much higher than what you would pay for generic cables at a chain store retail outlet. I was immediately impressed. They sell twisted pair and coaxial cables in various lengths, for preamp level, speaker wires and power. So you can get an attractively dressed quality cable for as low as thirty to fifty dollars and up. Chris and Anthony Wynn brought Quicksilver amps and Quad speakers to the show, and these made an amazing little system. I was impressed with them, especially for their size. Sadly, I didn't get to spend nearly enough time listening to them or visiting with Chris and Anthony. Quad 12L speakers, Quicksilver M-60 monoblocks, Quicksilver linestage and Vincent S-6 MkII CD player Forrest Merrill (GPAC) and Chris Wynn (Element Cable) Chris manned the Element Cable room, while Anthony did recon. You'd see Anthony all over the place, every day, checking out the gear and always with a smile on his face. Anthony Wynn, Forrest Merrill and Fred Thompson
Locus Design and CryoParts Room I really dug this room, one of the coolest in the show. All the exhibitors at GPAF were cool but not like the Cryo guys... OK, sorry. Admitedly a weak play on words. My bad. When I first started talking with Lee online a couple months back - see the thread here - it was like any first meeting. You don't know the person, so you're not going to be quite as open as after you've known each other a while. So here's Lee, a nice and level headed guy, but selling cryogenically treated components, wires, connectors and what not. His commments kind of reminded me of the hair club for men commercial, sort of like "Yeah, I was skeptical at first but then I tried the product and now I'm the owner." So I asked a few questions and tried hard to keep the Herbert Spencer quote in mind: "There is a principle which is a bar against all information, which is proof against all arguments and which cannot fail to keep a man in everlasting ignorance - that principle is contempt prior to investigation." But I've always had my sensors kind of high on the snake oil stuff. There's so much voodoo audio, you know. So when the time came to actually meet Lee at GPAF, I expected him to be wearing a stuffy labcoat with a pocket protector and holding beakers full of liquids wafting vapors out of them, something like that. I must admit to being a little apprehensive. Now let me tell you what - I sized that up all wrong. Lee Weiland and Brian Row of Locus Design and CryoParts were a lot of fun and just about the most laid back people you could ever want to meet. And their room was absolutely cool, but now that I think about it, we've established that already. Lee Weiland and Brian Row They brought a ton of really great gear, but we'll get to that in a minute. I want to focus on this cryo thing for a minute more. Another assumption I had made was that they would want a ton of money for crygenically treated parts. I expected five thousand dollar flux capacitors, you know, that sort of thing. So I asked how much to treat a power cord, and he told me "about twenty bucks." I just about fell over; Boy, was I wrong. At that price, it sure doesn't cost much to try. Then you can say you have cryogenically treated parts in your stereo and wow your friends, or freak them out, whichever the case may be. I guess I should have taken the time to glance through the prices in the CryoParts shopping cart. It's not that expensive to do. Most of the expensive stuff is expensive because of the cost of the item treated, not the cryo process itself. So that set my mind to rest. It isn't an expensive treatment process, not even as much as electroplating or powder coating. Price a ceramic coating for a car part sometime; I could cryo treat my whole house wiring for what it cost to ceramic coat my exhaust headers. Twenty years ago I would have thought it crazy to put "dishware" on my exhaust manifold, but now I'll happily pay a thousand dollars for this treatment. That's another story altogether, but you see what I mean. Beyond that, there's Locus Design, which makes accessories like record clamps and what-not. And Lee brought a ton of really great equipment too. Dig this gear: Eastern Electric amp and CD player with Eminent Technology LFT-16 speakers Those little speakers were really impressive, as was the rest of the gear. I've always liked the sound of ribbon tweeters, and this system sounded great. The woofer was small, but matched well with the ribbons. Mini-monitors usually sound way too compressed for my taste, but these did not. They sounded very nice. The turntable is hard to see in the photo, but it is a SOTA Satellite, which is a great table. This, of course, was assisted by the Locus Design damp clamp and was run through the Eastern Electric phono stage. And look at that rack! I can't believe I just wrote that; Now I know why Lee brought it, so people would talk about his rack. That's just plain wrong. But really, the Dynamics Contrasts "Just a rack" audio rack looked great. This room looked great and sounded great too. More photos
There's a review of element cables at the link below. I have been using Element cables in my system for several months after a friend from the Houston Audio Society told me about them. Exceptional value! Element Cables Review
Iconic Manufacturing Room Iconic Manufacturing was represented by Todd White, who displayed a fine assortment of drivers, horns and loudspeaker cabinets made using original Altec tools and specs. Iconic has a business relationship with Great Plains Audio, run by Bill Hanuschak, and they make new release Altec drivers while Iconic implements them into loudspeaker systems. Todd White and an assortment of Iconic speakers, drivers and horns From what I've seen there is a lot of overlap in the job descriptions of each of these two men, with Todd essentially taking on the marketing efforts and Bill doing the machining and engineering. But it also appears they change hats a lot, each doing what is needed to make things happen. Todd is certainly up on his specs and technical abilities, and he loves to discuss the history of Altec and its future as represented though Iconic. Todd tells me that they provide new release Altec parts having the same specs as the originals, but that they also provide improved models that Todd says Altec would have done had they still been around. I saw the compresion driver, one open and another assembled and it certainly looks like a nice unit. The woofers are also attractive looking and I am interested to know more about them. Iconic display table The finished loudspeakers sounded very nice, but I must admit that most of the listening I did was at a time when Todd was playing some very old music that undoubtedly could not display the speaker's true potential. I knew that since Todd is in Tulsa, we could chat later and I could learn more about the options available. I also knew that I could hear the speakers at one of the next Great Plains Audio Club metings or some other visit, so I didn't spend as much time in the Iconic room as I would have liked. But I enjoyed what I heard, and the drivers themselves certainly look like quality units.
Audio Crafters Guild and Zephyr Audio Room Many of you know Norman Tracy of Audio Crafters Guild for his high quality DACs and participation on various discussion forums. He brought out an assortment of delicious goodies, including his new oneZ loudspeaker, based on Fostex FE107E, FW108N, or F120A drivers. The oneZ is the smaller loudspeaker shown below. Norman Tracy of Audio Crafters Guild Norman has done a lot of work, particularly in the area of DACs, and he has made much of it available to the DIY community. Check out the articles and essays, R & D and projects pages on his website. There's a lot of interesting stuff there, so don't look unless you have some time. Leo McIntire of Zephyr Audio was there too, with his Zephyr air bearing linear tracking tone arm. This is really something, and I realized that the labcoat award should definitely go to Leo. I didn't have time to stick around this room room nearly as much as I wanted, because I would have liked to see Leo set this up, to know what kind of preparation is required. I'm anxious for him to bring it out to a Great Plains Audio Club meeting sometime. Leo McIntire with his turntable Leo is an interesting fellow. He has been an audio enthusiast for a long time, and active in the industry. So he remembers many of the events that shaped the industry, and has a lot of intersting stories to tell. I am impressed with this kind of information. I mean, if you think about it, it wasn't that long ago that we went to the moon, but just long enough that there were no personal computers, no AutoCAD, not even scientific calculators. So man went to them moon largely by the efforts of scientists and engineers that depended on slide rules for most of their calculations. This is an example of the kind of thing I'm talking about, and it is very interesting to me. Leo is keen on these kinds of things, and talking with him is very interesting. Here's a closer look at Leo's turntable: SOTA Satellite turntable with Zephyr Air Bearing Linear tracking tone arm
π Speakers Room Well, now we come to my room. I was certainly proud, but I'll not go into details about my speakers here. There are a few things I'd like to say about the models we showed this year, so look for the GPAF coverage post in the π Speakers forum. But I would like to say a few things about the amplifiers we showed, and some other details that may be of interest. We had Audiophile Series seven π Speakers in the front room, and tower two π speakers in the back. Both were connected to a variety of equipment, all of which sounded very nice. I had hand-picked three amplifiers I wanted to show, which was one too many already. And I had offered to setup amps from Selectronic and AudioTropic as well, so that gave me five amps to demo with. Am I spoiled or what? Audiophile Series seven π Cornerhorn Speakers The seven π Speakers were driven by an Audio Note Kit 2, which sounded very nice. The Kit 2 is an excellent value and I was immediately impressed by it. When Mark Margiotta decided to buy a new pair of Audio Note monoblocks (seen in the Tulsa Club room at GPAF), I jumped at the opportunity to buy his Kit 2. Mark installed Audio Note copper caps throughout, except where electrolytics were used, Black Gates were installed. It had been built without transformer covers, so I asked Brian Smith of Audio Note Kits about caps, and he had them in stock and shipped right away. In my opinion, these are a mandatory option. The amp sounds great, but without the caps, its looks don't match its sound. With the caps, this is a very beautiful amp that has looks to match its luscious sound. Audio Note Kit 2 Audio Note gear tends to sound very full to me. I think it is probably voiced for the Audio Note line of speakers, which are actually kind of small compared with most of the systems I run. But the Audio Note Kit 2 sounds absolutely perfect with the seven π's at home, and sounded very very nice at GPAF too. That's why I bought this amp from Mark, because the combination is excellent. I think there may be just the slightest hint of bass bloom in Audio Note amps, but it sounds great and it's what I'm listening to right now, as I write this. My personal favorite system was the Selectronic ProFet monoblocks connected to the AudioTropic Moebius preamp. The system seemed to be a favorite among others at GPAF too. It had the creamy SET tube midrange with perfect bass impact and control. So you got the best of both worlds. Amazing! This system really hushed the crowd, cause you just wanted to listen, hypnotized. AudioTropic Moebius Preamp and Selectronic ProFet monoblocks Back in the second room, I had a pair of two π towers, and I used three separate amps on them. The AudioTropic Musical Machine was connected for most of the afternoon Saturday, and it is a beautiful and great sounding amp, a perfect match for the two π towers. I also connected a Heart Audio Stoetkit Jr. MkII for a while on Friday and a Nelson Audio Image SE8 all Saturday morning and Sunday. Both of these amps cost less than a grand and both offer truly great sound. two π tower I think my favorite is probably still the Stoetkit, but that may be an emotional attachment. I was real involved in the early promotion with Frank Stuppel, not by having any financial involvement, but just because he offered the AudioRoundTable.com group buy deal last summer and so I got one right away. I built mine and detailed it on the FSAudio forum, and then later found a bad capacitor and telephoned Heart in Holland about it. I eventually bought Kimber caps and Black Gates for replacements and bought a bunch of different brands of tubes for it from Aki at BOI Audioworks. So I've just gotten kind of attached to the Stoetkit, and it does sound very, very nice. Nelson Audio Image SE8 The Nelson Audio Image SE8 is an excellent amp too, and it has become one of my favorites. It delivers a lot of good clean power, so the bass isn't washed out like on other low cost SET amps. It has no trouble driving difficult speaker loads either, so that's a plus. Most SET amps get tubby or lack bass with funny loads, but the SE8 has enough oomph to drive them and keep them controlled. And just look at it - It isn't your typical low cost science project looking thing. It's something that you're proud to display as well as to listen to. Speaking of looks, check out the AudioTropic Musical Machine. It's a bit more expensive, but boy does it look and sound nice. This amp sounded great on the tower two π's, and is a beautiful work of art too. AudioTropic Musical Machine
Re: Great Plains Audiofest Writeup, Page 11
Thanks Wayne for all of your hard work bringing this great show coverage to us. I am looking forward to next year and an even bigger GPAF. Norris Wilson
All in all, GPAF this year was a real good time. I got meet a lot of really nice folks, make a few new friends and see a lot of old friends. Here are a few photos of some of the attendees, and a handful of photos of equipment thrown in there too. Click on the photos for a larger view. Mark Fitzgerald, Damon Van Riper and Dean Van Riper Akhilesh Bajaj Alona Parham, Akhilesh Bajaj and Aadesh Bajaj Annette and Jim Parham Bob Spence, Barry Solof, Norman Tracy and Leo McIntire Barry Solof Bill Agee, Debi Agee, Kevin Vincent and Fred Thompson Brad Smith, Phil Wilson and Mark Margiotta Brines Acoustics Room Bob Brines, Deborah Larson, David Thatcher and Barry Solof Deborah Larson, David Thatcher, Barry Solof, Bob Spence and Jef Larson Forrest Merrill and Mark Fitzgerald Bill Agee, Kevin Vincent, Debi Agee and Fred Thompson Fred Thompson and Forrest the Giant Jim Rivers Johan Van Zyl, Vinay Balamuru and Jim Rivers π Speakers Room Alona Parham Barry Solof and Wayne Parham Mark Margiotta, Brad Smith, Norris Wilson and Diana Wilson Todd White Wayne and Alona Parham Earl Geddes and Duke LeJeune seven π loudspeaker Voigt Pipes Audio Note Kit 2 AudioTropic Musical Machine Audio Crafters Guild Bob Spence's Cigar Box DAC Fred Thompson's Rig Nelson Audio Image SE8 AudioTropic Musical Machine and two π tower
Check out the other write-ups too, from Akhilesh, Barry and Russ. Hope to see you at the next GPAF!
Re: Great Plains Audiofest Writeup, Page 1
I finally had a chance to read all of the report and have to say, really nice job, Wayne! Thanks for your hard work on the GPAF, I'm looking forward to next year. Regards, Lee
Re: Great Plains Audiofest Writeup, Page 8
Hi, Wayne. Thank you for the compliments on the rack. They are much appreciated. Alhough I've never met Lee of Cryo-Parts in person, I've purchased product from him numerous times and correspond with him via email on a semi-frequent basis. He's quite the gentleman and his products are very good quality and a real value price wise. Lee was kind enough to offer to display one of my racks to provide me some exposure. And I'm glad to hear his exhibit was a real success. BTW, the model name of the red rack in the photos is the 'What Rack?'. I believe there is another vendor using the name 'Just a Rack' for their product. The What Rack? is my entry level line and my only all-metal version. This one being red anodized aluminum (except for the ss fittings and pods). Whereas my other models incorporate stainless steel and exotic woods. I designed this all aluminum version of the What Rack? for purposes exactly like what Lee used it for while still maintaining a very high degree of performance. The 3-shelf rack assembles in about 10 minutes, only weighs about 25 lbs as it can be lifted off the ground with one finger, and one can fit 3 or 4 of these racks inside a small pup-tent duffle bag when disassembled. In comparison, the stainless steel version of the What Rack? weighs about 3 times that of the aluminum version. I figure when vendors and manufacturers are already lugging hundreds of pounds across the country for a show, who needs another couple hundred pounds worth of racking systems to assemble? I'm not in production as of yet so I hope nobody thinks I'm shilling. If you did not happen to attend THE Show last January, I displayed my prototypes in the lobby there and below is a url showing those photos of my other models. Regards, -John Stehno http://live.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/ces.pl?dynamiccontrast&&ManuView&ST&st1&&&&&THE05