General Asylum

Posted by Edp (A) on June 10, 2025 at 10:57:32

THE Show SoCal 2025 notes

The folks who it on this show work very hard to make it successful, but attendance of both vendors and people is decreasing. Some of the usual large room venders went to medium sized layouts. Even it being a Saturday, it wasn't packed but rooms were not empty either

With Munich, Axponia, new this year Southwest Show and LA all within 6 or 7 weeks,vendors are tapped out. But again, folks in charge don't lack effort and interest

Being my interest is speakers, my notes won't help those looking for electronics.

Horn based speakers

Only one true full spectrum horn units, rest only direct cone with horn mids/high frequency hybrids

Klang & CO - unit is trying to appear full horn but it is coming up very short. The stuck dual concentric Salad Bowl waveguides if front of direct radiator cones that make a mess of everything it plays. During a passage, listeners hear one part exaggerated from the outer salad bowl, then another part jumping out of the inner salad bowl. Never cohesive, like a multichannel setup coming out of two boxes. To me it's both a visual and sonic mess. Start over.

Odeon - was hoping to like this room, as 6C33B tube parallel SET from same company my 6C33B tube parallel SET comes from (from 20 years ago). Odeon unit was harsh, gritty, poorly implemented crossover , mostly unlistenable. I was actually totally surprised by the lack of refinement of the speaker/electronis combo.


Klipsch - Klipschorn - only full spectrum horn Been awhile, but from the Neck down one forgets the actual marvel of the complex horn folds and pleasing industrial design that Paul Klipsch created before CAD/CAM, computers and modern tech. The room they put them in was both perfect in layout for corner placement and size comparable to a home environment. From the Neck down (folded bass only) performance was truely world class. Big Sound with Ease. No bloat, no thrum, agility when needed, force when called upon. Had forgotten that even with its faults, the original folded horn is still a top performer in a efficient and visual manner. From the Neck up, I've heard more refined horn combos in a home environment.

La Scala - I can respect its technical abilities, but in the same footprint, can get a Hybrid cone/horn combo that has in the ballpark efficiency with less strident performance. JBL L300 as example. The La Scala still provides benefits of a full horn system in a "reasonable" sized footprint, but does have some negative traits many associate with "horns"


ESL/Planar

Final - doing multi channel ATMOS focused setup. Not much time, but same impression as last two years. Strident, Strident, Steely, Strident. Detail to ear drilling levels.

Popori - cone/pannel hybrid. Side firing of the cones up to 300hz seemed to cutdown on the mismatch of direct point source to planar hybrid that other manufactures have been criticized in past. Not solved but approaching solved. Not a ESL that can be placed near back wall. While the room presenter was pointing out the components in the chain, he walked behind speaker talking and there was only a slight drop off in loudness and tone. Indicated to me the lightness of membrane and any bounce of back wall would easily transmit back through. That's actually all good but top performance can only come from "1/3rds" room placement. ( true for most ESLs)

Instruments in the high range (cymbals, triangles, strings) more pronounced, appeared "bigger" than their nature. Bit too analytic but not strident or harsh or tilted up, just more prominent. This could be more me adjusting away from point source/heavier diaphragms.

Clarisys - layout and pannel size has strong reminders of Apogee units. Full range for sure. Mostly well balanced top to bottom, detailed without being etched. Ultimately I didn't get the soul or texture of the midrange when human voice or say cellos I would want, but that might be within the realm of the source/amplification influence. ESL buyers worth checking out

Diptyque - Planar to a fault
in a large room, placed mid room, toed in some, listening seats at distance of equal triangle
I've not lived with true planar speakers but experienced a good number. This speaker maybe the purest planar in performance but not in a good way.
I initially sat one seat to right of the center seat speakers 8 to 10 feet away. I actually felt that the left speaker was NOT working. I had to get up and move to the left of center seat to make sure and now the right speaker was NOT working
I got chance to sit in center seat, and moving head slightly to right, Wham! all center image JUMPED not transitioned to right speaker and left speaker mostly went silent.
Clearly some placement will lessen this trait, but not eliminate. It is the trait one seeks when designing a planar, but they did TOO GOOD of a job. I would not suggest anybody right a check until they demo in the room and setup at home.


Standard cone/boxspeakers

Audio Note - From a bad experienced I had with Audio Note last year, and the " revival of 1980s tech" $10000 homage 8 inch two ways being released, I spent the year, investigating/ buying/ dissecting a number of the originals (Snell, heybrook and Mission).

Unlike last year where I was convinced something was broken with the AN speaker ( huge midbass cone breakup and tweeter resonance), the AN unit being shown was performing cleanly. They still have the traits of desperately trying to hit some magical, fictional efficiency number at the cost of balanced performance and limited placement options. Baffle step compensation is verboten and trade offs are highly noticeable. To achieve a balanced sound, the against wall in corners placement is Really required but in doing so, the overall presentation is two sources of sound in room, but not in a cohesive way unless in the prime seat. It's trying to maintain and refine the Snell sound, but lost the balance due to a overfocus on an unattainable efficiency number with the design of the components.

Devore - O/93. Another 8 inch two way floorstander. Just better all around than Audio Note and more flexible placement options. Midbass nearly as good in midrange performance and tweeter better in every way (AN use of ALNICO or Field Coil can't save a Tongen). The uesage of wave guide on Morel is exactly what this type speaker needs. Funny thing about this setup for Devore was it was truely a Floorstander. No stands , no spike or feet or outriggers, just plop a set on rug and play. The contrast to AN was apparent (on purpose?)

Tonian Labs - they have been on the margins of this industry for decades. Started out with basically finished kits that where designed and utilized wide band drivers from Fostex. The one man show has progressed far beyond manufacturer kits but maintained a focus on wide band midbass drivers with treble assist. The lineup has shrunk to couple of stand mount speakers and he showed a 6.5 inch Fostex (personally selected and modified) and think Wavecor tweeter. I kinda always regarded Fostex as full range toys, with moderate x max and stamped steel frames. The speakers shown changed my mind significantly. In a typical hotel room size, which not really far off from home environments, there was nothing lacking in output, force or full range. Bass quantity, and quality far above my previous experience with Fostex midbass. But the balance, naturalness and vocal superiority was real attributes that set this unassuming box as very noteworthy. For those who cherish say an LS 3A type setup, would do well to consider the Tonian offerings. Special.

I got more but think you all had enough by now