(This post was originally published on the Stereophile.com website where you can also find very thorough coverage of T.H.E. Show Newport 2013. With John Atkinson and Jason Serinius on the job, I was free to look for analog gear knowing their report would cover the systems and sound-Ed).
After attending the industrial strength Munich High End Show, any other audio show anywhere would probably be somewhat of a letdown. I attended T.H.E. Show Newport Beach 2013 with little expectation of analog news.
Tom Vu's Triangle Art turntables have typically been large, massive, expensive designs. His Signature turntable sells for $12,500, while the Reference SE costs $20,000.
Tube freaks got a dose of "valve porn" in Kevin Deal's Upscale Audio room. Deal has been roaming the world in search of NOS tubes and he put on display some of his treasures: musty old boxes filled with NOS (new old stock) tubes unearthed in former Soviet bloc country warehouses as well as a huge trove he discovered by chance recently in Paris.
was convinced that after Munich I'd have nothing new to report to you from this show. I was wrong. LKV Research, out of New Hampshire debuted at T.H.E. Show Newport 2013 its new two box solid state phono preamplifier.
Channel D's Rob Robinson, creator of Pure Music and Pure Vinyl software showed and played for me via an AMG Viella turntable and tonearm, the upgraded edition of his battery powered direct coupled, fully balanced Seta Model L Phono preamplifier.
Bais Audio's A.J. Conti chose T.H.E. Show Newport 2013 to introduce his top of the line Work of Art turntable. Though it's bee available for a few years, he's not brought it to a show. It was spinning records via his new Superarm 9 tone arm
T.H.E. Show Newport Beach 2013 is underway and coverage will begin later today. I participated in the ribbon cutting ceremony with John Atkinson, Robert Harley and Dr. David Robinson wearing the GoPro camera so you could see the event from my perspective but the camera was accidentally set to 'still' and I didn't get the video.