Quote:Anyone heard the Zen Open Baffle at the festival? Tongue
If they are so good as described in the latest article about'em I wonder
why Steve setup the Acoustat in first place?
If I were you, I would be wondering the same thing! Setting up the entire array is a bit of a commitment that makes it hard to hook up anything else while it's in play. A logistics thing. Nevertheless I did hook it up and attempt to dial it in so people could hear it. This year it got set up at the opposite end of the room vs. last year. Again, it had rather excellent bass before I got the broadcast system turned on... just like last year. And like last year, the broadcast system was balanced in at a level so low that no one realized it was on. Some of the comments from those who were listening to them as I got the broadcast system on line said it enhanced the image size and increased the sound stage depth and width.
There is no question that the speakers will fly on their own on in many rooms without the need for a sub or broadcast system. After seeing reactions to the speakers both this year and last, I am confident that my excitement in the papers was justified and not just proud papa syndrome.
If I didn't have the Acoustats I would have used the ZOB to demo the DAC in the evenings, no question. However, this year's focal point was the DAC and new amps so with respect to the DAC I decided to let everyone hear my reference. While most wouldn't know it, the Acoustats are so fast and honest that for me anyway they've been a vinyl only system. Every good DAC I've got to try over the years has confirmed this. My DAC, which I designed for myself primarily, is actually not only listenable but with good recordings head shakingly good with the Acoustats. So in that light, it was kind of like "hey, look I did the impossible - made Acoustats sound right on digital!
I'll be publishing the plans and adding the Zen Open Baffles to the catalog in the coming months.
Steve