Home Entertainment Show 2004:
Part One
Introduction
Primedia’s Home Entertainment 2004 East show took
place May 20-23 at the Hilton New York Hotel in midtown Manhattan. HE2004E gave the public
the chance to experience demonstrations of audio systems and home theaters, attend panel
discussions and musical performances, talk with many of the fine people who work behind
the scenes to bring you musical and cinematic pleasure, and, of course, buy great-sounding
recordings and various system tweaks. In this first of two reports, I concentrate on
products that fall within GoodSound!'s mission: good two-channel sound at
reasonable prices. In my next report, I’ll talk about the very best of the
home-theater systems at the show.
There are three important things to consider when you read
a show report such as this one. First, not all rooms have the same kind of setup. Some
exhibitors at HE2004E occupied rooms that could have accommodated shareholders’
meetings or a high school dance; many others were in hotel bedrooms from which the
furniture had been removed. Because neither type of room was designed to deliver good
acoustics and exhibitors had little time to set up their systems, it was remarkable how
many systems actually sounded good. Still, some suffered from bad acoustics more than
others.
Second, the showgoer is not always able to hear the same
music on different systems, or even able to hear familiar recordings at all. In one room I
visited, the sound was simply awful -- congested soundstage and poor imaging, with a sort
of haze over the whole presentation. But when the presenter changed the recording,
suddenly everything was considerably better. Had I left during that first recording, I
would have had a completely different opinion of the equipment’s performance
capabilities.
Third, there was so much to hear at HE2004E that it was
easy to burn out early. It was almost impossible to visit every room.
What all of this should tell you is that, while I know that
the systems I liked can sound great, my failure to mention a system or product shouldn't
be understood as an indication that it doesn't sound good. While such shows are a great
way to be introduced to new products and become more familiar with what’s available
for your needs, they can’t take the place of a thorough audition, whether at a dealer
or, better yet, in your home.
Good sounds for GoodSound! readers
I was glad to see that Sony has reintroduced standalone
SACD players at more reasonable prices than their flagship SCD-XA9000ES, which lists for
$3000. (All prices are in USD unless otherwise indicated.) The new SCD-CE595 is a
five-disc player that will list for between $149.95 and $199.95; the entry-level ES model,
the SCD-C2000ES, also a five-disc player, lists for $399.95. Both of these players support
multichannel SACD but have no DVD capability. This is a welcome development: While
universal or near-universal players are convenient, many people have their audio and video
systems in separate rooms. By concentrating on the audio and omitting any video circuitry,
the Sony players should be able to deliver better sound than similarly priced players that
also play DVDs. Sony was demonstrating only the SCD-XA9000ES, but I would think the
SCD-C2000ES in particular would be worth an audition; as an ES model, it comes with a
five-year warranty, and better build quality than the SCD-CE595.
Yamaha was also showing a line of reasonably priced
players. The DVD-S1500 ($399) is a single-disc universal player that will play CD, SACD,
DVD-Video, DVD-Audio, and MP3. It allows for CD upsampling, and its Audio Direct mode
ensures that there will be no interference from the video circuitry. The DVD-S1500’s
build quality seemed a step up from some of the Sony DVD players on display -- and, of
course, none of Sonys can play DVD-A. Yamaha’s five-disc DVD-C940 plays SACD, DVD-V,
CD, and MP3 ($499). Their flagship universal player, the DVD-S2300 ($999), has completely
independent SACD and DVD-A circuits, and a Video Off mode to doubly ensure that there is
no interference. The DVD-S2300 also has progressive-scan video output with Faroudja DCDi
processing, which helps eliminate jagged edges.
While it may be stretching the GoodSound! budget,
special mention is due Music Hall's Maverick SACD player ($1500). Bucking the movements
toward universality and multichannel, the Maverick is two-channel-only and beautifully
made. It has an all-aluminum chassis and faceplate, high-quality parts from Burr-Brown and
Sony, separate power supplies for its analog and digital sections, and 24-bit/96kHz
upsampling of traditional CDs. Music Hall had set up the Maverick with their Mambo
integrated amplifier ($1300) and Epos M22 speakers ($1995/pair). The 50Wpc, class-A Mambo
has five analog and two digital inputs, the latter allowing for upsampling similar to the
Maverick’s. Because I was unfamiliar with these components separately, I can't say
how much each contributed to the sound I heard, but the system’s reproduction of
Jacintha's brand-new SACD, Girl from Bossa Nova, was so good I immediately bought a
copy of the disc. Like the Maverick itself, the Music Hall system stretches the GoodSound!
budget, but it’s definitely worth an audition, both as a system and as individual
components.
On HE2004E’s press-only day, Music Hall also unveiled
a new stereo receiver, the Maven, which might interest GoodSound! readers. With
preamp, power amp, and tuner all in one box, such designs save consumers space and money.
Home-theater receivers have proliferated in recent years, even as the number of
two-channel receiver models has diminished. Even at a projected cost of $1495, the Maven
should be worth checking out when it debuts later this year. It permits video switching
among three sources, has two digital inputs with upsampling and five analog inputs, and
allows for speaker switching. Rated at 100Wpc, the Maven has preamp outs and a dedicated
subwoofer connection.
Music Hall's Maven won't be the only two-channel receiver
you'll be able to check out later this year. Outlaw Audio, an Internet mail-order-only
company best known for their home-theater preamp-processors and multichannel amplifiers,
previewed a retro-styled model that should be out this fall. Their two-channel receiver
has 80Wpc, a built-in phono preamp, and built-in analog bass management for use with a
subwoofer. In fact, Outlaw claims theirs is the only receiver to have such analog bass
management at or near its price of $599. The company already sells a standalone analog
bass manager, the ICBM; it looks as if they've put the ICBM’s technology to use in
the new receiver.
Aperion Audio, an Internet-only speaker manufacturer,
showed off their new speakers and their new website at HE2004E. I was particularly impressed with their 522D-PT
Powered Tower speaker ($1198/pair including shipping), a two-way vented design with an
integrated 8" subwoofer and 150W amplifier. The Towers sounded great in
Aperion’s multichannel presentation, and seem to offer an attractive solution for
those who want to get all of the bass information available on recordings but don't want a
subwoofer. At less than 10" wide and just over a foot deep, the Powered Tower takes
up no more room than a stand-mounted "bookshelf" speaker, but each enclosure
houses a subwoofer as well. Aperion was using all Onkyo electronics in their
demonstration; the sound was clear and precise, and called out for a longer audition than
I could give them. Aperion has a generous 30-day audition policy: If you don't like their
speakers, you can return them for your money back -- they'll even pay the return shipping
charges. If you’re looking for new speakers, the Powered Towers are worth a serious
look.
Conclusion
It wasn’t always easy to cover Home Entertainment 2004
East while also keeping an eye on GoodSound!'s mission of good two-channel sound at
good prices. Many systems were priced well into the stratosphere, but not all of these
delivered great performance. But as you’ve read here, there are enough new and
interesting products already available or about to be launched to keep the
budget-conscious audiophile busy. Of course, their real stories won’t be known until
each is auditioned not in a problematic show environment, but in the home. As we'll see in
the follow-up to this report, some budget-friendly systems outperformed some of the
costlier competition.
...Eric D. Hetherington
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