Encouraged by a number of recent, high-profile product launches, I was considering an aesthetic equivalent to our audio-based Duck For Cover Award, although in this case the initiative would have been called World’s Ugliest Loudspeaker. Sadly, this innovation was still born, swamped by the sheer number of contenders, although alongside the front-running Wilson Autobiography (which is even uglier in the flesh than it is in photos, as well as having an utterly non-sensical name) the Aries Cerat Sirene deserves a special mention. Like a boxer fighting at multiple weights, this was as visually ugly as it was musically grotesque. Fighting on two fronts does give it an advantage, but like I said, this year everybody gets a pass.
Who made good?
The usual suspects. Those exhibitors who took the time and trouble to create great sounding systems in Munich were amongst those who also rose above the crowd in Vienna, once again demonstrating the two great audio truisms: it ain’t what you use, it’s the way that you use it and; the more (effort, skill and planning) you put in, he more you get out. Both SD and DD found and have reported on rooms that they enjoyed. I too found some musically engaging systems, notably those from Kroma Atelier/Engstrom/Wadax/Thales, Diptyque (driven by Kora electronics), the new budget Moon separates driving a pair of modest Dynaudios, while both ProAc and Vienna Acoustics punched way above their weight. The Chord Company’s two-box CH Precision and baby Peak speaker set-up sang too. Yet none of these involved flagship products – or seven-figure price tags. Constellation showed their massive new reference amplifiers, tipping the scales on the wrong side of $300K, with the Wilson Sasha V – not the smallest Wilson, but not far off. Also apparent was a resurgence in the use of audiophile and salon-jazz recordings – perhaps a conscious response to the systems’ shortcomings. You can almost hear the remarks, muttered soto voce: “Go on – play it. It sounds good on anything…”
Is there a theme developing here? The more demanding the system, the more effort you were going to have to make with the room and acoustic treatment – even if you were one of the lucky few with all-solid walls. Even then, there’s nothing that you can do about acoustic breakthrough flooding through open ceiling voids. Smaller systems generally mean smaller rooms and not just a smaller challenge but far great chance of a decent sounding space. But what the Vienna Show really demonstrated was just how steep a learning curve this venue presents – especially if superior sonic results matter to you. Those few companies that managed to produce decent sound deserve considerable respect. Those that didn’t will get another chance next year – by which point there’ll be less room for excuses. Hopefully the High-End Society will have sorted out the room allocations and booking system by then. No fewer than three off-board shows really tells its own story… Meanwhile, those expecting me to serve up a ritual slaughter will be disappointed. You needed to be in Vienna to experience that!
