The future of audio is coming, and you might not be
comfortable with it. The trend at the 2008 CES was clear: digital signal processing (DSP)
is not just for home theater anymore. It is now being used in advanced forms in high-end
audio, and in my opinion it will make for better sound. Room correction is a reality and
it seems that engineers have been putting in overtime to get it right. I suspect that a
few years from now the very best audio systems will use some form of DSP to achieve sound
quality unheard in the home before.
Although the use of DSP was evident in many places at this year’s CES, it seems
the level of technology as applied to high-end audio was raised almost across the board. I
had one loudspeaker manufacturer tell me that, "You can’t just buy some
off-the-shelf drivers and put them in an MDF box and expect to sell it." Of course,
he was talking about the more ambitious products, but I think his point is rather
profound. Companies are doing the research and development to push their products to
newfound heights. Yesterday’s best is today’s mediocre. I look forward to
reviewing some of these groundbreakers in 2008.
* * *
Today was interesting. As I walked around the Venetian, I overheard several
"reviewers" requesting samples to write about. I did a bit of that too, for both
myself and our writers. The SoundStage! Network has been around for a long time -- we
started publishing monthly in 1995 -- and I’ve been writing reviews for most of that
time. So people know us. We can show them a massive body of work and have built a
reputation through many years of toil and honest dealings. One of the conversations I
overheard was obviously with a fellow who was soliciting equipment for the first time.
I’d imagine that he writes for an online publication (I did not hear the name), maybe
one he just started, and that he has very little experience. The manufacturer involved
asked the right questions, and it soon became apparent that no review samples would be
forthcoming. All of this took place within the span of about a minute.
I’m not unsympathetic to the plight of the fellow asking for the gear, but I am a
little frustrated with the fact that there are "writers" at CES who might be
attending under questionable credentials. A word to those folks: Come up through the ranks
the right way, and don’t go to CES looking for expensive speakers or electronics to
be sent your way without ever reviewing anything. Find a publication where you can learn
the trade and get some guidance from people with experience. All of us in the industry
will be better off for that kind of approach. And in the long term you will too.
* * *
I guess I just can’t leave it alone. What’s that, you ask? Throwing a virtual
fit over something I’ve seen at CES and then writing about it in my show diary.
This is the tenth CES I’ve attended. I’ve reviewed hundreds of products and
am completely entrenched in the high-end-audio industry. Even still, when I walk into a
room at CES I have no idea whatsoever what something might cost. I’m not talking
about Is it $3000 or $4000? No, many times I have no idea whether a product is
going to be four figures or six. The pricing in the high end is simply all over the map,
and frankly, an absolute mess. At the 2008 CES I’ve seen fairly straightforward
solid-state amplifiers that have a retail price of $75,000. I’ve also seen
statement-looking loudspeakers for $8000. I’ve seen cables that cost as much as a
nice automobile, and a whole system that can be had for under a grand. What the hell is
going on? I know the dollar’s paltry value partially explains it -- European goods
are much more expensive in the US. But really, folks, it’s out of hand. A little
sanity would be nice.
* * *
The audio/video press gets hung up on discussing the format wars. Today it is HD DVD
versus Blu-ray. Yesterday it was DVD-Audio and SACD, and tomorrow it will be something
else altogether. Regardless of the current options, the simple truth is that there
won’t be a single audio format that beats all the others, at least not in the
foreseeable future. On the first day of CES I listened to the following: vinyl LPs, which
sounded pretty good to these ears. The ticks and pops still bother me, but I can hear what
the proponents love so much. CD was just about everywhere, and is still the dominant audio
format in the high end without question. The quality of the discs I heard varied as it
always has -- no surprises there. I also listened to a master-tape demonstration that was
truly exceptional. The piano being played sounded mighty close to real. It was probably
the best thing I heard all day. DVD-Audio made an appearance, too, and sounded quite good,
though not really distinguishable from good CD. There were a number of computer-based
setups too -- a product genre that I intend to explore in 2008 (Gordon Rankin of
Wavelength Audio is making some very interesting USB DACs that I intend to get into my
system soon).
Walking around CES it was clear to me that as far as source components go, diversity
is the word. It wasn’t too many years ago that all you heard at shows were CD-based
systems. These days it’s just not that simple. Keeping an open mind is key. The
format isn’t really what is important anyway. It’s whether or not you’re
enjoying the experience. We all should keep that in mind.
