WBSNYC: One of Greg Weaver's Top 10 Rooms at CES 2012
Wednesday, February 1, 2012 at 12:27PM Greg Weaver of Positive Feedback named Wes Bender Studio NYC as one of the ten best sounding rooms at CES 2012. Greg describes his picks as an "accounting of the ten most musical, most life-like, most astounding sounding rooms at this year's event." We are honored and pleased that Greg liked what he heard in Room 30-323 at the Venetian.
Greg said that he looks forward to finding Wes at shows because, "Wes always manages to be involved, in some capacity, with great sounding rooms. This year was no exception."
Wes Bender Studio NYC debuted the Hansen Prince E loudspeakers and Greg seemed very pleased with this world debut (as well as the other Hansen Emperor E's which debuted in another room). Greg wrote, "While the Prince-E and Emperor-E share the same single tweeter, the Prince-E uses essentially one-half the rest of the driver complement of the Emperor-E... Let me assure you; half the speaker is was NOT."
He called out the Viola electronics Cresendo preamp — also making its world debut at Wes Bender Studio NYC, noting that it "delivered sounds that were very smooth and balanced." And that "this system's strengths were voicing, resolve, and coherence. The system was overwhelming with its ability to render tonal color and texture, and at maintaining timbral purity, the exquisite laying of instrumentation, and its overall articulation and focus." Despite being unfamiliar with the Viola name and line, he was "quite impressed with their performance."
While visiting the room, Greg spoke with Redpoint Audio Design's Peter Clark. Greg has used a Redpoint Audio Design Model D turntable as his reference "for the past 4 years now...mounted with the Tri-Planar Ultimate Mk VII arm and sporting the Dynavector XV-1t cart. You know, I've heard much pricier table/arm combos, but I've yet to hear one that can readily best this match up. This year was no exception."
Greg Weaver and Positive Feedback called out both the Hansen Emperor E and Prince E for "Best Sound" at the show. "I want to tip my hat to Lars Hansen, who just knocked me out with the introduction of, not one, but TWO products at this years CES show, THE PRINCE E and THE EMPEROR E loudspeakers. Introducing any product at one of these shows is hard enough, yet this year, he introduced two-and both of them landed on my short list of the best... That is a feat worth noting..."
