We’ve been running up and down the stairs at the Grand Hyatt, at one point getting totally lost in some labyrinthine maintenance hall, a la Spinal Tap. The elevators are packed with the gentlemen we described in our first post talking about tube amplification, something called “ambiophonic sound” and the relative sexiness of Diana Krall in piano black or pine matte. (Elvis Costello should really say something!) As we mentioned, the draw is speakers, nerdy men’s haute couture, pairs that cost more money than your car. A press release from a company called Salager Sonics states that choosing their speaker means not having to “weigh your listening pleasure and your kids’ college education in the balance.” They’re completely serious.
So, without further ado, please enjoy the following gallery of Extra Big Ass Speakers (names and obscene prices are in the captions). – Wilson Rothman & Louis Ramirez
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The increasingly unaptly named Home Entertainment Show opened its doors today in NYC at the Grand Hyatt at Grand Central Terminal (now through Sunday, $25-$35). I say that because there are no TVs, or indeed any video technologies, on display. No projectors, no mention of DVDs, let alone HD DVD or Blu-ray. In fact, few or none of the companies you know of that build home entertainment products are here.
But it’s crowded: lots of gentlemen in their post-mid-life-crisis, pre-retirement years wander the halls in search of the perfect reproduction of Norah Jones. Her voice that is, sadly, not the rest of her. See, the main reason to come to the Home Entertainment Show—besides the rare gem like the Krell iPod Dock—is to check out Extra Big Ass Speakers.
We bumped into our friend Steve Guttenberg (the audio equipment reviewer, not the savior of both Johnny Five and Sweet Chuck). Follow the jump to have a look at what he thought was the “pick of the show.”
Looking for a way to pamper your iPod? Audio giant Krell showed off its first ever iPod dock at the Home Entertainment Show 2007 in New York today. The $1,200 dock (which is the most expensive iPod accessory out there) was just finished yesterday. Krell reps affectionately call it “The Kid.” To serious audiophiles who scoff at the iPod, Krell has this to say: “You can ignore or you can embrace it.” From the looks of the dock, we’re glad they did the latter. – Louis Ramirez
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