Behind The Scenes (Sept. 1975)

by Bert Whyte

TIME WAS when the Consumer Electronic Show was an annual event, an industry extravaganza fiendishly timed to coincide with the onset of Chicago's "sultry season" in early June. Then the powers-that-be decided to hold a Winter CES, in January when Chicago is cold enough to freeze the you-know-what off a brass monkey. Thus, these days we must be sure to get our CES bashes in the proper solstice. This, then, is a report on the Summer CES, held as usual in the cavernous reaches of McCormick Place in Chicago.

The Consumer Electronic Show is generally regarded as an industry "barometer," a reflection of equipment trends and marketing emphasis that can be expected during the following year. In this recession year, people approached this show with an admixture of trepidation, confusion, uncertainty, a little sweetening of hope, and a tincture of optimism. If there was a prevailing attitude, it would have to be "proceed with caution." This was to have been the CES that revitalized the industry's approach to quadraphonic sound. You may recall that a few months ago I reported that the hi-fi industry "rediscovered" quadraphonic sound, and some of the bigger companies were going to mount massive programs promoting four channel sound, in the hope that this would lead them out of the sales doldrums. These promotions did indeed take place and, in fact, are an ongoing thing. However, the lead time, from the inception of the campaigns to the opening of the CES on June 1, was simply too short for most companies to introduce new generations of quadraphonic equipment.

Oh, to be sure ... there were some new models, but nothing like the flood that had been anticipated. The CES management put a brave foot forward by presenting a special exhibit named "Quadarama." This was a well designed and neatly executed display of the quadraphonic equipment of many different companies, with no emphasis given to any of the competing four-channel formats. In fact, the CD-4, QS, SQ, and UD-4 camps have most commendably decided to stop their internecine warfare as to which of them produces the "best" four-channel sound, in favor of promoting the over-all concept of quadraphony. This all helps, of course, but as I talked to various manufacturers around the Show, I heard quite a bit of the "quad is dead" sentiment expressed. Fortunately, after digging a bit, you find that this pessimism has a bit of "sour grapes" flavor. In general, while quadraphonic equipment didn't make the "big splash" at this CES, there is evidently plenty of interest, judging from the amount of new equipment purportedly "in the pipeline," and presumably due for introduction at the Winter CES. The recession notwithstanding, there was plenty of interesting new audio equipment at the CES, and the proliferation of costly "high end" equipment was amazing. For example, there was a Stax amplifier, all Class A, 300 watts per channel, at a mere $3,000. The Lux company of Japan, which had a flirtation with the American market through British Industries Corp. some years ago, is back as Lux Audio of America and was showing a complete line of receivers, pre-amps, power amps, and a turntable. Highlight of their line was the Luxman M-6000, a solid-state 300 watt-per-channel, 114-lb. brute amplifier tagged at $2,995! Sansui got into the high-power amplifier act with a big 250-watt-per-channel unit. Ken wood is reaching for the audiophile stratosphere. They showed their impressive 700 series units, comprising separate tuner, preamp, and 170-watt per-channel power amplifier, all three for $2,250. Kenwood also showed one of the most advanced quadraphonic receivers at the show, their KR-9940 with full CD-4, SQ with wave-matching and variable blend, and RM (QS) matrix facilities. Still on the subject of amplifiers, the new "glamour queens" of the amplifier world were being demonstrated.

Infinity Systems is finally producing ("just a trickle yet," say they) their DSP Class-D switching amplifier. I described this unit some time ago on the occasion of my visit to Infinity. Rated at 250 watts per channel, it is not much bigger than some preamps and produces virtually no heat in operation. Yours for $1,200. Yamaha was showing their B-1 power amplifier featuring vertical FETs, with an output of 150 watts per channel ($1,600). The companion unit is the new Yamaha C-1 all FET preamp. This will delight the more technically inclined "dial twiddlers" with its host of controls, including such unusual items as built-in signal generator with 4 selectable sine-wave frequencies and a pink noise generator. Projected price is $1,800. Sony Corp. of America was displaying their 100-watt-per-channel, vertical-FET power amp, an 80-watt per-channel vertical-FET integrated amplifier, and a multi-control FET preamplifier. Digressing for a moment from amplifiers, Sony was also demonstrating a doozy of a TV console called the "Betamax," a 19-in. Trinitron TV set combined with a half-inch video recorder. There are two tuners so you can tape one program while viewing another, and there is also a built-in timer that will record programs when you are absent. The picture quality on direct viewing and from the tape is among the most brilliant and sharpest I have ever seen.

At Phase Linear's suite, they were showing the unit I intimated would be forthcoming from them in my evaluation of their Model 4000 preamplifier some months ago, to wit: an add-on box containing the noise-reduction correlator and peak unlimit/downward expand systems. This can be added to any preamplifier (or receiver) with tape monitor facilities. Projected price is $349.95.

I should have mentioned that many of the familiar hi-fi manufacturers were not actively demonstrating their equipment at McCormick Place, but were using suites in various hotels around Chicago. Plenty of firms were at McCormick Place, but except for a few special rooms, isolated away from the main area, the acoustics were impossible, to say nothing of the noise levels. There was an interesting juxtaposition in two of these McCormick Place rooms ... one was occupied by Cerwin-Vega, with the redoubtable Gene (Earthquake) Czerwinski showing off his latest high-efficiency column-type speakers and caving in a few chests with the 16-Hz roar from the corner "plugs" used in the movie; the other room had Bill Johnson and his Magneplanar speakers reproducing some lovely classical music with exceptional smoothness and detail.

Inevitably, in the middle of a quiet passage, the "earthquake" would leak through the walls .... Crown International was really gilding the lily in their hotel suite; they had four of their electrostatic hybrid ES212 speakers in a semi-circle. Each speaker was bi-amped through their new VFX electronic crossover, the electrostatic top being driven by their DC-300A amplifier and the dynamic bass section by the new D-150A amplifier. Their IC-150 pre-amps fed the crossovers. Source was the big Crown four-channel tape machine, with master tape copies going through four channels of dbx noise reduction. Gadzooks! Genial Bob Fulton of Fulton Musical Industries was demonstrating his beautiful Model J modular speaker system. This is now the production model, the final revisions having gained almost 10 dB in efficiency as compared to the prototype.

The speaker is characterized by its smoothness, high definition, and exceptional balance. People kept listening to 3 and 4 in the morning, as Bob wisely played his own superb recordings to show off the virtues of his speaker.

Joe Alinsky of RTR Industries demonstrated something quite new and interesting in the form of a column speaker, in which the tweeter portion consists of a specially fabricated array of electrostatic units which gives a full 360° omnidirectional pattern. The units are driven by their own internal amplifier which has been specially tailored to the load characteristics of electrostatics. Bass frequencies are covered with a conventional dynamic woofer. The smoothness of the omnidirectional electrostatics is outstanding ... a seamless, ultraclean sound. This is a development that bears watching.

The new Infinity Servostatik 1A is now in production and was being demonstrated with the new DSP switching amplifier. Unfortunately, I didn't get to hear it, but reliable surrogate ears say the combination is a knockout. I'm told by Infinity President Arnie Nudell that one of these days this system will show up on my doorstep. I can hardly wait to play some new tape masters on this rig! The Ampzilla amplifier of Great American Sound Co. now has a companion pre-amp, the "Phaedra." (Where does GAS President Jim Bongiorno get those names?) The styling is rather clinical in black and white, but looks extremely functional. Projected price: $750.

I don't think it had anything to do with the Bi-centennial, but the British invaded the CES this year. The Federation of British Audio is a group of British hi-fi manufacturers most of whom have never sold their products in this country. Some 11 of them were displaying their wares at a special British section on the main floor of McCormick Place. If, like me, you read the estimable British publications, The Grammophone and Hi-Fi News, many of the companies exhibiting will be familiar to you. The products of Acoustical Manufacturing (Quad electrostatic speakers and amplifiers) and Decca (phono cartridges and arms) are well known in this country, but such high quality manufacturers as Richard Allen (speakers), Linn Products (turntables), A. R. Sugden (turntables and amplifiers), Cambridge Audio (amplifiers), Keith Monks Audio Ltd. (phono arms, record cleaning machines), Gale Electronics (speakers and turntables), Lamb Laboratories (mixers, amplifiers), and KEF Electronics Ltd. (loudspeakers) will soon have their products in specialty audio shops across the country. Raymond Cooke, the head of KEF, is an old friend of mine and used to attend my Everest recording sessions in London. Raymond was a former associate of the grand, old Gilbert Briggs of Wharfedale, and since forming his own speaker company, the KEF speakers have enjoyed a worldwide reputation for excellence.

I have a pair of his new 104 reference models, and their wide range and truly uncolored response are most impressive. All of the components and finish are of the highest quality. KEF does a lot of very sophisticated research in their speaker labs, including such exotic techniques as laser holography. A most hearty welcome to our British cousins, and I will look forward to testing many of their products! Needless to say, there were many other interesting new audio products at the CES ... enough to fill several columns, but space is getting almost as scarce as Malossal caviar! As usual, apologies to those whose products I didn't get to see; maybe I can catch them in the audio shops.

(Audio magazine, Sept. 1975; Bert Whyte)

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