Forty-five minutes later, still a light mist in the air, we entered a warehouse space in a nondescript industrial park in Davie, Florida, redesigned and repurposed to include offices and a spacious, tuned listening room. Here, Elliot Goldman, managing director of Bending Wave USA, launched his representation of Göbel High End loudspeakers and cables and CH Precision electronics.
With over 35 years of experience in audio sales and marketing, including twelve as sales manager for well-known dealer Lyric Hi Fi in New York City, Elliot Goldman (above right; Oliver Göbel is left) has the credentials and background to succeed in this new venture. His confidence and knowledge base become obvious when you talk to him, as does his love of music. He takes pride in the 6000-plus-title playlist stored on his hard drive, available on demand via WiFi-enabled Ethernet and Roon by tapping the screen of his Android tablet.
Since selling his extensive collection of LPs, Goldman no longer embraces vinyl, so all demos are done in the digital domain through an array of components: CH Precision L1 Mono preamplifier ($58,000) with a pair of X1 power supplies ($34,000), C1 Mono DAC ($73,000) with three X1 power supplies ($51,000) and USB board ($3000), T1 Time Reference clock plus GPS option ($28,600), and M1.1 stereo amplifier ($54,000); Sonic Transporter with 10TB hard drive ($2000) and Sonore Signature Rendu SE linear power supply ($3295); Göbel Aeon Reference speakers ($220,000 per pair) and Lacorde Statement cabling ($106,700 for all); Core Audio Designs four-shelf equipment racks ($7000 total) and amplifier stands ($2625 total); Furutech NCF Cable Boosters ($350 each) and Cable Lifters ($249 each); and a Furutech Power NCF power distributor ($4000). Art Novion and ASC TubeTraps provided acoustic treatment for the room. The total retail cost of the system approaches $650,000.
Göbel High End is a Munich-based company now entering its sixteenth year, and the Aeon Reference loudspeakers have twice been named best of show at the Rocky Mountain Audio Fest. The speaker's unique nine-layer, wooden (!) bending-wave membrane, handling frequencies from 160Hz to 31kHz, is based on a patented technology. Standing as tall as Kobe Bryant and weighing 397 pounds, each speaker sports a complement of twelve 7" dynamic drivers -- six front and six rear -- plus the bending-wave membrane, placed vertically between the two stacked sets of drivers. Entirely handmade in Germany, the speakers have fit and finish that is as good as any I’ve seen, and a closer look reveals attention to detail that would make a fine watchmaker proud.
CH Precision is no stranger to the audiophile community, either. Last May, Roy Gregory waxed enthusiastic over the M1 amp, L1 preamp and P1 phono stage and The Audio Beat named the trio products of the year for 2018. I cannot attest to the sound of the P1 because vinyl was not an option here, but I concur with Roy's characterization of the components as fine examples of design and technology in the service of music. Each product exuded the same understated elegance in its chassis (modular by design), with absolutely perfect fit and finish. Other than their different dimensions and weight (the M1.1 power amp tipped the scales at 165 pounds), the components seem cut from the same billet of aluminum and have the same sonic DNA. For the last word in convenience, the CH Control app offers users complete remote access to all of their CH Precision electronics via an Android tablet. The components looked beautiful sitting solidly on the Core Audio Designs racks, their OLED displays aglow.
With the lights off and the listening room unnervingly dark, there was nothing to distract me from the music coming my way from the Aeon Reference speakers. The sound from this collection of components was so compelling and truthful that I didn’t question whether the source was digital or analog. For the first time in a long while thoughts of the means (gear) by which the end result (music) was created never entered my mind. And, quite honestly, I did not miss the labor-intensive ritual of LP playback, nor, from what I was hearing, the familiarity of analog sound. The linear phrases of Bach’s Goldberg Variations filled the room along with humming, immediately identifying the pianist as Glenn Gould. Rarely have I felt as close to a musical event as I did here. It was as if I was only a few feet away from Gould that summer day in 1955 when he took his seat at the Steinway in Columbia’s 30th Street Studios. I sat very still, lost in the moment. Goldman has broad tastes in music, and the next selection sent me to Discogs for more information. "It’s A Hard World," from Supertramp’s 1997 album Some Things Never Change, had jaw-dropping presence. Cliff Hugo’s bass obligatos during the ethereal intro gave me shivers. This is not one of Supertramp’s more popular recordings, but I made a note to add it to my collection soon. "Beginnings," from Chicago Transit Authority’s 1969 self-titled debut album, had me on the edge of my seat. Dynamics were off the charts as the band ripped through the quasi-jazz tune. The clarity and presence of the electric bass, drum kit and rhythm guitar were amazing. James Pankow’s trombone solo exploded out of the soundstage, soon followed by Lee Loughnane’s trumpet. Amid the riot of sound, the tossed salad of percussion carrying the tune couldn’t have been clearer or more dramatic, leaving me frozen in place in front of the stage, seemingly just a few feet from the performers. The system absolutely nailed the scale, speed and dynamics of the performance. In stark contrast to the life-size images of the band members presented in Bending Wave’s listening room, through my system those same performers seemed puppet-like. Ugh! Listening to this system was a humbling experience, causing me to re-evaluate what I thought possible in sound reproduction. Whether Bending Wave USA will establish a dealer network
in the US is unknown at the present time. Recalling his prior experience in specialty
audio, Elliot Goldman is convinced that customers cannot get a satisfactory level of
service and guidance through traditional business models. He welcomes music lovers who
trust their own ears, instead of succumbing to the hype of commercialism, to visit him,
and he is committed to ensuring that his customers get the personal attention they deserve
and are thoroughly satisfied with their purchases. He enthusiastically extols the virtues
of Göbel High End and CH Precision products, considering them "something
special." Based on my exposure to their ability to create music instead of hi-fi,
I have to agree. Those music lovers fortunate enough to afford a system of this caliber
should be very happy listeners indeed. For the rest of us, knowing of its existence and
the sound it’s capable of making will have to suffice. |
