Air Force One and SAT arm Demo at Audio Salon

[MylesBAstor]

Sounds like a don't miss event!!!!

The Audio Salon will be hosting Mr. Hideaki Nishikawa, the designer of TechDAS, Bob Graham, TechDAS U.S. distributor along with Marc Gomez, designer of the SAT Pickup Arm, for an incredible two evenings of analog listening enjoyment on Thursday, February 18th and Saturday, the 20th, from 5:30 to 8:30pm.

We’ll be conducting listening demos on both the TechDAS Airforce One turntable and their newestAir Force III turntable, mounted with the SAT Pickup Arm and Graham Engineering Phantom Elite tonearm, with Lyra Atlas and TechDAS TDC01 Ti cartridges.

Technical discussions about the engineering behind each of the featured products will be presented by the designers. Mr. Nishikawa will be demoing from an exclusive selection of his personal vinyl collection. The latest Constellation Audio electronics will supply the Wilson Audio Alexia loudspeakers.
To attend this event, please R.S.V.P. to 310-863-0863.

[Rob]

Attached are pics of last night's event, this is my first visit to The Audio Salon located on the trendy Westside of L.A. in Santa Monica. Bergamot Station consists of re-purposed industrial/warehouse buildings that are now artist studios/lofts. Approaching the entrance I spotted Michael Fremer and the local who's who of analog stalwarts gathered outside. The evening began with Bob Graham giving an overview of his company and achievements. His first tonearm design was produced around the middle '70's in small batches of ten and demo'd at a local High-end shop in Boston. Peter Madnick was a salesmen there at the time (also in attendance last night representing Constellation). Bob figured he was onto something when they sold three units in a day and the rest is history.

Nishikawa-san followed with a rundown of his curriculum vitae. Its common knowledge he designed 'tables at Micro Seiki but later moved to Stax where he was chief engineer designing elctrostatic headphones for some ten years. He also takes credit for designing the Infinity Black Widow 'arm (who knew?). Leaving Stax he founded Stellavox Japan, which was a subsidiary of Goldmund. He was responsible for distribution and growing Goldmunds brand in Asia and he still runs a distribution company today handling Constellation electronics and Graham tonearms among others. He came out of retirement to create the AF1 sometime around 2010 bringing it to market in 2013. This event was also the North American debut of the "baby" or AFIII 'table. He hinted at his current project which will most likely be his last, an all out assault on the SOTA called the AF Zero. No details were provided but said it would incorporate new ideas and innovations.

Music demos followed, the system consisted of Wilson Alexias and a full-suite of Constellation gear including the latest 500 WPC monoblocks. The music selections were Nishikawas-san's, the first two were early Nat King Cole and the posthumous duet album with his daughter Natalie. He played an EMI and Erato pressing of Faure vocal pieces followed by an obscure audiophile chestnut of percussion and avant garde horn playing. This was the only LP that really wrung out every last bit of the system's abilities and then some, I thought the woofer cones would dislodge from their baskets!

Mikey, Bob, Nisikawa-san & Co. will be in town through this Saturday (2nd and last demo day).

[Dre_J]

Thanks for the comments and pictures Rob.

Dre

[MylesBAstor]

Wow, how I wish I could have been there! Thanks Rob for letting us live vicariously through your write up!!!

I love the look of the tables! The little one to me is even sexier.

Was the table with the SAT demoed?

[Rob]

The AF1 with the SAT/Lyra Atlas were demo'd after I left, being there two hours was enough for me plus the hour drive home.

I used to attend these kind of events regularly and it donned on me why they're fun. Yeah everyone wants to hear the 'system' but its the social aspect which holds the most interest. Last night was no exception It felt like six degrees of separation, someone there knew someone that you knew back in the day and still stays in touch with them, etc, etc. Ocean Ways people were there too because Nishikawa-san is their Asia distributor. I finally met, or I should say, caught up with "Jay" the mercurial analog guru that's part of L.A.'s inner circle of hardcore vinyl freaks. Jay has set-up every AF1 sold in the L.A. area and freelances his services to high-end dealers here and beyond. We got to talking and it turns out he's a fellow Versa 2.0 owner! its in his 2nd system, he runs it once a month to blow out the cobwebs. He gave me a lead on the elusive Versa granite stand that goes with it, a client's widow has one along with a Rockport Sirius MkI 'table...Jay is a good guy to know, that's why I come to these things.

The other reason to attend is to discover new (to me) recordings. I asked Mikey about the records he brought and he showed the one pictured "TV Jazz Themes" he waxed on and on about it being a "Bill Putnam" recording with the best jazz session musicians on the West coast, "it was pressed in 1959...see here it says it in the dead wax" ...okay... "do you know who Bill Putnam is!" blah blah bah. When he got Nishikawa's attention he slipped it onto the AFIII. They say you shouldn't meet your heroes because its always a let down...that's the way I felt when the music came on, Mikey said it cost him a buck and I think it was a buck too much. The recording was saturated with screechy mid/top end typical of the Capitols from that era, to add insult the playing on the "Peter Gunn" was insipid. The Mancini LSP BLOWS this version away...Ohhh Mikey I still like (respect?) your thoughts/opinions, but the next time you travel a few thousand miles for an event like this bring an LP that will blow us away not hurt our ears...

Which brings me to the other record shown "The Dialogue" I've heard many audiophile records, I think I own or have owned all but a few D2Ds ever pressed, for some reason this one escaped me. It's impressive and I don't have it and now its on my "want list" if only for the sonics which are spectacular (on this system, anyways).