How do you know you are a top tier audiophile?
Because audiophiles in the know attend the Legendary UHA After Hours Analog Tape Events!
It was 1:17 am and the UHA Ultima Apollo Tape deck was slamming the awesome MBL 6010 preamp, the MBL 9011 monoblock amps and the incredible MBL 101EMK2 Radialdtrahler speakers exciting the attendees to DANCE like no one was watching.
The Capital Audiofest – The Absolute Sound report by Tom Martin
MBL/United Home Audio
MBL demonstrated the relatively new C41 network player, a streaming DAC with high resolution volume control. Priced at $11,000, the C41 was connected to the renowned 101e speakers powered by the giant 9011 monoblocks, making for a roughly $240,000 system. The sound was remarkable in its ability to create an image completely detached from the speakers. Jason said he tried as hard as he could to “see” the sound source and he just couldn’t do it. The clarity and dynamics were also impressive.
MBL then demoed this system with copies of master tapes through a United Home Audio super deck. Holy schlemoly!
A phenomenal reminder of how much farther recordings can go.
Late Night At The UHA / MBL Legendary After Hours Analog Tape Events at the Capital Audiofest! If you are in the high end audio industry you will see some of the other exhibitors hanging out with us in the video below.
When you know, you know…
How about some Bach – Toccata and Fugue in D Minor Capital Audiofest 2024
THE SOUTHWEST AUDIOFEST
Southwest Audio Fest 2024 Best Rooms – High End by Oz
With this episode of the audio analyst©, “Episode 167: Southwest Audio Fest 2024-Best Rooms – High End by Oz,” I’m highlighting the remarkable sonic achievements of Room 1401 at that show. It was sponsored by 3mA, a Houston retail establishment, United Home Audio, and High End by Oz.
This is the first of several in-room presentations I will be bringing to my YouTube channel and also republish to readers of Positive Feedback.
I want to share both the exquisite venue selected for this event, as well as the accomplishments of some of the most exceptional sounding rooms at the simply excellent inaugural Southwest Audio Fest, which was held March 15th through 17th, at the Hilton Anatole in Dallas Texas. Keep your eyes on this show; it is a rising star on the annual circuit.
The undeniably synergistic presentation of this particular system was utterly captivating. Upper-frequency extension was seemingly effortless and unrestricted in a way very difficult to describe more accurately, and in a way that I cannot recall having experienced in quite this same manner at a show. The presentation rendered not only an incredibly engaging sense of the space of the venue, but conveyed the vitality and dynamics of the instruments, while remaining relaxed and delivering everything with an effortless flow. One of its most amazing attributes was its disarmingly honest sense of tonality and texture.
Take a look and have a listen.
The Florida Audio Expo 2024
The mbl/United Home Audio Room. As usual, mbl was in the top tier of rooms, with a system anchored by the venerable 101 E Mk IIs, paired with massive mbl amps, and fronted by the new C41 streamer and the equally fresh UHA Ultima Apollo tape deck. The setup had some of the best bass of the show, with boundless low-end energy that was never out of control. While the sound was good when streaming from the C41, it hit another gear of verisimilitude and dynamic punch when the Apollo deck was playing. That, and mbl’s first use of the Wireworld Platinum-series cables, may explain why this was one of mbl’s best show outings.
ENJOY THE MUSIC.COM
Surprises At The Florida International Audio Expo 2024
Music can open up the heart and soul.
FIAE 2024 Show Report Part 2 By Bill Hanson
For many years I have seen pictures of the MLB Radialstrahler 101 (now up to the E MkII version). For some reason, I had thought of the original Quad ESL. Beautiful, musical yet limited dynamically. When I’m wrong, I’m wrong! I was at an after-hours event with them playing master tapes of a wide variety of music. One of the early cuts played was a Jim Keltner drum solo. I have friends in bands and have been in a few basements for rehearsals and know how loud and almost attacking a trap set can be. This was as close to hearing a live drummer in front of me as I had ever heard. Mind you, not in a small hotel room, in one of the conference rooms with 25+ people seated in it.
Off the axis and rows back, it was easy to hear the floor toms placement. Gentle soft work, and microseconds later a full-force attack. An SPL meter next to me was hitting peaks of 110dB. So much for thinking they were delicate little flowers. Even after several days removed, I can still feel that tingle and feel transported to other places this experience gave me. I made a little note to myself during the drum track. It was in some ways like being at a Motorhead show up close, that feeling of being assaulted sonically. Yet they were so much more than this.
The Capital AudioFest 2023
The UHA Ultima5 with High End By Oz with Viva Audio Nuda Speakers andf Solista Integrated amp with Albedo Silver Cables.
UHA Ultima5 Tape Deck with MBL at the Capital Audiofest 2023
The Absolute Sound:
The 2023 Capitol Audio Fest: Jacob Heilbrunn on Show Highlights
- SHOW
- by Jacob Heilbrunn
- Nov 15, 2023
Next, I headed over to United Home Audio’s demo, where Greg Beron was showcasing his SuperDeck tape recorder and a passel of MBL equipment, including the $91,000 per pair 101 E MKII loudspeakers, the $64,100 9011 mono amplifiers, the $32,400 6010 D preamplifier, the $34,000 1621 A CD transport, and the $34,200 1611 F D/A converter. The mighty monoblocks drove the 81dB-sensitive, four-ohm MBL 101 loudspeakers with ease. As it happens, with the company’s representative Antoine Furbar as my cicerone, I recently visited both the MBL showroom in Berlin and the factory in Eberswalde which gave me a good sense of the extreme efforts that the company puts into manufacturing its loudspeakers and electronics. With Beron’s superlative tapes as the source material, the sound in his room was utterly beguiling.
The CanJam SOCAL 2023
The CanJam SOCAL 2023 was the first time a tape deck
has been used at any CanJam!
The UHA Ultima5 OPS-DC Tape Deck with the Viva Audio Egoista 845 Headphone Amp.
The Florida Audio Expo 2023 FLAX
The Absolute Sound – Alan Taffel’s Best Sound
Best Sound (price no object)
I had a slight preference for the MBL system. Consisting of the 101-Mk II speakers (not the Extremes), the company’s flagship electronics, and a new UHA tape deck, This was the best I’ve ever heard the 101s sound—so much so that I understood why MBLs are JV’s reference. The system had a touch more warmth than the Acora room did, which I liked, and the speaker’s omnidirectional radiation pattern meant that every seat was a winner.
MBL and United Home Audio | FLAX 2023
I try to make a trip to the MBL room at audio shows whenever possible. Thankfully, the German company makes the rounds with some frequency thanks to US representative Jeremy Bryan at the helm of North American operations. The setup at this year’s Florida Audio Expo was actually my favorite combination of speakers, amps and source, even though I have bore witness to their upstream flagship and statement pieces over the years. The 360 degree radiating design really allows for a more even distribution of sound in the hotel rooms, one that is shockingly responsive and balanced, even as you walk around.
Words and Photos by Brian Hunter
On active display was the MBL 101 E MKII loudspeaker ($91k/pair) tied to the MBL 9011 Monos ($64k each) and 6010 D Preamplifier ($32.4k). It has always been one of those unattainable cost rooms for me (and likely many of our readers) but a must stop regardless as the sounds in the room are uniquely one-of-a-kind and consistently a top performer. I would also go so far as to say that Jeremy and his crew have a reliable knack for nailing down the sound with constancy from show to show, a hurdle that any show presenter must overcome in one form or another.
Also contributing to the amazing mix of gear was a United Home Audio reel-to-reel source and proprietor Greg Beron’s personal collection of amazing tapes. The sound from this combination is some of the most organic and intimate music I have ever heard, even from some of the more traditionally dodgy recordings of the Beatles. While those old recordings are limited in resolution by the technology of the day, the presentation through the MBL+UHA = a “right there” texture with a nearly perfect, huge soundstage to play on.
While the big MBL 101 E MkII does impress, there are some other 360 radiating products that MBL makes that are slightly more obtainable. They actually make a more conservative priced stand mount version called the Radialstrahler mbl 126 (starts at $14.8k/pair) that I have been itching to get my hands on for review for a while now.
But all-in-all the MBL+UHA room was one of my favorite sounds of the show, and actually, my nomination for best sounding room overall. Very well done once again, Jeremy and Greg!
PART TIME AUDIOPHILE Florida Audio Expo 2023 – Part 1
MBL with United Home Audio and Wireworld Cables
The MBL room is one that typically hasn’t always been my particular poison in years past, but David Solomon of Qobuz insisted that the MBL 101E Mk II that were featured this year were a must-hear, so I decided to take another listen! The large Tampa Terrace room featured the typical all-MBL complement of associated electronics, along with the 101E Mk II—which sit in the middle of MBL’s loudspeaker lineup. The room also featured an open reel deck from United Home Audio, an ultra high-end dealer in the Virginia/Maryland/DC area that also happens to carry the MBL full product line. All cables in the room were Wireworld Eclipse 8.
The crowded MBL room seemed greatly appreciative of the excellent sound.
United Home Audio, in addition to rep’ing a relatively vast array of high-end goods, also sell their own line of open reel decks—they’re pretty much the industry standard nowadays. That happened to be the source playing when I visited the MBL room—which was packed, by the way! Many audiophiles worship open reel above every other music source available, as a tape is probably about as close as you’ll ever get to the original master.
So how did they sound? I’ve always loved the 360 degree radiating pattern of MBL loudspeakers; they tend to cast a huge soundstage, with a pretty astonishing stereo image. And I’ve always found them to be a little harsh at the top, but that simply wasn’t the case this year; the 101E Mk II’s displayed a warm and (shockingly!) almost liquid top-end that wasn’t at all as etched or fatiguing as I’d found in my previous exposure to the brand. I didn’t think I could ever live with MBL loudspeakers, despite their many positives, I didn’t think I could overcome what I considered the glaring (literally!) negatives. This year’s visit to FLAX has me definitely rethinking that!
The Capital Audiofest 2022
#1 Room At The Capital Audiofest 2022
–
United Home Audio, Highend By Oz, Thrax, Lansche,
Oz puts on a great show everywhere he goes, bringing top-of-the-line equipment and speakers and putting them in the best room he can. His room at Capital Audiofest 2022 was no different. Thrax made up the power and preamp part of the system with the use of their massive Spartacus 300, using 300B tubes to make 50 watts of pure class A. The source I listened to was the state-of-the-art reel-to-reel from United Home Audio, the Super Deck Carbon Fiber Edition. The speakers are also at the upper echelon, the Lansche 7.2 with their revolutionary plasma tweeter. This tweeter does not have a diaphragm, motor, or anything. It superheats air to plasma and uses a compressor to move the air creating the sound you hear. It is able to reach well behind what we can hear, 150kHz. This all led to the most complete, full range, and natural sound at the show. It was an incredible experience to listen to.
Metallica at the UHA After Hours Analog Tape Event.
Late night, “Let’s Crank it and wake everyone up!”
The SuperDeck says… WELCOME TO THE MACHINE!
The Pacific Audiofest 2022 – Seattle Washington
STEREOPHILE:
The Pacific Audiofest 2022
Jason Victor Serinus
As at T.H.E. Show in Long Beach, I was smitten by the round, colorful, and illumined sound of Thrax Spartacus 300B monoblocks ($97,500/pair). Seduced, won over, serenaded into submission. And then some. In a not exactly modest ¾-million dollar system that also included a Hifistay Mythology Rack System ($5200/shelf), UHA SuperDeck ($90,000), Thrax Libra 300B stereo preamplifier ($65,500), and, in a change from last time, Børresen 05 Silver Supreme Edition loudspeakers ($214,500/pair), Synergistic Research SRX cabling
—a security master tape of Bozzio/Stevens/Levin performing “Duende” sounded drop dead gorgeous.
Greg Beron with the UHA SuperDeck at the Pacific Audiofest 2022
POSITIVE FEEDBACK ONLINE
Pacific Audiofest 2022
DAVID ROBINSON EDITOR
UHA’s two-box top-o’-the-heap SuperDeck RTR (at a cool $90,000) provided much of the music during the times that I was in the room. Greg Beron does a fine job of taking his Tascam-based machines and hot-rodding/modding them to the max. The separate power supply with its eye-catching VUs drops the noise floor noticeably over earlier models that from UHA that I have either evaluated here or listened to at shows. The results invariably lead to my Brutus Awards/my Audio Oasis! Awards for UHA over the years.
And rightly so.
There was no sense of dynamic restriction or “tubey” sound. Paired with the Borreson 05 Silver Supreme Loudspeakers, which I had not heard before, this system was making music of enormous scale, and yet had detail and delicacy by the megaton.
Damned impressive.
Greg Beron of United Home Audio with one of his three-box reference RTR decks in the High End by Oz room…a great music ma-cheen! Done by a fine hoo-man!
Yes, I spent a lot of time here, and found it hard to leave. That’s always a sure sign of an Audio Oasis! Award brewing.
The Home Entertainment Show Long Beach 2022
UHA was at T.H.E. Show in Long Beach!
The new UHA SuperDeck was featured with Thrax Libra preamp and the Spartacus Amplification and Verity Audio Speakers.
Here’s a video by The Audiophile Junky featuring a song by Greg Brown, “Brand New 64 Dodge”.
Archimago’s Musings
Color me impressed! This is reel-to-reel done right with very impressive sound. Smooth, highly dynamic, lush, yet detailed when the need arises. The Who’s “Baba O’Riley” (from Who’s Last (Live)) and Rolling Stones “Moonlight Mile” (Sticky Fingers) were on during my visit.
AXPONA AUDIO SHOW 2022
UHA At Axpona 2022 With Acora Acoustics Speakers and VAC Statement Electronics
UHA / Acora Acoustics / VAC Gold Show Award Axpona 2022 BEST SOUND award from AV Showrooms!
POSITIVE FEEDBACK ONLINE
After 3 Years in Absentia, AXPONA 2022 Delivers the Goods:
05-09-2022 | By Juan C. Ayllon | Issue 121
The interaction and synergy between sources, players, supporting electronics, loudspeakers and room yield the most pure and sublime results I’ve heard and, to my ears, are the best in the show.
Beron puts on his copy of a master tape of Lou Reed’s “Walk on the Wild Side” on the United Home Superdeck reel to reel, and we are transported back to the August 1972 recording session. Reed’s nasal vocals are eerily natural and clean, Herbie Flowers’ walking bass line full and luminescent. The violins rising from in the backdrop are more apparent that I recall, and background singers Karen Friedman, Dari Lalou, and Casey Synge’s “Doo, doo-doo” hooks shine are vibrant and vivid, while Ronnie Ross’ sonorous sax solo is a living, bellowing beast. What an amazing treat!
AXPONA 2022:
Okay, so given that I am not rich, today I got to pretend I was. Greg Beron was spinning tape from the Ultra Deck and the tube amps from VAC lit up the rocks from Acora (the cabinets are granite) in a way that was breathtaking — this was tape-sexiness at perhaps its best sound ever, and the liquidity in here was enough to make butter melt in sympathy at 50 yards.
Brilliant showing from Acora and The Audio Company. Definitely left me wanting was more-more-more.
AXPONA 2022:
The Nirvana room was home to the Acora Acoustics SRC-2 speakers, being driven by the VAC preamp, amp, and phono preamp. I got to hear this system with a United Home Audio open reel tape deck that floored me. The system had an immaculate diver integration and dynamics. The soundstage and imaging were spot on or as close as could be hoped with rooms put together in a somewhat quick fashion.
Capital Audiofest, Day Two, Part Two
By Art Dudley
Posted: Jul 29, 2013
After a nice little break of ten years or so, I recently began to think I’d like to hear Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon again. Perhaps sensing this, Greg Beron of United Home Audio used selections from that classic album to show off a remarkable system built around MBL 116F loudspeakers ($32,000/pair), sourced with a pair of UHA’s famous Phase 11 open-reel decks ($17,000). Everyone in the audience expressed unambiguous delight, myself included. Extra points for lighting.
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Capital Audiofest: Metro-D.C. Area Show Small, But Shows Solid Growth
By Michael Fremer
Posted: Jul 29, 2013
My friend Art Dudley was there covering the show for Stereophile, so if you want a full show roundup go there. I drove down Saturday morning to see what was new, if anything, in the analog world and I found more than I was expecting! (Photo: United Home Audio’s reel to reel tape based presentation, using MBL speakers and electronics.)
The Part Time Audiophile
CAF 2013: United Home Audio
Posted on July 26, 2013
by Scot Hull Part-Time Audiophile
Ahh, MBL … With analog tape! United Home Audio‘s Greg Beron had a pair of after-hour master-tape sessions, one each night, leading to wee-hours-of-the-morning listening to some of the most sublime recordings you can find. One off masters, anyone? Yeah. It doesn’t get better than this. Candidate for Best-In-Show? You betcha.
The Phase 11 tape deck, one of TAS’ Top 100 Products, was shown here in lustrous white and a silver/grey. Why two? Well, two gets you seamless track-switching — remember, this is tape! Anyway, the duo was a pretty sweet setup. Pricing for the top-of-the-line 11 starts at $22,000, but there are several models to choose from, including the entry level Phase $8,900. For more info, try here.
Shown here with the MBL 116f omni-directional loudspeakers, everything was all wired up with Celtic Silver speaker cables (a UHA in house specialty) to Jolida Luxor monos (with outboard PSU) running the so-new you-that-can’t-have-them KT 150 vacuum tubes from New Sensor. These tubes are rumored to be even more “sweet” up top than the KT120s (where “sweet” = “beautiful”), and bring significantly better bass than the KT88 and EL34 variants. Top to bottom linearity, with a rich mid-range? So say they — I suppose this is something that will reveal itself in the fullness of time.
Readers comments from Part Time Audio Web site:
Al R. says:
July 29, 2013 at 5:22 PM
Best of show honors? Loud enough!
The larger speaker model ( the 116 ) does the holographic tricks the best, IMHO.
The smaller mbl’s (126 speakers) sure cast a nice holographic image in the international …. (?) Room … shared w/ Mapleshade .
Master tapes played. Caveat? Spkrs set too high!!! Inspite of a weird room, still good sonics!
Schley Mckee says:
August 1, 2013 at 9:48 AM
Best sound at the show by a mile.
There was lots of good hifi at this show and then there was this room, it was on a different world.
This wasn’t the mega buck MBL Reference gear this was the mid priced stuff for MBL but it was swinging way above it’s weight class! Analog tape, is it about bloody perfect or what???
I was fortunate to get the sweet spot for the after hours show and I was beaten by the dynamics, could literally see all around in the soundstage, instruments popped out of black 3D space.
Tonality was perfect top to bottom. I never heard The Beatles like that, they were in the room and Paul brought his bass for this performance!
Capitol Audio Fest 2013 Musings
Dr. AIX’s POSTS
29 July 2013
By Mark Waldrep
I stopped by Greg Beron’s Unite Home Audio room last evening for a brief listen to some of his analog reel to reel machines, MBL electronics and speakers playing 15 ips stereo tapes. Greg hosts evening listening session after hours to allow visitors to relax and enjoy his system without the hustle and bustle of the day. He was playing Steely Dan’s Aja when I walked in. It sounded really great! I wasn’t even in the best location but was honestly impressed with the sound. It was warm and punchy with a decent amount of high end. Not bad at for a classic platinum pop/rock recording from the late 70s that has been identified by the library of Congress as a culturally important creative work. It didn’t hurt that this was music that I knew very well and associated with a very special time in my life.
Capital Audiofest (CAF) 2013 Show Report
Part 1 Report By Kemper Holt
My first stop on Friday morning was the United Home Audio suite showing a debut of a new KT 150 output tube in a pair of JoLida Luxor mono blocks, sporting four KT 150s per amp. The Luxor’s are a four-piece set with outboard power supplies. Greg Beron of UHA said the KT 150 is sweeter up top, with better bass than the already great sounding KT 120. The Luxor’s were driving MBL 116 speakers via Celtic cables and the sources were two of UHA’s Phase 11 RTR tape decks. It was a beautifully decorated room, and sounded even better. The Beatles and Eagles tracks I heard were dynamic, and voices and instruments were placed individually across the stage in 3-D glory. Greg and I both noticed the aural phenomena of improved perceived sound quality when he turned down the overhead lights. To the delight of many attendees, Greg hosted late night listening sessions with spectacular comments from those who stayed late. I visited this room many times to enjoy the music being played.
Room 601
MBL 126 Radialsthraler Speakers
Jolida Fusion Preamp
Jolida Music Envoy vacuum tube monoblocks
Jolida JD100 CD Player
UHA Phase11 Reel to Reel Tape Deck
Capital Audiofest, Day Two, Part One
By Art Dudley • Posted: Jul 28, 2013
Call it psychoacoustics if you will, but there seemed to be a connection between the prettiness of the gear (and of the naturally lit corner room) and the sheer beauty of the sound in the room co-sponsored by International Phonographic, Mapleshade Records, and Jolida (with loudspeakers from MBL and a modified vintage Tascam open-reel tape deck). The music, none of which I’d ever before heard, was uniformly excellent and compelling. And, again, the aesthetics contributed to my atypically long visit. To be blunt, some heavily tweaked systems look ridiculous; this one, with its Mapleshade support components, cables, and hardwood sound diffusers, looked (and sounded) pretty in an almost ethereal way. I just plain loved every minute I spent in this room.
