KLIAVS 2013 Commemorative CD

Hey folks, KLIAVS is back again. This is an event most fi are looking forward to check out the latest toys in the audio market. It is also timely for fi from all over the country to fellowship. Out to grab, the organizer has printed 10k copies for the show goers.

Hot from the stove, I've received a copy of CD from the organizer on July 2. The producer handed it over to me, I felt honoured. The artwork of the cover CD is like non other, a royal symbol somewhat and the fabric background injects elegance, mystery and very English flavoured. Are the producers getting a lit excited receiving the coming of new member of British Royal Family? I know that the producer was once studied in UK. Talk about colonial sentiment, ha. Only they will know. In a nutshell, the cover looks classy and presents less commercial intent.

The producer also revealed that the quality of the CD is better and cost higher to promise better sound. Wasting no time, I spun the CD to pen my thoughts.

Here's the tracks recorded on this CD :

1. Autumn Leaves from Audiophile Prologue 1
2. Amour M'est Au Cuer Entre from Out of Time and Country
3. Cello Suite 3 from Martin Zeller/J.S Bach/6 Suites Cello
4. Tomorrow from Woong San/Tomorrow
5. El Portenito from Sera Una Noche/La Segunda
6. Birmingham Jail from Sheila Jordan/Voices
7. Wisdom of Empty City 空城計from Three Kingdom 三國
8. John Henry from Cecile McLorin Salvant/Woman Child
9. 短歌行 from 關棟天/短歌行
10. Chapel of Love from Girl Talk/Girl Talk
11. I'm All Smiles from Ravid Goldschmidt &Silvia Perez Cruz/Llama
12. Sonata Graz No. 3 For Violin Continuo In D RV II Allergo from La Serenissima/Antonio Vivaldi
13. Chitlins & Gefiltefis from Christian Mcbride/Conversation with Christian
14. Echoes of Love from Omar Akram/Echoes of Love
15. Dance of The Tumblers from Exotic dances from the Opera/Rimsky-Korsakov/Eiji Oue/Minnesota Orchestra

The selection of tracks this time around mostly is less commonly heard and more of acquired taste.  Suffice to say, Commemorative 2013 will be less appealing to fi with narrow music genre preference and newbie. So, be patience, wotk them out and you will like it soon enough.

Recording quality wise in general bettered Commemorative 2012, notably more natural tone and greater tone density. I was told that a sealed Commemorative 2012 is going for RM120 - RM150. Imagine that!

Voices, go for track 1, 4, 6, 8, 10, 11
Acoustic timbre, track 3, 5, 7, 12, 13, 14, 15
Spatial presence, track 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 9, 11, 12, 14, 15
Big scale, track 7, 9, 15
Bass, track 4, 8, 13, 14, 15
PRaT, track 8,

My favorite tracks are No. 2, 3, 6, 7, 9, 11, 12 & 15. Well, that's me. You might have different favorites. Vocal fans will not be disappointed, the vocal has the surreal presence. The ambiance tends to draw my attention and is one of the hallmarks of audiophile approved recording.

My run down on the tracks :

Track 1 is not an easy track to chew. If your system doesn't have a good bass reproduction, the double bass will mess it up instantly.

Track 2 is my personal favorite. The bell measures your highs reproduction, the spatial imaging in huge soundscape is absolutely stunning. Very clean recording.

Track 3 sounded elegance. Smashing clarity on the cellos, delicious instrument reverberation propagation. Love it.

Track 4 demonstrates a lushly vocal with strong rumbling bass. Background is not as dark and clean.

Many MA recording hallmarks, clean and spacious were showcased on track 5. The conversations were unpretentious.

Feeling a crave for country songs, Track 6 will be fulfilling. Ultra black background. MA recordings has its magic again on double bass, well behaved, controlled and comes with distinct edge delineation. Very natural vocal reproduction.

I am not unfamiliar with track 7. Three Kingdom is one of the better recordings from China, many were hampered by over EQed resulting unnatural timbre. Cinematic effect with rumbling bass if these what you're looking for, you found it here. This track will on put a test on your amp current delivery and

Track 8, a folk song with Jazz influence. Punchy midbass, a test on your system ability to depict double bass and kick drum. Harry Belafonte's version is still very much prefered.

Track 9 is very acquired taste, it is either love or hate affair.

Track 10 is my least favorite.

Track 11, as with similar to Track 5. The female vocalist voice sounded like Ricky Lee Jones.

Violin lover track, track 12. Expansive and tone beauty.

Cow tendon string fans, track 13 is a bass crunching score. A good test for tenacity, and it is strictly for kick ass system. This track will move a lot of air.

Track 14 is a new age score. Out of word, difficult to describe.

And lastly, the producer is saving the best for last, play it, crank it up, wrap it up and call it a night. The splendor of a full orchestra, my kind of music. Layering, tone beauty and majesty of orchestra, this is room shaking track.

A worthy note, MA Recording is truly breathless and outstanding. They have the uncanny quality to depict space, timbre and spatial presence, floating the images in mid air. Reference Recording too is equally impressive. Commemorative 2013 will slowing grow on you.

Go out, attend the show and grab a copy or be sorry.