Fritz Heiler of southern California has been building custom loudspeaker systems for 37 years. Called into action at CAS 2010 were his Carbon 7s ($1750/pair shipped, or $1650/pair for show attendees who acted in time). Equipped with ScanSpeak drivers, these babies have a frequency response of 39Hz–20kHz, ±3dB, and a sensitivity of 88dB. Their special crossover is free of caps and resistors, having only one small inductor on the mid/bass driver.
In a system whose associated components include vintage Krell and Luxman gear, the speakers did a fine job of conveying air and pace. Given that the only room treatment in this bass-mangling small room consisted of towels on the sidewall mirrors, it's no wonder that the sound was boomy on bottom. If the show returns to the Hilton next year, I expect exhibitors will bring a fortune of room treatment.
