It's a family
affair, it's a family affair." Sly
and the Family Stone
 The
newest addition to the family affair is
Behold's Gentile G192 integrated amplifier
($11,500). Boasting a huge 7-inch touch-screen
display, a plethora of digital ins and outs (8
analogue, 6 digital), and 6-channel FireWire
support. In addition, the Gentile employs four
discrete channels of amplification (two
80-watt analogue and two 160-watt switching),
while room correction and digital crossover
options are also available. I found it amazing
that something so small could pack so many ins
and outs AND allow room correction and digital
crossover software. Simply amazing.
Sonically, the
Gentile wasn't the equal of its big brother
shown in the photo above. That didn't mean it
didn't put up one heck of showing trying to
keep up however. In fact, the Gentile drove
the Ascendo System Ms with such power, finesse
and grace, I had a hard time picking which was
which during a blind A/B test. Initially, I
thought, the Gentile nearly mimicked what the
big Behold BPA768s did when they were switched
back. But with a more careful ear, it was
obvious the sound wasn't quite as voluptuous
in the high registers, sounding just a tad
more closed in. Considering what this product
sells for versus a full stack of Behold, the
Gentile is a sure winner and may very well be
the best integrated amplifier I've heard. This
should come as no surprise to anyone who knows
what Behold is capable of. The Gentile should
come as welcome addition, especially for
anyone who wanted a Behold system but wallets
said otherwise.
At the urging of
Sam Laufer, the Podium Model 1s were briefly
setup in the Behold/Ascendo room. The idea was
to see how these lovely panels would react to
more power and better acoustic surroundings.
The result were simple: this loudspeaker is
destined for glory. The Podium Model 1, in my
opinion, sonically stands above all the
criticisms we audiophiles enjoy throwing at
products. The Podium Model 1s simply play
music with no apology. If you don't like them,
don't blame them. Blame your preconceived
notions for telling you what they ought to
sound like.
Best Sound at Show...again!
Once again the
sound of the Behold electronics and the
Ascendo System M loudspeakers took top honors.
Back in '04 when I first heard the Behold
electronics, a technical tour de force in
digital and analogue circuit topology, paired
up with the Isophon Europa, I almost gagged at
how good they sounded together - even under
less than ideal show conditions. At High End
2005, they teamed up with Ascendo for the
first time and the results were very
disappointing thanks to the horrible makeshift
room they were forced to use down in the main
convention hall. They're subsequent showings
at this previous CES only brought mixed
results. Personally, I wondered if these two
mighty products could in fact produce perfect
harmony together. As in pro sports, two
superstars on the same team don't necessarily
always guarantee a championship. Don't blame
the players. Blame the coach.
The problems
with the sonics at last CES were cable and
room related. When the cables were replaced
nearing the end of the show, the sound changed
dramatically for the better. Laufer used this
same approach at the previous Home
Entertainment show and the sound of this setup
proved quite desirable sounding.
The sound of
this particular setup was no different from
the sound from the CES room because this setup
too used the same cheap generic cables that
Behold's brilliant designer Ralf Ballman
swears by. I find God's checks and balances
rather fascinating in how brilliant a designer
Ballman is but how little he believes (or
hears) in wires, AC cords and the like. I, on
the other hand, can barely understand what I'm
looking at when gazing into a Behold
amplifier, but can easily hear how
dramatic a cable changes its sonic character.
Needless to say, when assistant coach and U.S.
importer Sam Laufer insisted to Ralf Ballman,
at the very least, to try a different cable, he reluctantly obliged.
The sound changed
once again - dramatically for the better. Comments from at
least a half-dozen spectators was "Wow!"
Synergy was in
order and for the first time I heard these two
mighty products working in complete unison
like a championship caliber team. This was far
and away the best sound to come from the
Munich Show.
The last day was
spent being a tourist, walking about Munich's
downtown areas. My friend Ingo Schultz (above
left), a Munich native and audiophile helped
make my trip much more eventful. Believe me, I
enjoyed every waking moment. Germany's a
country that is intriguing on so many levels,
you can only imagine the fun this audiophile
had during its largest audio show.
Clement Perry
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