Hi-Fi Shows

[Ukulele Sam]

I went on Saturday, didn't spend as long there as I normally would due to other commitments but it was an enjoyable few hours.
It was good to meet Doc briefly and say hello. I arrived as Rage Against the Machine were in full swing in his room and it was rockin, full of people nodding along. In general, I thought the simpler set-ups fared better and the little NVA system was sweet, detailed and very easy to listen too as I expected. I hope it was a worthwhile exercise Doc in terms of showcasing what NVA can offer that's different.

As for the rest, I agree that for me it does tend to depend on what is playing, if I can actually hear the music over people talking etc as to how long I sit and listen, which ruled a few rooms out. I always enjoy Larsen speakers when I hear them and they (model 4 or 6) sounded good to me on the end of a Clearaudio TT and Exposure amps in the Sound Fowndatios room (their spelling!). Spot the theme but I also liked the Shahanian Obelisks (Well Tempered TT and Dynavector?) - playing Bert Kaempfurt 'Swinging Safari', which was fun and a change from plinky plonky I heard elsewhere. Filled the room with music which was detailed and easy to listen to, I like this but can't afford it. Surprised myself by enjoying the Linn system with little speakers - large ones made my ears bleed last year- but that might be because they were playing London Grammar at the time.

Elsewhere Willow Tree Audio had some Hoerning speaker (not sure on amps) that were making nice noises, Kralk Audio had some big old speakers that had 12" drivers and offered some serious vfm in my opinion for around £1300. Played Electronica all the time I was there however, not sure how they would fare with other types of music but in fairness, I can see people loving these. Mr & Mrs Pink Pig were there and loved them too, as they kept telling Alan the Designer. Look out for a glowing review soon! I quite liked the Neat speakers too (Explorer?) on the end of a Pi/Chord dac/Naim Nait2.

Probably some others I have forgotten but one of the best sounds for me was Scot Wainwright playing a brief live set in one of the large rooms in the afternoon. Really enjoyed that, even bought one of his cd's to take home.

[wiicrackpot]

One shock for me was Rage Against The Machine (customer CD) it was both good and fun, never heard it before, the name had put me off.

That is a shock, Doc liking RATM, never heard any of their stuff for the same reason,
the name suggest just tuneless racket.

P.S. try as i might but can't link ''piggy'' to anyone, there again i only visit here,Audio Talk and PFM nowadays.

[Daniel Quinn]

HiFi pig. Stu

[Dr Bunsen Honeydew]

A majority of people scan rooms they don't know - poke heads in and if nothing grabs immediately they are out again. We caught a few, some who had never heard of us, some who kept coming back and shaking heads - "why aren't the other playing music, it is all hi-fi" was one fav comment. "Why are prices so daft" (apart from one small new speaker maker who attracted much good comment and prices were reasonable). I think we also may have converted a couple of Marco AoS head nodders, we will see.

We will see, we are small company, small room, little promotion, BIG shock to some people, and of course the other usual types. We will see what comes in from eBay nothing much at the show, but a couple of new members for the forum I see today from the show.

It would be nice to have pictures and write ups on the forums we are banned from, but there is always an inverses side, remember it is only Marco and his nodding heads who wants the ban, there will be very many frustrated members who cannot be pleased they are being censored in speaking reality one way or the other (they may have hated the room). So far I have only seen nodding heads post at AoS along with reams of bad quality photos from Marco.

[wiicrackpot]

Thanks Dan.

So all in it was a successful outing for you then, you must have felt like some circus freak with all them peeking heads and gone in a flash shenanigans.

[Ukulele Sam]

Special mentions to:

Guy Sergeant in the Puresound room. Couple of oldies came in for some valves and vinyl and he immediately put some Ska on. They were too shocked to move, faces were a picture

Scott Wainwright, who played some live music and told us a story about how he invented hip-hop on his allotment in Barnsley before his mates, Snoop Dog and Dr Dre (not a real Doctor) took it to America.

[Dr Bunsen Honeydew]

Is it worth it, well I decided in the past it wasn't at my level of business and lack of desire to promote. I am still inclined to think that way, the hassle and disruption of just doing one is a PITA. There are positives like meeting customers, there are negatives like meeting eeediots. And music, on set up and early morning and late evening sounded really good, but as everyone fired up around the show so the SQ went down, but I presume it does it for everyone. I checked taking the miniBMU in and out of circuit and that was definitely helping and the system still sounded good but the magic was gone. I have felt this at shows going way back into the past as well, and there are other factors apart from 'lecky, noise pollution from other rooms, so you compensate by turning up, then they turn up, etc etc. This has a tendancy to drag it back to the lowest common denominator, so real comparison is partly lost, which removes one of the main motives for the shows, to *ACTUALLY* show how good gear is in reality.

Anyway I am booked for the National in Sept, we will see after that if I keep doing them. I was thinking to myself on the way back at 2am trying not to fall asleep (3.5 back compared with 7 hours out) that I don't *need* to do this, I have enough business, one of my main motives ATM is to show the others up as rip-off merchants or as I said to people in the room "to piss them (the slurpers) off", did it work, I doubt it, more like a flea bite than a hammer bash. They are all too set in their rip-off culture ways, the industry is just set on this course and I cannot divert it, but I will not give in and join them, I will just plough my own furrow per usual.

People who took the time to listen and read my blurb understood and many were shocked at what could be done for £600, but there is also psychology and denial going on in here as well. All of them have been ripped off or own overpriced product*, do they really want to be shown or admit to what eeeediots they have been, I think like breaking out of a brainwash or a cult or a religion that people have to do it themselves, no matter how much I rant it is largely pissing into the wind. All I can do is be there to save them when they finally see what is real

*2nd hand bargain searchers are exempt from this criticism, but even 2nd hand is now joining in the rip-off.

[Dr Bunsen Honeydew]

One interesting side effect from the show that is nothing to do with NVA but goes to develop my ever growing hi-fi guru status was the reaction to my £30 Sony CD player. I had the same thing 10 years back with my Pioneer PL71 turntable I bought for £35, now you have to pay up to £500 depending on condition. Well i have been keeping quiet about its model number and loads were trying to find a number on it, well it was sold as part of a system and when they come up at ebay it is usually the whole system for sale. I have three of them now, one for me, one for Nadia's system and one spare, so I will let it be public. It is the Sony CDP S1

https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_nkw=sony+cdp-s1

[Lindsayt]

If I were a billionaire with time on my hands, I'd buy the most mediocre sounding £50,000+ blingtastic "household name" system I could find.

And exhibit this at trade shows and Kegworth alongside a reasonable £50 system (might have to bump that up to £600).

And play a selection of the same tracks at the same volume one after the other on each system all day long. Just to demonstrate the £50 system sounding better.

[Lurcher300b]

One shock for me was Rage Against The Machine (customer CD) it was both good and fun, never heard it before, the name had put me off.

That is a shock, Doc liking RATM, never heard any of their stuff for the same reason,
the name suggest just tuneless racket.

Ironic this, as the subject that RATM spoke about was very similar to what Richard rails against.