I went to my very first show a couple months ago, up in NewPort Beach Ca.
THE Show was my first listen of so much I'd read about, heard about, but never heard inperson.
The systems more in scale with the room did sound better. The Focal Grand Utopia (beyond a merely optimistic name!) was only OK in a large hotel room. Not something that made my jaw drop.
OTOH, Some of the fullrange single driver stuff was astonishing, driven, as is the custom, by smaller tube amps. Even the Vinyl demos were killer. But than again, so were the R2R rooms and even the computer based. My IPod hooked up in a few systems was a pleasant surprise.
That being said, some larger speakers also made a favorable impression. The large panels from Sanders sounded good. Some other large scale speakers were OK, but I never did hear the MBL line, which was in 2 rooms. How DID they get those amps in there?
I missed Magnepan, of which I'm a big fan and at least 1 complete floor of goods.
The small speakers of note? Audio Engine. RSL, a Southern California Boutique brand speaker from the 70's back again with the original owner and Audience, made up the road in San Marcos.
The format used, 2 and sometimes 3 rows of 3 or 4 chairs doesn't help.
Still and all, I'll try another show. I enjoy people watching and on that level, is quite entertaining. I'll know better next time what to look and listen for. It was, at the end of the day, an EDUCATIONAL experience.
THE Show was my first listen of so much I'd read about, heard about, but never heard inperson.
The systems more in scale with the room did sound better. The Focal Grand Utopia (beyond a merely optimistic name!) was only OK in a large hotel room. Not something that made my jaw drop.
OTOH, Some of the fullrange single driver stuff was astonishing, driven, as is the custom, by smaller tube amps. Even the Vinyl demos were killer. But than again, so were the R2R rooms and even the computer based. My IPod hooked up in a few systems was a pleasant surprise.
That being said, some larger speakers also made a favorable impression. The large panels from Sanders sounded good. Some other large scale speakers were OK, but I never did hear the MBL line, which was in 2 rooms. How DID they get those amps in there?
I missed Magnepan, of which I'm a big fan and at least 1 complete floor of goods.
The small speakers of note? Audio Engine. RSL, a Southern California Boutique brand speaker from the 70's back again with the original owner and Audience, made up the road in San Marcos.
The format used, 2 and sometimes 3 rows of 3 or 4 chairs doesn't help.
Still and all, I'll try another show. I enjoy people watching and on that level, is quite entertaining. I'll know better next time what to look and listen for. It was, at the end of the day, an EDUCATIONAL experience.