No. I was very tempted but had no real need what with two larger pair already.
I did buy a Chord Mojo portable DAC and a nice aluminum 45 record adapter and some music.
Also I got to hear German Physiks for the first time. Those are speakers I could live with but very pricey. The sound was spot on in every way running off Merrill Class D amps. They had a prime spot in a somewhat larger room that was right off the atrium. They have a new US distributor located in North Jersey so perhaps they will start to make a bigger showing here now.
I also heard Tekton for the first time. Double Impacts I think., I liked those very much as well. 10 watt tube amp had them playing nicely in a smaller hotel room. These could be the ticket for someone with a lower powered amp that wants more sound for the dollar. Not a lot of WAF appeal though. I found the sound very engaging. MEAT ON THE BONES which so many smaller setups often lack and perhaps just a nice smidgeon of warmth. Only problem with these larger speakers in the smaller room was I could hear location of individual drivers though the overall soundstage and imaging was quite good.
The Vanadoo powered speakers sounded very good for their size and represented a very good value. Also had a nice discounted show price as did Benchmark again this year (10% off)
In all most rooms had good sound. Class D and tube amps were often the culprits and hard to distinguish without looking. One or two rooms perhaps that I thought clearly under performed.
I still say these shows need to promote more of a range of gear at various price points to draw more people. The vast majority of gear was very pricey still well beyond what most normal people would consider. Lots of good sound but I found myself often questioning the value proposition. Very nice show for an audiophile in any case.
I did buy a Chord Mojo portable DAC and a nice aluminum 45 record adapter and some music.
Also I got to hear German Physiks for the first time. Those are speakers I could live with but very pricey. The sound was spot on in every way running off Merrill Class D amps. They had a prime spot in a somewhat larger room that was right off the atrium. They have a new US distributor located in North Jersey so perhaps they will start to make a bigger showing here now.
I also heard Tekton for the first time. Double Impacts I think., I liked those very much as well. 10 watt tube amp had them playing nicely in a smaller hotel room. These could be the ticket for someone with a lower powered amp that wants more sound for the dollar. Not a lot of WAF appeal though. I found the sound very engaging. MEAT ON THE BONES which so many smaller setups often lack and perhaps just a nice smidgeon of warmth. Only problem with these larger speakers in the smaller room was I could hear location of individual drivers though the overall soundstage and imaging was quite good.
The Vanadoo powered speakers sounded very good for their size and represented a very good value. Also had a nice discounted show price as did Benchmark again this year (10% off)
In all most rooms had good sound. Class D and tube amps were often the culprits and hard to distinguish without looking. One or two rooms perhaps that I thought clearly under performed.
I still say these shows need to promote more of a range of gear at various price points to draw more people. The vast majority of gear was very pricey still well beyond what most normal people would consider. Lots of good sound but I found myself often questioning the value proposition. Very nice show for an audiophile in any case.