Tampa Audio Expo 2022


Just got back from this show today. I have been to dozens of RMAF, CES, T.H.E. shows, and others, and I have to say, this show was the worst, both on quality of sound and # of rooms that participated. We were done listening to all the rooms by early afternoon. My flight took longer than this, and I have another day to kill before leaving. There were some nice rooms that we spent more time in: MBL, Von Schweikert, Black Ice, Fink, and BØRRESEN. In the past, we would spend 3 days at a show because you went back 2x or more to the rooms you liked or it took more time to go thru all the rooms.

Hopefully next year will be better.

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For this event, I really feel sorry for the organizer and vendors.

It wasn’t as fun and excited as 2017 RMAF and I think it did show on EV1’s faces?

There were as few rooms as my local Lonestar Audio Show in Dallas- that’s bad.
Well, I got myself a brief pep talk and a selfie with Jay Audio and we thought it was hilarious. Great guy indeed.

Chicago Audio Show is in April if anyone interest.

This was my 1st Tampa audio expo and I agree with a couple of other people here that it didn't have the sound quality that other shows have had, especially for the price. For example, only a few years ago at RMAF, a pair of $6000 totems would have been in the top 5 of the best sounding rooms at this audio show. I also liked the systems on the 2nd floor. I was listening to many speaker systems that were mid fi at best that cost anywhere from $30k to $100k+ that a pair of Revel Salon 2's/Studio 2's or Wilson $20k/$30k speakers would have blown them out of the water for 1/2 the price. 

I was also disappointed on the number of rooms showing equipment. I'm guessing each floor averaged 4 rooms that were demostrating.

 

 

Listening to the various clips that Jay posted, I thought the Borresen room and the Piega room both sounded good.  Several of the other hi-end demos were just kinda ho hum.

I thought it was me as I walked into a room only to walk right out as there was no reason to listen further. That bad, 

I was shocked that there were 3-4 rooms per floor so maybe 40 rooms total for this show. 

VAC seemed to be represented the most as they were in 5-6 rooms. 

 

The MBL room was interesting but would be cheaper to get a mortgage for a ocean front property than the asking price of those speakers and amps.

That’s pretty concerning when such a high percent of supposedly “special gear” fails the test. Someone may be a bit out of touch with things.  Why even bother?