i've been to something like 10 ces's and 3 stereophile shows, tho i turned down several invitations to attend the latest exhibition in nyc about which trelga started this thread. i recall vividly the 1st big time show i went to in las vegas, when the "audio highend" shared space at the sahara with the "adult video" crowd. there, too, the crowds were confining, the signage was less helpful than brail menus to the sighted, the layout of the "bilevel" was virtually impossible to fathom and most of the rooms had all the sonic characteristics one might expect when a shoddy "suite" from which the simulated woodgrain plastic-covered furniture has been removed is filled with multi-thousand-dollar audio ephemera and a few plants that are supposed to look good in the hoped-for pictures to be taken by the all-powerful gurus of the superspecialized "hifi" press. to make matters worse, the electrical system at the sahara was so overloaded, just supplying juice to the slots, that several semi-sized trailers housing huge generators were parked within hearing distance of many rooms, spewing diesel fumes and just enough extra volts to assure brownouts would prevail over the black variety. still, in this seemingly unworkable environment, some systems shown through. and there was magic in the air. stuff from which dreams are composed.
now, when i return to ces, i know what to listen for. some of the best sound comes from rooms that war veterans have set up. they know by now the general "acoustic" characteristics of the venue, now the alexis park, and bring the sort of equipment and room treatments that will make the chosen of their product line sound best. the champ of this ilk at ces 2001 was the guy from westlake audio who set up a $1500 pair of monitors to mate with around $70k of boulder electronics. he built a kind of cocoon in which was placed one perfect listening chair surrounded, front, top and rear by acoustical fabric/treatment.
other exhibitors displayed their wares seemingly unadorned. yet some very few of them also stood out from the masses. among this small group was nagra. this superluxe swiss company played second-generation master tapes on their spy sized reel-to-reel through wilson watt/puppy 6.1's. gorgeous looking. awesome sounding.
i offer these observations not to undercut or diminish the views of others on this thread but merely to provide a frame of reference. audio shows offer a special sort of place to hear a wide array of equipment. nearly always, that equipment is heard in far less than optimal spaces. nonetheless, sometimes one can hear through these limitations and be inspired. that, in a nutshell, is my experience.
trelga, i commend you for the bravery needed to start this thread. i hope many more in our small community get the opportunity to experience the pleasure and pain of hifi shows. i can assure you, it will add almost immeasurably to your knowledge of this sport.
happy listening. -kelly
now, when i return to ces, i know what to listen for. some of the best sound comes from rooms that war veterans have set up. they know by now the general "acoustic" characteristics of the venue, now the alexis park, and bring the sort of equipment and room treatments that will make the chosen of their product line sound best. the champ of this ilk at ces 2001 was the guy from westlake audio who set up a $1500 pair of monitors to mate with around $70k of boulder electronics. he built a kind of cocoon in which was placed one perfect listening chair surrounded, front, top and rear by acoustical fabric/treatment.
other exhibitors displayed their wares seemingly unadorned. yet some very few of them also stood out from the masses. among this small group was nagra. this superluxe swiss company played second-generation master tapes on their spy sized reel-to-reel through wilson watt/puppy 6.1's. gorgeous looking. awesome sounding.
i offer these observations not to undercut or diminish the views of others on this thread but merely to provide a frame of reference. audio shows offer a special sort of place to hear a wide array of equipment. nearly always, that equipment is heard in far less than optimal spaces. nonetheless, sometimes one can hear through these limitations and be inspired. that, in a nutshell, is my experience.
trelga, i commend you for the bravery needed to start this thread. i hope many more in our small community get the opportunity to experience the pleasure and pain of hifi shows. i can assure you, it will add almost immeasurably to your knowledge of this sport.
happy listening. -kelly
