Ces 2018

NorthStar

Member
Feb 8, 2011
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I'm not in Las Vegas but almost. I'm keeping in touch from all the best reporters, videos, articles, in this 2018 internet world...virtual reality; it's like being there. :b

It's good to keep track, to stay on the edge, looking sharp, ... it gives us a better perspective on where we are and on where we're going. This is entertainment, for the eyes, for the ears, for the love of those emotional senses and sensibilities.
Sony even presented a cute little dog (robot), Aibo, to keep company to your other pets in the house and with an emotional attachment with children, and adults too.

 

NorthStar

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Feb 8, 2011
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Tango

VIP/Donor
Mar 12, 2017
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Need more space for more tts.
 

NorthStar

Member
Feb 8, 2011
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I agree, the world needs more music and turntables and less driving vehicles on city highways and less TVs burning the eye's retinas. Brief we need more balance, and turntables can provide that.
 

asiufy

Industry Expert/VIP Donor
Jul 8, 2011
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I'm here (Vegas).
It was actually busier than I expected. I guess concentrating everything on the same floor (29th) made things seem busier... But folks I talked to were generally upbeat about things.
The sound, as usual, was mostly good. ELAC has a fairly impressive new $2000/$4000 all-active bookshelf/floorstander.
Technics showed the SP-10, truly amazing.
The Lamm room (one of only 2 big suites up on the 35th floor) is using Aqua digital (complete with CD transport), and is sounding great too. An AF-1 landed today, courtesy of ddk, and from what little I've heard, it's sounding great, in spite of the brand new cartridge that was arranged for the show.
YG/Nagra was the best sound by far, for me. When Rene Laflamme's tapes were playing, it was truly mindblowing.


cheers,
alex
 

DSkip

Industry Expert
Aug 26, 2013
442
194
350
Arlington, TX
www.audiothesis.com
It's an integration show now with a little hifi thrown in. Integrators are not interested in high end, boutique audio. I spoke with about a dozen distributors about what shows to attend and CES wasn't even close to an option for any of them. AXPONA has stolen much of that thunder.
 

audioguy

WBF Founding Member
Apr 20, 2010
2,794
73
1,635
Near Atlanta, GA but not too near!
I probably attended 15 CES's but I quit attending CES long ago. They have priced themselves out of the market for most small audio companies and there are too many much better alternative shows all over the country. There is CEDIA for integrators and then Axpona, RMAF, The New York Audio Show, T.H.E. Show, California Audio Show, Capital Audio Fest and probably a few more I have left out. Then internationally, there is Munich, Melbourne, Sound and Vision The Bristol Show, etc.
 

marty

Well-Known Member
Apr 20, 2010
3,025
4,167
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United States
It's a sad fact that the 2018 CES may be the last of the many wonderful audio shows I've attended in Las Vegas. The best obituary I have seen for what used to me a major audio event was written by Bill Leebens in PS Audio's newsletter that can be found here:
http://www.psaudio.com/article/last-call/

I love his analogy to an old girlfriend. For me the death of CES Vegas is so much more. It's about the passing of an era as well as the passing of a venue. Despite some positive signs such as the resurrection of vinyl, the high end and all that it entails is a very different beast from what we have seen in its heyday. Is there a venue that will be its likely successor? RMAF? Munich? Newport? AXPONA? Other? Even so, will these be nothing more like a fleeting ticket to a big ride at Disneyland? You know you can pay to ride it, but you will never own it. For me, that's one of the stark differences of the modern high end era to the one I miss. There was actually a time you could aspire to own many of the products you heard at a high end show. Today, very very few of us will ever acquire the 6 figure products that flood the field almost monthly. And we know that! Hence, the sadness and wistful longing for high end days gone by. Now, the best that many of us can do is spend a grand or so for a ticket to "go on the ride" by attending audio shows. We still love to meet our fellow hobbyists, hear new music (always one of the high points of these events) and immerse ourselves in dreams of what might be, even though we are now more than ever, confronted with the reality that they will remain dreams. The good news is that technology that was unavailable at any price even a few short years ago has become more affordable and although it is not in the "uber" realm of high end, there is an abundance of wonderful products will never hold anyone back from enjoying very good music reproduction in their home. Still, I am going to miss CES as I knew it for 40 years. That's why the old girlfriend analogy of Bill Leebens really made me smile even though I had a tear in my eye.
 

NorthStar

Member
Feb 8, 2011
24,305
1,323
435
Vancouver Island, B.C. Canada
It's an integration show now with a little hifi thrown in. Integrators are not interested in high end, boutique audio. I spoke with about a dozen distributors about what shows to attend and CES wasn't even close to an option for any of them. AXPONA has stolen much of that thunder.

I probably attended 15 CES's but I quit attending CES long ago. They have priced themselves out of the market for most small audio companies and there are too many much better alternative shows all over the country. There is CEDIA for integrators and then Axpona, RMAF, The New York Audio Show, T.H.E. Show, California Audio Show, Capital Audio Fest and probably a few more I have left out. Then internationally, there is Munich, Melbourne, Sound and Vision The Bristol Show, etc.

It's a sad fact that the 2018 CES may be the last of the many wonderful audio shows I've attended in Las Vegas. The best obituary I have seen for what used to me a major audio event was written by Bill Leebens in PS Audio's newsletter that can be found here:
http://www.psaudio.com/article/last-call/

I love his analogy to an old girlfriend. For me the death of CES Vegas is so much more. It's about the passing of an era as well as the passing of a venue. Despite some positive signs such as the resurrection of vinyl, the high end and all that it entails is a very different beast from what we have seen in its heyday. Is there a venue that will be its likely successor? RMAF? Munich? Newport? AXPONA? Other? Even so, will these be nothing more like a fleeting ticket to a big ride at Disneyland? You know you can pay to ride it, but you will never own it. For me, that's one of the stark differences of the modern high end era to the one I miss. There was actually a time you could aspire to own many of the products you heard at a high end show. Today, very very few of us will ever acquire the 6 figure products that flood the field almost monthly. And we know that! Hence, the sadness and wistful longing for high end days gone by. Now, the best that many of us can do is spend a grand or so for a ticket to "go on the ride" by attending audio shows. We still love to meet our fellow hobbyists, hear new music (always one of the high points of these events) and immerse ourselves in dreams of what might be, even though we are now more than ever, confronted with the reality that they will remain dreams. The good news is that technology that was unavailable at any price even a few short years ago has become more affordable and although it is not in the "uber" realm of high end, there is an abundance of wonderful products will never hold anyone back from enjoying very good music reproduction in their home. Still, I am going to miss CES as I knew it for 40 years. That's why the old girlfriend analogy of Bill Leebens really made me smile even though I had a tear in my eye.

It all sounds like sand in the desert, the market place of electronics, gadgets, trends, desires, dreams, the future, business, and watching TV.
I don't know what's the best show; Sony I think.

You guys going to Munich this Spring?
 

ddk

Well-Known Member
May 18, 2013
6,261
4,040
995
Utah
Yup. I booked it when I decided to skip CES for the first time this year. So far, all I hear and read about both shows confirm that I made the right choice

I was there and you made the right choice though it was good for some newer manufacturers who got press exposure this year due to low participation. The media had more time to spend in each room and revisit as needed to fill up that badwidth!

david
 

jeff1225

Well-Known Member
Jan 29, 2012
3,007
3,247
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One floor (29th) and 2 suites (LAMM + Chord).....very sad. I think this will be the final year. Too bad they moved it from Alexis Park, it really killed the show.
 

Mike Lavigne

Member Sponsor & WBF Founding Member
Apr 25, 2010
12,467
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One floor (29th) and 2 suites (LAMM + Chord).....very sad. I think this will be the final year. Too bad they moved it from Alexis Park, it really killed the show.

agree. I went to the Alexis Park 4 or 5 times and it was a fun spot and great for participants. but Vegas is now too big time for the 'low-brow' Alexis Park's of the world.
 

Kal Rubinson

Well-Known Member
May 4, 2010
2,360
697
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NYC
www.stereophile.com
Kal, in your opinion where is our world going? ...Our music/audio world of course, what else.

I dunno. I decided against CES because it has given me less bang for my buck for the last 2-3 years. I went to CEDIA in 2016 and there was barely enough audio to make the trip worthwhile but I enjoyed it. I particularly enjoyed meetings with KEF and Classe. I would love to see a relocation of more audio companies to CEDIA.

Consequently, I have been trying to figure out what US shows are worth the trip. The NY Show doesn't work for me.
 

DSkip

Industry Expert
Aug 26, 2013
442
194
350
Arlington, TX
www.audiothesis.com
I'll be attending AXPONA, but not Munich this year. I'm hoping I can make it to Munich in a few years.

Kal, if you are looking for a unique show experience, you should consider Lone Star Audio Fest. It is a grassroots type show that is more about the people than the gear. I've made life long friends from this show and look forward to it every year. We usually end up with 20-30 rooms ranging from ultra high end all the way to DIY and even hobbyist/audio society rooms. A few years ago we had a room with cardboard speakers that wowed many. Note - the cardboard was not run of the mill, but cardboard nonetheless.

LSAF is more of an audio-themed vacation than a 'show', but that's what makes it special.
 

Kal Rubinson

Well-Known Member
May 4, 2010
2,360
697
1,700
NYC
www.stereophile.com
Kal, if you are looking for a unique show experience, you should consider Lone Star Audio Fest. It is a grassroots type show that is more about the people than the gear. I've made life long friends from this show and look forward to it every year. We usually end up with 20-30 rooms ranging from ultra high end all the way to DIY and even hobbyist/audio society rooms. A few years ago we had a room with cardboard speakers that wowed many. Note - the cardboard was not run of the mill, but cardboard nonetheless.
LSAF is more of an audio-themed vacation than a 'show', but that's what makes it special.
Thanks. Your description would make it attractive if it was a 2 hour drive but not for a plane flight and accommodations. Small shows are not worth the trip because there's too little content (once one discounts anything related to turntables and tubes, as I do).

P.S.: Where in Arlington are you located? Back in the 80's, I had a business in TX/OK with main office in Arlington.
 

DSkip

Industry Expert
Aug 26, 2013
442
194
350
Arlington, TX
www.audiothesis.com
I border Mansfield, about two miles south of I-20 on Cooper Street. I grew up not too far from here in the 90's and swore I would never move back. Women make you do things you never thought possible...

I understand your concerns regarding the show. It is a unique experience but if content is what you are after, it doesn't compare to the bigger, more commercial shows.
 

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