NY Audio Show 2013 - My impressions

[docvale]

Myles and I posted at about the same time. We didn't see each other's post. Read anything in common? f-u-n

IMHO. More Rock = More Fun

 

[NorthStar]

The show should be about having fun, first and foremost, seeing new gear, second IMHO, and if you are in the market for say, a preamplifier- the opportunity to meet the designer or representative and ask questions about how it would integrate in your system. The sound at shows is more like a weather-vane, if after reading reports or visiting rooms you conclude that (show after show) consensus has the YG Carmel sounding realistic, the the odds are it will in your system. MBLs? do they win best sound awards? Then they may in your system.

Shows are about seeing and hearing...touching and feeling and meeting the people who bring us the music and magic.

...But still for very serious audiophiles, right Peter? :b

 

[rblnr]

IMHO. More Rock = More Fun

You should have stopped by our room Lots of rock, and an emphasis on dynamic recordings in general. Agreed with all who think the show should be fun and informative. I've always struggled with the 'serious' rooms.

 

[garylkoh]

Nice. What was your selection?

Festival Overture - Fiedler's Favorite Overtures.

 

[Priaptor]

Because most systems = epic fail.



Because most digital symphonic = epic fail.



Maybe because of neighbors? Maybe because 15 amp service is shared between two rooms?


Perhaps people should lighten up have have some fun with the hobby. I think people take things often way too seriously. It's not code blue.

To me fun is having a system I enjoy listening to and NOT wanting or feeling there is something lacking and enjoying the ride to get there.

 

[PeterA]

Myles and I posted at about the same time. We didn't see each other's post. Read anything in common? f-u-n

It's fun if you're the guy talking to and learning from the designer. It's not fun if you are the guy trying to listen to some music while the other guy is talking to the designer and the door is open and everyone is chatting. It's fun if you're listening to a good, live acoustic performance. It's not fun if there is a someone standing right in front of you with a video camera bumping into you and blocking your view saying "excuse me" five times.

I met a lot of people who had multi- day tickets who told me they were not coming back for all the days. They had had enough. Too crowded, too noisy etc. But I guess that means a lot of people did stay to create the crowds and they must have been having fun.

I agree that these shows do give one the opportunity to meet and greet and touch and feel the equipment. I guess that it what it is all about. Time to adjust my expectations and have some fun.

 

[MylesBAstor]

It's fun if you're the guy talking to and learning from the designer. It's not fun if you are the guy trying to listen to some music while the other guy is talking to the designer and the door is open and everyone is chatting. It's fun if you're listening to a good, live acoustic performance. It's not fun if there is a someone standing right in front of you with a video camera bumping into you and blocking your view saying "excuse me" five times.

I met a lot of people who had multi- day tickets who told me they were not coming back for all the days. They had had enough. Too crowded, too noisy etc. But I guess that means a lot of people did stay to create the crowds and they must have been having fun.

I agree that these shows do give one the opportunity to meet and greet and touch and feel the equipment. I guess that it what it is all about. Time to adjust my expectations and have some fun.

Let me redefine fun as looking at the glass half full and not the glass half empty of water all the time. Let's face it. Our systems will never, ever, in a million years, sound like [insert your own favorite] Hall, your favorite jazz club or a rock concert. For instance, no system I ever heard is capable of sounding like Mick Fleetwood's drum set live. Yet there's enough there to love listening to Fleetwood Mac.

It's not dissimilar to those who claimed that TAS jumped the shark when they stopped trashing equipment. In other words, audiophiles read TAS to see HP lambast gear, not rave about gear. Sad commentary if true.

 

[MylesBAstor]

It's fun if you're the guy talking to and learning from the designer. It's not fun if you are the guy trying to listen to some music while the other guy is talking to the designer and the door is open and everyone is chatting. It's fun if you're listening to a good, live acoustic performance. It's not fun if there is a someone standing right in front of you with a video camera bumping into you and blocking your view saying "excuse me" five times.

If you've read my show reports, I've commented upon exactly the same situation you've described What scares the hell out of me are those attendees that have to touch everything. Some guy came into Wes Bender's room and started pulling, pushing and doing all kinds of things to the tonearm. I really wanted to get up and tell the guy to get his mitts off because if he broke it, he owns it.

Of course, sometimes the door is open because the AC isn't capable of cooling down the room But yes, I agree, take your conversations elsewhere. OTOH, I did note at the show that a great sounding vinyl LP instantly quieted the crowd in the 'serious' audiophile rooms say like Wes Benders.

 

[PeterA]

Of course, sometimes the door is open because the AC isn't capable of cooling down the room But yes, I agree, take your conversations elsewhere. OTOH, I did note at the show that a great sounding vinyl LP instantly quieted the crowd in the 'serious' audiophile rooms say like Wes Benders.

I guess I did not pay enough attention to the title of the show, "The New York Audio SHOW". It is not called "The New York Audio LISTEN." After having attended two of these, I think I've seen enough for a while. I'm glad deals are made and tickets are sold because these EVENTS continue to generate excitement for the industry and there were a few younger people there this year as well as some women. All good things. I even watched a cello strummed like a guitar. That was a first and a lot of fun.

There was a room on the 10th or 11th floor that took a different approach. The host told the audience right up front that he was not planning to sell anything at the show and he knew the audience was not planning to buy anything, so I heard him say, "why not just play music?" He closed the door and asked audience members if they had brought any CDs with them. Now that was refreshing. Nice attitude and kind of fun.

 

[NorthStar]

I guess I did not pay enough attention to the title of the show, "The New York Audio SHOW". It is not called "The New York Audio LISTEN." After having attended two of these, I think I've seen enough for a while. I'm glad deals are made and tickets are sold because these EVENTS continue to generate excitement for the industry and there were a few younger people there this year as well as some women. All good things. I even watched a cello strummed like a guitar. That was a first and a lot of fun.

There was a room on the 10th or 11th floor that took a different approach. The host told the audience right up front that he was not planning to sell anything at the show and he knew the audience was not planning to buy anything, so I heard him say, "why not just play music?" He closed the door and asked audience members if they had brought any CDs with them. Now that was refreshing. Nice attitude and kind of fun.

The designer of the Red Point turntable in Wes Benders room was asleep in the second row, quietly snoring. He was not answering any questions at that time. That was kind of fun(ny) too.

So, that's what some was revealed at the 'Show' too; that's cool, but it's nice at the zoo too. :b

 

[MarinJim]

That's why I try to talk about the music before playing it so that the audiophiles can run out of the room while the pretty ladies are running in.

Ill go where the pretty ladies go any day of the week.

 

[flez007]

For some reason, very few lines have been written about the show not just here but everwhere else, at least compared to post-show coverage of RMAF, CES or Munich....

 

[Andre Marc]

For some reason, very few lines have been written about the show not just here but everwhere else, at least compared to post-show coverage of RMAF, CES or Munich....

You need to check out stereophile.com, audiostream.com, and analogplanet.com

 

[Occam]

Ill go where the pretty ladies go any day of the week.

We aimed to oblige!

 

[MylesBAstor]

I was there this weekend. The highlights were the Genesis, Wilson/D'Agostino, Magnepan, MBL exhibits. The most unexpected great presentation was by a company I was unfamiliar with--Brodmann Acoustics. Their speakers were excellent.

Many exhibits were a disappointment and I walked out.

NOTE TO EXHIBITORS: DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES PLAY "DEMO" MUSIC.

Nothing makes me want to walk out more than that. Play music I will actually listen to.

Some large, well known dealers and companies were guilty of this crime.

Play real music, mostly orchestral and jazz, some rock would be fine also, but do NOT play electronic music or other crap that has no real live intrinsic sound of its own.

BTW from what I now understand, the power was out in the hotel and everything was running off backup generators. Maybe that helps explain the bad sound?

 

[MadFloyd]

View attachment 9265

We aimed to oblige!

Is that REAL?

 

[Occam]

Is that REAL?

Absolutely! Roberta is 6' 1" in stocking feet. Israel Blume's wife was diagonally across the hall luring men to their thermonic doom, [the Coincident room was really good] and we at Wes Bender Studio NYC had to compete. We decided to go svelte this year, with both Roberta and the low(er) cost Marten Floor Form speakers. For our room's needs, we felt the 5" woofers were preferable to our neighbor's larger side firing equivalents.

 

[JackD201]

Gusto to go with the Zesto by way of Roberta. Nice!

 

[cjfrbw]

You know you are in trouble when you look at the turntable before you look at her "ahem".

 

[NorthStar]

That is the true sign of an 'audiofile'.