CES is still fun
[I am preparing another blast of photos. But because these photo posts will be so long, I am letting these smaller posts simmer here for awhile.]
It seems to me that many of the people writing about CES are bored. They are tired of it. They do not enjoy it. They wish they didn’t have to go each year.
We, however, love it more than ever. It is a blast.
Why are they bored? Maybe because they are getting paid to attend? Maybe because this is just their job, not their adventure?
Why do we enjoy it so much? The people. The music. The learning process and testing what we have learned here against 100s of other systems. The excitement of entering each room hoping and anticipating something potentially GREAT: great sound, great music, great friends. It is like a giant building (a hotel) full of toy stores, and your friends are there and there are hundreds of parties going on.
What is not to like?
Sounds Cool… Hope to visit next year … :-))
Mike,
I just wanted you to know how much fun it has been to read your show articles thus far. I religiously check the blog every day for new content. Maybe after you finish with the show, you can go back to the tough question of getting drug like sound at real world price levels. I am not sure that is possible, but it would be nice to see your thoughts about potential equipment choices at various price levels. As Demian Martin once told me, it is relatively easy to build a good product when you are not economically constrained. The real difficulty is doing something noteworthy when you are resource constrained. I suspect that AN kits may be part of the answer, but probably not the only answer.
Hi Fred,
Thanks.
Right now we have someone in town for a few days of auditions [can’t think of a more fun way to spend my time…. hmmmm maybe that should be: can BARELY think of a more fun way to spend my time] – so my blogging is suffering once again. But hopefully we can get back on track – finish the show report *sigh* and back to drug like sound – at any price. I think we might have to understand it better at the more expensive level before we can see what we can throw out [and save money] and still have the desired sound.
“it is relatively easy to build a good product when you are not economically constrained”
If I can play devil’s advocate… 🙂 …. 1) there are always economic constraints and 2) even with lots of money it is still hard to make a good product. Look at any Microsoft product and the Space Shuttle. Even with all that funding – there are limits, and there are outright failures, and even the successes aren’t that great [referring to maintenance issues with the shuttle etc.].
Right now, a possible sufficient attribute for drug-like sound is very high resolution on a very black background. When the notes come out of nowhere and decay into infinity. At least, this seem to often do it for me. And, pursuant [now I am concerned if I am using that word correctly :-)] to your comment, it may also not be, necessarily, price-dependent.
Take care,
-Mike
Mike,
Demian’s comment represented his opinion after many years as an audio designer; however, perhaps what ge should have said is that high price does not guarantee high performance but low price almost always guarantees significant compromise. While I can think of a few “best buys” such as the Ortofon A90 and the EMM Labs CDSA, neither are really cheap, just less costly than other products that offer competitive performance. I hope that I am wrong and that after you have further developed the attributes of drug like sound, you can identify some products that deliver high satisfaction but are not stratospherically priced.