6moons' Milan 2008 Show Report

We really enjoyed Srajan’s quite extensive coverage of the Milan show:

Milan Hi-Fi Show Report 2008

Lots of great photos and photoshopping. But mostly just enjoy the feeling of peering into the rooms at another show, with enough narration that one feels there is someone with us on the journey.

Sure, it’d be nice to hear how things SOUNDED at the show. But that is not really Srajan’s modus operandi.

I do like it that Srajan does not appear to be an ‘Industry First’ [audiophiles last] robot like so many other reviewers. You know, ‘My Industry Right or Wrong’? Sure, there is the desire to ‘Do no harm’ [to the industry]. But sometimes you got to break the arm to reset it correctly.

Now. About those comments on the Audio Note U.K. room 🙂

They actually threw a cloth over the furniture? OMG. People should consider themselves to have received a special honor from Team Audio Note. They have never, that I can remember, draped cloths over any furniture here in the U.S. What are we? Barbarians? 😉

Neli thought they should bring in a really nice piece of heavy Italian furniture to put the components on. Something striking. And heavy enough that, even without platforms with vibration control technology, there is something that is not vibrating like a violin string under the components. Of course, locating and installing this antique would be more the responsibility of the local importer than Audio Note….

Hiend Show, Vietnam 2008

We were sent a few dozen very nice photos of this show, which took place on September 26-28, to share with all of you.

Looks like it was a fun show. Vietnam is one of the fastest growing ’emerging markets’ and high-end audio is definitely sharing in that.


Photos from Hiend Show, Vietnam, 2008

More photos may be forthcoming….

Between Milan, Heathrow [on same day as Milan?], Hiend and Rocky Mountain Audio Fest, there are a lot of shows to cruise during this time of year.

By the way, anyone else has photos [and/or reports] of shows they want to share, please let us know. Can’t promise anything, but, as you know, we DO like to post photos and show reports here on Audio Federation 🙂

More and more dealers? More and more products?

In the high-end audio market? In this economy?

What am I missing?

Assume I am missing nothing and that the barrier to entry is just so low, we get lots of new people every year trying to make a go of it.

Personally, I would recommend going into real estate if you got so much extra cash. Opportunities like this only come once every twenty years or more. THEN, go into audio, later, with your millions to throw away.

Anyway, after almost 7 years in this business, I think we are finally where people no longer think of us a newbies. Which just goes to show that established dealers and manufacturers do get to claim the high ground with respect to audiophiles shopping around for something to buy, someone to ask questions of. someone they respect – and it is a tough row to hoe to get from Newbie to Established.

But it can be fun – if not taken too seriously. And if one does not get turned off too much by knowing the ugly details of the thing you have loved from the outside.

I will say that the scoundrels are few and far inbetween, and that people are almost always very nice people, and, curiously, it is their very idiosyncrasies that probably got them into high-end audio in the first place that keeps most of them from really succeeding in the market place.