Pursuing the Ultimate Music Experiences

Audio Federation High-Fidelity Audio Blog
 by Michael

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….

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 by Michael

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 🙂

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 by Michael

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.

in High-end Audio HiFi and Stereo / RMAF 2008 / Show Reports 0 comments
 by Michael

RMAF 2008: Manufacturers and Dealers/Distributers

If any of you want to add a comment to your room in the show report, either in response to my commentary, or just whatever – please send an email to mike@audiofederation.com with ‘Show Report Comment’ or something as the subject, your comment and your room number.

Feel free to include a link to your website in your comments.

And we reserve the right not to publish comments that do not make sense. This isn’t a news network. 🙂

Thanks,
Mike.

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 by Michael

Well… back from Rocky Mountain Audio Fest

…and boy are we tired of lifting heavy equipment.

We are so bummed that we didn’t get to do any daily reports from the show because the hotel inadvertently disconnected our room. And we did not find this out until late late late the first night – then by the time we were ready to upload photos the 2nd night it was again late…. and well, it is only a 3 day show…

But there are 1500+ photos and the show report will be forthcoming.

Everybody loved the Lamm ML3 amps on the big Martens in our room – and in fact they liked the sound a lot better than our sound last year [last years system was kind of tweaky – a setup with an integrated on the active crossover on the Supremes required careful tweaking of the bass and sometimes the phase for each song – but it really sang when it was tweaked correctly].

Attendance was – my guess, within 5 – 10% of last year. Considering the fear mongering on Wall Street and the cold snap on the last 2 days, that is pretty good. What people were looking at this year seemed quite a bit different than last year. Hard to pin it down, but perhaps there was more focus by visitors on favorites and less exploration of all the unfamiliar rooms?

OK. Time to answer Remy’s post.

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 by Michael

Where are all the other Rocky Mountain Audio Fest show reports?

Inquiring minds want to link to them!

Only Enjoy The Music seems to have a page setup for the show.

Stereophile usually has a page ready before the show – but I couldn’t find it.

Everyone else seems to wait until they have a report ready, from AudioJunkies to Dagogo, from UltraAudio to AudioXSell.

Well, we are linking now to EnjoyTheMusic.com and the heck with the rest of the slackers until after the show 🙂

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