Overall Impressions of the Show

The general feeling we heard expressed by many was one of disappointment, of same ole, same ole. That little at the show was sounding very good, and nothing sounded great, and nothing really new and exciting was being exhibited.

There was also talk of taking the Stereophile Show to Chicago in a few years.

One thing we did see that may be the start of a larger trend was the refurbishing of equipment from yesteryear in order to make it a viable component in today's marketplace. Given the frustration many people have with their systems and some tendency to blame it on the industry making worse and worse sound - this equipment seemingly has a ready set of customers.

Another trend is that smaller, less expensive speakers and components are making headway against their bigger, more expensive cousins - especially when it comes to making music in a rather small New York City hotel rooms.

Winners

Attendees who went to the show and have a small hotel-sized room they want to put a hi-fi into

Exhibitors who brought small speakers to exhibit in the small hotel rooms

Losers

Just about everybody in a hotel room who wasn't exhibiting a monitor speaker

Attendees who are looking for a system for a big room but do not want to use corner horns

Most Popular Equipment

There seemed to be a lot of Audience and *Shunyata cable and power products at the show,
along with *Harmonic Resolution systems (HRS) equipment racks and *EMMlabs digital front ends.
There were also 3 rooms with Peak Consult speakers and 3 systems with JM Lab speakers.

More Winners

• Most Potent Elixir
   

• The midrange of the Midi Exquisites
  GTT Audio - Kharma Midi Exquisite speakers, *Lamm M1.2 amps, Kuzma turntable

• Loudest Sound in a Miniature Hotel Room
  With no Breaking Up or Distortion
  of Any Kind
   

• Blue Light Audio - VR9SE speakers, darTZeel amps, *EMMlabs digital

• Best Oasis to Just Listen to Some Music

Tie:

• Lamm / Damoka - Vitavox, *Lamm, Weiss, CEC, Purist Audio, *Acoustic Dreams, SRA
   

• EPOS, Creek, Music Hall

• Most Fun Listening Experience at the Show

Tie:

• The Fidelio 2 sweet spot
  AAudio Imports - *Acapella Fidelio 2, Einstein, IsoClean
   

• Rachmaninov
  Lamm / Damoka - Vitavox, *Lamm, Weiss, CEC, Purist Audio, *Acoustic Dreams, SRA

• Speaker Companies to Keep an Eye On
   

• Ars Aures

Best Sound in a Banquet-sized Room

Lamm / Damoka - Vitavox, *Lamm, Weiss, CEC, Purist Audio, *Acoustic Dreams, SRA room

Best Sound in a Hotel Room

[In some kind of approximate order,
the price / performance being relatively good and equal among these rooms]

• GTT Audio - Kharma 3.2E speakers, Kharma amps, dCS digital room

• AAudio Imports - *Acapella Fidelio 2, Einstein, IsoClean room

• Brinkmann Audio / Sound Advice - *Marten Design, *Brinkmann, *EMMlabs, Audience room

• Ars Aures room

• Hyperion room

• Almarro room

• EPOS, Creek, Music Hall room
  
   

• Best Sound
   

• Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
  Carnegie Hall

* Carried by Audio Federation