Axpona 22’ pictures

[bazelio]

One person says the Avantgarde was the best and couldn’t get enough and one says the worst of the show. I find that interesting.

It's common. At CAS in 2019, one of my least favorite rooms - Destination Audio - won best in show. My favorite room was the runner up. They couldn't have possibly sounded more different. The comments in talking to people were just all over the place. Tastes differ dramatically in this hobby.

 

[marty]

So Marty, what's the point of all this bad sound? Surely if you have the means and you're in this hobby, you'll be aware of the Wadax Ref. So there's absolutely no need to hear it this poorly.

Marc, I would not infer from my comments that the set-up was poor. Elliot's room for example, had good sound as mentioned by many people. It's more a matter of whether the sound you heard floats your boat.

 

[Gregadd]

Mike you are not required to give an opinion on the Horrizon v Wadax. Perhaps you could give an impression on the Hoaizon. I for one am willing to live with the caveat of your relatively limited exposure.

 

[wbass]

I don't see a belt. Is this a new TT for TW? Direct drive?

I believe the belt drive/motor is just closer to the platter on the new models, so that it's a shorter belt and less visible.

 

[Al M.]

There is a buzz for new and more expensive. Period. Yet people comment some of the best sound came from modest rooms. Makes you wonder.

That is often the case at shows. Two reasons that come to mind, apart from other possible ones:

1. Smaller systems are easier to set up, not necessarily to give the best sound (that always requires meticulous set-up which is not usually achievable under show conditions), but to give a sufficiently good or even impressive sound.

2. Huge systems often have brutal power requirements, and are usually "starved", somewhat or badly, at show conditions. Systems with less power requirements tend to fare better.

Not surprisingly then, the best sound, hands down, that I heard at AXPONA 2017 was the BorderPatrol/Triode Labs/Volti system, with a 20 W/ch BorderPatrol push-pull triode amp driving 100 dB sensitive Volti Rival horn speakers to excellent dynamics at quite high volume, with good tone.

 

[djsina2]

It's common. At CAS in 2019, one of my least favorite rooms - Destination Audio - won best in show. My favorite room was the runner up. They couldn't have possibly sounded any different. The comments in talking to people were just all over the place. Tastes differ dramatically in this hobby.

I can understand tastes but one is saying “by far the best” and “riveting” and the other is saying it would have been better if they weren’t turned on.

 

[gleeds]

There is a buzz for new and more expensive. Period. Yet people comment some of the best sound came from modest rooms. Makes you wonder.

I was not at Axpona so I'll go back to the Florida show. For me, the best sound of the show was experienced in two "relatively" modest rooms.

The first room was Margules Audio which showed their tube electronics, turntable, house cables, and top-line Orpheus speakers - the estimated total cost for the system was under $50k.

The second was the Alex Sound room featuring: Blumenhofer Genuin speakers, a Takatsuki 300B integrated amplifier, and Sforzato digital streamer, DAC, and clock. All cables were from True Power. The estimated total system cost was under $100k.

The tone, dynamics, finesse, and sheer musicality of these systems were absolutely first-rate and at this show anyway more enjoyable for me than any of the high dollar systems!

This leaves me with these comments:
1. There is gold out there for those audiophiles seeking highly musical and approachable price systems - value in the high end does indeed live but one does have to seek it out!
2. Shows are far from the ideal place to make a decision on an expensive piece of gear. Doing so at a dealer, at a friend's place where you know the system, or best of all in your own home
3. IMHO, WBF exists to help define value, whether you are spending $1mm or $25k
.
Disclosure: I do not represent the companies mentioned but was so impressed by them I may do so in the future

 

[bazelio]

I can understand tastes but one is saying “by far the best” and “riveting” and the other is saying it would have been better if they weren’t turned on.

Same impression I had at CAS 2019. The Destination Audio "ultimate expression of flea watt" sound bored me to tears. I didn't last more than one song and tried to give it a second chance later in the day to no avail. Again, this went on to win best in show. While, my favorite room had a liveness that I haven't often experienced outside concert venues and I wanted to hear record after record. Sound is polarizing.

 

[Kingrex]

I was not at Axpona so I'll go back to the Florida show. For me, the best sound of the show was experienced in two "relatively" modest rooms.

The first room was Margules Audio which showed their tube electronics, turntable, house cables, and top-line Orpheus speakers - the estimated total cost for the system was under $50k.

The second was the Alex Sound room featuring: Blumenhofer Genuin speakers, a Takatsuki 300B integrated amplifier, and Sforzato digital streamer, DAC, and clock. All cables were from True Power. The estimated total system cost was under $100k.

The tone, dynamics, finesse, and sheer musicality of these systems were absolutely first-rate and at this show anyway more enjoyable for me than any of the high dollar systems!

This leaves me with these comments:
1. There is gold out there for those audiophiles seeking highly musical and approachable price systems - value in the high end does indeed live but one does have to seek it out!
2. Shows are far from the ideal place to make a decision on an expensive piece of gear. Doing so at a dealer, at a friend's place where you know the system, or best of all in your own home
3. IMHO, WBF exists to help define value, whether you are spending $1mm or $25k
.
Disclosure: I do not represent the companies mentioned but was so impressed by them I may do so in the future

You showed, correct. Thats a room Mike liked the vinyl in.

 

[Kingrex]

Tastes differ dramatically in this hobby.

Yes they do. And the music one prefers needs to be taken into consideration too.

 

[Kingrex]

Al made the point of power starved systems. Has anyone noticed what the equipment is plugged into. AQ, Shunyata, Torus, wall? Any thoughts on how this is affecting perceptions.

 

[KeithR]

Same impression I had at CAS 2019. The Destination Audio "ultimate expression of flea watt" sound bored me to tears. I didn't last more than one song and tried to give it a second chance later in the day to no avail. Again, this went on to win best in show. While, my favorite room had a liveness that I haven't often experienced outside concert venues and I wanted to hear record after record. Sound is polarizing.

but horns and SETs always win.

 

[KeithR]

thanks for the show review @marty - what percentage of the crowd was under 40 (millenials)?

 

[Mike Lavigne]

on the way to my flight now, hit Aries Cerat, Gobel/CH/Wadax and Vivid/JRM/Ideon on the way out finishing with the Avantgarde.

trying to wrap my head around those big horns. so much to like, but is it real?

 

[wbass]

As for widely different perspectives on various rooms, I guess, yeah, it's very subjective, dependent on the track that's playing (not just whether you like it but whether it hits the strengths or weaknesses of a system), and probably has a lot to do with how worn out you are from listening to a bunch of random tracks squeezed between a bunch of random people.

I really dug that Avantgarde room. Maybe I caught it at a great moment. Who knows? But I enjoyed it.

I'd say there were a fair number of folks under forty. Maybe 1/5? Slightly more?

 

[Al M.]

thanks for the show review @marty - what percentage of the crowd was under 40 (millenials)?

Those listen to headphones. But headphones are not high end, according to the old folks (who also like Facebook).

 

[djsina2]

Same impression I had at CAS 2019. The Destination Audio "ultimate expression of flea watt" sound bored me to tears. I didn't last more than one song and tried to give it a second chance later in the day to no avail. Again, this went on to win best in show. While, my favorite room had a liveness that I haven't often experienced outside concert venues and I wanted to hear record after record. Sound is polarizing.

I’m sensing a bit of drama and exaggeration all around. Hard to imagine with audiophiles I know.

 

[Ron Resnick]

Dear Marty,

I really, really enjoyed your candid, introspective and acerbic report on the show. I think there are multiple reasons accounting for the difference in your feelings leaving this show versus the feelings you recall having leaving shows in the 1970s and 1980s.

Might one of these reasons be the decline in the ubiquitousness of analog playback sources at shows today compared to shows in the 1970s and 1980s?

 

[marty]

thanks for the show review @marty - what percentage of the crowd was under 40 (millenials)?

Good question. From what I saw, not many. I would extend that to under 45-50. What would have been useful there might have been a Weight Watcher's booth (probably would have been mobbed if it had headphone listening stations). This wasn't exactly a fitness crowd.

 

[marty]

Might one of these reasons be the decline in the ubiquitousness of analog playback sources at shows today compared to shows in the 1970s and 1980s?

I don't know Ron. I didn't pay much attention to source material. I do think it's harder to set-up analog optimally at a show whereas digital is plug and play.