AXPONA 2024 Ron Reporting

Here is my report for the first day of AXPONA 2024:


 
Carl, current prices of these high end audio products are insane and totally detached from reality. Did you see the $200,000 line array from Switzerland built with the “custom” Scanspeak drivers? Not only is there a lot of money out there, there are a lot of gullible customers and also I’m afraid that many, specially in the Asian markets use the cost of the equipment as status symbols. The high-end industry has come a long ways from what it was back in the 80’s, but be assure that that early spirit to progress performance and not prices still lives on in the DIY Audio Community. It is just getting ridiculous and just when you think you seen it all there is always more. I think that customers have become desensitized to these prices and don’t even correlate them with what is being offered. The premise that if it cost more it must sound better is clearly at play and being used by shrewd businessman.
I saw those and listened to them today at the Axpona , and with all due respect, their sound was not remotely "worth" that kind of money to my ears IMHO!!! Not even 50 grand!
 
One of the best rooms in terms of how mature and organic the music (not the sound of the system) there sounded.... I visited that room few times and spent quite a long time just to give my ears relief and refresh my senses from lot of hi-fi contenders" . That room along with (big surprise) John Devore's new Bronze model just were were oasis of sheer musicality. Jeffrey Catalano is NYC's musical scene's unheralded treasure!
 

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The sound in that room was indeed superb! Best I ve heard the Avantgarde sounded at any shows I ve attended. And I'm not a "horn" guy by a mile!
I had the same reaction: best Avantgarde showing in my experience, as well.
 
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Here is my report for the first day of AXPONA 2024:


Really liking the new one to one short interviews mixed in with the slice of life videos of the camera through the rooms Ron… the accompanying wild reel of room sound for atmos brings the sense of the experience of wandering through the rooms with it. It’s a really good mix.

The timing of the video grabs and interviews also seems spot on and your questions are particularly on point and the interviews are illuminating. I think you’ve got a great show coverage approach happening now. Much appreciated.
 
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It's great coverage, Ron. I think you are constructing a good model for how these events should be presented.
 
Please enjoy my interview with Lukasz Fikis about the Poseidon and LampizatOr's implementation of Taiko XDMS!

Very informative Ron. Just to clarify you're discussing XDMI and not XDMS software. I know, it’s confusing for me too.

Cheers
Blue58
 
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Jim, Jeff, Dan and I just heard this colossal Chinese horn system by ESD:

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The colossal ESD horn system with this fancy Chinese lacquer color is US$4 million. In normal finish it's US$1.2 million, which is really very reasonable for all of these components!

I thought this monster sounded fantastic! I would substitute Viva Aurora Monos for all of the solid-state amplification, and I would substitute analog for streaming.
 
The colossal ESD horn system with this fancy Chinese lacquer color is US$4 million. In normal finish it's US$1.2 million, which is really very reasonable for all of these components!

I thought this monster sounded fantastic! I would substitute Viva Aurora Monos for all of the solid-state amplification, and I would substitute analog for streaming.
A US $2,8 million paint job ? :rolleyes:
 
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