Woot, my friend. I'll see you around in the morning.
Dinner seems to be a bust - no big deal. Cocktails for sure!
DC
AXPONA Chicago 2015 - April 24-26 - Who is attending?
- Thread starter DC
- Start date
Woot, my friend. I'll see you around in the morning.
Dinner seems to be a bust - no big deal. Cocktails for sure!
DC
I have a pickup truck, wounder if they will let me in the garage or if there is someware else to park?
Best -
boozehound
Best -
boozehound
O well The hound will give it a try.:thmbsp:
bean_counter
Active Member
I'll be there Saturday. Hopefully my daughter will attend as well, she really enjoyed it last year.
Skylab
Watcher of the skies
I was pleased that there were once again a few rooms playing very high quality reel to reel tape at the AXPONA audio show in Chicago. I heard three yesterday. First was the United Home Audio deck (super-modified Tascam BR-20) in a room with MBL Electronics. It sounded great! Sorry for the crappy picture, I wasn't very close and the room was dark...
Next was a Technics 1500 service basically as a transport into a Doshi Electronics tape head amplifier, powered by Doshi electronics driving Wilson Audio speakers. Best sound I heard at the show,
Then much to my total shock, there was a display in the Marketplace by Sounds Classic with a Pioneer RT-707 feeding a restored SX-1980 driving Klipshes
Super fun!!! Headed back for Day Two shortly.
Next was a Technics 1500 service basically as a transport into a Doshi Electronics tape head amplifier, powered by Doshi electronics driving Wilson Audio speakers. Best sound I heard at the show,
Then much to my total shock, there was a display in the Marketplace by Sounds Classic with a Pioneer RT-707 feeding a restored SX-1980 driving Klipshes
Super fun!!! Headed back for Day Two shortly.
keithpgdrb
Super Member
Some pics from today. I was especially impressed with the Harbeths, and the Quad speakers today. the Quad's especially. They are the ones with the "Mofi" banner in the background. Big natural sound.
Harbeths were extremely well balanced and musical. No screaming highs that make you want to leave as soon as you enter.
Two general comments about this show.
1. Most of these guys bring speakers that are Way too big for the rooms that they are in, and they play those speakers Way too loud. So many of these amazing systems just end up sounding congested and honky.
2. My mind is blown how almost No One is using any room treatments to show off their gear. Every single one of these rooms need it, and only a handful have even made an attempt. They are spending a lot of dough to be there, you would think they would try to put their best feet forward.
Oh, and the two speakers I mentioned above did use basic room treatments. Coincidence?
Harbeths were extremely well balanced and musical. No screaming highs that make you want to leave as soon as you enter.
Two general comments about this show.
1. Most of these guys bring speakers that are Way too big for the rooms that they are in, and they play those speakers Way too loud. So many of these amazing systems just end up sounding congested and honky.
2. My mind is blown how almost No One is using any room treatments to show off their gear. Every single one of these rooms need it, and only a handful have even made an attempt. They are spending a lot of dough to be there, you would think they would try to put their best feet forward.
Oh, and the two speakers I mentioned above did use basic room treatments. Coincidence?
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keithpgdrb
Super Member
keithpgdrb
Super Member
Was also very impressed with the Tanoy sound. pics didnt work.
bean_counter
Active Member
Agree, Tannoy had some impressive sound. DC10a's were great; I think the other room had DC10Ti's, nice as well. The room with the "Revolution" speakers fell far short of the real dual concentrics, at least for me.
I personally thought the Harbeths seemed a bit loose and wooly down low. Maybe it was the material when I was in the room. Or maybe I was just picky.
The big Quads in the Mofi room were also quite good.
A dealer brought in a pair of JBL Everest DD 6700's, but the room was too small, program material dismal, and lots of talking. Finally see a pair in person, but I couldn't really listen. :dammit:
Was it just me, or was there a move to MORE POWER! this year? Seemed like a lot of KT88 amps, a lot of big solid state. Didn't see a lot of the ubiquitous SE 300b's
I personally thought the Harbeths seemed a bit loose and wooly down low. Maybe it was the material when I was in the room. Or maybe I was just picky.
The big Quads in the Mofi room were also quite good.
A dealer brought in a pair of JBL Everest DD 6700's, but the room was too small, program material dismal, and lots of talking. Finally see a pair in person, but I couldn't really listen. :dammit:
Was it just me, or was there a move to MORE POWER! this year? Seemed like a lot of KT88 amps, a lot of big solid state. Didn't see a lot of the ubiquitous SE 300b's
Skylab
Watcher of the skies
Day two...and I saw one new RTR - one of Roman's black Pioneer RT-909's. Looked great...sadly it wasn't hooked up.
I went back to the United Home Audio room for another listen and to get a better picture:
Overall I enjoyed the show, although as before, in many rooms there was really bad music being played much too loudly. The rooms with the sweet reel to reels were definite highlights, although there were other rooms that sounded good of course.
A few more shots:
LOVE the "Classic Speakers" stuff:
As well the new JBLs:
Thought this all in one "console" was very cool:
And of course who doesn't love a Big Mac:
Finally, yours truly with a cup of coffee and a big honkin' subwoofer:
I went back to the United Home Audio room for another listen and to get a better picture:
Overall I enjoyed the show, although as before, in many rooms there was really bad music being played much too loudly. The rooms with the sweet reel to reels were definite highlights, although there were other rooms that sounded good of course.
A few more shots:
LOVE the "Classic Speakers" stuff:
As well the new JBLs:
Thought this all in one "console" was very cool:
And of course who doesn't love a Big Mac:
Finally, yours truly with a cup of coffee and a big honkin' subwoofer:
keithpgdrb
Super Member
I will have to listen to the harbeths again. Whatever they were playing when I heard them was really nice. If I recall, they may be ported. I don't usually like the ported speaker sound as a general rule, for the reasons you stated, but didn't get that from them todAy. I'll go back tomorrow.
bean_counter
Active Member
Yes, ported. They were in the Vinnie something or other room.
That room really did sound nice, one of the better rooms there I thought, just had that wooly bottom end.
keithpgdrb
Super Member
well, wife called me while I was making the rounds to tell me she came down with stomach flu, so I never got back to the harbeths. Finally got to spend some time on the 5th floor though, which apparently is where most of the electrostatic speakers were. I just love that sound. maybe someday when I sell off a bunch of stuff.
and I was again impressed by Tannoy. nice speakers.
and I was again impressed by Tannoy. nice speakers.
keithpgdrb
Super Member
keithpgdrb
Super Member
by the way, did anyone get a chance to meet Todd from MA recordings in the LL of the Expo? He was showing his cd's in the Woo room. Man, these recordings are fantastic. all recorded with two mics on location in various spaces in the world. I spoke with him at length about his process and it was a real pleasure.
Very dynamic and well recorded CDs that play on regular players. He has some SACD's I believe, but I wasn't interested in those. has a couple LP's as well, but for serious cash. His CD's, are like $16. A STEAL for the effort put in and quality I have heard so far.
didnt mean for this to be a commercial, but with so much to see, this level and room could easily be missed. It was a new discovery for me, and I figured I'd pass it on. Its worth checking out. IMHO.
http://www.marecordings.com/main/index.php
Keith
Very dynamic and well recorded CDs that play on regular players. He has some SACD's I believe, but I wasn't interested in those. has a couple LP's as well, but for serious cash. His CD's, are like $16. A STEAL for the effort put in and quality I have heard so far.
didnt mean for this to be a commercial, but with so much to see, this level and room could easily be missed. It was a new discovery for me, and I figured I'd pass it on. Its worth checking out. IMHO.
http://www.marecordings.com/main/index.php
Keith
Lapslah
Super Member
Once again this year I was impressed by the Sadurni Acoustics Staccato "big red horn" speakers. I think my Maggies have spoiled me to the point that most "box" type speakers sound honky to me now, so I lean heavily toward planars, electrostatics, and horns. I also very much liked the Volti Audio system. Those high-sensitivity horn loaded speakers were extremely open and airy. Most realistic jazz horn sound I've ever heard from a speaker.
I was there on Friday, and was slightly disappointed by many systems that I've heard and liked before but just didn't seem to have the mojo that day. Maybe the rooms weren't quite dialed in yet, or maybe I was just having a bad day, but rooms like MBL and Legacy let me down this year. The top of the line Dynaudios powered by Mark Levinson electronics were just okay - as far as I could tell, with the guys running the room yelling at patrons like we were in a sports bar the whole time. Very annoying.
At the other end of the spectrum, the little Napa Acoustics bluetooth complete micro system with a tube front end really impressed me. It was obviously not the best sounding thing at the show, but on a cost/performance basis, for under $600 complete with speakers, it's a great little system.
Finally, my vote for weirdest phenomenon goes to Emotiva. I sat in on their demo of a large surround sound system playing "Time" from Dark Side of the Moon. The alarm clock intro sounded great, but when the material went full range, their multiple subs were pushed so hard that they actually slowed down and went noticeably flat - by over a half-step - compared to the rest of the program material. I've never heard anything like it before. Very bizarre. Went back later and they had dialed it back so the subs were "merely" distorting.
My biggest regret is that I just didn't have enough time to see everything. Circumstances required that I try to squeeze the whole show into about 5 hours, and it just couldn't be done, so I probably only got to 40% of the rooms.
I was there on Friday, and was slightly disappointed by many systems that I've heard and liked before but just didn't seem to have the mojo that day. Maybe the rooms weren't quite dialed in yet, or maybe I was just having a bad day, but rooms like MBL and Legacy let me down this year. The top of the line Dynaudios powered by Mark Levinson electronics were just okay - as far as I could tell, with the guys running the room yelling at patrons like we were in a sports bar the whole time. Very annoying.
At the other end of the spectrum, the little Napa Acoustics bluetooth complete micro system with a tube front end really impressed me. It was obviously not the best sounding thing at the show, but on a cost/performance basis, for under $600 complete with speakers, it's a great little system.
Finally, my vote for weirdest phenomenon goes to Emotiva. I sat in on their demo of a large surround sound system playing "Time" from Dark Side of the Moon. The alarm clock intro sounded great, but when the material went full range, their multiple subs were pushed so hard that they actually slowed down and went noticeably flat - by over a half-step - compared to the rest of the program material. I've never heard anything like it before. Very bizarre. Went back later and they had dialed it back so the subs were "merely" distorting.
My biggest regret is that I just didn't have enough time to see everything. Circumstances required that I try to squeeze the whole show into about 5 hours, and it just couldn't be done, so I probably only got to 40% of the rooms.
keithpgdrb
Super Member
I heard the exact same comment about the emotiva room from my friend. Flat bass and all. I've lost my respect for them.