Bristol 2012

[Zag]

Just wanted to say a big thank you to everyone involved at the Bristol show today - had a really good day, saw lots of top notch kit and experienced some great demo's. As usual the WHF team demo was great as was the KEF one downstairs. Good stuff!

 

[BenLaw]

Any thoughts / reviews / pics (preferably!) from anyone :quest:

 

[Paul.]

The product which impressed me most was the Neat Iota I think. Obviously there were some big amazing systems there, but you expect the big amazing systems to be big and amazing. The sound the Iotas made was unexpected 🙂

 

[6th.replicant]

+1 re Iota. Very, very impressive - its sound is so 'big' it's spooky.

Was surprised that most of the hi-fi dems, whether using digital or analogue sources, sounded very bright at the top-end with flabby, booming bass.

ProAc's setup was impressive, however.

Intrigued to note that B&W's home cinema setup had much mains treatment gubbins :?

Cyrus's kit, partnered with Vienna Acoustics speakers, did not sound bright :O

Arcam fella said the company will continue to support SACD :clap:

Obviously, there were many of the latest 50in TVs used for home cinema demos. Pioneer was using a Kuro. And the Kuro still reigns, IMHO 8)

Lots of the latest 3-D TVs on show - and 3-D still sucks :hand:

WHF?S&V's ultra-HD, 11.1 - or should that be 11.3 cos it had three subs? - setup was very impressive. The train-wreck sequence from Super 8 looked and sounded spectacular. (Intrigued to note that PMC had supplied ordinaire Gale-type 'pink' OFC cable for its über subs.)

Good to meet folks from WHF?S&V - a decent bunch :cheers:

And props to WHF?S&V for having the aircon turned on its demo room, whereas most other exhibitors did not - eww! :shame:

Enjoyed the show, well worth a visit. Ta 🙂

 

[CnoEvil]

Enjoyed the show, well worth a visit. Ta 🙂

Did you get to hear Audio Note?

 

[Andy Clough]

Thanks for the feedback folks, glad you enjoyed it. We're still here until 5pm tonight, so if you haven't been yet and can make it to Bristol, do come and see us.

 

[robolowski]

Enjoyed the show, well worth a visit. Ta 🙂

Did you get to hear Audio Note?

I did 😉 but Tbh to me it sounded totally rubbish compare to other exhibitors .the kit looked good though but very flat sound and not nice to listen to.
Kef downstairs was awesome! And I loved pmc 23 and 24 , would love to buy them , best quality speakers on show for me for tbd money!

 

[CnoEvil]

Enjoyed the show, well worth a visit. Ta 🙂

Did you get to hear Audio Note?

I did 😉 but Tbh to me it sounded totally rubbish compare to other exhibitors .the kit looked good though but very flat sound and not nice to listen to. Kef downstairs was awesome! And I loved pmc 23 and 24 , would love to buy them , best quality speakers on show for me for tbd money!

Thank you for replying....it's certainly the opposide end of the spectrum to the sound you would be getting from your XQ 30s, so I can certainly understand your view.

Generally, I've found AN can be plonked down in most rooms and sound how it's intended, so it would be interesting to find out if it was just sounding wrong (unlikely to be honest).

 

[robolowski]

Yeah its certain that audio note isn't my cup of tea 😉 . The setup was expensive I think and it didn't sound good to me .
Maybe not best comparison but xtz sounded as bad , but I believe that their gear used was way cheaper .
In both cases the sound made me step out of the room .
All that is only my reflection and I am not judging anyone or anything .

 

[CnoEvil]

Yeah its certain that audio note isn't my cup of tea 😉 . The setup was expensive I think and it didn't sound good to me . Maybe not best comparison but xtz sounded as bad , but I believe that their gear used was way cheaper . In both cases the sound made me step out of the room . All that is only my reflection and I am not judging anyone or anything .

It is certainly not judgemental to politely state a viewpoint, and taste is individual and never wrong (for the person who has it).

 

[robolowski]

Any thoughts / reviews / pics (preferably!) from anyone :quest:

 

[robolowski]

oh what have i done wrong?

 

[chris hollands]

Just returned from a weekend in Sunny Bristol, highlights of the show for me was the Neat Iota, amazing sound from such small speakers, loved the Audio note demo, fantastic sound from 8 watts !!

Really like the PMC Demo, great looking speakers and sound just as good with it !

I am in the process of buying a projector and was really impressed with the Optoma demo, really dissapointed with the JVC 4K Demo, Thought batman looked really grainy and the 3d , although very impressive i thought the Sea demo was a bit old hat .

Would anyone know what the projector was in the Epsom room showing the great isle of man TT Bluray, looked great but did not find out what model it was ??

 

[matthewpiano]

Did anyone get to hear the new Sansui kit? As a long-term fan of the brand I'm intrigued by their return.

 

[chris hollands]

Hi Mathewpiano,

I have fond memories of sansui, my father took me to Tottenham court Road when i was about 14 ( with money i had borrowed from my Grandfather ) to purchase my first `Proper HIFI `and almost purchased a Sansui stack system !!

Thought the sound was pretty good and looks good too. Certainly good to see them back.

 

[Clare Newsome]

More about the Sansui re-launch - including video - in report here....

 

[CnoEvil]

Just returned from a weekend in Sunny Bristol, highlights of the show for me was the Neat Iota, amazing sound from such small speakers, loved the Audio note demo, fantastic sound from 8 watts !!

At least that confirms the AN room was up to standard......The sound from 8 Watts has to be heard to be believed. :shifty:

 

[kev g]

Yes, thanks to all concerned at Bristol - a great day.

The Kef Blades with Electrocompaniet, the "little" Arcam DAC thrown in & cd player (don`t know the model) was awesome. On The Beatles tracks you could clearly follow all the instruments which came together in a foot tapping musical feast.

Switching to the R300`s the piano on an Adele track sounded superb - so natural.

Another room to immerse yourself in, for me, was Arcam with the Audiovector speakers - it just drew you into the music.

Other highlights - Dali Epicon 6 with Linn, AE Reference 1 with Naim, PMC 23 & 24 speakers, Vita Audio R4i, the new Focal headphones & listening to a pair of £1700 Grado headphones through a NAD Viso !

 

[chris hollands]

Could someone tell me if it was the Epson TW-6000 being demo`d in the Epson room or an alternative model in the range ?

Thanks guys.

 

[matthewpiano]

Thanks Chris and Clare! I hope they will be at Manchester in the Autumn. I just couldn't get down to Bristol sadly, though it is my ambition to get there one year as by all accounts it is still the bigger of the two shows.

 

[6th.replicant]

Enjoyed the show, well worth a visit. Ta 🙂

Did you get to hear Audio Note?

Yes. Not my cuppa char, but at least Audio Note's demo actually sounded like music and didn't hurt my ears - most of the other stuff gave me a headache/earache, literally. (In fact, over 24 hours later my ears still hurt.)

I've not been to many hi-fi/AV shows, but Bristol emphasised the gulf between being a music fan and a hi-fi fan.

Visited room-after-room, mostly full of fellows sitting with their eyes half-closed, heads gently lolling while smiling serenely. Yet, all I heard was hideous vocal sibilance, ear-splitting top-end and boomy, lung-rattling bass.

An extreme example of music vs hi-fi was REL's demo: the REL fella played a classical/Spanish guitar piece, first without REL sub, then with. Granted, with the sub the guitar had more presence and generally sounded more 'impressive'.

But it sounded nothing like a real/live classical/Spanish guitar, be it performing in a living-room, concert hall or garden shed.

Horses for..., YMMV etc.

 

[BenLaw]

mostly full of fellows sitting with their eyes half-closed, heads gently lolling while smiling serenely.

:rofl: Perfect description!

(I always wonder which of them posts on here.....!)

 

[CnoEvil]

Yes. Not my cuppa char, but at least Audio Note's demo actually sounded like music and didn't hurt my ears - most of the other stuff gave me a headache/earache, literally. (In fact, over 24 hours later my ears still hurt.)

Cheers 6th.replicant

Thank you for the feedback.

 

[6th.replicant]

mostly full of fellows sitting with their eyes half-closed, heads gently lolling while smiling serenely.

:rofl: Perfect description!

(I always wonder which of them posts on here.....!)

 

[Anonymous]

Anyone know the dance track KEF played at the Bristol Show 2012 plz