HiFi Live Show 2016

[drummerman]

Fantastic thread and show feedback, done entirely by Ellis and Gazzip.

Applause and proof there is life in this forum yet. I'd like to exclude TrevC and a few select others from that statement ... . 🙂

 

[ellisdj]

Fantastic thread and show feedback, done entirely by Ellis and Gazzip.

Applause and proof there is life in this forum yet. I'd like to exclude TrevC and a few select others from that statement ... . 🙂

Thanks

 

[manix]

This was the first room we went in to and we were all extremely surprised and impressed by what this (relatively) little system was doing. The speakers litterly disapeared and soundstaging was truly excellent. Yes, they didn't plumb the low frequency depths, but Revel also do a series of floorstanders that may well address that, which I would also like to hear at some stage... Why did the i32 only get 3 stars? Bizzare!

This is a very good example of just how you can't take a review as gospel. Think we have all heard certain 5 star stuff and wondered why did that get a good review and just in the opposite way something that gets 3 stars with the right kit and environment can sing and you can't understand why it got a poor review.

Hopefully people will read your take & ellisdj and perhaps open there minds and probably more importantly demo stuff more.

 

[davedotco]

I have tried to explain, from time to time, the effect that a really very good system can have on a listener often to some very sceptical responses.

I have done enough shows in my time to know just how difficult it can be to get a big, reasonably full range system, to work well in an unknown and often difficult room. That a number of exhibitors appear to have done exactly this is very much to their credit.

Recreating the space and scale of the music is the difficult bit and it appears that at least a few exhibitors managed to do just that, though the prices of some of the products involved is even more eyewatering than in 'my day'.

Congratulations to the exhibitors involved and thanks to Ellis and Gazzip for their reports...*good*

 

[ellisdj]

The next event is next weekend AudioT and Isotek are doing a weekened event I am sure that would be good.

Someone surely can attend this and feedback to the rest of us, I would go but I have got something on already. Honestly after hearing the GamutT system with the lowest noise floor of any system I have ever experienced and it was being powered off Isotek uber conditoner and regenerator £20k worth a demo like that would convert a cynic on these products. So its worth the visit if anyone can make it - plz tale a few snaps because pictures always tell the story much clearer than words.

 

[emperor's new clothes]

Thanks for the pictures. Would love to hear that Epicon 8 / Luxman demo. Almost exactly 10 times the cost of my Dali/ Japanese electronics combo! 10 x better?

Best demo a decade ago was Mcintosh and Martin Logan at an asian show. Fabulous.

 

[nopiano]

Another thank you from me for pics and write ups. I'd be happy with the Wilson Sophia having enjoyed them at the Reading show earlier this year.

 

[Al ears]

Thanks for the write up and great pictures. I had been hoping to go but family matters diverted us away.

What are the blond wood speakers? Not Magico or Wilson Audio, surely?

99% they are Gamut speakers

They were GamuT Zodiacs and they sounded awesome. I agree they were the best sound in the show.

Correct, nobody else does grilles like heated towel rails. 🙂

 

[ellisdj]

Correct, nobody else does grilles like heated towel rails.  

It's funny a bloke asked the hippy type sales rep if the grilles were for anything in particular.

He replied yes they are for if you get too drunk at a party and fall into them and did a demonstration.

It's was funny I liked his style

 

[emperor's new clothes]

Correct, nobody else does grilles like heated towel rails.

It's funny a bloke asked the hippy type sales rep if the grilles were for anything in particular.

He replied yes they are for if you get too drunk at a party and fall into them and did a demonstration.

It's was funny I liked his style

Brave, at £115,000 a pair

 

[Al ears]

Correct, nobody else does grilles like heated towel rails.

It's funny a bloke asked the hippy type sales rep if the grilles were for anything in particular.

He replied yes they are for if you get too drunk at a party and fall into them and did a demonstration.

It's was funny I liked his style

Brave, at £115,000 a pair

They obviously weren't his own pair, and I certainly would not like that landing on my head. ;-)

 

[Al ears]

Another thank you from me for pics and write ups. I'd be happy with the Wilson Sophia having enjoyed them at the Reading show earlier this year.

;-) If you get them i'll pop over for a listen ;-)

Me, I'd be happier with the Duette Series 2 with my room size ;-)

 

[Blacksabbath25]

Very nice write up *smile* and some very nice kit I would of liked of heard myself .

the Dali's looked nice .

 

[ellisdj]

Brave, at £115,000 a pair

It wasn't the Wilsons I am not sure how much the GamutT are can't see them being that much. Maybe £40k or something more everyday price wise

 

[Andrewjvt]

Thanks for taking the time and effort with this thread.

Much respect as its very well written and ive enjoyed reading it.
I can almost feel my enthusiasm for hifi comming back. Thanks

 

[lpv]

Thanks for taking the time and effort with this thread.

Much respect as its very well written and ive enjoyed reading it. I can almost feel my enthusiasm for hifi comming back. Thanks

cool & fresh air *smile*

 

[Gazzip]

Something bad happened to me after the show...

I ended up being given an audition of some active Adam studio monitors. They were S5A-MKII's I think? Unfortunately (for my wallet) these were game changers and clearly showed the true difference in SQ between active and passive designs. So much more dynamic power and clout than anything I had seen that day or have heard before. Having invested so much time and money in building a passive system I have to admit to feeling a little crest fallen.

I love my system and thought I had reached my audio nirvana, only to discover another range of mountains as I reached what I thought was the peak for me. Where does this all end!!!

 

[ellisdj]

Something bad happened to me after the show...

I ended up being given an audition of some active Adam studio monitors. They were S5A-MKII's I think? Unfortunately (for my wallet) these were game changers and clearly showed the true difference in SQ between active and passive designs. So much more dynamic power and clout than anything I had seen that day or have heard before. Having invested so much time and money in building a passive system I have to admit to feeling a little crest fallen.

I love my system and thought I had reached my audio nirvana, only to discover another range of mountains as I reached what I thought was the peak for me. Where does this all end!!!

How did that come about?

 

[Gazzip]

Something bad happened to me after the show...

I ended up being given an audition of some active Adam studio monitors. They were S5A-MKII's I think? Unfortunately (for my wallet) these were game changers and clearly showed the true difference in SQ between active and passive designs. So much more dynamic power and clout than anything I had seen that day or have heard before. Having invested so much time and money in building a passive system I have to admit to feeling a little crest fallen.

I love my system and thought I had reached my audio nirvana, only to discover another range of mountains as I reached what I thought was the peak for me. Where does this all end!!!

How did that come about?

The guys I was at the show with are/were speaker designers. They commercially released a pair of £20K domestic actives back in the 1990's, did the shows etc. with them, and WHF reviewed them at the time. They have since moved on to pastures new, but are both avid fans of actives and one of the guys owns a pair of the these Adams. The other guy still owns and uses the speakers they designed back in the 1990's which were also frankly awesome for the same reasons, although the HF driver wasn't quite to my liking in those...

 

[matthewpiano]

The Audio Note system looks the same as the one they had at Whittlebury Hall and I agree it really is something special.

The Luxman/Dali combo was also at Whittlebury and I thought it was stunning.

Thanks for the write-up of the Hi-Fi Show Live. I wanted to go but I've had a rough few weeks and couldn't face it in the end. Maybe next year!

 

[ellisdj]

To me there was no dymanic power at that show - none of those systems were turned up at all.

All just about loud enough - it was more a focus on quality rather than quantity - you can only take short demos like that as a pinch of salt - however going over to a studio style active system makes for an interesting swop - what are you thinking, are you jumping in? There are lots of studio monitors out there, you need to demo them first I feel. ATC, PMC, Another really big co. - that would be another whole mine field to jump into

 

[Gazzip]

To me there was no dymanic power at that show - none of those systems were turned up at all.

All just about loud enough - it was more a focus on quality rather than quantity - you can only take short demos like that as a pinch of salt - however going over to a studio style active system makes for an interesting swop - what are you thinking, are you jumping in? There are lots of studio monitors out there, you need to demo them first I feel. ATC, PMC, Another really big co. - that would be another whole mine field to jump into

Well, I had the PMC IB2S's (Studio Passive) in my system for a little while and they sounded pretty good. Things then got a little wild and I ended up with PMC BB5SE's (Passive) which completely overpowered my room. I am thinking maybe the PMC IB2S-A's might be worth an audition? The proper "A's" not the Bryston PowerPac version...

I really, really like the PMC sound so that might just work for me. A whole load of money though...

 

[ellisdj]

How big is the room?

 

[Gazzip]

How big is the room?

5m x 6m

 

[ellisdj]

where abouts do you sit in the room and is it dedicated to audio?

where are the speakers