Morning all. I went to the Hi-Fi Wigwam Show at Scalford Hall in Melton Mowbray yesterday, for the first time.
As many will know, it is a different sort of show with individual exhibitors showing their own systems rather than manufacturers and dealers. This inevitably leads to a very wide range of kit - new, old, expensive, and affordable.
The highlights for me?
The over-riding impression for me was that the best speakers were mostly older designs, or heavily inspired by older designs. I heard Spendor BC1, KEF Reference 104, Harbeth P3ESR, and 2 pairs of old JBL L-series. These were the speaker highlights of the day, and though different, each in their own way could have kept me listening for hours. Very instructive was hearing the Spendor BC1 with Icon Audio valve monos straight after hearing modern Focal Electra floorstanders with the same electronics. For me, the Spendors wiped the floor with the Focals, really opening the music up and providing more 'at the performance' realism than I've heard for a long time. Of the modern speakers, a tiny pair of Q Acoustics 3010s did incredibly well with Shostakovich and Rachmaninov orchestral pieces, driven using Cyrus 8vs with PSX-R, TEAC UD-501 DAC, and a laptop. Those little speakers have far more dynamic, timbral and tonal ability than you would ever expect for their price and size. The best modern speakers at the event were the Harbeth P3ESR. Small, but so natural sounding and something I could happily live with for a very long time.
Hearing and seeing some of the older electronics in use was also illuminating. I heard some DIY speakers based on an old Acoustic Research design (complete with 8" paper drive units) being driven by an old JVC A-X4 Super-A integrated and a JVC Direct Drive cassette deck (yes, tape!) and sounding as good as anything at the show. There was also some lovely Sony kit (CD player, pre/power amp) driving some Yamaha NS-1000s and doing a wonderful job of it. One of the sets of old JBL speakers I heard were being used with restored QUAD II monos and a QUAD 22 pre, again creating the sort of sound you feel able to walk into. Of the newer amplifiers I was most taken with the Leben integrated which was used with the Harbeth P3ESRs. Only 15wpc, but no problems driving the benign load of the Harbeths and absolutely lovely to listen to and look at.
One of the most enjoyable and useful shows I've been to, with much better music than you usually hear at these things, and a proper sense of the focus being on the music and what the hi-fi can do for it rather than the other way round.
As many will know, it is a different sort of show with individual exhibitors showing their own systems rather than manufacturers and dealers. This inevitably leads to a very wide range of kit - new, old, expensive, and affordable.
The highlights for me?
The over-riding impression for me was that the best speakers were mostly older designs, or heavily inspired by older designs. I heard Spendor BC1, KEF Reference 104, Harbeth P3ESR, and 2 pairs of old JBL L-series. These were the speaker highlights of the day, and though different, each in their own way could have kept me listening for hours. Very instructive was hearing the Spendor BC1 with Icon Audio valve monos straight after hearing modern Focal Electra floorstanders with the same electronics. For me, the Spendors wiped the floor with the Focals, really opening the music up and providing more 'at the performance' realism than I've heard for a long time. Of the modern speakers, a tiny pair of Q Acoustics 3010s did incredibly well with Shostakovich and Rachmaninov orchestral pieces, driven using Cyrus 8vs with PSX-R, TEAC UD-501 DAC, and a laptop. Those little speakers have far more dynamic, timbral and tonal ability than you would ever expect for their price and size. The best modern speakers at the event were the Harbeth P3ESR. Small, but so natural sounding and something I could happily live with for a very long time.
Hearing and seeing some of the older electronics in use was also illuminating. I heard some DIY speakers based on an old Acoustic Research design (complete with 8" paper drive units) being driven by an old JVC A-X4 Super-A integrated and a JVC Direct Drive cassette deck (yes, tape!) and sounding as good as anything at the show. There was also some lovely Sony kit (CD player, pre/power amp) driving some Yamaha NS-1000s and doing a wonderful job of it. One of the sets of old JBL speakers I heard were being used with restored QUAD II monos and a QUAD 22 pre, again creating the sort of sound you feel able to walk into. Of the newer amplifiers I was most taken with the Leben integrated which was used with the Harbeth P3ESRs. Only 15wpc, but no problems driving the benign load of the Harbeths and absolutely lovely to listen to and look at.
One of the most enjoyable and useful shows I've been to, with much better music than you usually hear at these things, and a proper sense of the focus being on the music and what the hi-fi can do for it rather than the other way round.