Heathrow show - best rooms?

My vote would go to the Lovington room and I thought the Horn Audio room sounded pretty good too (aside from jumping CD player).

I wasn't really convinced by those big flat panel thingies though...

 

Some thoughts from myself and Zanash:

Interesting increase in the number of valve amps on show and good uplift in appropriate horns to go with them. It was interesting that in comparison, many of the solid state amp systems were more than a little brittle sounding.
Also on show was a lot more room treatment on show, so I was surprised that no one was trying to sell this type of tweak.

Show numbers appeared to be a bit down on last year, though it made it easier to deal with.

There were a lot of big names missing, e.g. Linn, Naim.


Thumbs up to:
- Aurousal. Small standmount speakers (with Jordan driver) that reminded me of later generation AE1s. Only driven by cheapy electronics, but were great VFM.
- McIntosh. Again, did a great job, one of the more enjoyable stuff. "Effortless" was Pete's thoughts.
- Consonance. Lovely sound, one of the more enjoyable there, particularly so for the dosh.
- Horn audio. The Welsh were back in force. A couple of years ago they had some massive cabinets with horns on them. Great dynamics, rubbish cabinet colouration (IMO). This time they're back with a design closer to AvantGuardes. Whilst far from cheap and driven by some fairly prosaic sounding electronics, definitely good stuff and a big improvement. I did wonder about the power lead going into the back of their speakers. Was the bass unit actively driven or was it using an active crossover?
- PMCs driven by a Meridian front end. Having heard Meridian's own dem, awesome. Simply MASSIVE sound.
- Avantguardes. Not sure which model, but completely ace.
- Revolver. They had a new prototype valve amp. Supposedly going go to cost £6k, wonderful.
- Got a comparison on the Opus CD21 vs an Esoteric X-03 in the Border Patrol/LV room. For both myself and Pete, the X-03 stuffed the Opus, and by a good margin. If I were in the market for a high CDP, the Esoteric would get my vote.
- Aspara. This were from the same chap who designed my old Impulse speakers. He had a smaller pair (apparently replacing the old Lali/H6 designs), which came across as MUCH bigger than they were and made the LVs sound very overpriced. Unfortunately the bigger stuff didn't sound that much better. Having said that, I wonder how much was down to the not so great front end electronics. Couple help but notice that a number of groups were using PureSound valve amps, and I didn't really get on with any of them.
- World Design, formerly WAD. Didn't rate their kit speakers much, as they were a big ragged for me, but the amps were IMO ace. Incredible transients and one of the more enjoyable (if not consistent) sounds at the show. Thanks to them for also having a go at a lathed vs unlathed dem. At least 50% of the room commented that they'd heard a difference, including the chap from WD.

Thumbs down to:
- Meridian. They were using I think an 808 into some of their smaller digital speakers. Quite unpleasant and unappealing. Maybe you chaps should talk more with PMC.
- Living Voice speakers on the back end of some Border Patrols. I've liked LVs for years and have previously enjoyed them driven by BPs. For some reason, the LVs sounded quite bandwidth limited and "strained". On top of that, have BP suddenly gone up massively in price. The listed cost for a pre-power was around £11k!!!
- Coherent room. I know that WM knows his stuff, but this system just didn't cut it for me. Seemed to have no bass extension worth speaking of. Both of us felt that the valve power amp was the weakest link, here's hoping for something more juicy soon.
- Audionote. Big let down here. I've really enjoyed their room on previous shows rating them close to the top in most. This time, just left me bored, no idea why.
- The AV room. Not sure if it was run by Tannoy or not. Seemed to be Arcam electronics, a massive 1080p projector and Tannoy speakers. The video was quite awe inspiring, I liked that. Unfortunately it summed up every AV dem I've come across, as the music wasn't a patch on any of the stereo systems we've heard (well maybe excluding the flat panel dem).
- A number of the LP fronted systems (especially the audionote deck). Don't know what it was, but this year many of the decks sounded really really underwhelming, and it's the first year that I much preferred the better CD fronted systems.
- Absolute analogue had some new Bel Canto gear including some A1000 refs and odd looking triangular speakers. Just didn't do it at all for me. Great hi-fi, not so great music.

Worst of the show: The flat panel stuff. Truly awful, nearly ripped my ears off. Unpleasant would be an understatement.

Best for me (and by MILES) was the Wavac room. Simply incredible. Made everything else sound broken and was really much closer to real music than all of the other kit. Whilst the amps were stupidly expensive, if I had the dosh, I wouldn't think twice.

Anyone not already mentioned probably falls into the "ok" rating.

 

I'd like to write a lot, but I'm a bit tired.

I have a lot of photo's which I'll get someone to host and put up for me (I'm no good at I.T. things). Perhaps that will help the discussion along.

Had a lot of fun on balance.

Cheers
Chris

 

I was a bit disappointed there wasn't really any vintage stuff on show anywhere this time round ...

 

"Best for me (and by MILES) was the Wavac room."

Wavac room?

 

It had cables braided like rapunzels hair, strewn over architectural mock-stone plinths.

Valves glowed brightly with large and unusual shapes.

Ripple foam shaped grey squares covered the wall like a science fiction set.

Highly gloss finished speakers with Focal drive units both red and white sat in the room.


.........all of which paled into insignificance next to the extremely hot looking girl in there - I couldn't figure out if she was a girlfriend/wife, daughter, or hired gorgeous eye candy.

Either way, definately the most attractive thing in the room was standing around changing cd's.

 

ok folks, here are the heathrow show rooms, 2007.. or most of them at any rate.

Apologies for the 'dark' ones - some rooms virtually had the lights out..and my camera phone isn't very good with that. I've put them up anyway.

 

I'd like to hear the Whest stuff.

 

Didn't visit all the rooms but spent more time than usual in each of a smaller number of rooms than normal. Spent around 5 hours at the show yesterday and a couple this afternoon.

Most enjoyable system for me (and the one I kept popping back to most often) was Audio Note's. Sure there may have been a little too much bass, but that seems a common problem with show set-ups. Otherwise it was the one of the only systems which really got me lost in the music that was playing. Had a good chat about music with the guy running the dem too. Anyone who plays a jazz Bassoon lp (Ray Pizzi Quartet) gets a thumbs up from me.

Other goodies (imho)...

McIntosh - never heard their stuff before but was quite impressed. Really do find that the look of it puts me off though. Shame the choice of music was a tad nauseating at times - pan pipes and unaccompanied vocal quartets get a tad dull after a while. Maybe I caught it at a bad time.

Pure Sound/Coherent: Good to hear the A30 being used in anger.

Lovington horns (again A30-powered). A little 'shouty' but well-extended; amazing what can be done with one small driver.

Tom Tom sounded great fun on rock'n'jazz (if a bit bright) but on classical it was not good from what I was hearing. Small, thin and shut-in.

 

For me the avantguarde duos were great and the Horn Audio horns were excellent playing very non horn music when in the room. The EB1s were a top choice as well. I knew that meridian could sound good.

Didnt really spend any time in the wavac room after Zanash told me how much they cost and the wierd rope cables draped everywhere. Sounded good for the few seconds we were there.

 

There was just so much to see, so much to comment on.. I hardly know where to begin. I think I'll just mention memorable personal highlights.

1) Meridian. The F80 is a remarkable hifi highlight. I spoke at length to a Meridian fellow, who is obviously technically knowledgeable. Perhaps a designer. This product (RRP: £1,500) does DVD video playback, CD, DAB, FM/AM and has speakers built in. THe sound quality is as good as some rooms at the heathrow high end show's main rigs. Seriously, I'd buy one in a shot if I saw one used for cheap money, it would be a brilliant solution for a holiday home or similar. wow.

2) The Noteworthy Audio Room.
I do like the Avante Guard Duo. It's right up my street, and so much better than the AVant Guard speaker shown in the GT Audio room, which had no bass to speak of. I could easily, happily live with this speaker.

3) 'Horn Audio'
Wow.. a 15" bass cabinet (with a small amp) mated to a 2" compression driver with horn. (did they know I was coming?!??!?!). Again, right up my street. Showed that horns REALLY can be low distortion devices capable of incredible dynamics and sound. Again, I'd love them, but at 8 and a half grand for a DIY looking cabinet, it's just too much for something that screams ''you could make it yourself''...except maybe the horn.

4) Revolver
(shown above). They had some church pipe organs, and what a creditable job they did of reproducing them. A real , true, full range transducer - my favourite ''standard'' design of the show. Again, I could be very happy with these if I lived with them, despite the lack of horns.

5) Isophon Cassiano
I think I've said the name right.
The diamiond tweeter, Ceramic mid/7" twin bass units made a marvelous wonderful sound. I just adore these loudspeakers. The diamond tweeter (shared with the Marten Coltraine's) is just so beautiful sounding, it really is a genre defining epoch event of a thing. Wonderful things. My main criticism, you could see the 7" bass units bow and move with the bass transients, and I was just sitting there thinking 'you wouldn't get that with a decent 15", you'd have less distortion, and more capable bass. None of this detracts from a great speaker however.

Those are my personal highlights, and very honest they are too, after 3 pints of lager this evening!

 

Who listens to music in an anechoic chamber though? Totally unrealistic setup!

It did sound good though...

You didn't have the luxury of helping out at the show and seeing all the trolley dollies from the airlines trouping through the building all day then Certainly, show-wise though, that woman was absolutely lush!

 

She is the chap's wife- shouldn't covet your neighbours so and so etc . She is pretty though.

Another vote for the Audio Note system. I doubt I could live with it and £12k although cheap by the standards of some of the rigs isn't pocket money but the fact that it was actually pretty impressive playing Aphex Twin is quite something. A bit like going banger racing in a Rolls Royce Phantom- not what it was designed for but its good at it nonetheless.

 

What track of Aphex Twin was played? Windowlicker?

 

thanks for the pic's ......

I recognised most of the gear which means I didn't miss much .....

great to put faces to names as well ......

just sorry we couldn't have spent longer chatting

 

Pete, did they have the new WD pre kits in the World Designs room?

 

ants

they have this one - http://www.zerogain.com/chris/heathrow/17.jpg

nb - you got a mention by D.P. in hifi world this months issue.

Congratulations, the hard work is paying off!

 

Thanks, anyone get to have a listen ... I think this may be my first DIY project - just gotto get Pete to show me one end of a soldering iron from the other.

I saw ... and I didn't even advertise in it this month