Manchester show, 27/28 jan

Hi Simon
Been looking at a few snippets about them...
C-Cam ribbon tweeter, all new continuous profile mid/bass,
leather finished baffle, curved side panels and 11 coats of lacqer over a beautiful rosewood veneer.
they're saying around $4k for the standmount and $8k for the flagship.
I reckon they'd spank the golds!
Still, happy with what i've got (especially since Tony modded the x-overs for me):MILD:

 

Sorry! t: apologies all.

 

Didn't realise they were actually such a different design. Hmm...

 

Do a Google search Si. There's a few pics around. Think you'll like what you see

 

Yeah I had a look after what you posted. I'm no so sure... it is such a different direction from the Gold series that I would be worried they have lost what I liked about the. Besides marketing, what is the point is ceramic coating a ribbon though? Someone had better have a listen and report back!

 

Is BO 'in' for the first time ever? Seems there's a couple of folks sympathetic to the whole bad hygiene thing.

Whatever anyway.

 

Oh god, I hope not.

Spare a thought for us exhibitors. As a visitor you can choose to leave a room, but we get stuck with Mr. Stinky. :chunder:

 

Sunday seems favourite here. How compus mentus I will be after saturday's party who knows... loud noises may not be appreciated.

Andy - Thanks to Cyril R Salter, I shall be smelling of roses.

 

I'm there on Saturday.

 

So did you make it then Lord? I went today, bloody motorway around Stockport's a mess isn't it!!

Absolutely fagged out now it must be said, wandered around none stop for about 7 hours, some awesome kit there, some that I found rather dull, and some that I was indifferent to

One thing's for sure, other than the DCS room, which IMHO was absolutely stunning and easily the best I've ever heard CD sound, I have returned home pretty happy with my own pretty basic system. I wasn't utterly blown away by anything really, regardless of price tag, so returning home and playing some tunes is no chore at all....which can only be a good thing.

Rather disapointed with the lack of "tweaks" stalls, if anyone remembers the G-Mex shows they had a full section of the hall dedicated just to tweaks, bits and bobs, music etc.

Well laid out though, but the music being played was not doing the systems justice in some rooms to be honest, even went in to see Coherant and given what a rep Tony has as a rock lover was rather disapointed by the music choices (I went in twice at different times just to check), a bit on the mellow/Snorah Jones side of music for me I'm afraid

Edit - Oh and I have a headache, and I never get headaches, I assume it's due to a combination of listening fatigue and the volume in all rooms being set to 1000db all day

 

To be honest I was rather disappointed. The DCS room must have been having a bad moment, because when I went in it sounded like someone had nicked the mid band.
As ever Audionote sounded wonderful, and they played real music. The JBL horn tweeters sounded lovely, and I rather liked the Macintosh room, but I've heard that sounding better, I think it was the speakers to be honest that let that room down.
The Wilson Watt and Puppies and ART stuff was ok, but somehow it wasn't hanging together well.
A bit short of stalls too I thought, I wanted a few bits and bobs, stylus cleaner and Record Cleaning fluid and there was none to be had.
It definitely wasn't as good as the last few years. The music ws dreadful too, hi-fi twinkery of the lowest order. Simple stuff with nothing with monster subs shaking the floor (Stand up Sevenoaks you know who you are)
I might be giving it a miss next year

 

Yep, possibly a bad time, I was lucky enough to end up in the DCS room with a fellow Yes fan, who had brought his own CDs to try, as you said, "proper" music, with that it sounded stunning.

100% agree on Audionote, and the chaps choice of music, despite wanting to trip every stuck up freak who was walking out in disgust at "Dire Straits" being played - well I like them, so sling it and listen to your lift music elsewhere

First ever experience of Naim to, I can see what the big deal is around the sound, it's got good PRAT, but seems very laid back (well that system was) and the soundstage left quite a bit to be desired....McIntosh on the other hand, well, it cost a lot of money and looks fantastic, and that's about all I can say really....

Ended up being an early kip night, the whole day really took it out of me and I don't know why, but I've been and enjoyed it on the whole....

 

So let me guess, those of you that went, briefly looked around hifi rooms you don't own. Spent significant amounts of time in hifi rooms you do own then went home happy your 500 quid system sounded better than anything at the show?

Same old crap, different year.

 

That would be a no from me as there wasn't a single item of kit I own (or even brand in some cases) being demo'd there, might apply to others but I'll let them answer that one for themselves when they get back - seems most people are going today....

 

Seeing as no-one was demming the kit I own Gary that would be unlikely.

I did buy a rather nice fono pressing of some Salvatore Accardo playing lots of different violins.Very nice but a tad expensive. Daren't tell the wife exactly how much

That's a bit rich coming from the Apple websites biggest lurker anyway

 

Yup I likes Apple stuff, but have never been to an apple show..

 

Just got back, It was very quiet which was good, to managed to spend plenty of time in easch room.

The AN room was of the usual high standard, I loved the Art Audio 300b amp (though I am biased of course) and the McIntosh was okay but that total system was £110K so I would expect it to be.

Pleasant day out but what happened to the show sales in the lobby?

Oh and a free Hi-Fi World!

 

That mcintosh system was not worth that much money... It was ok, but £110k? No.

The BIG tannoys were impressive.

Other highlights for me were the monitor Audio bronze R2 speakers... £200 but put in a better showing than many more expensive offerings! The omni-directional "planet" speakers were interesting, and I was genuinely surprised at the modest £800 price tag. The DCS room... almost identical to the CES 2006 setup they had (with the big monoblocks from same amp manufacturer, and previous-gen front end), but at CES it was harsher than a harsh thing. This time it seemed ok, until I got them to put on Thea Gilmore - Avalanche, then everything came unglued... highs became harsher, mids became ever so muddled. Not impressed for the money. The Sugden/JM labs room was pretty good, and Coherent systems put in a good enough showing to have me intrigued by the belles soloist amp. Arcam put in a decent showing this year too. The Quad ESL2805 speakers were impressive... MBL was big, expensive, but quite good. Thiel speakers caught my attention, and then I realised that was because they were from the same engineering standpoint as my meadowlarks (time and phase coherent)... In the end though I felt they did not improve on my old meadowlarks for quite a bit of money.

Chord remained underwhelming in several systems (chord room, the doug brady room with the ESL2805s). Many systems were inoffensive but not particularly endearing either. Naim actually got their message across, but I felt the system lacked detail and "air", sacrificed for the PRaT. It's not a trade-off that has to be made I think, and some systems managed both.

Overall, the standard was a bit better than last year. This time there were no outright offensive systems, and there were some nice sounds. Overall, very little made me want to get my wallet out.

 

I found the Tannoys too much, if you mean the WD room. Quite like the Leema with the Theil speakers too.

 

Spiralux room

At the last minute Spiralux booked a room and asked me to run it for them. This was on the wednesday before the show.

But I must say I had a great time at the show and would like to say thank you to all the forum members who visited the room.

I was using My valve amplifier and the Bel Canto amplifiers with the Stellavox DAC running into the amzing Spiralex speakers. All sitting on Spiralux Supports and platforms.