My feelings about the Heathrow show

To get a decent sized room was very expensive, while even the small rooms didn't represent very good value.

I prefer the 'Heathrow High Fidelity Show' at the Radisson Hotel. It is held in April and the rooms are pretty good (for a hi-fi show). Less people attend but they're more likely to be our target audience.

For sound quality, I thought that the Radisson Show was superior to Bristol for Seventh Veil. The Zero Gain session was better as well.

 

""I had brought with me my old boring two cd's" that sums it up!! my point was that with all the noise pollution coming from other rooms,and crap room acoustics, how could anybody single out one system or another to be bad good or indifferent,and as for getting the best seats in the room, if the room was full did you put on those cd's to empty it? four hours was enough for me, went back home to geordieland thinking that my system sounds great.The highlight of my weekend! a visit to Duxford air museum on Saturday now that was time well spent!!

 

Some rooms (three or four anyway) were good, which sort of suggests that if they can make a system sound good under those conditions, these setups would probably sound good just about anywhere.

I don't buy the idea that shows give unremittingly dreadful sound. I agree it would be a mistake to solely judge anything based on a show experience, but it can give an idea at least whether something's worth exploring further. Which is presumably partly why the industry continues with shows in the first place.

-- Ian

 

Hi,

I agree. Even representing a fairly "mainstream" brand like Shanling and taking a small room things where borderline for us, financially. I know one or two people who ended up in some trouble after exhibiting during previous years, probably they came with unrealistic expectations and expected direct sales as return from the show, rather then general exposure and "building brand image" etc.

I liked that a lot, but this springs attendance was rather low....

Dunno about Bristol, but I had to work a lot less hard to get acceptable sound in the Suite in the Radisson than I had to in the Renaissance. FWIW, I actually thought the rooms in the Hammersmith hotel sounded better than down at the airport and the location was better too.

Ciao T

 

I'm wondering about the feasibility of doing a high end 'micro-show' on my own or with two or three others.

We'd rent suitable hotel rooms ourselves and publicize via forums, web-sites, direct mailings and, possibly shared, low-budget advertising in the hi-fi press.

Comments or ideas, anyone?

 

Hi,

Maybe.

I'm just going the opposite way, trying to get the DIY Kit and Ultrafi scene included in the Spring Show at Heathrow. Interest in coming ranges from France, Germany & Holland to Japan, China and the USoA already.

I think using the kind of organisation Roy Bird (Chester Group) has already put together might be a better choice, when coupled with decent Web and related promotion.

Ciao T

 

Hi Steve ,
Les over at PFM is planning something like this with his Avondale kit.
Might be worth you getting in touch with him .
Avondale and Seventh Veil , a match made in heaven?

ps ,
cables by Omiga as well ?

 

Absolutely. I would never go into a show without believing that we could get one of the best sounds there. The record deck and amplifier manufacturers wouldn't lend us their kit if they thought that the sound would be 'unremittingly dreadful'. I'm sure that w-m wouldn't work with me either. The aim is to sell stuff or build a reputation, not put people off.

Most exhibitors try very hard to get the sound as good as they can, within the constraints of the room and also the fact that they don't have much time.

I've found that by the time we've gained access to the room and got the equipment up there there are usually only 2 or 3 hours before the show starts. Generally, our sound has improved as the show has gone on, as we've made additional tweaks and adjustments.

Another aspect that hasn't been discussed is the quality of accompanying equipment. I believe that, by and large, the system should be typical of the type of system the product's customers would use. I've known speaker manufacturers who have obtained a pretty good sound with their £1,500 speakers - but they've used a £100K+ front end. Does that help their prospective customers or mislead them?

 

what sums what up

If you can't or nearly nobody can't, doesn't mean that there might be someone who can. Have you ever heard about concentration? Well it's true some people can concentrate more than others. Some people let them selves get distracted more than others... You're right: the life in the hifi shows is not easy. Better go in other places where it is easier.

You have a nice immagination. Nice one!
Have you ever heard about patience? Oh, yes, I forgot: some people don't have patience, other have more and some have even more. Just take life easy and relax Sir! That is also a very important factor when listening or judging a system, or not?

Were you so nervous, Sir? Not able to relax?

Well, you are not different to EVERYBODY who was at that show or at any other show. Strange isn't it? I wonder why this happens indipendently what system one has.

great for you! Everybody should enjoy his time as he likes. I find it great that everybody has different tastes and that not everybody thinks that doing something is time well spent (or waisted).

 

Steve,
For this concern, I don't care what kind of pedigree TT has.
If someone hears a system and pretends that who hears differently than him, has to go and clear his ears, has for me quite an arrogant point of view, independently if he his a nobody or God himself!
This way of thinking may be fair enough for you Steve but not for me! And if he has that attitude then I feel that my sentences are not much out of place.

 

Sorry man, I don't understand. I didn't mention TT's 'pedigree'.

TT is 'tin teardrop' who has posted twice on this thread and only four times previously on this forum. I don't know the man (as far as I know) and have no idea about his background or history.

My comments about pedigree were concerning Tom Willis, designer of Art Audio, a hi-fi manufacturer established in 1988. To my knowledge, Tom has no connection with tin teardrop.

What's happening?

 

Titian

Titian I was present at the HIFI show on the Sunday, as for your put down of TT I can`t see why you had to shoot holes in every point he made whilst he comments were a bit offhand they hit the mark for me fairly well, we all compare what we hear with what we know or own already and objective judgements are very hard to reach in the enviroment of the show, the ART room for me was one off the best, I found it very involving and yet the Chord room which I was really looking forward to I thought was very poor no dynamic in the sound at all from a system that cost more than my house. I also found a lot of B--shit being spouted by HIFI experts. All in all I enjoyed the day but found nothing that I thought was better than I already have.

What this all boils down to is HIFI is a very personal journey and it seems every time there is a long thread on this site it eventually comes down to mine is bigger than yours slagging match, I don`t give a toss what other people think off my HIFI I like it to me it sounds good and in the end that is all that matters.

I`m sure this will draw acidic responces from the HIFI guru`s on this site but be gentle this is my first time.

 

Hear ! Hear !

Unfortunately some don't see this simple fact Nankin, however in Titian's defence he isn't one of the willy wavers, and I think he just slightly misunderstood TT's point.

 

AK, these are more or less the precise words I used when I made a few remarks about your hi-fi. I think you should either get over it or get Mana!

 

why willy waive when your willy needs 11 phases of m*n* to work properly?

 

:ffrc:

 

'Waiving' the willy implies doing away with it altogether, or disregarding it.

As in "there's no need for that willy tonight, it will therefore be waived."

I've never tried my willy on Mana, can't comment on the effect. Probably a bit chilly.

You have to wonder why Porsche turbocharge some models. Surely if they need a turbo to 'work properly', then they can't be any good to start with?

 

BOLLOX !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

waive - wave - whatever, take a free kick at my spelling.

For waive read wave - for m*n* read 'same tired old story'.

Porsche turbo charge some models for marketing reasons - I dont understand your analogy.

 

The analogy (for the hard of thinking) with turbocharging an engine / using Mana is that both improve performance.