Axpona 2019 Schaumburg IL

Clipdat

DSkip wrote: »

What did Cambridge run in their room?

Heavy focus on their new TT. All Edge series electronics.

Not their own Aeromax towers, but instead, these: https://www.qacoustics.com/floorstanding-speakers/concept-500-floorstanding-speaker-pair.html

I was not impressed with what I heard, but perhaps it was just a lame record.

Anyone else get ears on the Cambridge room?

Tony M

kharp1 wrote: »

nooshinjohn wrote: »

Tony M wrote: »

And they utilize GRANITE bases.

So much wasted potential there... should have used something like balsa wood to cut down on resonance...

You can't help but be a p r ick can you.

John was being funny, believe me, I know.

Did you miss John's new amp thread? granite was mentioned. It's all good now though.

kharp1

Tony M wrote: »

kharp1 wrote: »

nooshinjohn wrote: »

Tony M wrote: »

And they utilize GRANITE bases.

So much wasted potential there... should have used something like balsa wood to cut down on resonance...

You can't help but be a p r ick can you.

John was being funny, believe me, I know.

Did you miss John's new amp thread? granite was mentioned. It's all good now though.

Yes, that's where I originally posted that comment.

Tony M

I hope you're being funny too.

Derf

How can TWO separate threads based on AXPONA deteriorate into drama??? Can’t we just read the impressions of those who attended, enjoy some audio p o r n, and leave all the other junk out?

joecoulson

I was not impressed with The sound I heard in CA’s room. Which is disappointing because I love the CXN.
The speakers sounded flat and the high end was missing. I was not impressed with what I heard over the headphones with the new TT either.
By that was my experience

displayname

I wonder if the biggest hold back for CA was that turn table. From the specs perspective it certainly seems like they took a jack of all trades approach. But based on the gear mentioned it sounds like that was easily the weakest link.

erniejade

I was hopping the CA room would have the Cambridge towers so I could get my ears on them but, I agree with Drew and Joe. due to their choice, it was not impressive.

marvda1

stereophile report. how could i have missed so many rooms, how could they have missed so many rooms!
https://www.stereophile.com/category/axpona-2019

erniejade

Even on a 3 day, I did not hit it all. It got to the point of walking past rooms on brands or things I did not recognize.

marvda1

here's my take, the big mags and online sites are going to the same expensive manufacturers that they review (paid advertisements) and the prices for rooms is geared towards the big guys. some of these mega $$$$ manufacturers should be ashamed at the sound of their rooms and the prices that they are asking.

nooshinjohn

By all accounts Skip, your setup was one of the shows highlights. You should be proud.

Tony M

Word of mouth is probably spreading and it's powerful.

That video of your system's sound was HOLOGRAPHIC here on my nice 3pc. PC speaker system by Harman Kardon.

I think the more people that hear your audio gear either in person or videos and word of mouth, your business should grow.

joecoulson

I agree with john. You should be proud and it is all about $$$. You should know that. The speakers are very impressive, but the manufacturer had no desire to be a part of the shows himself. Reviewers and the like want to see that. I’m sure there are all kinds of back alley bribes to ensure coverage.
That room worked amazingly for you and the only thing you should have done differently is play some DNB like Drew and I said....

malfonso

Agreed The Rossofiorentino's were amazing They were good at everything. The base extension and roll off were seamless and the vocals were dead center

tonyb

marvda1 wrote: »

here's my take, the big mags and online sites are going to the same expensive manufacturers that they review (paid advertisements) and the prices for rooms is geared towards the big guys. some of these mega $$$$ manufacturers should be ashamed at the sound of their rooms and the prices that they are asking.

Bingo Marv. For what I heard, the big name brands weren't cutting it sound wise. Depends on what you chase in audio....extreme detail retrieval, musicality, etc. Like we always say though, price doesn't dictate good sound.

WLDock

erniejade wrote: »

joecoulson wrote: »

Brian and I agreed that the best bang for the buck there were the Kilpsch we heard on floor 14 fantastic sound for the coin. $4k a pair I believe right Brian?

I was very suprised on how well they did in those rooms. They sounded nothing like i remember. Warm, clean, powerful with a great soundstage. I Googled them and they do have some great reviews. I have only heard version 1 of them. New 4k is correct. I found some open box models for $1300 each on my search.

This is the other part of the show that makes it interesting....the different feedback about the same rooms. Proof that we hear different, have different tastes, and maybe the sound of the systems are tweaked and sound different from day to day.


From the Klipsch forum: https://community.klipsch.com/index.php?/topic/183022-klipsch-forte-iii-at-axpona/&tab=comments#

oldred wrote:

Well Klipsch speakers were finally demonstrated at Axpona....Saturday Audio Exchange set up I believe 3 rooms. The Klipsch room was unimpressive......The Forte III's were placed too close to the back walls.....The music selection was poor. They had them paired with a McIntosh hybrid tube amp....If it sounds like I'm making excuses....maybe I am....I really wanted to like them....but just didn't....

My Chorus II's definitely sound better.....I just got to say
George

314carpenter wrote:

I agree. For instance When the Levee Breaks by Led Zeppelin sounded incredibly flat. I have heard the Forte III's before and had a better experience.

I really think Klipsch missed the mark here and really should have used the opportunity to bring in Khorns or LaScalas.

I heard so many amazing rooms at the Axpona show. IMHO the Klipsch room was the second poorest of them all. Unlike most spaces, everyone in the room with me was bluejeans and t-shirt and tennis shoes. The worst was the Harmon JBL L100 Classic demo room. It wasn't that $40K made the difference either. HSU did very well for $1200 and SVS gave me a nice body massage while watching a clip of TMNT for under $2K.

jimjimbo wrote:

It's no wonder they sounded like crap, what a terrible setup.

oldred wrote:

Yeah.....I don't think Saturday Audio Exchange...was up to the task in anything they did....They also did the GoldenEar /PrimaLuna room. Both were not impressive.
George

joecoulson

Ha that goes to show that there are so many factors

We listened to the YG Acoustics Hailey early in the day on the 14th floor, I cannot remember who it was but they were spinning vinyl. We all ( @Clipdat & @erniejade and myself) were very impressed with them and they seemed to reach so low, we thought it was subwoofers in another room. Crazy good sound.
Later the next day, @Clipdat and myself revisited that room with @verb and to me, it sounded like crap. Not sure if it was song choice or what, but it shows me that its so hard to get a good hold of what will sound good in your own home from these shows.

I will say that you look at magazines of these high end speakers and gear, and when you actually see them up close, some really disappoint. The YG for instance, product photography on those make them out to be flawless. But up close the Brushed Aluminum did not impress me for the $50-80k price tags. My Elacs have the same exact sheen to them on the aluminum face frame.

WLDock

^^ I agree with you there. I look at a speakers like the B&W Diamond, Nautilus. They have build quality that is as good as some at twice the price. Take the sound out of the equation. However, I do remember one year at the show there was a room that had some B&W 801's and the sound was bad! I had no interest in staying for a listen. Not sure what the issue was...

Still, I like the build quality of these $7K-$8K speakers just as much as some that are more expensive.

verb

DSkip wrote: »

I wish I had more press coverage this year. I’ve had more in previous shows and not had the sound I had this year. I took a stab at best of show this year - knowing I wouldn’t get it, but doing everything I could to approach that level.

In a way I’ve come to dislike the shows because I feel most are wowed by systems that represent something other than real sound. I honestly feel that my systems do better at harmonic structure and a realistic presentation of what a performance would be rather than a hyper-detailed extension of what a recording unlocks. This isn’t to say my system isn’t resolving but it presents the information differently.

I’m extremely proud of what the room sounded like and think it was representative of what I strive for in systems. I wish I had another day of show because as the platforms settled in I lost some shout that was there Friday and Saturday. I also wish I had a few more Riot Acoustic Shields to work with.

My first audio show, but your comments remind of back in the day when I did the car show thing. Competed sometimes, won a few, didn't place in most, even though my car was pretty good. IMO of course, and some others, but it makes you wonder.

You mentally compare your stuff with the winners and try to understand how they could win with such flaws? Denial on my part? Rationalization? Perhaps.

I eventually concluded that if you're not part of the clique, it doesn't matter how good your stuff is. That's life, you keep persevering, getting the name out, and eventually you'll surpass the clique!

Keep on brother!

erniejade

Joe, I can totally see why someone who liked version 1 of the forte did not like the 3. For my ears ( and yours, and Drews) we don't like too harsh of a high. Others might think what we like is dull sounding.

tonyb

I understand a certain Sicilian/Cuban joined the forum.....and the sucker didn't bring any food ?? Whats up with that ? He should know by now there's a 5 cannoli entrance fee.

tonyb

Brian, while I liked the Forte's, it still sounded a bit congested to me. Plus I have a feeling at higher volumes that harshness might be a bit more apparent. Still, all in all, better than some previous models I've heard.

marvda1

here's some pics i took, got tired after a while and stopped

marvda1

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these larsen speakers had great sound as they should at $15k. designed to go against the wall.

marvda1

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