Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jan 17, 2018 16:17:27 GMT
I agree re rooms, Dave, they always sound off, but some of the systems still sound excellent.
The Elac rooms always sounds good.
I only realised recently that the Elac speaker designer is the same guy that used to design at TAD, no wonder they sound so good.
The Harbeth rooms are always quiet when I get to them (but then they are usually the last rooms I go into, due to their location.
|
|
|
Post by pinkie on Jan 17, 2018 16:20:04 GMT
I only realised recently that the Elac speaker designer is the same guy that used to design at TAD, no wonder they sound so good. My mate Andrew - Owens twin brother!
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jan 17, 2018 16:21:09 GMT
Andrew Jones, that's the bloke.
|
|
|
Post by dsjr on Jan 17, 2018 17:06:27 GMT
I agree re rooms, Dave, they always sound off, but some of the systems still sound excellent. The Elac rooms always sounds good. I only realised recently that the Elac speaker designer is the same guy that used to design at TAD, no wonder they sound so good. The Harbeth rooms are always quiet when I get to them (but then they are usually the last rooms I go into, due to their location. That was one of the points I was clumsily trying to make. Simple stuff such as the Elacs (I suspect) and for me recently, Rega too, sounded good in a show situation, but the more pompous the gear, price tags and indeed manufacturer, the further they seem to fall. (Harbeths have always sounded bland at shows, but it's not always the fault of the speakers in my experience, but I digress).
One notable example, Linn and Naim usually sounded disgustingly bad at shows, Linn systems often as disgusting in customers homes as well. I remember the NBL, when first shown us, sounding boring until fully active. At a Bristol show, they sounded nastily coloured as well. Isobariks used to squeak VERY LOUDLY at any show they were exhibited in, but the Keltiks sounded ballistic, boxed in and grainy/dirty wherever I heard them and later on, it wasn't the amps doing it either...
One ancient experience I remember with huge fondness was forty or so years ago at a Heathrow show. Quad had their 57's set up on trestle tables in a medium size room with plenty of seating for tired-out visitors to just 'chill,' although this term had yet to be adopted. The system was humble - 33/405 I think and a TD160 with Shure 75 cartridge, but the sound was delightful, open, clear, believable and restful after all the bang-crash-wallop of the other rooms all trying to out-do each other.
|
|
|
Post by Tim on Jan 17, 2018 19:30:54 GMT
I'm going to pop along on the Saturday, as I'm seeing Yola Carter at St. Georges in Bristol that night. Might as well make a day of it, if I'm going to venture over the bridge into England anyway
|
|
|
Post by MartinT on Jan 17, 2018 21:23:28 GMT
One notable example, Linn and Naim usually sounded disgustingly bad at shows To this day, the Naim DBL are quite the worst speakers I've ever heard at a show. They made Cerwin Vegas sound smooth and neutral.
|
|
|
Post by dsjr on Jan 18, 2018 20:40:40 GMT
I was in trouble with Naim because I preferred the Linn Lk1 and 2 in the mid 80's. I kind-of partly redeemed myself when the 52 came along because I genuinely thought it brought some atmosphere, 'air' and 'space' to the proceedings. Price was stupid-high though and the presentation with remote regulated supplies is apparently extremely clumsy, but I digress - it was by far better than any previous Naim preamp ime then.
Our London store, still one of Naim's biggest dealers in the early 90's, had a session in their large 'Concert Room' demonstrating the DBL's. My colleague and I walked in, heard a diabolical racket and I remarked that they'd sound better once properly set up - they were... We were promptly ejected from the dem room...
|
|
|
Post by tonyone on Jan 22, 2018 16:27:21 GMT
What is it about HIFI shows though that have manufactures putting kit of the most unsuitable racks (read: lack of) ever seen. Some of them you would put a Sonus 5 on never mind £5K worth of Amp or Turntable??
Is it just lazy, lack of preparation.... what?
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jan 22, 2018 16:33:51 GMT
Welcome to the forum, Tonyone, I suspect it is exactly for the reasons you state, both lack of preparation and laziness, however, there are some manufactures who setup their kit on decent racks. I guess it depends on a whole raft of things.
|
|
|
Post by dsjr on Jan 25, 2018 8:50:39 GMT
The rooms aren't big, the acoustics don't always favour large systems and the gear on show can't always be separated out. If a stand manufacturer offers the use of a rack or some-such, these offers are usually taken up gladly. The sounds are often so bad I don't think an audiophool support would really make much difference in all honesty...
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Feb 27, 2018 11:58:41 GMT
I attended the Bristol Show this year and again, unfortunately it was far too busy and very disappointing. Granted, there were a few rooms and systems that were good, but the majority were just ok and some, very disappointing. For instance, last year I loved the big Q Acoustics speakers, but this year, they sounded ok at best, the drivel they kept talking about didn't' help. They certainly don't sound like double their value! I like going to the show, because it is a boys day out with my Dad, but I have to say that if it doesn't improve, we may need to look elsewhere for an alternative show. The Naim room sounded ok when you first walked in, but if you stayed in their for any period of time, it became very fatiguing, for me the best part of the room was the big Focal's. Unsurprisingly my Dad thought it was the best room of the show, but then he is a Naim man. The smaller Kudo's speakers were sounding pretty impressive, but again i found the sound fatiguing after sitting in the room for a while. I liked what Audio Note were doing with the musician playing through the systems, that was quite interesting, and he was a damn good player. By far the worse sounding rooms for me were the Dynaudio/Naim combo room, just sounded so shrill, the Mission room, what on earth were they doing and the PMC room, people we're drooling over those speakers and to me they sounded like noisy unpleasant boxes. For me the best two systems I heard were by NuNu Distribution, both systems sounded excellent, I particularly liked the NovaFidelity little streamer/amp combo with the little Quadral Loudspeakers, followed by the TAD room, but that system is too far out of my financial league. I really liked the Iso Accoustics demo and products again this year, they had a rig configured to show them in and out of the system. They are a sort of take on decoupling from what I understand and what they did to the sound was amazing. Think they might be going on my Christmas list It was also really good to meet up with Dave Cawley, Dave Books and Tony Sallis in person and have a chat with them. Here are a few pictures, sorry it was so busy I lost interest in getting pics in the end.
|
|
|
Post by MartinT on Feb 27, 2018 13:14:29 GMT
Thanks for the report, Paul. I've never thought Naim and Focal are a good match and still don't.
|
|
|
Post by Tim on Feb 27, 2018 13:25:31 GMT
I really enjoyed myself Paul, thought it was a great day out. Mind you I only went because I had a gig in Bristol that night, so didn't have any expectations. Nearly didn't bother actually and only bought the ticket the night before. Also wanted to see a friend in one of the rooms. I've not been for many years, so found it interesting to see the changes - especially the dominance of computer based audio/streaming and vinyl over CD. Had a great chat with Steve Silberman from Roon Labs and liked their new Nucleus server, bit pricey for me at £1,300. It's a NUC running Roon Core in a custom fanless aluminium case, but if you have no clue how to build one, then not so expensive. Could be something to watch actually, a dedicated server to go with Roon, which is clearly very popular amongst the FBA community. If you hooked that up to a good DAC the sound would be impressive, fire the data across a network to a Sonore microRendu or SOtM SMS-200, well, very nice . . . if you like that sort of thing Didn't seem to spend much time in the rooms you mentioned though (never been a Naim fan), spent time on the higher floors and was less interested in the big mainstream brands lower down. I went in pretty much every room apart from the Home Cinema ones, but if it didn't grab me immediately, I walked out again. Did you go into the Nordost room, good sound in there coming from Moon separates and ProAc D30R speakers and some interesting demonstrations too? The Funk Firm room was good too, very calming relaxed air in there and a great sound. Nice to meet Arthur, what a nice guy. Those little BBC FALCON LS3/5a clones were superb, very interesting to compare them with the Harbeth P3ESR . Right up the top (Floor 10), Leema Acoustics had some big ATC SCM50PSLT speakers, really, really liked the sound in that room with their Tucana amp The Primare room was also sounding good with those JBL speakers - ugly but great sound. Best sound for pound and room for me though was Quad, with the Artera Solus and ESL-2912. I could have spent hours in there, right up my street. Ended up sitting next to DaveC too and said hello. Looks like we enjoy a different sound as well as music taste Paul, which actually makes sense when you think about it and compare the music styles we enjoy? Sorry about the crappy phone pics, didn't take a camera with me and only shot a handful just as a memory jogger. I also came away with half a dozen new artists in Shazam to investigate, so I had a great time and I'll probably go back next year Maybe take a break for a year or two and see if that works?
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Feb 27, 2018 13:34:58 GMT
Very interesting, Tim. Yes I am thinking we might ditch it next year, but I might still go as it's a boy's day out with my Dad.
It is funny how we all have different experiences and interests, depends on so many different things, including mood, upbringing, personality etc. etc.
Shame I didn't know you were going, it would have been great to meet up, maybe next year.
|
|
|
Post by Tim on Feb 27, 2018 13:44:44 GMT
I really thought it was great to see loads of young people, loads of women and arty types too - where were all the train-spotters?
|
|
|
Post by Tim on Feb 27, 2018 13:45:24 GMT
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Feb 27, 2018 14:02:54 GMT
where were all the train-spotters? Oh there were quite a few about on the bottom floor, there was one guy I saw with his anorak that was quite amusing.
|
|
|
Post by Tim on Feb 27, 2018 14:36:41 GMT
I was being sarcastic, all I saw were train-spotters - good job there weren't any mirrors!
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Feb 27, 2018 14:41:57 GMT
I was being sarcastic, all I saw were train-spotters - good job there weren't any mirrors! Ooop, missed that, I am too slow
|
|
|
Post by julesd68 on Feb 27, 2018 14:52:16 GMT
I really thought it was great to see loads of young people, loads of women and arty types too - where were all the train-spotters? That's good to hear Tim. Not many women on the forums though!
|
|