Bristol Hi-Fi Show 2009

I'll be there, pornograph in hand. Here's a link to the brochure: http://www.bristolshow.co.uk/uploads/1345/11988/2009_Showguide.pdf

Apparently, the new Martin Logan "Spire" will be there New??? Hm.. strange people, these Brits. Where is the Summit X??? Nevermind, we'll catch up eventually...

Anyway, this is no RMAF or Hong Kong. So a lot of the gear is affordable. Expect some pics on this thread sometime next week.

I can't see too much in the guide that is super-exciting. But there is usually some nice stuff lurking in the corners...

Actually, on 2nd thoughts, that Chord Indigo looks nice and very flexible to boot.

Have fun there......looking forward to your "review". Wish I could go.

Wishlist??

ARC (of course)

Yes, I'm looking forward to your impressions too Justin.

If you haven't heard them before I urge you to check out Cabbasse and let us know what you think. I've always been impressed with their stuff. It also looks like the Focal Grande Utopia EM will be there - you have GOT to give them a listen.

I LOVE Audio porn!

Justin,

You are the Steven Hirsch of audio shows! I am looking forward to the pics.

MiTT said:

If you haven't heard them before I urge you to check out Cabbasse and let us know what you think. I've always been impressed with their stuff. It also looks like the Focal Grande Utopia EM will be there - you have GOT to give them a listen.

I LOVE Audio porn!

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Yeah, I have posted about Cabasse before. They had some at Bristol a few years ago. Two spherical satellites and a sub, playing Dave Brubeck. Driven by Halcros and a great TT, they knocked me for six. Really seriously good system. Best sound for that year.

I'll be sure to check out the Focals.

David Matz said:

Justin,

You are the Steven Hirsch of audio shows! I am looking forward to the pics.

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Hm, I'm not sure I'd go that far. Some of those Vivid movies rule the roost Now, if he'd like to give me a job

OK, I'm not sure how far we'll get before the call of beer and the hi-fi gets too strong - it's a Friday night after all. These pics are so hot and fresh, they are probably the first on the web.

First off, we'll do the ML bit. Here's a shot of the Spires, being given the Krell S-300i treatment.

I never thought I'd say this about a Krell, but this combo is magic. The amp costs about 1/3 of the Spires here, yet worked really well. I couldn't believe how well the Spires were doing down below. Everything was very clear, smooth, and free from grain. The only comment I could hit it with was it sounded a bit synthetic - like the system as a whole was trying to sound good rather than real. I don't blame the Spires for that, though. Maybe it was the recordings, but maybe it was the Krell kit. I move towards the later.

The last time I heard a Krell with Summits, it sounded like it was trying to invent detail, like it was trying way too hard. This little sucker didn't sound like that at all. And it is little. It's the slim box at the bottom of the rack. Ken Kessler was right - this amp is very good indeed. And to think I doubted him.

Given the Spires had no space in which to perform, they sure as hell performed! I was really impressed with them - best I have heard them.

There was a doubter in the room - proclaiming the Spires a nightmare to set up, and complaining the sound changed radically when off axis. But the tiny room was packed, and I could see appreciation on the faces of those present. Just a shame it wasn't the Summit X, but hey...

Oh Adam - I used the PIXresizer software you recommended in the CES show a while ago - very handy. Hope Bernard doesn't complain about the pic sizing.

Also, no ARC - the 2nd half of the Absolute Sounds demo room was shut, for some reason. Bummer.

This is a city centre hotel with small rooms. It gets held here because of location. It's not good, and I think the organsiers should seek alternative accomodation for it, but they probably won't.

Given the recession, I am very glad I went today. Attendance was very high - maybe because everyone is losing their jobs! Tommorrow it will be impossible to move in it.

Last two pics - some Krell and Copland kit hanging around in the Spire room.

The Spire bass cab isn't big - given that the bass is very good. The Summit X has to better it, but at what price?

Someone got in the way

User211 said:

Given the Spires had no space in which to perform, they sure as hell performed! I was really impressed with them - best I have heard them.

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Justin, glad you're having fun !...... but the best you ever heard them ????

I know I shouldn't rush to judgement from a photograph but I assure you what you heard, in that room, with that equipment didn't come close do doing them justice !!

I guess I understand what you meant, but really if the opportunity presents itself to audition them correctly you will understand what I mean !!

Yeah, I know they'll sound better in a bigger room, Dave, but I can "kind of" factor that into the equation in my mind...

Anyway, I'm off to ascertain whether my Ascents need ditching for a pair of Spires.

Here's some JM Lab Focal gear for appreciation... prose later i.e at least tomorrow.

Damn that looks fun!

Was the Krell stuff connected by CAST?

Hm... bad news on the Focal front... the bigger ones were simply on display - there was simply no space for them - the bigger rooms had been taken by Quad, Meridian, Pioneer etc... more on Meridian/Quad later.

The biggest Focals were impotently turning around like a zombie on a turntable. I got told off for taking a photo of them - "you can't afford those - they're 110K!"

Definately no disaster or immediate need to upgrade to Spires... things are sounding pretty cool at the moment - better than the Spire setup to my ears if I am honest. The only way would be to get a pair in here and drive them with my kit - and as you can see the show conditions did suck. Still love the tube driven Ascent/Descent combo after all these years. But that's just me.

There's something that's been on my mind that I have never posted - why does the class D Descent blend so well with my tube amps? Furthermore, why does Krell bass sound so markedly different from either of them? Additionally, there aren't many SS amps that sound like good Krells in the bottom end department. Is it a Krell colouration - or is it only Krell that are getting it right? Curious one...

User211 said:

Hope Bernard doesn't complain about the pic sizing.

Also, no ARC - the 2nd half of the Absolute Sounds demo room was shut, for some reason. Bummer.

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Nope, picture size is good.

Great porn, but darn, no ARC.

User211 said:

The Spire bass cab isn't big - given that the bass is very good. The Summit X has to better it, but at what price?

Someone got in the way

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I wonder if the big windows behind the speakers let the bass waves escape and enhanced the experience. This may also be the answer to your krell bass question.

How big is that room?

David - not very big. It was 50% full of people, too... it was far from ideal, which is part of the reason I was so impressed with how they sounded after giving it a bit more thought...

Anyway, that PIXresizer has saved the images at lower than the usual jpeg quality I use for this site... I'll look into it. More posts tomoz... busy today.

User211 said:

There's something that's been on my mind that I have never posted - why does the class D Descent blend so well with my tube amps? Furthermore, why does Krell bass sound so markedly different from either of them? Additionally, there aren't many SS amps that sound like good Krells in the bottom end department. Is it a Krell colouration - or is it only Krell that are getting it right? Curious one...

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Opps - this is pure pap! The bass, of course, was driven by the Spire's internal amps. Oh well...

Also, I'll add that I'd be amazed if I didn't prefer the Spire to my Ascents by some significant margin if plugged into my kit in my room.

User211 said:

Hm... bad news on the Focal front... the bigger ones were simply on display - there was simply no space for them - the bigger rooms had been taken by Quad, Meridian, Pioneer etc... more on Meridian/Quad later.

The biggest Focals were impotently turning around like a zombie on a turntable. I got told off for taking a photo of them - "you can't afford those - they're 110K!"

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Too bad you couldn't listen to the big Focal Grande Utopia EM's, they are something special. Love the way they look in red - big audio Ferrari's!!!

User211 said:

Anyway, that PIXresizer has saved the images at lower than the usual jpeg quality I use for this site... I'll look into it. More posts tomoz... busy today.

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You can adjust the quality in which PIXResizer saves. When you select JPEG, the little box next to it with the description "Joint Photographic......" is clickable with the JPEG save settings.

Bernard said:

Great porn, but darn, no ARC.

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An audio show without ARC is like............

....refreshing... It does all look pretty similar. Not saying it's not nice, and a 610T in the flesh would have been a cool event for me.