Bristol Hi-Fi Show 2012

[User211]

This has to have been, sound wise, the worst hi-fi show I have ever been to. Talk about self-affirming. Nothing there got close to my own system. Many rooms were playing at wisper levels on the Friday. I went again today for a couple of hours and there was at least some volume in some of the rooms, but at least on floors 1 and 2, so many were suffering from poor, bloated bass. This was confirmed by a couple of work mates I was with - so it isn't just me.

Quite how they expect to sell stuff when the sound performance was falling so short of the mark is a bit confusing.

Anyway, today's dynamic trio actually rated the PMC/Bryston room as sounding the best by some margin - at least of those on floors 1 & 2 - after which I had to leave. Their Twenty Series speakers really do seem to be good.

I really don't feel that motivated to write much of a report, so I'll provide a link to all the photos and may add a few posts later.

http://photobucket.com/BristolHi-Fi2012

 

[tsv_1]

Sorry to hear that what you heard was somewhat unhearable and mostly unlistenable.

Loved the pics though. Thanks for the effort and the link!

Saw my Olive 04 amongst the frey (though mine is the hipper and more soulful black version). The Ming Da tube gear looked pornographic. Also, those Chord amps (SPM6000?) are drool worthy!

 

[User211]

The Ming Da 5 channel tube amp is a sight to behold!!

The Chord gear looked truly high end but low volume when I was in there through speakers that couldn't do it justice. Kind of makes you think/wonder what the point is. If you want to sell amps at that level, you have to blow people's minds. Not unimpress them. Madness, really.

 

[User211]

The Olive had a very nice looking Esoteric player on top of it. The room didn't sound good - not the fault of the source components.

 

[Gordon Gray]

Justin,

I liked the picture of the speakers with a bunch of beer bottles on the floor.

Is there any hidden, acoustic impact that we need to know about?

Gordon

 

[amey01]

There was at least some eye-candy there!

How did the M-DAC sound?

 

[MickeyVee]

Yummy.. SimAudio Moon in RED! That 600i should drive my Vistas pretty nicely!
(can't help it, I'm Canadian )

BTW, I really wasn't all that impressed by the TAV (Toronto Audio Video) Show. There were two rooms that were outstanding.. the rest were, meh.. even Martin Logan was unimpressive.

Thanks for the pics!!

 

[User211]

Actually the Moon was in the Nordost room with Lars looking half-baked, bottle of coke on the floor trying to combat dehydration! The door was shut and I think the aircon only started working around 4pm, so I hear. Heat was also a bit of a problem in the Ming Da room.

The Nordost room was actually one of the best, using the Raidho Acoustics C1.1, pictured below. Talking to the vendor I believe he said they were £7,900 (though that isn't what the link below says) plus £1,700 for the stands. Not cheap, but they are very nicely finished and would keep many a wife happy.

UK vendor here.

 

[User211]

There was at least some eye-candy there!

How did the M-DAC sound?

God knows. Unfamiliar system, zilsch volume.

In the flesh it really does look very nice indeed - better than the photos that somehow make the finish look cheaper than it really is. Very nice display on it. If I was in the market at that price, it'd have to be on the short list.

 

[User211]

I had a chat with Martin Colloms - who promptly tried to flog me issues of Hi-Fi Critic. Fair enough, I thought. Told him he was at least partially responsible for my Duetta Sig refurb due to his 1986 review. Hi-Fi Critic is an advert free magazine he set up by himself. Google it if you like MC.

And that raises a point, really. Virtually every system I heard could be trashed by a lowly pair of refurbished Quad 57s and Quad IIs, for far less money.

Another thought I had was that no one here appeared to give a rat's arse for the sound coming out of their rooms. No sense of pride, and not many cottage sized specialist companies present either.

 

[Bernard]

Justin, very nice audioporn; thank you. I particularly liked picture #40.

 

[amey01]

Justin, very nice audioporn; thank you. I particularly liked picture #40.

Pic 40 is not an ARC picture - what's wrong with you?

 

[User211]

This was nice. Classe CP800.

Check the spec - interesting. I sat there and listened and realised it was pointless. Needed much better speakers to assess it.

And Bernard - Adam is right - get it together!!! Too much Burmester, obviously

 

[Bernard]

Adam and Justin,

Are we allowed only ONE vice?

 

[tsv_1]

I don't care fot the classe design theme... too "Space 1999" for me. I'm sure it sounds pleasant enough though, and I'm sure Martin Landau and his hostage would agree.

 

[User211]

Ahem. I know which I am preferring.

Nice try, Todd.

 

[tsv_1]

Ahem. I know which I am preferring.

Nice try, Todd.

Sure... post THE worst photo of the admittedly less than aesthetic DAC color scheme... you probably even scuffed it up yourself to enhance your position

Plus, the DAC is way uglier than the DAC2

 

[User211]

Sure... post THE worst photo of the admittedly less than aesthetic DAC color scheme... you probably even scuffed it up yourself to enhance your position

I did. I kicked it around a bit, flushed it down the toilet and then subjected it to intense radiation havested from some thoriated tungsten contained in some cheap Chinese 211s.

This makes the DAC-2 glow a modest green in the dark and I can see your unit has not undergone this upgrade process, which I have now patented and am selling under the "Modwrong" trademark.

Nice chopping board, BTW. And the tactic of keeping the DAC in the dark is indeed cunning & shows great wisdom.

What are the aberrations on top of it?

 

[tsv_1]

I did. I kicked it around a bit, flushed it down the toilet and then subjected it to intense radiation havested from some thoriated tungsten contained in some cheap Chinese 211s.

This makes the DAC-2 glow a modest green in the dark and I can see your unit has not undergone this upgrade process, which I have now patented and am selling under the "Modwrong" trademark.

Nice chopping board, BTW. And the tactic of keeping the DAC in the dark is indeed cunning & shows great wisdom.

What are the aberrations on top of it?

Thorium - breakfast of half-life champions.

Well, could be that the (arguably) most cosmetically challenged of my collection might actually be on the chopping block (the metaphorical one I mean). Depends on how the vacuum based electron plumbing in the new pre performs (assuming I pull the trigger).

 

[User211]

Yeah the Peachtree suggested might be a good option. Lotta features for the dosh.

If that Classe had a tube output option I'd really be very tempted by it, I'm sure. Not a Classe type thing to do, though.

Preamps with DACs are getting popular.