PDA

View Full Version : Northern Sound & Vision Photos



Rick O
26-01-2008, 14:24
Hello from the Hi-Fi show. Just to let you know we have the first set of photos online from this year.

Audioworks photo gallery (http://theaudioworks.co.uk/gallery/index.php?level=album&id=4)

Rick

Marco
26-01-2008, 23:35
Great pictures, Rick.

Just to let everyone know... Rob, Steve and me attended the show today and lots of high quality pictures were taken in the various rooms. These will likely be ready for posting on the forum on Monday (28th), along with a full write-up of what we heard from this year's exhibitors, and I can promise that it will make very interesting reading!!

Stay tuned...

Marco.

Lefty
27-01-2008, 14:01
Superb stuff.... looking forward to hearing how it all went :)

Filterlab
27-01-2008, 14:35
Superb stuff.... looking forward to hearing how it all went :)

I'll get on to it fully later - at the mo I'm just dumping my CD player and passive pre after hearing lossless music files and a Benchmark DAC-1 USB running into a pair of Nuforce Reference 9 amps. Feckin' amazing!

I've just wiped clean my iTunes and I'm re-importing at full AIFF, as an experiment I connected my Mac directly to my power amp this morning and it sounds leagues better than my player and passive. Once I get one of those Benchmark DACs it'll positively shred my player/passive combo, and that's before I upgrade the power amp! Mmm, wonder what I'll choose? :)

Lefty
27-01-2008, 16:13
Interesting. I briefly owned a Benchmark DAC 1 (regular version) which I bought at the time it was getting all the hype. Must admit I never really got on with it. It sounded a bit too clinical and dry for my tastes. I much preferred the Naim CD3.5/APX2 I had at the time.

However, my recent experiences with a Squeezebox/Beresford DAC has rekindled my interest in the whole DAC thing and I'd love to revisit the Benchmark in this context. The new Benchmark DAC with built in pre-amp looks interesting.

Lefty

Filterlab
27-01-2008, 16:35
...I briefly owned a Benchmark DAC 1 (regular version)...The new Benchmark DAC with built in pre-amp looks interesting.

Lefty

The one in Robson Acoustics' room was the Benchmark DAC-1 USB with a switchable pre-amp - the output can be set either at a fixed value (with options of 10dB, 20dB or 30dB gain) or be used as a full pre-amp.

Basically the sound of their system easily matched Audioworks' £40k Puccini / Spectral / Avalon system, it was seriously seriously good.

For me I didn't find it that dry, just very very natural and with detail to die for, particularly on live recordings.

Lefty
27-01-2008, 19:02
I might have to get another listen to one. The price is certainly right, especially if you can get it imported from the US with the current favourable exchange rate.

Lefty

Marco
27-01-2008, 19:16
Yep, Lefty, the system Rob's referring to was seriously impressive, particularly the speakers, which are about the only ones I've heard that I felt outperformed my Spendors in key areas, and I've had the SP100s since 2001. I'm notoriously fussy with speakers!

The computer/DAC combo was also food for thought to those who hadn't heard something like that before... ;)

Rob, if you can get the pictures on tomorrow, we can then add the text write-up underneath each room image :)

We heard some more really good systems today. Steve took some shots on his mobile phone, so if you can guys can get them sorted out so picture-wise everything is up on the forum tomorrow. Then we can do reviews of the various systems.

Marco.

Filterlab
27-01-2008, 20:21
Before we get to the photos and write what we thought of the various systems I would just like to thank the show organisers Roy and Jason Bird from The Chester Group for allowing us to distribute 2000 flyers advertising the forum to the people attending the show, not including the ones we handed out to all the exhibitors, and to Jenny and Sue for being so kind as to put the flyers into the show guides for us. Time will tell if we obtain any benefit from this, but in these situations all one can do is 'speculate to accumulate'. We certainly made some good contacts with dealers and manufacturers who we hope will use The Art of Sound to advertise and promote their businesses, and also join in discussions on the forum.

Regards,
Marco.

------------------------------------

Yes thanks indeed for two great days and to Roy, Jason, Jenny and Sue for allowing us to promote this site at the show. Thanks also for free admission :)

Regards,

Steve.

------------------------------------

I'll third that Roy, many many thanks for your enthusiasm and a HUGE thanks to Jenny and Sue for sorting all our flyers out. As promised, below is a link:

http://s560.photobucket.com/albums/ss49/aos_images/random_stuff/Chester.jpg (http://www.chestergroup.org/)

------------------------------------

Okey doke, apologies for some images - most of these were taken in almost complete darkness so I had to seriously compensate with the shutter speed (particularly the Audio Note room).

Click on the dealer / manufacturer logos at the top of each post to be directed to their website. :)

http://s560.photobucket.com/albums/ss49/aos_images/random_stuff/Robson.jpg (http://www.robsonacoustics.co.uk/)

http://s560.photobucket.com/albums/ss49/aos_images/random_stuff/RobsonAcoustics1.jpg

Once again, Robson Acoustics' speakers absolutely blew me away! They just destroyed everything else at the show regardless of price, and all from a company consisting of one chap - Rob, and his mate Lee who is a customer and ex-next door neighbour and helps him out at shows. The speaker's real boon is the ribbon tweeters which give a high end that is so airy and clean it has to be heard to be believed. It really raises questions about the suitability of dynamic drivers for reproducing clean and powerful highs, these ribbons are simply remarkable.

Also, and this is what has forced me to completely change direction in my system, Rob is using a laptop running FLAC files for his demo music. From the laptop the output is via USB to a Benchmark USB DAC-1 and from there into a NuForce P9 pre-amp and a pair of NuForce Reference 9 v2 power amps.

The amps are class-D and are seriously seriously good! Apart from the fact that "they takes three days to warm up" (Rob's words), they sound absolutely marvelous. I'm not going to string superlatives together, but I will say that they're the most unstressed, free and powerful sounding amps - completely musical in every way.

So I will replicate this system, DAC first then the power amps (but no need for a pre). Then if my Revels aren't up to the Robsons, a visiting I will go.

Great system, great speakers, nice chaps and a really eye opening experience. :)

Filterlab
27-01-2008, 20:21
http://s560.photobucket.com/albums/ss49/aos_images/random_stuff/Robson.jpg (http://www.robsonacoustics.co.uk/)

http://s560.photobucket.com/albums/ss49/aos_images/random_stuff/RobsonAcoustics2.jpg

Filterlab
27-01-2008, 20:21
http://s560.photobucket.com/albums/ss49/aos_images/random_stuff/UKD.jpg (http://www.ukd.co.uk/)

http://s560.photobucket.com/albums/ss49/aos_images/random_stuff/UKD1.jpg

Filterlab
27-01-2008, 20:22
http://s560.photobucket.com/albums/ss49/aos_images/random_stuff/UKD.jpg (http://www.ukd.co.uk/)

http://s560.photobucket.com/albums/ss49/aos_images/random_stuff/UKD2.jpg

Filterlab
27-01-2008, 20:22
http://s560.photobucket.com/albums/ss49/aos_images/random_stuff/UKD.jpg (http://www.ukd.co.uk/)

http://s560.photobucket.com/albums/ss49/aos_images/random_stuff/UKD3.jpg

Filterlab
27-01-2008, 20:22
http://s560.photobucket.com/albums/ss49/aos_images/random_stuff/UKD.jpg (http://www.ukd.co.uk/)

http://s560.photobucket.com/albums/ss49/aos_images/random_stuff/UKD4.jpg

Filterlab
27-01-2008, 20:22
http://s560.photobucket.com/albums/ss49/aos_images/random_stuff/Musicology.jpg (http://www.musicology.co.uk/)

http://s560.photobucket.com/albums/ss49/aos_images/random_stuff/Zu1.jpg

Filterlab
27-01-2008, 20:23
http://s560.photobucket.com/albums/ss49/aos_images/random_stuff/Musicology.jpg (http://www.musicology.co.uk/)

http://s560.photobucket.com/albums/ss49/aos_images/random_stuff/Zu2.jpg

Filterlab
27-01-2008, 20:23
The cartridge that interested Marco:

http://s560.photobucket.com/albums/ss49/aos_images/random_stuff/Musicology.jpg (http://www.musicology.co.uk/)

http://s560.photobucket.com/albums/ss49/aos_images/random_stuff/Zu3.jpg

Filterlab
27-01-2008, 20:23
http://s560.photobucket.com/albums/ss49/aos_images/random_stuff/dCS.jpg (http://www.dcsltd.co.uk/index2.html)

http://s560.photobucket.com/albums/ss49/aos_images/random_stuff/dCS2.jpg

Filterlab
27-01-2008, 20:23
http://s560.photobucket.com/albums/ss49/aos_images/random_stuff/dCS.jpg (http://www.dcsltd.co.uk/index2.html)

http://s560.photobucket.com/albums/ss49/aos_images/random_stuff/dCS1.jpg

Filterlab
27-01-2008, 20:24
http://s560.photobucket.com/albums/ss49/aos_images/random_stuff/dCS.jpg (http://www.dcsltd.co.uk/index2.html)

http://s560.photobucket.com/albums/ss49/aos_images/random_stuff/dCS3.jpg

Filterlab
27-01-2008, 20:24
http://s560.photobucket.com/albums/ss49/aos_images/random_stuff/dCS.jpg (http://www.dcsltd.co.uk/index2.html)

http://s560.photobucket.com/albums/ss49/aos_images/random_stuff/dCS4.jpg

Filterlab
27-01-2008, 20:24
The Midland Audio Exchange & Absolute Sounds courtesy of John Roberts.

http://s560.photobucket.com/albums/ss49/aos_images/random_stuff/MAX.jpg (http://www.midlandaudiox-change.co.uk/)

http://s560.photobucket.com/albums/ss49/aos_images/random_stuff/Absolute.jpg (http://www.absolutesounds.com/)

http://s560.photobucket.com/albums/ss49/aos_images/random_stuff/Luna1.jpg

Filterlab
27-01-2008, 20:24
The Midland Audio Exchange & Absolute Sounds courtesy of John Roberts.

http://s560.photobucket.com/albums/ss49/aos_images/random_stuff/MAX.jpg (http://www.midlandaudiox-change.co.uk/)

http://s560.photobucket.com/albums/ss49/aos_images/random_stuff/Absolute.jpg (http://www.absolutesounds.com/)

http://s560.photobucket.com/albums/ss49/aos_images/random_stuff/Luna2.jpg

Filterlab
27-01-2008, 20:24
The Midland Audio Exchange & Absolute Sounds courtesy of John Roberts.

http://s560.photobucket.com/albums/ss49/aos_images/random_stuff/MAX.jpg (http://www.midlandaudiox-change.co.uk/)

http://s560.photobucket.com/albums/ss49/aos_images/random_stuff/Absolute.jpg (http://www.absolutesounds.com/)

http://s560.photobucket.com/albums/ss49/aos_images/random_stuff/Luna3.jpg

Filterlab
27-01-2008, 20:25
http://s560.photobucket.com/albums/ss49/aos_images/random_stuff/Henley.jpg (http://www.henleydesigns.co.uk/content.asp?ContentID=1) Henley Designs

http://s560.photobucket.com/albums/ss49/aos_images/random_stuff/Clearaudio1.jpg

Filterlab
27-01-2008, 20:25
http://s560.photobucket.com/albums/ss49/aos_images/random_stuff/Henley.jpg (http://www.henleydesigns.co.uk/content.asp?ContentID=1) Henley Designs

http://s560.photobucket.com/albums/ss49/aos_images/random_stuff/Clearaudio2.jpg

Filterlab
27-01-2008, 20:25
http://s560.photobucket.com/albums/ss49/aos_images/random_stuff/Henley.jpg (http://www.henleydesigns.co.uk/content.asp?ContentID=1) Henley Designs

http://s560.photobucket.com/albums/ss49/aos_images/random_stuff/Clearaudio3.jpg

Filterlab
27-01-2008, 20:25
http://s560.photobucket.com/albums/ss49/aos_images/random_stuff/Henley.jpg (http://www.henleydesigns.co.uk/content.asp?ContentID=1) Henley Designs

http://s560.photobucket.com/albums/ss49/aos_images/random_stuff/Clearaudio4.jpg

Filterlab
27-01-2008, 20:25
http://s560.photobucket.com/albums/ss49/aos_images/random_stuff/Coherent.jpg (http://www.coherent-systems.co.uk/)

http://s560.photobucket.com/albums/ss49/aos_images/random_stuff/CoherentSystems1.jpg

Filterlab
27-01-2008, 20:26
http://s560.photobucket.com/albums/ss49/aos_images/random_stuff/Coherent.jpg (http://www.coherent-systems.co.uk/)

http://s560.photobucket.com/albums/ss49/aos_images/random_stuff/CoherentSystems2.jpg

Filterlab
27-01-2008, 20:26
http://s560.photobucket.com/albums/ss49/aos_images/random_stuff/Coherent.jpg (http://www.coherent-systems.co.uk/)

http://s560.photobucket.com/albums/ss49/aos_images/random_stuff/CoherentSystems3.jpg

Filterlab
27-01-2008, 20:26
http://s560.photobucket.com/albums/ss49/aos_images/random_stuff/Coherent.jpg (http://www.coherent-systems.co.uk/)

http://s560.photobucket.com/albums/ss49/aos_images/random_stuff/CoherentSystems4.jpg

Filterlab
27-01-2008, 20:26
http://s560.photobucket.com/albums/ss49/aos_images/random_stuff/Audionote.jpg (http://www.audionote.co.uk/)

http://s560.photobucket.com/albums/ss49/aos_images/random_stuff/AudioNote1.jpg

Filterlab
27-01-2008, 20:27
http://s560.photobucket.com/albums/ss49/aos_images/random_stuff/Audionote.jpg (http://www.audionote.co.uk/)

http://s560.photobucket.com/albums/ss49/aos_images/random_stuff/AudioNote2.jpg

Filterlab
27-01-2008, 20:27
http://s560.photobucket.com/albums/ss49/aos_images/random_stuff/Audionote.jpg (http://www.audionote.co.uk/)

http://s560.photobucket.com/albums/ss49/aos_images/random_stuff/AudioNote3.jpg

Filterlab
27-01-2008, 20:27
http://s560.photobucket.com/albums/ss49/aos_images/random_stuff/Audioworks-1.jpg (http://www.theaudioworks.co.uk/)

http://s560.photobucket.com/albums/ss49/aos_images/random_stuff/Audioworks.jpg

Filterlab
27-01-2008, 20:27
http://s560.photobucket.com/albums/ss49/aos_images/random_stuff/Chord.jpg (http://www.chordelectronics.co.uk/)

http://s560.photobucket.com/albums/ss49/aos_images/random_stuff/Chord1.jpg

Filterlab
27-01-2008, 20:27
http://s560.photobucket.com/albums/ss49/aos_images/random_stuff/Chord.jpg (http://www.chordelectronics.co.uk/)

http://s560.photobucket.com/albums/ss49/aos_images/random_stuff/Chord2.jpg

Filterlab
27-01-2008, 20:28
http://s560.photobucket.com/albums/ss49/aos_images/random_stuff/Chord.jpg (http://www.chordelectronics.co.uk/)

http://s560.photobucket.com/albums/ss49/aos_images/random_stuff/Chord3.jpg

Filterlab
27-01-2008, 20:28
http://s560.photobucket.com/albums/ss49/aos_images/random_stuff/Audioref.jpg (http://www.audioreference.co.uk/home.htm)

http://s560.photobucket.com/albums/ss49/aos_images/random_stuff/AcuArts1.jpg

Filterlab
27-01-2008, 20:28
http://s560.photobucket.com/albums/ss49/aos_images/random_stuff/Audioref.jpg (http://www.audioreference.co.uk/home.htm)

http://s560.photobucket.com/albums/ss49/aos_images/random_stuff/AcuArts2.jpg

Filterlab
27-01-2008, 20:28
http://s560.photobucket.com/albums/ss49/aos_images/random_stuff/Audioref.jpg (http://www.audioreference.co.uk/home.htm)

http://s560.photobucket.com/albums/ss49/aos_images/random_stuff/AcuArts3.jpg

Filterlab
27-01-2008, 20:28
http://s560.photobucket.com/albums/ss49/aos_images/random_stuff/Audioref.jpg (http://www.audioreference.co.uk/home.htm)

http://s560.photobucket.com/albums/ss49/aos_images/random_stuff/AcuArts4.jpg

Filterlab
27-01-2008, 20:28
http://s560.photobucket.com/albums/ss49/aos_images/random_stuff/Audioref.jpg (http://www.audioreference.co.uk/home.htm)

http://s560.photobucket.com/albums/ss49/aos_images/random_stuff/AcuArts5.jpg

Filterlab
27-01-2008, 20:29
http://s560.photobucket.com/albums/ss49/aos_images/random_stuff/Audiocraft.jpg (http://www.audio-craft.co.uk/)

http://s560.photobucket.com/albums/ss49/aos_images/random_stuff/Audiocraft1.jpg

Marco
27-01-2008, 21:22
Utter quality, mate - keep 'em coming...especially that close-up of the ZU-modified DL-103 on the LP12 in the Musicology room :)

Full write-up will follow tomorrow, everyone!

Marco.

Filterlab
27-01-2008, 21:35
...keep 'em coming...

LOL! That's the lot mate! We took so long getting round, probably because we kept stopping to listen! :D

Filterlab
27-01-2008, 21:40
...ZU-modified DL-103 on the LP12...

A close up (cropped from the full res image) just for Marco. :)

http://s560.photobucket.com/albums/ss49/aos_images/random_stuff/Musicology.jpg (http://www.musicology.co.uk/)

http://s560.photobucket.com/albums/ss49/aos_images/random_stuff/DSC05996.jpg

Lefty
27-01-2008, 21:44
Excellent stuff - thanks for doing that mate. I feel like I was there :)

Lefty

Filterlab
27-01-2008, 21:46
Nay probs, more to follow from Steve no doubt. :)

Marco
27-01-2008, 22:23
Has he sent you the ones he took today? As far as I remember, there were just two: the Dali UK room, which was awesome, and the Naim room, which pretty damned good, too! :)

Marco.

Filterlab
27-01-2008, 22:30
Not yet, but he's probably at work this evening. I'm sure he'll get them over to me when he can. :)

Marco
28-01-2008, 15:45
Some general thoughts on the organisation of the show based on what I've been reading elsewhere:

1) Parking: if you're daft enough not to read or too lazy to act upon the printed information on your ticket, or wherever else you seen the show advertised, and paid £10 to park instead of £6 if you had pre-booked, then don't moan - blame yourself, no-one else.

If you paid £6 to park ALL DAY (that's 7 hours if you went on Saturday 10am-5pm) for security attended parking in the vicinity of one of the UK's largest airports then it is in fact much less than you would pay for equivalent parking facilities (such as with NCP) in the centre of Manchester or indeed any other large UK city.

In Glasgow, for example, the rate at NCP multi-storey car parks in the city centre is £4.50 for up to 2 hours. If this price was being charged by the company who organised the parking facilities at the show work out how much it would have cost to leave your car there all day!

2) For the sake of having a convenient location with decent facilities within easy access of the motorway network, the Northern Sound & Vision shows are held in the vicinity of Manchester Airport in one of the major hotels, so of course food and drink is unlikely to be cheap. What would people rather have, the show held in some grotty little back street hotel miles away from anywhere just so they can eat some cheap junk?

It makes me laugh how the same people who would not baulk at paying, say, £500 for a hi-fi cable, or thousands of pounds for equipment, moan at having to pay a bit over the odds for some decent food and drink once a year. Yes, it's expensive to eat and drink at airport hotels, but that's not the fault of the organiser. Maybe people would like to pay extra for the ticket price so that a special buffet or discounted meals can be provided?

Anyway, don't just sit there and MOAN - say how you think things could be improved so that in future everyone benefits.

Marco.

Filterlab
28-01-2008, 17:04
...In Glasgow, for example, the rate at NCP multi-storey car parks in the city centre is £4.50 for up to 2 hours...

That's a trifling price for parking. In Central London you're looking at £8.00 per hour in an NCP - and that's a minimum of two hours charged!

:eek:

Marco
28-01-2008, 17:27
And yet people are moaning about paying £10 (or £6 with pre-booking) at the show for up to 7 hours parking with security people in attendance?

{Shakes head in disbelief}

Marco.

Steve Toy
28-01-2008, 17:40
As far as the show was concerned there has been a lot of negativity (as expected from certain quarters) posted elsewhere. In the past when I've attended other shows, systems have often proved to be underwhelming in a show environment. Perhaps the systems had been hurredly set up, perhaps the room acoustics were very poor (I can think of at least one example from past experience where this was the case) and perhaps the mains was dreadful. Therefore a culture of slagging off shows is derived from such experiences. However, we need to remember that these days, with a few notable exceptions, two-channel hi-fi is an industry under threat from those who consider music a cheap (or free) downloadable and disposable commodity. Fewer and fewer people, especially the young seem to be interested in quality in terms of recorded music reproduction. It is also true that two-channel music listening is competing these days with far more distractions and more fashionable alternative ways to offload disposable incomes.

As such I doubt very much that there are many people in the industry only for the money, just as I doubt that (with notable exceptions) there are many people making any serious money out of it anyway. A number of small companies making very little money and excellent products may not be here in a few years unless they get more support. Hi-fi is a labour of love and I'd like to see folks here be more positive, enthusiastic and open minded about the industry in general. Hi-fi shows are the only chance the industry gets to avail its products and services to significant numbers of the general public.

I for one believe that the hi-fi of today and tomorrow has every chance of being much better than that of yesterday, so I think those of a pompous, cynical, egotistical and negative take on the hi-fi industry in general would do well to either act differently or shut up.

I will say that this was the best show I have ever attended and I have quite a list of rooms that I thought were very impressive indeed in terms of using the system to get the musical message across including the following:

The Sugden/Siltech/Focal room - best sound/£ at the show. This was a clear demonstration that attention to supports, mains and cabling can turn a relatively modest setup costwise into a giant slayer.

The Audionote room. Again, great value products offering a stunningly musical presentation. I'm beginning to really like valves...

The Robson acoustics room for a convincing demo of computer-based audio into Nuforce class D amps and their excellent range of Greystoke speakers.

The Dali room put together by the guys at Zouch Audio. OK this system was expensive but it was awesome in a very enjoyable and engaging fashion. It was very lifelike in terms of scale and kick drums sounded the way they should.

Densen/Focal. I liked this room and was reminded precisely why I use good solid state amps rather than valves. The valve-based systems I heard for all their directness in the midrange and upper frequencies without actually sounding woolly in the bass, don't have the same drive and presence down below of amps like the Densen B-330 which happens to be the amp in my own system.

Musicology - it was nice to chat to Derek Whittington (New Audio Frontiers) again. The system was particularly impressive with the EMM Labs CD player into Pass Labs amps and Zu speakers.

Naim. It's been a while since I've heard a Naim system and the first time I've heard the CD555. I was reminded of the fact that there is a certain uniqueness to the way Naim systems reproduce music that still divides an opinion. If you like it then it offers excellent VFM despite the lofty price tag, if not you are free to look elsewhere. Count me as one of those who like it even though I can't afford it. The demonstrations of the new power leads and going active were very convincing indeed. £400 for the mains lead is good value considering what a no-brainer upgrade it really is.

Audio Works has been covered. What they offer in terms of ancilliaries at relatively little cost turns modest systems into musical giant slayers. When more exotic kit is used, such anciliaries become essential as was clearly demonstrated by the venerable Scarlatti CD player being just plonked on a sideboard.
__________________
With an agenda you can (dis)prove anything.

Mr Ed
28-01-2008, 17:53
moan at having to pay a bit over the odds for some decent food and drink once a year. Yes, it's expensive to eat and drink at airport hotels, but that's not the fault of the organiser. Maybe people would like to pay extra for the ticket price so that a special buffet or discounted meals can be provided?

Discounted meals are available a very short walk away in T2 (Compared to the hotel anyway) Not the Hotels fault if people would rather pay for their stuff.

Sue (Although I don't think Ed would disagree):guitar:

leo
28-01-2008, 17:56
Excellent pics guys, thanks for sharing

Marco
28-01-2008, 18:02
Discounted meals are available a very short walk away in T2 (Compared to the hotel anyway) Not the Hotels fault if people would rather pay for their stuff.

Sue (Although I don't think Ed would disagree):guitar


Indeed, Sue. Some people though expect everything to be laid on a plate for them (no pun intended) and pay next to nothing for the privilege.

Nice to see you posting here, btw. Is Ed still at the pub? ;)

Marco.

Marco
28-01-2008, 18:04
I for one believe that the hi-fi of today and tomorrow has every chance of being much better than that of yesterday, so I think those of a pompous, cynical, egotistical and negative take on the hi-fi industry in general would do well to either act differently or shut up.


Hear, hear Steve!

Nice write-up on the show, btw. I'll add my own thoughts later.

Marco.

Mr Ed
28-01-2008, 20:11
Is Ed still at the pub? ;)



What are you trying to imply...? yeah, yeah I know it's my round... :p

Ed.

Marco
28-01-2008, 20:20
I meant the Virtual Pub, of course :p

You have alcohol on the brain, dude (and maybe other places, too?) Lol!

Marco.

Mr Ed
28-01-2008, 20:30
Actually I only had one earlier, now off to have a drink with Mad Steve to bask in the glow of all his glory. :D

Ed.

Marco
28-01-2008, 21:11
LOL - enjoy :)

No doubt Steve will have found his recent fame rather amusing!

Marco.

SolidState
28-01-2008, 23:11
Filterlab,

I'd just like to say thank you for the excellent quality of pics you've posted, a nice broad spectrum of hifi there. Now I feel really depressed not being able to attend the show and the fact not experiencing the world renowned Audioworks demo:(

Filterlab
29-01-2008, 12:36
Filterlab,

I'd just like to say thank you for the excellent quality of pics you've posted, a nice broad spectrum of hifi there. Now I feel really depressed not being able to attend the show and the fact not experiencing the world renowned Audioworks demo:(

:) Glad you like them mate. It was a good show with some excellent rooms. The best bit of the Audioworks room is the way Steve dances uncontrollably to the music - I don't think he's even aware he's doing it. :D

He handled the clowns superbly.

Robson
29-01-2008, 16:34
Thank-you for your very kind words regarding my speakers and products and I hope I can be of help on this forum.
It hasn't been easy to push the computer audio and I am glad it is finally getting some recognition as to it's merits which extend beyond just i-pods and laptops to the media servers especially when the Benchmark DAC1 USB can be added as a final chain before the amps.
Incidently you were talking of using the DAC1 for it's use as a pre-amp and I have found that this has sounded very thin and not a good option although there may be ways of improving this and it may sound better in systems with valves. I think as a product to expect it to perform well as a pre-amp too may be asking too much. I would recommend it's calibrated output option.
Once again thanks for the comments and it was nice meeting you on Saturday.

Steve Toy
29-01-2008, 16:47
It was nice to be there. I can see a trip to Penrith coming up soon re. computer audio.

Filterlab
29-01-2008, 16:58
Incidently you were talking of using the DAC1 for it's use as a pre-amp and I have found that this has sounded very thin and not a good option although there may be ways of improving this and it may sound better in systems with valves. I think as a product to expect it to perform well as a pre-amp too may be asking too much. I would recommend it's calibrated output option.
Once again thanks for the comments and it was nice meeting you on Saturday.


Hi Rob, nice to have you here! :)

Yes your demo system has completely changed my outlook on my system!

Thanks for that info by the way, I was going to rely on the Benchmark as a pre as well as a converter. I'll definitely look into the NuForce pre as well in that case, unless that is the integrated does a good job. Any thoughts or experience with that?

Filterlab
30-01-2008, 09:12
More images courtesy of Steve Toy:

http://www.pymblehifi.com.au/Images/Naim%20Logo2.gif (http://www.naim-audio.com/)

http://s560.photobucket.com/albums/ss49/aos_images/random_stuff/AOSZouchAudio.jpg

Filterlab
30-01-2008, 09:13
The Zouch Audio room:

http://s560.photobucket.com/albums/ss49/aos_images/random_stuff/Zouch.jpg (http://www.zouchaudio.co.uk)

http://s560.photobucket.com/albums/ss49/aos_images/random_stuff/AOSDaliRoom.jpg

Filterlab
30-01-2008, 09:37
The Naim room:

http://www.pymblehifi.com.au/Images/Naim%20Logo2.gif (http://www.naim-audio.com/)

http://s560.photobucket.com/albums/ss49/aos_images/random_stuff/AOSNaim.jpg

Marco
30-01-2008, 10:16
Rob,

Was there not one of the main system? I'm sure Steve took a picture of the electronics...

Marco.

Vinyl Grinder
30-01-2008, 11:34
http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj292/ELPFAN/AOSDaliRoom.jpg

What did that Roksan '20' sound like Rob?

Filterlab
30-01-2008, 12:16
Rob,

Was there not one of the main system? I'm sure Steve took a picture of the electronics...

Marco.

Yeah, but Steve had sent the photograph information over two separate emails and since I didn't know which was which I had to guess a bit!

Sorted now though.


http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj292/ELPFAN/AOSDaliRoom.jpg

What did that Roksan '20' sound like Rob?

Didn't hear that turntable unfortunately, did hear the Coherent Systems one though, and that was a stonker! Completely ruined the Bel Canto CD player. :)

Marco
30-01-2008, 13:59
Yeah, but Steve had sent the photograph information over two separate emails and since I didn't know which was which I had to guess a bit!

Sorted now though.


LOL, no worries. We'll get the logos on as clickable links later. It might be an idea though in the meantime to move the main picture of the Naim system so that it appears beside the picture of the speakers. I think it'll appear more complete that way.

Marco.

Marco
30-01-2008, 14:02
http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj292/ELPFAN/AOSDaliRoom.jpg

What did that Roksan '20' sound like Rob?


Andr'e,

The 20 was on static display. They had a TMS there with a Shiraz cart. I gave the guys a Blood Sweat And Tears album to play, and my oh my did that system sound good through those Dalis... Think live music right there in the room :eek:

More on that though later!

Marco.

Mike Reed
03-02-2008, 21:23
Quite remarkable clarity, worthy of decent compacts.

As one who has only been to the various Heathrow shows, Olympia, Bristol and Harrogate (can't remember that;-I was pissed from all the free drinks in the journalist's room!), and that well more than a decade ago, I find the audio displays you photographed to be simple and uncluttered. Not what I remember from the past.

I'm also glad to see that large speakers haven't gone out of fashion, and there were (judging from visual measurements) even a couple that seemed to dwarf my ProAcs; (well, vertically, anyway). amazing!

With your pics.,any vague similarities with PFM seem to evaporate.

Well done.

Filterlab
04-02-2008, 08:49
Quite remarkable clarity, worthy of decent compacts.


Only the last three shots or so. The others were taken on a Prosumer Sony SLR - most in almost complete darkness.

Marco
04-02-2008, 09:31
Thanks for your positive comments, Mike. We think the results we got were quite good, given that this was the first time we've taken a professional photographer (our Roberto), with tripod, into the demo rooms full of people inside!

We're also planning to cover the forthcoming Bristol show, but this time we'll do our photographing on the trade day before the general public arrive.

More comments from the show to come just as soon as I get the chance. I apologise for the delay on doing the write-up, but sometimes one's 'real life' gets in the way of forum ramblings! :p

Rob, which exhibitors systems would you say impressed you the most?

For me, top marks go to the valve-based system Audiocraft put together, which was quite stunning, along with those from Audionote, and Robson Acoustics. The system with the huge Dali speakers (which you missed) was also seriously impressive, I forget who that belonged to, along with loads of other stuff, but like I said, I'll get to it all later.

Marco.

Filterlab
04-02-2008, 10:49
...Rob, which exhibitors systems would you say impressed you the most?..

WAY out in front was Robson Acoustics' which blew me away. Also Audioworks' Puccini / Spectral / Avalon system was particularly impressive as was Audionote's system (although how it would fair with commercial recordings is debatable).

Steve Toy
04-02-2008, 11:12
Marco's avatar pic was also taken with the same phone, as were all his hi-fi pics.