I haven't been for years, but going round Hi-Fi shows used to be an eye opener. There'd be dozens of systems from various makers on demo and the one consistent thing was that most of them just didn't sound great. Occasionally, you'd come across something special and the 'rightness' of the sound would leap out at you.

But. I entered one room where a vintage system was in use. It was a display by minor cable maker I believe. There was a pair of 15" Tannoy Lancasters fronted by an older valve amp (can't recall which, could have been a Radford) a Garrard 301 with SME 3009 holding a Decca Mk.IV and remember thinking, 'this is going to be nice'. It wasn't. The sound was flat as a pancake and woolly. A big surprise. It must have been the room's unsuitablility I think. A real shame, as it had great potential.

When something sounds right, you just know. Spendor usually left a good impression, genuinely fine sounding as a rule. Avant Garde speaker displays always make their mark, they may not be entirely tonally accurate, but they sure make music.

One of the most enjoyable sounds I recall ever hearing was from C R Developments, their own CD player, and amplification, driving a pair of Jean Marie Reynard 'Offrande' speakers. This was just an amazing sound. Full bodied, sweet, detailed and really natural and transparent, strikingly so and easily the best of the show. It was definitely an 'I want' moment!