Ammonite Audio
27-04-2016, 10:15
The Styl:us Show at Heathrow went very well, with good attendance on both days. I think that the organisers had hoped to attract a younger audience, but that didn't really happen! It's going to be held again next year, so maybe they'll succeed in future. I'd forgotten that the Heathrow Park Inn is actually a nice venue for a show - smaller than Whittlebury, but nicely laid out, easy to get to, and with nice toilets that female visitors will appreciate!
Thanks to everyone who came along to chat. The 'naked' Kenwood KD-990 was certainly a talking point, but that aside everyone seemed to be very impressed with the Miyajima Shilabe cartridge that I was running on the end of a 10" Jelco SA-750E arm. The rest of the demo system consisted of Audio Note AN-S3H SUT, ANT Kora 3T SE phono amp (in custom case with Paul Hynes PSU), Beyerdynamic A2 headphone amp, Denon AD-H7000 'phones. The Shilabe was certainly singing very nicely in the 10" Jelco arm, which is a natural match in terms of mass, but actually a very fine bit of kit in its own right, when matched with one of my improved mounting collars and an Oyaide headshell.
I was also pleased with visitors' responses to the Acoustical Systems SMARTractor alignment tool, which I was able to demonstrate in action. Yes, it's expensive, but as a once-only investment that allows a turntable user to ensure very accurate alignment of tonearm and cartridge (the cantilever, rather than the cartridge body), it's perhaps one of the best value system upgrades available. If anyone still thinks that 'by eye' is the best way to set up a cartridge, I recommend trying one of these things out, and I think that such views will be swept away! I offer the SMARTractor for weekly hire with the £50 hire cost deducted from the purchase price, if the customer wishes to buy one.
Here are some photos from my stand at the Styl:us Show. If anyone here on AoS wishes to take advantage of any of the Show Special Offers, please PM me and I'll see what I can do.
http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s301/hugocass/IMG_20160423_101636_zpszju6sn5j.jpg
http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s301/hugocass/IMG_20160423_101735_zpsm5nazecu.jpg
http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s301/hugocass/IMG_20160423_101831_zps632co5xh.jpg
http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s301/hugocass/IMG_20160423_101853_zpswgjgiuq6.jpg
http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s301/hugocass/IMG_20160423_101939_zpsz5dskojp.jpg
http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s301/hugocass/IMG_20160423_102003_zpsp0ztpc0g.jpg
http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s301/hugocass/IMG_20160423_131535_zpsghzb0swq.jpg
http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s301/hugocass/IMG_20160423_152609_zpsrg38ztol.jpg
http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s301/hugocass/IMG_20160423_152457_zpsm7jn6gmo.jpg
Thanks to everyone who came along to chat. The 'naked' Kenwood KD-990 was certainly a talking point, but that aside everyone seemed to be very impressed with the Miyajima Shilabe cartridge that I was running on the end of a 10" Jelco SA-750E arm. The rest of the demo system consisted of Audio Note AN-S3H SUT, ANT Kora 3T SE phono amp (in custom case with Paul Hynes PSU), Beyerdynamic A2 headphone amp, Denon AD-H7000 'phones. The Shilabe was certainly singing very nicely in the 10" Jelco arm, which is a natural match in terms of mass, but actually a very fine bit of kit in its own right, when matched with one of my improved mounting collars and an Oyaide headshell.
I was also pleased with visitors' responses to the Acoustical Systems SMARTractor alignment tool, which I was able to demonstrate in action. Yes, it's expensive, but as a once-only investment that allows a turntable user to ensure very accurate alignment of tonearm and cartridge (the cantilever, rather than the cartridge body), it's perhaps one of the best value system upgrades available. If anyone still thinks that 'by eye' is the best way to set up a cartridge, I recommend trying one of these things out, and I think that such views will be swept away! I offer the SMARTractor for weekly hire with the £50 hire cost deducted from the purchase price, if the customer wishes to buy one.
Here are some photos from my stand at the Styl:us Show. If anyone here on AoS wishes to take advantage of any of the Show Special Offers, please PM me and I'll see what I can do.
http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s301/hugocass/IMG_20160423_101636_zpszju6sn5j.jpg
http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s301/hugocass/IMG_20160423_101735_zpsm5nazecu.jpg
http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s301/hugocass/IMG_20160423_101831_zps632co5xh.jpg
http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s301/hugocass/IMG_20160423_101853_zpswgjgiuq6.jpg
http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s301/hugocass/IMG_20160423_101939_zpsz5dskojp.jpg
http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s301/hugocass/IMG_20160423_102003_zpsp0ztpc0g.jpg
http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s301/hugocass/IMG_20160423_131535_zpsghzb0swq.jpg
http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s301/hugocass/IMG_20160423_152609_zpsrg38ztol.jpg
http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s301/hugocass/IMG_20160423_152457_zpsm7jn6gmo.jpg