View Full Version : Guildford Audio Show - Reading 21st and 22nd November
Tripmaster
14-11-2009, 17:13
Hi
Puffin and I are going to this show and I wondered if anyone here is planning to do the same?
http://www.theaudiowarehouse.co.uk/
READING???
Gawd, wot an 'orrible place - almost as bad as Slough and Bracknell.....
Patrick Nash
16-11-2009, 12:02
I've got my name down to go.
I'll be the boring one with grey hair.....
Tripmaster
16-11-2009, 14:57
I've got my name down to go.
I'll be the boring one with grey hair.....
You may be difficult to spot :)
Tripmaster
22-11-2009, 22:39
I've got my name down to go.
I'll be the boring one with grey hair.....
Hi Patrick
Did you manage to go in the end?
Patrick Nash
23-11-2009, 08:53
Yes, I went on the Sunday to minimise traffic. It was a very enjoyable day out, with not many people there it wasn't like the usual show scrum.
Free show, free coffee, nice people, great.
Tripmaster
23-11-2009, 09:40
Yes, I went on the Sunday to minimise traffic. It was a very enjoyable day out, with not many people there it wasn't like the usual show scrum.
Free show, free coffee, nice people, great.
Oh I also went yesterday, we must have sat next to each other at some point!
My mug shot can be found by clicking on my user profile...just in case you are wondering what I look like.
Tripmaster
23-11-2009, 09:44
These were the best in my opinion
http://www.wilsonaudio.com/product_html/sasha_intro.html Ugly as sin, but sounded fantastic.
http://i374.photobucket.com/albums/oo189/Tripmaster_photo/Sasha.jpg
http://www.sonusfaber.com/eng/home.html I think it was this model. They had a really delicate sound and incredible bass at low volume
http://i374.photobucket.com/albums/oo189/Tripmaster_photo/MartinLogan.jpg
The Martin Logan/Audio Research rig was apparently over £100000!
Patrick Nash
23-11-2009, 09:46
I had a brick red fleece on.
At least I didn't spill beer over you - a win win situation, I think you'll agree...
Tripmaster
23-11-2009, 09:48
I had a brick red fleece on.
At least I didn't spill beer over you - a win win situation, I think you'll agree...
I remember you. I think you walked out of the room when they kept replaying the same track
Patrick Nash
23-11-2009, 11:21
Ah yes, Ricardo was trying out every conceivable combination of upsampling, output and filter on a Wadia with the same 60 seconds of music.
I just wanted to hear the next track. The alternative was to scream loudly and dive through a closed window, which would have been a touch extreme. But as it was raining...
Ammonite Audio
23-11-2009, 13:25
I went, and sat through a whole load of fiddling and cable swapping in the Audio Research/Martin Logan room. The Absolute Sounds people seemed to be oblivious of visitors. At one point, a set of the most blinged up cables ever seen (huge great ingots of shiny silver metal at each end) was put into the system - if anyone doubts the effect of cables, they should have experienced the degradation that these cables caused! That said, the big Martin Logan 'statics definitely are a bit special. I don't know how much they cost, though!
The other Absolute Sounds room was a mixed bag. The Wilson Sashas (IIRC) certainly filled the room, but there was a sense of congestion that completely disappeared when a set of small, stand-mounted Sonus Fabers was substituted. The resulting sound was rather lovely. My mate Steve asked for his SACD version of Arnold's Padstow Lifeboat to be played (through the Sashas), and I felt that the sense of scale and space that this recording normally shows was largely absent. Back home, the same recording (on CD, though), did sound rather 'small' in comparison, but definitely more airy and spacious.
The other two rooms seemed to major on AstinTrew and Vienna Acoustics. Not really my cup of tea, I have to say, being rather hard and toppy sounding. The vinyl room had a few interesting rigs: the main one playing was an Inspire 'table, fitted with a shiny Rega arm and (I believe) a Rega Apheta cartridge. Very precise and clear, but with a searing top end. The Apheta does have a very toppy frequency response, so maybe the AstinTrew phono stage was not a good match. That rig did show a great deal of promise, and comprehensively out-performed a Roksan deck fitted with one of J7's PU7 arms, and an Ortofon cartridge (I cannot recall which one). That produce a rather recessed, unclear sound, and in fact sounded so poor that something must have been wrong with its setup. Elsewhere in the room was a stack of the new Micromega electronics, and I would have liked to hear the Inspire through that. Alas, not while I was there. I had a good chat in this room with one visitor who is clearly a bit of a vinyl nut, having just bought a big CLD-plinthed Lenco to add to his LP spinner collection. Sorry - I did not ask your name, but if you are lurking here on AoS, it would be good to chat again.
Ben's Records had a good selection of Vinyl and CDs for sale. Also there was Sound Fowndations who distribute, among other things, Furutech stuff.
The venue was pretty good. Sound leakage between rooms through the fire doors was unfortunate, but no worse than the usual show cacophany.
In summary, a pretty good little show, somewhat spoilt by Absolute Sounds arrogance. I hope that it was worth Guildford Audio's expense and trouble.
Hi Shuggie,
Thanks for a most informative write-up. I will comment more (later) on what you've written.
Was Trevor Martin from Guildford Audio there? I know him quite well; he's one of the good guys :)
Arrogance from Absolute Sounds? Tell me something new!! :wanker:
Marco.
Arrogance from Absolute Sounds? Tell me something new!! :wanker:
Oh ?! But, their website is not arrogant at all, though !
Absolute Sounds was created for the purpose of making your choice a wise one. To provide audio and video equipment worthy of the connoisseur, Absolute Sounds has searched the world for components without equal and tested them for excellence.
I don't quite understand your ranting, really. :eyebrows:
Hahahaha... What you've highlighted, Dimitri, is precisely what lazy dimwits with more money than sense love because it saves them having to think or do anything for themselves! :eyebrows:
What they then end up with, of course, is vastly over-priced, underperforming (for the money) 'badge hi-fi', with a price tag designed to fund Ricardo's early retirement plans ;)
I've never attended an Absolute Sounds demo once and been impressed with the sound - and that includes their shocking demonstrations at Whittlebury Hall earlier this year. I'm afraid that I have to be honest.
Marco.
Doesn't matter what it sounds like Marco, as well you know ;)
I love many of the Sonus Faber concoctions. A bit "contrived" in looks and possibly sound perhaps, but they genuinlely endear themselves to their owners and almost never fail to please. I still think the floor standing Cremona is one of my favourite all time speakers and I'd happily live with a pair. The Concerto models over the years have been huge fun to listen to as well.
Regarding Wilson - their crudest middly model (giant to many of us) Witt mk1 was one of their finest speakers IMO. Balance and low colouration to match a good Spendor, yet a huge hearted ease of reproduction, no doubt thanks to the 12" bass unit and very solid cabinet. The two-box "System" models always sound thick and thuddy in the UK environments I've heard them in and these were usually bought by the Ab-Sounds faithful. The more discerning faithful bought Apogee (20 years ago) and now ML, the bigger new models sounding brilliant in a HiFi etched way last I heard them (although it could be them showing up the blingy system further back perhaps)..
Rega Apheta? I though it was supposed to ONLY be used with the dedicated phono stage with treble eq applied to tame it.......
Doesn't matter what it sounds like Marco, as well you know...
Indeed. Why on earth would a tasteless badge snob concern himself (or herself) with such a trivial matter? ;)
The only reason I'm putting the boot into AS so heavily is because their ethos is so diametrically opposed to what AoS stands for and values!
We believe in people using their ears to makes choices, not their wallets.
Marco.
Ammonite Audio
23-11-2009, 17:26
...........Rega Apheta? I though it was supposed to ONLY be used with the dedicated phono stage with treble eq applied to tame it.......
My thoughts exactly; however I was being charitable in assuming that the organisers had worked around that requirement.
Rare Bird
23-11-2009, 17:30
Did they have any proper hi-fi set up then?
:sofa:
Don't be so unkind Andre ;)
What you must remember is that much of Ab Sounds' fringe stuff will sell in tiny quantities in the UK, only SF and ML speakers probably in any quantity I suspect and the more popular Krell and ARC models.
Remember, ARC launched two FET based preamps twenty years ago - the SP14 and SP16 two box model. Both of these were substantially less coloured in tone to the traditional ARC slush-boxes, some of which still being w@nked over today as "great" products. All the afficianado's hated them, cos they sounded too bright (i.e. neutral). I found my SP14 very good indeed, until HiFi Dave showed my how good the Croft Series 4 PP could be at less than 1/3rd of the price and how the Mega-Micro played the SP16 at its own game for a fraction of the price of the ARC offering, even if the things lacked Wonder-Caps and a shiny front panel...
My thoughts exactly; however I was being charitable in assuming that the organisers had worked around that requirement.
Hi Shuggie,
Did you miss my earlier question?
Was Trevor Martin from Guildford Audio there? I know him quite well; he's one of the good guys :)
Marco.
Tripmaster
23-11-2009, 19:19
Hi Shuggie,
Did you miss my earlier question?
Marco.
I believe he was. What colour hair does he have?
Ammonite Audio
23-11-2009, 19:36
Hi Shuggie,
Did you miss my earlier question?
Marco.
Sorry Marco, I don't know him so I cannot confirm that he was there. I presume that he was, it being his bash!
LOL - sometimes he delegates... He'd have introduced himself if he had been there :)
Marco.
I believe he was. What colour hair does he have?
Brown, if I remember correctly, and he has glasses. He'd be in his early fifties.
Marco.
Tripmaster
23-11-2009, 20:28
Brown, if I remember correctly, and he has glasses. He'd be in his early fifties.
Marco.
There was a guy in his 50/60s, not all that tall...well I'm 6'4, brown cord jacket, a foreign accent and bit arty looking. I sat behind him as he instructed the staff to position the Logans.
Hi Richard,
He's English, not foreign, so that won't be him :)
Marco.
These were the best in my opinion
http://www.wilsonaudio.com/product_html/sasha_intro.html Ugly as sin, but sounded fantastic.
http://i374.photobucket.com/albums/oo189/Tripmaster_photo/Sasha.jpg
http://www.sonusfaber.com/eng/home.html I think it was this model. They had a really delicate sound and incredible bass at low volume
http://i374.photobucket.com/albums/oo189/Tripmaster_photo/MartinLogan.jpg
The Martin Logan/Audio Research rig was apparently over £100000!
Richard, did you get to hear these Martin Logan speakers? They were on static display at the Whittlebury Hall show. Absolute Sounds were using another ML model (The Summit ?) with the same Acoustic Research electronics.
Regards
Tripmaster
24-11-2009, 08:40
Richard, did you get to hear these Martin Logan speakers? They were on static display at the Whittlebury Hall show. Absolute Sounds were using another ML model (The Summit ?) with the same Acoustic Research electronics.
Regards
Hi Barry
Yes I did. Most of the music they played seemed inappropriate for an electrostatic, and the volume was way too high. I asked if they would play some acoustic guitar music and it then sounded much better. Bass was impressive considering it doesn't use a sub.
Don't be so unkind Andre ;)
What you must remember is that much of Ab Sounds' fringe stuff will sell in tiny quantities in the UK, only SF and ML speakers probably in any quantity I suspect and the more popular Krell and ARC models.
Remember, ARC launched two FET based preamps twenty years ago - the SP14 and SP16 two box model. Both of these were substantially less coloured in tone to the traditional ARC slush-boxes, some of which still being w@nked over today as "great" products. All the afficianado's hated them, cos they sounded too bright (i.e. neutral). I found my SP14 very good indeed, until HiFi Dave showed my how good the Croft Series 4 PP could be at less than 1/3rd of the price and how the Mega-Micro played the SP16 at its own game for a fraction of the price of the ARC offering, even if the things lacked Wonder-Caps and a shiny front panel...
Dave, my hugely massively modified* ARC Sp8 and 10 'slush boxes' comprehensively outperform all other preamplification devices including Croft (wot I do luv velly much) :smoking:
*These units have been carefully tweaked using traditional 1980s thinking and components including Frankland Capacitors and MalSteWard pots:ner:
I usually enjoy a good w@nk** but Im no ARC fanBois:eyebrows:
**when her indoors is out jewel shopping
chris@panteg
24-11-2009, 10:46
Jonathan , i think you are quite MAD as mad as mad mcMad, but i like you're post's great stuff keep it up :)
I usually enjoy a good w@nk** but Im no ARC fanBois:eyebrows:
**when her indoors is out jewel shopping
Funny that, when my her indoors goes jewel shopping I usually get shafted!
Snoopdog
24-11-2009, 17:24
There was a guy in his 50/60s, not all that tall...well I'm 6'4, brown cord jacket, a foreign accent and bit arty looking. I sat behind him as he instructed the staff to position the Logans.
The 'Andy Warhol' lookalikie with the brown jacket, man bag and foreign accent was Riccardo, owner of Absolute Sounds.
I spoke to one tall, slim guy who introduced himself as John Plank and there was another guy with white hair who's name I didn't catch.
The show was a worthwhile visit but the Martin Logan's spent too long in silent mode with two guys with a torch and spray can behind them, rather than playing music.
I enjoyed the Wislon Sashas and was mightily impressed by the sounds emanating from a beautifully crafted stand mounted Sonus Faber speaker (don't know the model) with marble/concrete bases.
Steve
Rare Bird
24-11-2009, 17:30
Don't be so unkind Andre ;)
Don't be so unkind!!
I had an ARC 'SP-9' years ago, was nice but nothing a cheaper pre couldnt do.
I knew Ricardo when BigMoog was in short trousers.........
The main man himself is urbane and charming and basically a good guy, if a ruthless businessman with it. His no.2 Pedro is not to be trifled with in any way, shape or form, and I suspect that experiences with time-wasters (being polite about it) have shaped his attitude to the great unwashed out there.......
The circles that the likes of Ab Sounds move in are of a very different breed to the likes of many of us. These people are rather above the recent financial ravages and a £100K stereo is to them like a Denon or Teac or Onkyo micro system with Mission/KEF/B&W/MA Bronze speakers to us. All the dealer needs to do is to re-inforce the status of owning something that exclusive, as with selling a B&O system - it's all about how good the buyer feels.
I like to think that "we" here would get the feel-good factor from something inexpensive that gives huge emotional joy from the music it reproduces and "we" can smile at those who've, in our opinion, wasted tens of thousands of pounds on over-dressed budget gear..........
Below, my SP14 at the time (was it really 1989?) with a much missed Revox A76 tuner...
http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q8/DSJR_photos/SP14withA76Tuner.jpg
I hope this thread dont descend into Absounds/ARC biffing....:gig:
All the dealer needs to do is to re-inforce the status of owning something that exclusive, as with selling a B&O system - it's all about how good the buyer feels.
I'm undecided if that's really sad or really funny... Votes on a postcard, please.
Marco.
Tripmaster
24-11-2009, 20:51
The 'Andy Warhol' lookalikie with the brown jacket, man bag and foreign accent was Riccardo, owner of Absolute Sounds.
I spoke to one tall, slim guy who introduced himself as John Plank and there was another guy with white hair who's name I didn't catch.
The show was a worthwhile visit but the Martin Logan's spent too long in silent mode with two guys with a torch and spray can behind them, rather than playing music.
I enjoyed the Wislon Sashas and was mightily impressed by the sounds emanating from a beautifully crafted stand mounted Sonus Faber speaker (don't know the model) with marble/concrete bases.
Steve
The chap with the white hair can been seen next to the Wilsons. I got the impression he was the owner, or one of the partners. He said his accountant called by on the Saturday and said 'Tell me you don't own all of this stock...!' :scratch:
I have to say I found most of the staff quite helpful, may be they thought I might spending some money ;)
BM, I have no intention of biffing anyone, and Ab Sounds would have failed 30 years ago if Ricardo and team hadn't found products to suit a definite UK market out there, when the best domestic system "we" had to flog was Linn/Naim tri-amped 'Briks - certainly potentially stunning in its pre CB/MDF form, but not enough for well heeled gear freaks, who took to the Oracle turntable, ARC, early Krell and Maggies like ducks to water (who cares if the setup of the early Oracles only lasted a fortnight and mains-spikes caused expensive ARC blowups?)
If people want to buy this stuff, then who are we to stop them? I just feel the way I do because I had an epiphany regarding Croft, NAS, Garrard (they were far cheaper then) and Epos ES14 speakers which can do so much so well if set up correctly regarding positioning and port-control.
The chap with the white hair can been seen next to the Wilsons. I got the impression he was the owner, or one of the partners. He said his accountant called by on the Saturday and said 'Tell me you don't own all of this stock...!' :scratch:
I have to say I found most of the staff quite helpful, may be they thought I might spending some money ;)
Who was the guy pleasuring himself?
http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i239/saxonsex/s.jpg
Ah, you can't beat a rear facing bass port of a Sunday afternoon...
Tripmaster
24-11-2009, 22:04
Ah, you can't beat a rear facing bass port of a Sunday afternoon...
Two rear facing ports? :)
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