Vienna Hi-End 2026

[Macca]

What did you reckon to the venue?

Article here by Roy Gregory effectively saying it's an acoustic disaster

https://gy8.eu/blog/high-end-2026/

[Barry]

Although the only audio shows I have attended have been in London, I have never come back to my own system with a feeling of disappointment. I may have listened to vastly more expensive, and possibly superior gear, the size of the demonstration rooms are often acoustically quite different to my listening room.

Because of that I no longer attend audio shows - I am happy with what I have and am unlikely now to upgrade.

BTW I'm still using my 50 year old original and unmolested Quad 57 ESLs.

[Macca]

Although the only audio shows I have attended have been in London, I have never come back to my own system with a feeling of disappointment. I may have listened to vastly more expensive, and possibly superior gear, the size of the demonstration rooms are often acoustically quite different to my listening room.

Because of that I no longer attend audio shows - I am happy with what I have and am unlikely now to upgrade.

BTW I'm still using my 50 year old original and unmolested Quad 57 ESLs.

If ever there was a speaker that's truly stood the test of time it's the ESL.

Only time I have been at a show and thought 'I really need this in my life' was the year they had the Mark Levinson/JBL 4365 system.

For a couple of years I went with money in my pocket thinking that if anything really grabbed me then I'd buy. But that didn't happen, at least not with anything I could actually afford.

Really it's more of a calibration exercise. You hear systems costing well into six figures which are mostly nothing like as good as they should be for the money and think 'I've actually done pretty well for what I spent!'

[Pigmy Pony]

I only bother with the NW Audio Show - it's not too far away, and it's free, both important considerations. I would normally only hear perhaps half a dozen systems that really do it for me, but it doesn't matter. For me it's a day out, a beer and a bite to eat, and seeing the odd familiar face.

Next one only two weeks away

[Macca]

Yes it's something to do instead of sitting in the house, that's the main attraction for me.

[Macca]

I do get fed up of the crap 'music' a lot of them play.

What gets me is people complain that it's all Pink Floyd or Dire Straits and I wonder if those people ever actually go to shows.

Reality is when you do very, very occasionally go into a room where they are playing something like that it's like 'Thank god, some proper music!'

[Tim]

That's just music taste though isn't it? Certain records do make a system sound good and it's clear a lot of the demonstrators music knowledge isn't that broad.

There's an American guy who goes to Bristol, can't remember his name now but he's clearly really passionate about music and plays different stuff. But his knowledge is extremely broad.

Personally if I hear Dire Straits or Diana Krall I'm outta there pronto. I love it when I hear something I don't know - Alex Brady from Nordost Cables plays great music at shows, he's clearly a muso.

[Pigmy Pony]

I do get fed up of the crap 'music' a lot of them play.

What gets me is people complain that it's all Pink Floyd or Dire Straits and I wonder if those people ever actually go to shows.

Reality is when you do very, very occasionally go into a room where they are playing something like that it's like 'Thank god, some proper music!'

We have occasionally asked the bloke doing the demo for something we're familiar with. That way we can better evaluate the set up's talent. But by and large they will default to whatever cack plays to their products' strengths. That's never going to change.

[Macca]

That's just music taste though isn't it? Certain records do make a system sound good and it's clear a lot of the demonstrators music knowledge isn't that broad.

There's an American guy who goes to Bristol, can't remember his name now but he's clearly really passionate about music and plays different stuff. But his knowledge is extremely broad.

Personally if I hear Dire Straits or Diana Krall I'm outta there pronto. I love it when I hear something I don't know - Alex Brady from Nordost Cables plays great music at shows, he's clearly a muso.

Wouldn't really put them in the same bag but it isn't about musical taste it's about music vs 'not music'.

I don't mind hearing something new as long as it isn't audiophile crap.

Here's an example of what I mean at 44.06. Happily the swimming baths acoustics and all the talking drown it out a bit

[Barry]

I thought all the systems demonstrated in the video sounded crap, but I put that down to the itsy bitsy teeny weeny speaker in my smartphone.

No doubt if I had been there I would have thought differently, but not by much. I would have loathed those large horn speakers that look as if they had come from a decommissioned cinema.

(When I have time, I might see if I can connect my laptop to my DAC using a USB cable, and give the video another go.)