Dallas- Lone Star Audio Fest

Hi, I'd like to attend and join up. I am in Mansfield, south of Arlington. Thanks, John Swanson

Thanks for posting - I plan to be there Saturday. Looks like a good time.

Swanny- See you when you get there. You, too, Sebrof. The exhibitors all be located closely together in a wing of the hotel. Just ask the front desk for directions. Or, follow the music! Invite a friend, too.

Looking forward to it. Thanks for letting us know about it.

Heck. Why I didn't add this the first time, I dunno:

www:lonestaraudiofest.com/

More exhibitors than I first reported.

That link . . www.lonestaraudiofest.com/ above, has a colon in it instead of a period. My bad.

Tidbits from my memory. This was the first audio show I've attended and I'll go again. If you heard it is laid back you heard right. I didn't do badly as a vendor, either (Touchstone custom tweeter surrounds). Next year, maybe I'll bring an easel and some drawing paper. Come to think of it, they probably had this at the hotel. Oh, well.

The speaker designer from Jumping Cactus drove in from Tucson. Talk about a self effacing system, he used a Rega table and arm and a Dyna PAS pre, for example. He uses aluminum enclosures ala six figure YG Acoustics speakers. Three of em with an outboard crossover. I couldn't hear any coloration to the sound at all. He gets my sleeper of the show award.

One guy, a former high end store owner in Kansas, simply attended and set up his personal system with some Gallo satelites and a sub. He turned me and us on to a Buddy Holly CD the tapes of which were made in 1955. It was so beautiful I asked if he would let it play in the AudioKinesis room on their new mid price speakers. His wife was a beautiful woman. I'm not talking out of school, I told him I thought he was a lucky man (hell, he looks like me!). He approved.

When I saw the new AudioKinesis speakers I thought they were a big departure from what I've seen of their designs and wondered if I would like them. Well, I did, a lot. They were so good on Simon and Garfunkel Live in Central Park, so sweetly detailed and genteel I thought, man, if this was all you listened to, these are the ones. Then the designer and owner played Hugh Masakela's Stimela. Doggone if I didn't think the same thing! I made it a point to send browsers over to their suite.

I thought the GR Research open baffle V2 speakers were terrific, also. Timztunes from north Houston like me asked why I would set aside my Meridian actives for a pair and I said cause the sound was not limited by the enclosure. That and because they could be so adenelin pumping exciting. They were very quick and dynamic. Very terrific.

A group of three guys were taking pictures. They even took a picture of my wee contribution to the show laying passively on a table. Their photos might appear in a future issue of Enjoy The Music, they said. Another fellow shooting pics said he was there on behalf of Audiogon. I think these guys were free lance and not commissioned by either outfit so we'll just have to see.

Fine speakers that I heard included Wayne Parham's 3 Pi's. Wayne is also the publisher of www.audioroundtable.com. Electrostats from www.crescendo-systems.com. Some handsome and great sounding two way floorstanders from Sonist whose main man would also pour you a glass of what appeared to be a rare Scotch- www.sonist.com.

Scott Clark, a science teacher, was there with his class project winning speakers and I think all comers were mightily impressed. That is a human interest story Texas Monthly magazine should get a hold of.

I didn't get around to a lot of rooms cause I had to man a post, so I can't offer more. Great hotel for these purposes with an open bar at dusk. And a great show.