I attended the NYC Audio Shows from 1976 through the 80’s. These were held at mid-town hotels. The last one I went to was at the Waldorf in 1996. Compared to today the best gear was fairly affordable. It was a kinder, gentler time!
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@jasonbourne71 most have become very commercialized and not really for enthusiasts
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Munich. Biggest, best and in Europe.
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@laoman I never attended that one I wanna go
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RMAF (starting back up this year after the covid hiatus)...
You could be up in the mountains in no time and can't put a price on the beauty of that place.
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Really liked Summer C.E.S. in Chicago. Saw many Audio Rock Stars there e.g. J. Gordon Holt, Dave Wilson, Julian Hirsch, Mr. Shahinian, Steve McCormack et al.
Also liked T.H.E. shows in Las Vegas when I lived there. Got a textbook lesson in system break in at the Wilson room. Day 1: Sound was thin and stringy. Day 2: Sound improved somewhat but still not there. Day 3: System singing like a bird, excellent sound to beat-the-band. Peter McGrath playing homemade orchestral recordings. Just great!
P.S. Saw HP traversing the exhibits shortly before his passing. RIP
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You are lucky you have a choice in the USA. In Australia now there is only one held in Melbourne every god knows when with nowhere near the range of gear that you have.
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2019 Lone Star Audio Fest. Smaller show with about 28 rooms but small enough to go to every room and spend time in the ones you like.
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*S* This one. that which you are now reading....
No:
Travel, hotel, lousy food, crowds in the spaces I might have interest in, loud rooms playing such if only to distract ( it did....I cruised past), equipment in rooms too small for the displayed, specious claims for that which didn't deserve it....
It always seems to exhibit that which you've no interest, displaced by that which you've none....(Well, mine, anyway....)...
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@dweller
I have always wondered why any vender would bring new equipment to a show. I would think they’d want everything to sound its best on day one.
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Go to any show you can go to--as an audiophile you will not have as much fun doing anything else. I like going to almost every room to get a taste of what is out there and then I go back to rooms that I thought sounded particularly good. One has to keep in mind that something that does not sound good at the show may still be a worthy component; show conditions are rough and not every exhibitor can surmount acoustic problems with the room. If something sounds really good, you know that it is capable of sounding really good. Therefore, judgment that something is bad comes with a caveat, but good is good. If you can, show up first thing in the morning at the rooms you are most interested in; this is when the traffic is light. If you plan to buy stuff like records or used gear in the market area, show up early on the first day of the show to maximize your selection; if you have specific items you are searching for, ask the vendor because it might not be on display because it is being held to stock the display on another day.
These days, I only go to the show in my area--Capital Audiofest. Even though it is not the largest show, there is more than enough of interest to fill three days of show going. In the old days, the best was C.E.S. and T.H.E. Show which were held at the same time in Las Vegas in adjacent hotels.
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I really enjoyed the Stereophile shows in Manhattan. But, nowadays, I go every year to CAF. It's a 3.5 hour drive, but I stay with my brother in Gaithersburg. It's a really fun time.
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I've been to Tampa and to Washington DC twice, because I can drive there from Atlanta. They are both good shows, and different from each other; I recommend both. I'll try to go to Chicago in 2025 (although late winter is a gloomy time of the year there.)
The west coast is too far/too expensive.
I highlight what I want to see/hear in advance, and visit those for a long hard Friday. Then I return on Saturday to compare and focus on what I liked best on Friday. Then I attend an acoustic performance--usually a classical concert on Saturday night, to return to the acoustic real world.
Go alone--or better with a friend--but just go, wherever You'll have some fun and learn things.
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No Axpona? I would love to go to Munich too. Maybe someday.
@deep_333. Is RMAF really coming back ? I thought it was done for good.
happy listening!
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No Axpona? I would love to go to Munich too. Maybe someday.
@deep_333. Is RMAF really coming back ? I thought it was done for good.
happy listening!
@ronboco
Here it is, nov 13 - 15, 2024
https://www.rmaf.net/
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@deep_333
that link is for state fairs and rodeos and such.
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AXPONA - next to Munich, it’s the largest with some of the latest gear.
Munich is on my wish list, hopefully to hear the Living Voice Vox Palladian or Olympian speakers.
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IMO, AXPONA should move to Indianapolis. The show would have the run of the airport (10 minutes to downtown) and the entire downtown is nothing but bars and restaurants. Indy is like a mini Las Vegas (without the gambling). Lots of shiny new hotels, a large convention center, very easy to get around. Think about it AXPONA.
P.S. Close enough for Chicago natives to drive (who doesn’t want to get out of Chicago for a while?).
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