What’s your favorite audio show to attend and why?

@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.

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.

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.

Tampa. I live there.

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.