2023 Florida Audio Expo Show Report

I didn’t have a room, but I did work at the DH Labs booth for part of the show, have been to a number of these shows, and am in contact with distributors and manufacturers across the country. Show appearance is generally about relevance building, gaining press/share of voice, and brand building. There surely are some sales to be made from a few attendees, but I’ve found most are looking for bargains from sellers at the end of the show as it may be cheaper to sell things off instead of shipping demo equipment back and trying to sell it later. I would say that most people that attend the shows are also not in the demographic to be able to afford much of the show offering, similar to attending an auto show. That said, I would say short term sales are a benefit, and they do happen, but it’s likely not the primary reason for showing.

At most of these shows, you will get a fair share of press - TAS, Stereophile, Enjoy the Music, Audiophiliac (Steve G), John Darko, etc, and getting coverage from them as well as chatter on forum threads like this one are a primary way of audio companies to gain exposure and clout on a broader basis. But it’s also not just for sales to customers, as these shows are ways for manufacturers and distributors yo forge new relationships with dealers, so there’s a huge B2B aspect to this as well

Bliss… thanks. What do you think builds more credibility and positive word of mouth that could eventually lead to sales… super systems that few can afford or moderate systems that more can afford?

@blisshifi Stereophile concurs with your top choices. 

@snapsc I don’t think it has anything to do with price but about distinction and impact. Any brand, in order to be successful, needs to deliver a great experience with distinction and leave a lasting impact in its target audience. Many times brands that are too readily common or accessible just don’t deliver enough distinction to stand out. These shows are not about appealing to what the masses can afford, but to showcase the latest advancements of the industry.

I made the comparison to auto shows earlier in this thread. When one visits those, they typically explore the vehicles that are completely out of their reach and find those experiences to be memorable. People tend to want what they cannot have. For anyone who wants a Honda Civic, they can visit their local dealer. The same principle goes with anything that goes to market through a scarcity model - sometimes brands attain fame by being able to milk demand at a premium. The sneaker industry is a prime example of this. 

But while these shows aim for the exceptional and often unattainable, this is where the value of dealers come in. It is the job of dealers like me to help people find derivative value that is more attainable and also guide brands/manufacturers to better meet people where they are. Unfortunately not enough dealers do their duty in this regard, in my honest opinion  

For what it’s worth, some manufacturers did a great job of this at the show. Margules, while showcasing their separates, also spent a good amount of time demoing their I-240 integrated. Borresen, while receiving a lot of praise for their $100K monitors, also had another room with $11k floorstanders.

@passthedutchie These three systems truly were the standouts, and in different ways. Margules/Raidho was the most soulful, emotional, but colored of the three. High End By Oz (Lansche/Thrax) was right in between with honesty, expansiveness and resolution while keeping body and warmth, and Audio Group Denmark excelled at ultimate transparency and imaging. In my opinion, nothing else came close to these three in terms of distinction. 

I wanted to like the Clarisys speakers, and while the detail and tone was there, I did not find the imaging and separation to be holographic at all. It felt completely flat to me.