Audio Show Rant

Off topic but also from the great white north

Cowboy junkies
Arcade fire
Tragically hip
Bruce cockburn
Rush
Kd lang
Blue rodeo
Alanis morrisette
Serena ryder
Loreena mckennitt
Feist
Metric
Broken social scene
 
See? Much we can thank our Canadian neighbors for!

Many more names I am familiar with and have lots of music from in my library.
Here are more canuck artists we know:
BTO
The Band
Barenaked Ladies
Crash Test Dummies
Delerium
Five Man Electrical Band
The Guess Who
Lighthouse (another of my favs)
Mahogany Rush
Sloan
Steppenwolf
 
My thoughts on these shows (of which I've done many, including RMAF last year).
1) You can please some of the people some of the time, you can't please all the people all the time.
As such, someone will always be happy or unhappy with the music...or something.
2) The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. This is a SHOW. Not a private audition. So forgive the exhibitors if they would rather not accommodate your particular taste for "Songs of the humpback whale, NG mono" during "everybody" hours to "see if it sounds good with what you like".
***However***, there is no reason not to ask for a private audition. Many audiophiles are incredibly timid. Speak up! Most exhibitors are not mind readers, but would most likely be fine giving private seat time to listen to whatever one wishes, prospective buyer or not.
So...for show times 10a-6p...it's "dealers choice", i.e. music they think will best exhibit their products strengths, to as many people as possible, the whole reason for the show.
If one is genuinely interested in the product, ask for a private audition 9a-10a, or >5:30p.
I have never personally turned down such a request....and have almost always allowed folks to play what they request, even during show hours. 98% of attendees do not bring music (and seem to think the sweet spot seats are a trap:)).

cheers,

AJ
 
puroagave said:
at the last Newport show I bumped into an audio salesman i've known for few decades that worked in one of the premier shops. we're sitting together in the EAR/Marten room and Dan Meinwald asks if anyone has any requests, from Rich's bag he pulls out a mono Beatles 45 of love me do. I thought it was a prank but he was dead serious and so was Dan, after the demo Dan thanked him. to me it served no purpose, to Rich it was probably one of his devilish schemes to dress down snobby exhibitors. bottom line, IMO the salesperson/exhibitors job is to accommodate the customer - think about it, you have a captive and prequalified audience waiting to give you their money why the poor treatment?
Click to expand...

So what's wrong with a 45 of Love Me Do?
 
AJ Soundfield said:
2) The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. This is a SHOW. Not a private audition. So forgive the exhibitors if they would rather not accommodate your particular taste for "Songs of the humpback whale, NG mono" during "everybody" hours to "see if it sounds good with what you like".
***However***, there is no reason not to ask for a private audition. Many audiophiles are incredibly timid. Speak up! Most exhibitors are not mind readers, but would most likely be fine giving private seat time to listen to whatever one wishes, prospective buyer or not.
So...for show times 10a-6p...it's "dealers choice", i.e. music they think will best exhibit their products strengths, to as many people as possible, the whole reason for the show.
If one is genuinely interested in the product, ask for a private audition 9a-10a, or >5:30p.
Click to expand...

From my experience, it isn't the show goers that want hump back whale songs, it's the dealers. They pick the most bizarre and obscure recordings on a regular basis, not because it will appeal to many people, but simply because it was pristinely recorded and makes their gear sound great. I've trolled audiophile forums for years and I'm pretty sure that Eric Clapton would have far more mass appeal than Celtic songs from Wolcum Yule. So when I try and get my music played I'm most likely doing a FAVOR for the other attendees, not a disservice. Gives them a break from the riveting Wolcum Yule and a chance to hear something they might actually own.

One would hope that a dealer would be confident enough in the $100,000 stack of equipment to play any mainstream selection. Shouldn't $100,000 buy a system that makes even Lady Gaga sound as good as possible? Why is it necessary to carefully select special music that plays to the products strengths? If a dealer lacks that confidence in his gear, he should really look for different brands to represent rather than attempting to fool a show goer by misrepresenting the typical performance the gear can be expected to provide. No?
 
mep said:
So what's wrong with a 45 of Love Me Do?
Click to expand...

hah! somehow I knew that would smoke you out.:D in hindsight nothing is wrong with it, at the time I thought It ridiculous knowing where Rich used to work and their dim view of that 'kind' of request. He's actually a huge Beatles fan.
 
jaxwired said:
From my experience, it isn't the show goers that want hump back whale songs, it's the dealers. They pick the most bizarre and obscure recordings on a regular basis
Click to expand...
Guess it goes both ways, but yes, I agree with you. I've sneaked out of the room at shows, gone into other rooms with as you say, >$100k of stuff with big bold speakers and said, hey wow me....up cues the tune I heard riding in the elevator. Really?
Wow. Ok thanks, glad to know it does Muzak with aplomb!;)

But as I said, you can't please all the people all the time....

cheers,

AJ
 
puroagave said:
hah! somehow I knew that would smoke you out.:D in hindsight nothing is wrong with it, at the time I thought It ridiculous knowing where Rich used to work and their dim view of that 'kind' of request. He's actually a huge Beatles fan.
Click to expand...

My highlight of RMAF was listening to back to back comparisons of VERY early pressings of the Beatles stereo LPs compared against the new mono box set. I'm stoked about breaking mine out at Christmas. I was hoping this wasn't going to be a bust like the digital remix of the stereo and mono collections as well as the 24/44.1 Flac files on the USB green apple.
 
AJ Soundfield said:
My thoughts on these shows (of which I've done many, including RMAF last year).
1) You can please some of the people some of the time, you can't please all the people all the time.
As such, someone will always be happy or unhappy with the music...or something.
2) The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. This is a SHOW. Not a private audition. So forgive the exhibitors if they would rather not accommodate your particular taste for "Songs of the humpback whale, NG mono" during "everybody" hours to "see if it sounds good with what you like".
***However***, there is no reason not to ask for a private audition. Many audiophiles are incredibly timid. Speak up! Most exhibitors are not mind readers, but would most likely be fine giving private seat time to listen to whatever one wishes, prospective buyer or not.
So...for show times 10a-6p...it's "dealers choice", i.e. music they think will best exhibit their products strengths, to as many people as possible, the whole reason for the show.
If one is genuinely interested in the product, ask for a private audition 9a-10a, or >5:30p.
I have never personally turned down such a request....and have almost always allowed folks to play what they request, even during show hours. 98% of attendees do not bring music (and seem to think the sweet spot seats are a trap:)).

cheers,

AJ
Click to expand...

I agree, expecially with #2.
 
Well, I go to a show like this to see if anything should be on my radar for future purchase. Without listening to my music it is impossible to determine that IMO. So just listening to whatever the dealer or rep wants to play while mildly entertaining is ultimately not useful.

I also would argue that the "needs of the many" are better served by playing my variety of real world music rather than the obscure audiophile cuts favored by most dealers and reps.
 
Myles B. Astor said:
Good points. I have three of my own.


1) RMAF is about the consumer meeting his/her favorite manufacturer and having a glorious experience. So when someone enters the room, get off your a** or stop talking to your buddy and greet the attendee.

2) If the music sounds bad at low levels, turning it up to ear splitting levels won't make it sound one iota better.

3) Screw the music and turn the AC on. If my eardrums are filled with sweat, I'm not going to appreciate the music.
Click to expand...

Well said!
 
AJ Soundfield said:
My thoughts on these shows (of which I've done many, including RMAF last year).
1) You can please some of the people some of the time, you can't please all the people all the time.
As such, someone will always be happy or unhappy with the music...or something.
2) The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. This is a SHOW. Not a private audition. So forgive the exhibitors if they would rather not accommodate your particular taste for "Songs of the humpback whale, NG mono" during "everybody" hours to "see if it sounds good with what you like".
***However***, there is no reason not to ask for a private audition. Many audiophiles are incredibly timid. Speak up! Most exhibitors are not mind readers, but would most likely be fine giving private seat time to listen to whatever one wishes, prospective buyer or not.
So...for show times 10a-6p...it's "dealers choice", i.e. music they think will best exhibit their products strengths, to as many people as possible, the whole reason for the show.
If one is genuinely interested in the product, ask for a private audition 9a-10a, or >5:30p.
I have never personally turned down such a request....and have almost always allowed folks to play what they request, even during show hours. 98% of attendees do not bring music (and seem to think the sweet spot seats are a trap:)).

cheers,

AJ
Click to expand...

Excellent reply. I've been to over 24 years of shows, and helped/exhibited at some. I've never turned down any requests, but I've cringed at a few when the recordings were so bad that the sound of the system was blamed. One memory in particular stands out...the visitor wanted me to turn it up...LOUD! So, according to some posters, I should have accommodated, but the same posters might have been offended that the volume was too loud.

I've NEVER heard a system that made every recording sound good. Impossible. And the better the system, the more it reveals. "Musical" systems that reveal little or no detail might offend less, but then I don't define these systems as "high end" (whatever that term means to you)

If you have a recording you'd like to listen to, ask. IF the exhibitor refuses to play it, move on. You don't have to listen to his selection, but he also has the right to play music he feels best demonstrates his system (rightly or wrongly).

ok, flame suit is on...:D
 
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