Audio shows — big room or a little room?

[Bobvin]

I just completed my first exhibition at an audio show. The only rooms that were available were “standard“ rooms, in this case, at Pacific Audio Fest, The standard rooms were decently sized at 15 wide by 20 long, a very “believable“ sized room. My understanding is that these are the largest “standard“ rooms of any of the recent audio shows. But some exhibitors chose much larger rooms, way outside the size I think most Audiophiles could imagine for their own room or house.

So if you were visiting a show, what do you think is a more attractive exhibit room? A believably sized room, or are you more dazzled and impressed by a system playing in a very large room, even if that room is of a size you could never imagine for your own rig?

A large room frees the exhibitor from some of the challenges we normally equate with our rooms — base humps, nodes, suck outs, etc. Does this create a more compelling story for the quality of a speaker’s sound, or is it less convincing to you?

 

[Dizzie]

I left the last show I attended a day early because I was disgusted with the number of unrealistic setups. Rooms with what I describe as a "quarter acre of equipment on the floor". I had been there and done too many shows so I was no longer impressed with statement systems. I had also seen too many rooms that had not changed from previous shows. There was not much to keep my attention. A lot of that was just too many shows in my rear view mirror.

I wanted something I could relate to. Something I could extrapolate into my budget and listening space. So massive rooms with speakers pulled many feet from the walls might have sounded good but I dismissed them categorically.

 

[Mr Peabody]

Some of the large speakers wouldn't sound good unless in a large room. It seems to make sense to rent a room to fit the system you are showing.

The only time I remember the room size mattering to me I was amazed the little Thrax speakers were actually filling the large room with a full sound and especially bass. I think they were Lyra.

I doubt most of us with modest 15x20 rooms are shopping in the 6 figure range.

 

[Shadowfax]

I have never been to a full blown audio show but feel it is not much different than going to a Dealer who does your Demo in an unrealistic room. The majority of homes barely have a 15x20 foot room. My room is about that size but due to layout, I really cannot set things up optimally.

The last Showroom I visited was actually a pretty new large Home so gear was setup in Living Room, Dining Room and Bedrooms. Always too much gear in each room but a more realistic venue.

Maybe this is why everyone likes to use Dianna Krall or similar because any real music would overload the room and make the gear sound bad unless the room is way bigger than most people's listening rooms.