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Audio Video Show 2018: Equinoxe to Infinity -- 40 Years Later

I’m not a pushy guy, so sliding past a bunch of angry Poles to get to my reserved seat to listen to the premiere of Jean-Michel Jarre’s new album, Equinoxe Infinity -- actually introduced and presented by JMJ himself bang-on 40 years after the original Equinoxe album (it was originally released on November 16, 1978) -- made me slightly uncomfortable. Doug Schneider was also somewhat apprehensive, but for another reason. “John Michael who?” he asked me. We persevered regardless.

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Hi-Fi Show Live 2018

On a beautiful, blue-sky November morning, SoundStage! Global descended on Windsor, England, for the Hi-Fi Show Live 2018, held November 10 to 11. As is often the case in England, the weather turned into a wet weekend within minutes of taking the photo of the grand De Vere Beaumont Estate. The venue sits in the shadows of a large castle just up the road. That being, of course, the residence of the Queen, built in the 11th century after the invasion of William the Conqueror.

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VPI House Grand Opening and Launch of the 40th-Anniversary HW-40 Turntable

On October 21, 2018, I travelled to Matawan, New Jersey, to attend the grand opening of VPI House, a showroom built by VPI Industries, which manufactures turntables and related analog products. According to Mat Weisfeld, VPI’s president and the son of its founder and owner, Harry Weisfeld, the showroom was built for customers, dealers, and (luckily) reviewers to listen to music in a comfortable, home-like setting. The event also marked the introduction of VPI’s HW-40 direct-drive turntable ($15,000 USD), the “HW” and “40” portions of which celebrate Harry Weisfeld and his 40 years in the audio business.

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RMAF 2018: Turntables and Related

Not that many years ago, it was fairly easy to overlook turntables at any given audio show, since digital was where it was at. And although most audiophiles still play back their music digitally, whether through streaming or on disc, vinyl has gotten so big and relevant again you’d be a fool not to see what’s new. Below are some of the turntables and related products I saw at RMAF 2018 that I thought worth highlighting. All prices in USD.

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RMAF 2018: Headphone Amps

I’ll wrap up my coverage of the 2018 CanJam RMAF headphone show, which took place over the weekend at the Denver Marriott Tech Center, with a discussion of a few of the new headphone amps I saw at the show. Amps aren’t my focus, so this will be a rather limited selection; if you’re a headphone amp manufacturer and I didn’t cover you, let me know and I’ll catch you next time.

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RMAF 2018: Speakers, Part 2

For the 2018 Rocky Mountain Audio Fest, SoundStage! founder Doug Schneider and I decided to split up the speaker coverage -- because there were a lot of new speakers at the show. You may have already read Doug’s coverage. Here’s mine, with all prices in USD.

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RMAF 2018: Headphones, Part 2

Here’s more of my coverage of new headphones from CanJam RMAF 2018, part of the Rocky Mountain Audio Fest taking place this weekend at the Denver Marriott Tech Center hotel. You can read my first round of coverage here. All prices in USD.

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RMAF 2018: Speakers, Part 1

I think it’s safe to say that speakers make the biggest difference in sound in any system. I think it’s also safe to say that you’ll never find two sets of speakers that sound exactly alike, even if they look almost the same. As a result, speakers are oftentimes the easiest to cover -- with so many shapes and sizes and differences in technologies and sound, it’s always really easy to find something interesting.

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RMAF 2018: Earphones

CanJam RMAF, part of the Rocky Mountain Audio Fest (RMAF) taking place this weekend at the Denver Marriott Tech Center hotel, is probably the number-one consumer audio show in the US when it comes to introductions of new headphones, earphones, and headphone amps. Here are some of the coolest earphones I found at the show, with all prices in USD.

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RMAF 2018: Electronics, Part 2

Unlike the last time I was at the Rocky Mountain Audio Fest (RMAF), in 2013, hi-fi electronics were plentiful at this year’s show. I easily found more than enough to cover, spanning all price ranges, which are quoted below in USD.

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RMAF 2018: Electronics, Part 1

I haven’t been to Rocky Mountain Audio Fest (RMAF) since 2013. That year, RMAF was so lacking in new products -- or any really interesting products, actually -- that we left halfway through the second day to go see Captain Phillips at a nearby movie theater. After our stint at RMAF 2013 completed, I vowed not to go back and instead spend our time covering shows elsewhere.

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RMAF 2018: Headphones, Part 1

The Rocky Mountain Audio Fest (RMAF), one of the biggest consumer audio shows in North America, kicked off Friday, October 5, at noon in Denver, Colorado. Part of the Audio Fest is the CanJam RMAF headphone show, which packs (by my rough estimate) about 70 headphone, headphone amp, and headphone accessory companies into a single large ballroom at the Denver Marriott Tech Center. I spent most of the afternoon there, listening to as many new headphones and earphones as I could. Here’s the first batch of interesting headphones I found. All prices in USD.

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The Best of Both Worlds? Holter's Clear and Compelling Case for Hegel's SoundEngine Technology

Hegel Music Systems’ founder, Bent Holter, has such a deep knowledge of electronics that when he speaks on the topic, it’s easy for him to get so in-depth so quickly that what he says flies right over most people’s heads. I’ve seen it happen to others, and I’ve experienced it myself -- eyes glaze over.

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CEDIA Expo 2018: Grab Bag

Because the CEDIA Expo spans so many fields -- including custom installation, home theater, two-channel audio, outdoor sound, and home automation -- I always find interesting items that don’t quite fit into the coverage we typically do here at SoundStage! Global. So here’s a roundup of all the stuff from the 2018 CEDIA Expo that didn’t fit into any of my other articles about the show. All prices in USD.

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CEDIA Expo 2018: Speakers, Part 2

Here’s the second part of my coverage of new speakers from the 2018 CEDIA Expo, which took place in San Diego, CA, USA. All prices in USD. You can read Part 1 here.

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CEDIA Expo 2018: In-Wall, In-Ceiling, and Outdoor Speakers

I’m pretty sure the CEDIA Expo is the number-one venue for the launch of new architectural speakers -- the in-wall, in-ceiling, and outdoor models used by custom installers and DIYers seeking a stealthy way to spread sound all around a home. Admittedly, the competition for “best in show for in-wall speakers” isn’t particularly intense, but still . . .

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CEDIA Expo 2018: Subwoofers

Why is the CEDIA Expo one of the most important venues for launching new subwoofers? Because most of the audiophiles who attend consumer hi-fi shows aren’t all that interested in subs, and because specialty audio products have all but disappeared from the January CES show in Las Vegas.

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CEDIA Expo 2018: Amplifiers

When it comes to audio electronics, the 2018 CEDIA Expo was much bigger on distributed, multiroom audio than it was on the traditional two-channel gear familiar to audiophiles. Still, I found several new power amplifiers at the CEDIA Expo. Here are the most interesting ones I saw, with all prices in USD.

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CEDIA Expo 2018: Speakers, Part 1

The annual CEDIA (Custom Electronic Design and Installation Association) Expo focuses on home automation and custom-installed audio/video systems. It’s a hot spot for the introduction of new speakers in the North American market. The focus is on speakers designed for custom installation, but every year the Expo also hosts the launch of several conventional speakers. I’m currently in San Diego attending the 2018 CEDIA Expo, and just in the first day, I’ve seen many new models, including a surprising number of affordably priced mainstream products.

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Bowers & Wilkins 600 Series Loudspeakers: The Sixth Generation

Past

Bowers & Wilkins and I have some history. Theirs weren’t the first speakers I bought -- those were PSBs, when I was 17, in 1981-- but a year later, the very first hi-fi seminar I attended was one held by B&W. It took place not in a hi-fi shop but in a hotel, during a large conference packed with audiophiles. Back then, the British company, founded by John Bowers in 1966, was called B&W (or the more conversational “B’n’Dub”), and was already a big and influential player in hi-fi worldwide. Now formally renamed Bowers & Wilkins, they still are.

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