The Bristol Hi-fi Show

Colin

We visited the Bristol Hif-fi Show on Sunday 23rd Feb 2014.

Pro-AC produce for a limit poor sounding room a nice easy to enjoyable sound.

Lumin had a very nice sound for digital with Albary using Amphion speakers also produce a very pleasant sound.

Decent Audio room with Usher was OK for small speaker.

But for me the best room sound was Cabase, there football sized speaker with a sub woofer was sublime. And in a dreadful room, well done.

It a shame the French/Cannon have to show the Brits how to produce sound.

PMC and a few other went for the in vogue AV systems which to be honest had no music appeal at all, just thud, bang squeak. Horrid noise.

quickie

I've not been to a show for years, and was planning to go today,but had to work.

Bristol seems to be more geared towards AV I think, and rarely have i heard anything there that would make me part with my hard earned Always thought Heathrow/Penta was better.

Saying that many moons ago, one of the most realistic systems i've ever heard was a Linn dem, with active Isobariks playing at silly levels.

PAC

We visited the Bristol Hif-fi Show on Sunday 23rd Feb 2014.

Pro-AC produce for a limit poor sounding room a nice easy to enjoyable sound.

Lumin had a very nice sound for digital with Albary using Amphion speakers also produce a very pleasant sound.

Decent Audio room with Usher was OK for small speaker.

But for me the best room sound was Cabase, there football sized speaker with a sub woofer was sublime. And in a dreadful room, well done.

It a shame the French/Cannon have to show the Brits how to produce sound.

PMC and a few other went for the in vogue AV systems which to be honest had no music appeal at all, just thud, bang squeak. Horrid noise.

I agree Col.  Cabasse was the best sound of the show for me too.  The Albarry/Amphion set up was very good too.

The surprise was the sublime Lithuanian Sound of Eden speaker range.  Stunning build quality and a hell of a lot of thought and care went into the speaker design.  The one's I heard performing were very good.

Magnepans also very good and great VFM too.

Those attending Bristol criticising the sound quality really need to think about the near impossibility of getting a hotel room with its large stud-partition walls to sound decent with anything bar headphones!  It's more about supporting the hifi industry, meeting and greeting and seeing what's new.  I think you get enough of an impression of the kit but shouldn't expect it to sound anywhere near its best in those rooms. The walls act like passive radiators and controlling bass is nigh on impossible. A little acoustic treatment would have helped some rooms though. 

Thought it was a great success with very high footfall this year, and lots of younger people which was good to see.  Plenty of 2-ch stuff this year too.

Stupinder

I visited Cabasse recently for a factory visit and was utterly amazed with their active Sphere speakers. Yes they are VERY expensive (135k) but the point source 3 way coaxial drivers are very special indeed - and directly behind that you have a 55cm bass woofer. You do get 8 amps (marked Cabasse but Bel canto I believe) to drive them with in the price and Christophe Cabasse pops pout and sets them up for you :-) The sound is uncanny and unnerving - you find yourself moving around the room and still "seeing" that stage in the same place.
We did a write up in the pdf magazine in January.