The Dublin Audio Show - November 16/17 2019

[Rocker]

(2) There was no system priced for first time buyers. Way back when Cloney ran the show, there was always a 'Show Special' system costing around £600 all in. One of the cheapest systems being demoed at the show was the aforementioned Naim/Focal system. In round figures about €5K. I know that a dealer like Cloney will put together a system for whatever price the customer wants to pay but a show is a great place to let people know that good sound can be had for reasonable money.

Just for the record there was a NAD B&W system for about €999 from Cloney.

I stand corrected. Thanks Ivor. I was in the NAD room, at least I think I was, but the sound was pretty unimpressive. Normally the word unimpressive, when used by me to describe audio equipment, is a good thing. Not so in this case though.

[tony]

Got there yesterday for a fairly quick visit. I would concur with a lot of the views expressed on the thread.
But I liked the Linn active speakers. They were using room correction software and the tracks played on the demo especially from the system on the right with the Linn Akubarik speakers I thought sounded good. Problem is the bloody speakers are 15K I think!
Naim/Focal big room was very much material dependent but I just can't see the point of this stuff. How can they work in a sitting room home environment. Of course on price alone they are for most punters a non-runner.

B&W stuff sounded ok but I always find them very bassy. Managed to get him to play a Miles Davis track (Flamenco Sketches) It was too screechy but that could be just due to the room and the source.

The Focal Chlora or something like that I thought sounded half decent. I think they were very reasonably priced. 1.5K? Seemed good value considering the size and number of drivers.

Agree Spendor speakers on display were of a fairly poor finish. The KEF stuff was way ahead of it. Never got to hear the Blades but they look horrible to me. Quad 57's look much nicer! The black tall Kefs sounded good. They would be interesting to hear in a home environment.

Sound levels annoyed me most of the stuff was being played way too loud.

It was nice to catch up with a gaggle of friends and fellow forumers during my visit.

[james]

This is another account of the event on the naim forum (lots of pictures) ...

https://community.naimaudio.com/t/nai ... /4827

[Ken Moreland]

I thought the show was a worthwhile effort and I was pleased to see it back in operation with good support from UK suppliers. Hopefully it will be continued and expanded , and many thanks to the organizers.
My interest were in the Nautilus speakers but that didn't happen and the Melco player, the exhibitor had a Chord Dave on hand and a Chord M-Scaler but they were using some dac contained in the amp, the sound was fine but nothing special and heavily priced at 6000€ for the Melco.
I liked the sound of the Focal Stella Utopias with the Naim Statement amps later in the day , it wasn't great early on but it could just have been the track selection.
Like other forum members I thought the music was played way too loud and had to get it turned down a few times, but I was impressed when they played "Agent of Chaos" from The Dark Knight using Rotel Michi amps and B+W speakers, not so much for the music but the impact of massive bass.
Overall it was a good show and very welcome.

[Kevin1]

My first show impressions:
1. Enjoyed the experience, especially comparing various brands I have heard about but not sampled in the flesh
2. Nice location and good in nearly every way except for the strange resonance from the light fittings or air vents when volume was turned up. On that note, why did the demonstrators want to play so loud so much of the time - did they think it would impress people more? Several items hardened up noticeably as they went loud, and did not flatter the equipment.
3. The real revelation for me was (accepting the limitations of a brief listen in an artificial environment) how un-impressive sonically was much of the uber-priced equipment. I went away very satisfied with what I have at home (all mid priced but carefully chosen equipment). The BW 803D speakers seemed good for thundering base and volume but in many other respects seemed mediocre (was I missing something?). The huge Focals I also thought completely failed to live up to their space-age experience. The lesser Focals seemed quite good though (driven by modest Naim amplifier which I was surprised to quite like).
4. I did rather like the Boressons (?spelling) - really delicate upper mid range and great sense of realism I thought. As I listened I toyed with the idea of a purchase. My guess was 5,000 - 10,000Eeuros - how wrong I was. I though them certainly better (mainly more revealing, detailed and less boxy) than my Harbeths. But >10X the price? Surely not.
5. Spendor A7s seemed to have a slightly flabby base, poorish top range but nice imaging. Really surprised here. Maybe room wasn't great.
6. Bit sorry to see no valves (bar a fine looking Jadis amp sitting on a shelf from Cloney which possibly was demonstrated at another time).
7. The Devialet phantoms were quite impressive (I was expecting to dislike them, being a traditionalist, but now I see the attraction 0 very sparkly sound and good imaging).
7. All in all I didn't walk out desperate to buy some new piece of kit.
8. Having said that, it did revive my curiosity in hifi and might stimulate a Christmas present for myself. Overall a worthwhile trip.

[Rocker]

Just to clarify things, my liking of the Naim/Focal room was for the smaller setup. Not the filing cabinet sized amps. And the large Focal speakers attached to those monster Naim amps simply sounded very bright and unnatural. Brash and 'modern' sounding. Not smooth and comforting [slightly dull!] as I want my system to sound.

[Cyndale]

Loved all the reports and commentary, thanks everybody! First one I have missed in a long time.

[Ivor]

I have to admit I took a very Zen approach to the show in that I wasn't really in the market for any new gear and there was nothing on show I specifically had to hear. Always good to catch up with old friends of course which for me, this time around, was the real reason for going.

First room I went into was the Focal & NAIM room, far too loud to judge and didn't meet my "could I live with that?" criteria. Bye.

I wandered then into the Spendor/Esoteric room where there was a Clearaudio linear tracking turntable. I found the speakers "nice" - a bit boomy but we were in a hotel room. The Esoteric gear was quite impressive, on CD it had detail and and the amp had some punch. I asked the nice man if he could put on some vinyl and he had a live recording of Brubeck's Take Five which sounded lovely is a tad bright (again the room). The turntable was a bit hypnotic and as I watched the needle track across the LP it made perfect sense. At a pinch I could live with it but wouldn't want to.

I walked to the room with B&Ws and some amps... I walked out again.

The NAD and neater B&Ws were altogether more engaging. All driven by a One Box NAD M10 - an amp/streamer box of tricks with a nifty graphic display. In teh room it had just VU meters but they looked great, I understand if streaming or as a DAC it can show CD covers and info. The amp sounded competent and I think as a neat second system it should be considered. It was €2200.

I wandered back to the Focal & NAIM room and they started playing Nils Lofgren - Keith don't go so I left. It's not that I don't like the track but I find it a bit patronising to still hear it after 13 years. Other good music has been released. Possibly even this week.

Next room I went into I noticed the next track being lined up was Nils Lofgren - Keith don't go. Answers to our "What happened next?" competition on a post card please to all HiFi demonstrators.

The room with Rega amps and Rega turntables into KEF speakers was for me the most natural. Nobody trying to blow the room away, just analogue and unforced. I think the guys were from Hi Fi Hut. Again no hard sell - although in fairness nobody was doing a "hard sell" in any room at this show which is a good thing.

I'll be there again next year if it's on... maybe I'll loiter with intent next time. Always good to hear different systems (even if they are compromised) and even better to meet kindred spirits.

[cybot]

I have to admit I took a very Zen approach to the show in that I wasn't really in the market for any new gear and there was nothing on show I specifically had to hear. Always good to catch up with old friends of course which for me, this time around, was the real reason for going.

First room I went into was the Focal & NAIM room, far too loud to judge and didn't meet my "could I live with that?" criteria. Bye.

I wandered then into the Spendor/Esoteric room where there was a Clearaudio linear tracking turntable. I found the speakers "nice" - a bit boomy but we were in a hotel room. The Esoteric gear was quite impressive, on CD it had detail and and the amp had some punch. I asked the nice man if he could put on some vinyl and he had a live recording of Brubeck's Take Five which sounded lovely is a tad bright (again the room). The turntable was a bit hypnotic and as I watched the needle track across the LP it made perfect sense. At a pinch I could live with it but wouldn't want to.

I walked to the room with B&Ws and some amps... I walked out again.

The NAD and neater B&Ws were altogether more engaging. All driven by a One Box NAD M10 - an amp/streamer box of tricks with a nifty graphic display. In teh room it had just VU meters but they looked great, I understand if streaming or as a DAC it can show CD covers and info. The amp sounded competent and I think as a neat second system it should be considered. It was €2200.

I wandered back to the Focal & NAIM room and they started playing Nils Lofgren - Keith don't go so I left. It's not that I don't like the track but I find it a bit patronising to still hear it after 13 years. Other good music has been released. Possibly even this week.

Next room I went into I noticed the next track being lined up was Nils Lofgren - Keith don't go. Answers to our "What happened next?" competition on a post card please to all HiFi demonstrators.

The room with Rega amps and Rega turntables into KEF speakers was for me the most natural. Nobody trying to blow the room away, just analogue and unforced. I think the guys were from Hi Fi Hut. Again no hard sell - although in fairness nobody was doing a "hard sell" in any room at this show which is a good thing.

I'll be there again next year if it's on... maybe I'll loiter with intent next time. Always good to hear different systems (even if they are compromised) and even better to meet kindred spirits.

....and the best report of the show goes to Ivor.

A signed box set of Nils Logfren's outtakes and Hi Fi show hits "Not Going To Go If Keith Can't") is on its way 😱

[Ivor]

....and the best report of the show goes to Ivor.

If you're not one for detail.