Whittlebury Show Report

[RobHolt]

More a thread full of pictures than a report really but I've added some comments of stand-out items.

I'll start with us. We tried to create a living room feel and acoustic, and our equipment rack usefully doubled as a bar

Ikon had some beautiful electronics on show and these AudioPlan loudspeakers which for me were making one of the best sounds. Clean and controlled combined with great looks.
The electronics had shades of 47 Labs and at around £1500 a box won't be too hard on the pocket:

Cymbiosis and Kudos were making good sounds, and showing some simply stunning Linn LP12 plinths. Linn and Naim electronics were used:

DPA are well and truly back with us and showing some new electronics including amplifiers and dac. Very neat construction (as usual) and the Deltran link is back, demonstrated at the show fitted to a Cambridge 650 CD player used as transport:

Simaudio had some 30th anniversary Moon electronics specially pimped in Ferrari red - absolutely gorgeous:

These were interesting. The name escapes me but they used a heavily modified Tannoy DC on the front and an array of 18 small full range drivers on the rear. I thought they looked great but sounded very ordinary:

Talk of he show for many, the Acapella Horns and Einstein amplifiers.
Mixed bag sonically - great on transients and superb tweeter but a bit coloured through the mid IMO:

 

[RobHolt]

Part 2

Leema had the full range on show including some mini sized electronics. Nicely made kit:

We tend not to recommend fancy supports at Audiosmile but I was taken by the quality of these devices from Track Audio. Produced by a company with a background in fine quality, precision engineering, these isolators and stands are well worth a look. I really do hope that the isolators live up to the claims because it would be great to recommend something looking this good:

Origin Live had the usual arms and TTs on display but also some very funky looking speakers using a dual concentric driver in a black acrylic tubular cabinet. Looked great on the matching stand. Also nice chatting with the main man since I still have an old OL Linn TT support in my shed form the 1980s

Hi-Fi Racks were showing their modular support systems. I really like this stuff, nicely finished solid wood that exudes quality and isn't too expensive:

Advanced Acoustics really made a plash this year with a demonstration of standard v acoustically treated rooms, and they were promoting the XTZ room analysis and correction kits. Great to see this at a main audio show and we would thoroughly recommend that audio enthusiasts check them out:

Lots of lovely Garrard kit on the Loricraft stand. I'm no Garrard expect by any means so lets just admire the work in pictures:

 

[RobHolt]

Part 3

This budget IsoKinetik TT was also being shown and looks really good value at £525 including a base model Rega arm (not shown):

Audio Italia aim to bring some style to what are often ordinary boxes. The little spherical speakers with Jordon driver were popular and high up the 'must stroke' chart:

Project had a sweet little streamer on show with front colour display:

The Proscenium from Ktema was certainly one of the most impressive looking speakers at the show. Stunning build and on a brief listen very good sound driven by some seriously high end Audio Research and Krell electronics:

Lastly, we have Nordost, one of the show sponsors.
They were demonstrating Quantum Resonance Technology cables (QRT)
I'm saying nothing:

 

[YNMOAN]

I didn't even see about half of that!

 

[RobHolt]

I cheated and ran around the show on the Monday afternoon just before everyone packed up

 

[felix]

Looks like a good one - sorry to miss it & the Audiosmile dem

 

[RobHolt]

Hi Martin,

We're probably doing Bristol in Feb

 

[YNMOAN]

I doubt I will go to the Bristol show, I've been before and do think it is a good show, but it's just too far for me (costs a bloody fortune in petrol and parking isn't free) - the whole experience just becomes a very long and very expensive day, which rather takes the edge off the fun aspect.

I'll be going to the Manchester show though (end of October) - as it is considerably nearer for me.

I've written up my experience of the Whittlebury show here Click

I think it's pretty much finished, though there are a couple more rooms I could write up.