Things were all a bustle as the California Audio Show got underway at the Hilton in Emeryville, right below Berkeley and Oakland, and across the bay from San Francisco. Happily surprised by a number of last-minute exhibitors, promoters Ann and Constantine Soo had lost count at "something over 100 exhibitors/brands" and 34 exhibit rooms.

Equally last-minute were the online registrants who, at midnight on the 29th, had decided to save $5 in registration fees by taking advantage of the last-minute pre-show registration discount. With pre-registrants numbering at least 510, and augmented by all the members of the Bay Area Audiophile Society (BAAS) who were granted gratis admission, the show was jumping at 9:30am Friday morning.

In the true spirit of camaraderie that makes the high-end community so special, Marjorie Baumert from the Rocky Mountain Audio Fest (second from right) had flown in to help the Soos and staff keep everything under control. The California economy may be teetering, but the first California Audio Show seems to be on a steady course.