KEF is one of the show's sponsors, and had several systems on demo, including a particularly impressive-sounding one featuring the $11k (unless otherwise specified, prices are US$, speaker prices are per pair) 205 Reference, with Chord Electronics digital source (Blu/Dac, $21k) and electronics (CPA 5000 preamp, $24k; SPM 6000 monoblock amps, $53k/pair).
If attendees were asked to rank order their interests in "electronics, music, home theater, and gaming," I have a feeling that music would be ranked first. (And gaming almost certainly last.) Although, unlike the Primedia Home Entertainment shows, FSI does not have daily live music as one of the attractions, it had an exhibit by a store selling musical instruments, the well-established Archambault. (They also had, in addition to instruments and sheet music, CDs and DVD, including a good selection of HD-DVDs at very attractive prices.)
What would FSI be without snow? The organizers probably thought that scheduling the show for the middle of April would be pretty safe, but Mother Nature had other ideas, and on the first day, open to the trade and press only, there was enough snow falling to make you think that this was the middle of February. Never mind. The temperature is supposed to rise tomorrow, but, in any case, those who have the "passion" are not about to be deterred by a bit of inclement weather.
It's not what you might think. The Montreal Sheraton Center is not that type of hotel. And just so you don't get the wrong idea about "Ten Stories of Pure Passion," the program for the 2007 Festival Son & Image (FSI) makes it clear that it's the "ultimate experience for those who have the passion for electronics, music, home theater and gaming.
I can do this. It'll be alright. I can use these same words all over again and still love myself. I can use <a href="http://forum.stereophile.com/forum/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=20246&page… forum post</a> as today's blog entry, and people won't hate me. By doing this, by re-posting, I may even reach a few readers who haven't already seen it in the forum. And, hey, I'll even edit it a little bit, so that it's not <i>exactly</i> the same. Here it is:
Alicia Zuckerman has a nice coda on Kurt Vonnegut over at the <I>HufPo</I>. She gets the final word on Vonnegut's epitaph because she actually asked him what he wanted it to be.
On my morning stroll through the intertubes, I hit <A HREF="http://www.freakonomics.com/blog/">Freakonomics</A>, as is my wont. Today, Stephen J. Dubner is raving about Jeff Henderson's <I>Cooked</I>. Henderson, the new executive chef at Cafe Bellagio, leaned to cook in prison, where he was incarcerated for dealing crack.
Yeah, it looks cute, but Huckleberry is making his move to take over the whole thing. When he has annoyed Bagheera enough, she'll leave in a huff—or else haul off and smack him. Since he's always up for a ruckus, there's no downside.
Mutually agreed cooperation on the disputed NAS drive chassis (it's warm, it vibrates, and it's next to the monitor).
A cardboard listening "room." I'd call it a pod, myself, but in a small space like that surround sound probably is essential. I do dig the look of laminated construction, though.