"What are your thoughts on this year's CES?": A multi-dimensional question that means many different things to the many different people who share the high-end audio realm. For my first attendance at the annual Consumer Electronics Show, I had a mission: to compile answers to this complex question and fit my findings on a visual medium, a time capsule of sorts. Is this the last year of CES? Was the low attendance in the high-end audio segment at the Venetian just a temporary lull? Or could it be a turning point for the high-end audio industry? Whatever might happen, 2017 struck me as a pivotal year for CES, and a show that begged to be captured.
Naturally, there were limitations to my coverage. I couldn't film everyone I had in mind, each person reacted differently to the time constraint, and no film scenario was ideal.
Here are a couple other interesting quotes I wasn't able to get on video:
"I have been participating in CE shows since the early 1970s and I believe that they have been significant in the launch and growth of all three of my companies. I have heard grumbling from many factions of the specialty high-end audio industry over the years, covering many aspects of the shows. (I remember Bill Johnson of Audio Research complaining that he couldn't get good sound in the prefab sound rooms—not true.) However, what you get from CES is what you make of it. I believe that the Venetian is the best venue that we have ever had, and basically a gift to our industry from CTA. No, not cheap, and no, not perfect, but CES is a key venue that must not be allowed to go away. It needs support and encouragement from every component of our industry, not dissing, or we will lose an important show, and that will be a shame."—Sandy Gross (cofounder Polk Audio, Definitive Technology, GoldenEar Technology)
"When the High-End Audio exhibits were moved from the Alexis Park/Alexis Villas, the Venetian was touted as a venue offering adequate space to facilitate a synergy between high-end, two-channel manufacturers and high-end, home-theater companies and bring them both "together." While the proposed synergy between proper home theater and two-channel audio demos being hosted in the same location was quite debatable in itself, seeing AARP, Intel, and Simmons Bedding as "exhibitors" adjacent to our suite is simply beyond comprehension. Not exactly what we signed up for. . ."—Mike Manousellis (VP Operations, Dynaudio Group)
