My local audio dealer told me that neither of the two stereo mags would be reporting from the Costa Mesa audio show, which I attended in June, which is formally called T.H.E. (Total HiFi Experience) Show SoCal, so I thought I would step in and give it a quick-and-dirty review from the perspective of regular Joe Audiophile rather than that of the polished, professional reporters Stereophile usually sends (footnote 1).
I attended T.H.E. Show because my wife asked me to get out of the house for three days. It's not what it sounds like. Her sister wanted to stay at our place so that she—the sister—could get a break from her—the sister's—husband. "The only thing that could get me out of my own house for three days is an audio show," I told her. I guess I have my wife's sister's husband to thank.
So where do I start? How about parking? Show reviewers never seem to cover parking (footnote 2), and I think it's really important. I mean, if you can't find parking, or it costs too much, then it's T.H.E. NO-Show for you!?
The parking at the Hilton Costa Mesa was okay, and I got a discount. Actually, all the attendees got a discount. I managed to find an underground spot way off in a corner, with no visible section markings. So at first I couldn't remember how to get back to my car. It was a bit scary.
I didn't stay at the Hilton, where the show itself took place. I booked a tiny room at the local "Motel X"—you know the one. The batteries were dead in the TV remote, the cold water was hot, the hot water was cold, and the Wi-Fi didn't work. It's not T.H.E. Show's fault. My wife said it was my fault. I blame her brother-in-law.
The layout at T.H.E. Show was confusing. I never really knew which floor I was on, even though I had the official map. So I did a lot of wandering around and, using that method, eventually saw just about everything I wanted to see.
I attended two great seminars. One dealt with misconceptions about adjusting phono cartridges, by a very smart guy who does it for a living—the adjusting, not the lecturing. He was one of those guys who believes all the manufacturers are wrong and that he alone has the knowledge. Maybe it's true. I picked up some good points.
Another seminar was about mixing and mastering recordings, which I am really interested in. This guy had done a lot of "M&M" (not the candy; it's what they call "mixing and mastering" in the biz, I assume) and explained why so many '80s and early '90s CDs sounded bad. It was because everybody was rushing to throw every recording ever made onto CDs. Boy, some of those were really bad. Try Pete Fountain's New Orleans for a good example of a bad CD version of a good LP. I asked the lecturer if he agreed with a stereo writer who wrote that DSD is the best recording medium ever invented. He did. Score one for digital!
I was really looking forward to the big room where they sell LPs, so I was happy when I stumbled into that room while wandering around. I didn't know what I was looking for, but I couldn't leave without one good LP. I must have looked through 500 records, maybe more. I finally found one by Blossom Dearie, a 1981 reissue of the 1956 Verve album. It was great, not a single pop or click, and an excellent recording. Good thing I have a mono cartridge!
I didn't want to forget this one: In one of the rooms (I wonder if it was called the Tiki Room), a guy had amplifiers that looked like wooden, hand-carved tiki heads or something, with vacuum tubes sticking out of them at all angles, from the eyes, ears, and nose. No kidding! I didn't buy one because it would have clashed with my décor.
By the way, the lady running the whole show was very good at getting back to me when I had questions about tickets and seminar schedules and so forth. I thought maybe I was pestering her, but she seemed happy to help. Good job, Emiko Carlin!
There was a big drawing on Sunday, for $5000 that could be spent at the hi-fi shop of your choice. I didn't win. It's just as well because I can't think of anything I need. Right now I'm pretty happy with my sound ... okay let's be real, maybe I would upgrade my turntable. Or try a new phono preamp. Or add a second power amp, or maybe an expensive new cartridge.
I don't have a "Best of Show" or "Most Promising New Product" to recommend—next time, maybe—because all that wandering around precluded me from having time to sit in on many demos. Something I did like, though, was beautiful handmade wooden LP racks sold by a guy in the big record room. They were stained and finished superbly, and if I had the space at my house, I probably would have ordered one.
What will I do differently at the next show that I cover? I will attend more demos and visit more displays to provide even more comprehensive coverage of the events and activities. I will study the map of the hotel beforehand, to minimize aimless wandering. I will avoid Motel X—that's for sure.
I am Joe Audiophile, average attendee, and this is my promise.
See you at T.H.E. next Show! I'll be the guy not wandering aimlessly.
Roy Midyett is a long-time subscriber and retired CLS (Clinical Laboratory Scientist) and alter-ego of Joe Audiophile, AA (Average Attendee).
Footnote 1: In fact, we did send Julie Mullins; see her coverage here. And by the way, as some of you surely know, T.H.E. Show used to stand for The Home Entertainment Show, until they changed that to Total HiFi Experience Show.—Jim Austin Footnote 2: That's because we usually fly in and take a cab or an Uber from the airport. Ubers don't have to park.—Jim Austin
Roy Midyett is a long-time subscriber and retired CLS (Clinical Laboratory Scientist) and alter-ego of Joe Audiophile, AA (Average Attendee).
Footnote 1: In fact, we did send Julie Mullins; see her coverage here. And by the way, as some of you surely know, T.H.E. Show used to stand for The Home Entertainment Show, until they changed that to Total HiFi Experience Show.—Jim Austin Footnote 2: That's because we usually fly in and take a cab or an Uber from the airport. Ubers don't have to park.—Jim Austin
