News

As with past HI-FI Shows, we asked visitors to HI-FI '98 to vote for the room that offered what they thought to be the best sound. The ballot in the Show Guide asked visitors to list the best, second-best, third-best, and worst sounds, for which I allocated 3 points, 2 points, 1 point, and -1 point, respectively. Any exhibitor that received more than 0.7% of the total votes cast is listed in the Table. I've tried to include both the exhibitors and the brands demonstrated, as listed in the Show Guide and in our report text in the September issue of the paper Stereophile. My apologies if I've left anyone out.

As I tallied the votes, two rooms ran neck-and-neck for Best Sound: the Christopher Hansen 2 room, featuring the latest version of the Martin-Logan Statements driven by several VTL Wotans; and the winner at HI-FI '97 in San Francisco, the Wilson Audio Specialties room, which this year featured the Utah company's new MAXX speaker. The Hansen room eventually nosed aside the Wilson room, but both offered sound to die for---reproduced sound doesn't get any better than either system. And though it didn't figure in the voting, I thought Denon's installation of a high-powered car system in a bright-red '50s "bubblecar" the most optimistic system!

No fewer than 74 of the 124 demonstration rooms receiving votes were rated by at least one visitor as "Best Sound at the Show." This reflects a healthy diversity of taste in sound quality. (As at previous Shows, however, a common factor uniting votes for Worst Sound was the comment "too loud." Some visitors also commented on being treated rudely.)

We'll see you all again in May 1999, at the Palmer House Hilton in Chicago's historic Loop district.

Exhibitor	Brands on Display	Vote%
Christopher Hansen 2, Cardas, Martin-Logan, VTL, Wadia	Martin-Logan, Wadia, VTL, Cardas, Z-Systems, pARTicular	11.5%
Wilson Audio Specialties	Wilson, Krell	10.0%
Ambrosia Audio & Video, Essential Sound Products	EgglestonWorks, ESP, Benz-Micro, Graham, Jeff Rowland Design Group, Theta, Z-Systems, Equi=Tech, Transparent	5.9%
Balanced Audio Technology	Hales, BAT, ASC, pARTicular, RPG, Univocal, Aural Symphonics	4.75%
Joseph Audio	Joseph, Audio Power Industries, VTL, Muse, Cardas	3.6%
MBL of America	mbl	3.4%
GNP A/V	Thiel, Audio Research, Transparent	3.25%
Cary Audio Design	Cary, Alón, Fanfare, Western Electric	3.2%
Optimal Enchantment	Vandersteen, Audio Research, Oracle, Graham, AudioTruth	3.0%
Ambrosia Audio & Video	Dunlavy, Classé, ESP, Theta, Vidikron, REL, Faroudja, Equi=Tech, Transparent	2.7%
Audio Plus Services	JMlab, YBA, Audio Refinement	2.4%
Audio Unlimited	Avalon, Accuphase, Benz-Micro, Basis, Graham, Transfiguration, Acrotec, Ait Tight	2.25%
Pass Labs	Pass Labs, Quintessence, Oracle	2.2%
B&W Loudspeakers	B&W, Rotel, Krell	1.9%
PopeMusic, VAC, Platinum	PopeMusic, VAC, Platinum, Golden Dragon	1.7%
TacT Audio	TacT, Dali	1.6%
Ambrosia Audio & Video, Bow Technologies	BowTech, Townshend, Blue Trumpet Research	1.5%
Legacy Audio	Legacy	1.5%
Legend Audio Design	Legend	1.5%
Anthony Gallo Acoustics	Gallo	1.3%
Manley Labs	Manley, Tannoy	1.25%
Canorus, Nagra	Nagra, dCS, Wilson	1.2%
Sony	Sony	1.2%
Silverline Audio Technology	Silverline	1.1%
Burmester Audio System	Burmester	1.1%
Classic Records	Classic, Chesky, Muse, Ayre, Conrad-Johnson, Resolution, Theta, Thiel, MSB	1.0%
Emi-Phi France	Emi-Phi	1.0%
Ambrosia Audio & Video	Aerial, Sonic Frontiers, Anthem, Kimber, Basis, Graham, Benz-Micro, Equi=Tech	0.9%
Paradigm	Paradigm Reference, Premier, Audiostream	0.9%
Nova	Nova, Conrad-Johnson, ASC, Van Evers, Cardas	0.9%
Revel Loudspeakers	Revel, Mark Levinson, Kimber, ASC	0.9%
Gene Rubin Audio, Meadowlark	Meadowlark, Naim, pARTicular	0.8%
Moth Audio	Moth, Roach Audio, Von Schweikert Research	0.8%
Ambiophonics Institute	Ambiophonics, Sound-Lab, Echo Busters	0.8%
tmh Audio	Köchel, Wavac, Miyabi	0.75%
Sony	Sony, Philips, Super Audio CD, RPG	0.75%
Northstar Leading The Way	Cabasse, Jadis, Siemel	0.7%