Topic: Rocky Mountain Audio Fest 2010

[Jimna]

These are my photos from the show.  I was only able to attend 1 day so I missed a fair amount of exhibitors, but I managed to prioritize those I really wanted to catch and do so. 

A slideshow: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jimna/sets/72157625186777024/show/

or the show page to pic through: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jimna/sets/72157625186777024/

[OOK]

Awesome pics....great slide show......makes me realize how truely poor I am.....

[Jimna]

Me too!   .....No, its not you,  I think that the highend audio industry is living a lie.   The system in the Odessey room had the pic with the total cost of the system($5500) in the room and it sounded very good.   i found only a small (I'm talking micro) improvement to the Wilson's powered by the Audio Research monos which cost 12-15 times as much as the Odessey room.  I foresee the high end market shrinking even more drastically than it already has in the future, and I felt that vibe through out the fest.

[Jimna]

another downer for me was the fact that so many of the exhibitors used terrible music IMO.  I mean I can see playing classical/chamber music to cover the spectrum, but to make that the main music played was down right stupid.  Big ass fail IMO.   

If you want to display products to the next generation you have to play music they might like or atleast be remotely familiar with, all those old dudes are now clinging to there retirement and not spending money, time to get with the times.   

[Tim]

yeah the music is fucking awful. so much terrible smooth jazz bullshit. I brought my own records last year and that helped a little but I can't believe people really sit around and listen to that bullshit.

and as far as systems go, I had the same impression last year (and actually every time I hear an insanely priced system) - there is a real point of diminishing returns in high-end audio. Not sure where the $$$ line should be drawn but the six figure systems have always let me down. To be fair though if I had a system like that I would also have a room built specifically for music, the hotel rooms can't quite measure up.

thanks for sharing the pictures Jim!

[Jimna]

did you go Tim?

[Tim]

nope, skipped it this year. busy month with Phish and some other stuff going on, only weekend to do nothing for awhile.