Rocky Mountain Audio Fest 2010

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/

not one person cares to comment? yall are boring!

Pretty cool looking tape deck. How many tracks? Used to have all my vinyl on tape. What a PITA!! I was so glad when CDs and MP3s came out.

2 track. It was a cool room, but the omni directional speakers arent my cup of tea so the room was just ok sounding IMO.

The YG's I think were my favorite over all sound, but the Sanders room was very nice and the Odessey room was outstanding as well. I also dug the Wilsons, but considering the expense vs the Odessey and Sanders systems it just wasnt that great....not 15-20x better for sure!

Jimna, I wish the price tags were visible in the pictures for each speaker and piece of gear. Since you heard them, do these rigs REALLY sound THAT much better to justify what most of them must cost and given the size? Admittedly, I am assuming that these products most likely cost an arm and a leg. If my assumtion is correct, I would not likely ever buy most of this gear because of the law of diminishig returns and because (to me) most of the speakers are much too obnoxiously intrusive for any normal room. In fact, I can't imagine any woman that I know (especially my wife) putting up with (let alone agreeing to) purchasing such gear given the cost and size (especially the speakers) of the equipment. Therefore, I use pictures like this to recalibrate the WAF variable (i.e. to show my wife that my system is extremely tame compared to what some other people do)!

With that said, I really would like to go to a show like that where every company has their own room just so I can oogle the gear for comedic, entertainment, and/or design appreciation value (in that order), if nothing else. Are there any in the New York area where hobbiest/lookiloos like me are welcome?

Does anyone have a guess as to what the average income is of people that buy this type of gear? My guess is that passion, rather than wealth, plays the largest role in the decision making process; and thus I assume that a sizeable number of the people that own this type of gear have more money in such gear than their house. Additionally, given my view that most women would not tollerate this type of gear, I also assume that most of the purchasers of this type of gear are bachelors when they make the purchases which are then "grandfathered" in or sold (depending on the fiance acceptance factor) when they get married.

I am curious as to the Outlaws' thoughts on these views--and I fully admit that my views are based on broad generalizations and stereotypes with absolutely no first hand knowledge to back any of it up (other than having married a woman that I know would never agree to buy or keep such gear).

Ed.

Ed, all I can say is you must live inside a strict parameter of life. Some folks have spouses who live and let live as long as it doesnt jeopardize the family's well-being, like myself. I cant afford a Ferrari or a Porsche but I still like to go to the occasional car show all the same. Your views are rather focused on the fact you cant have it, so its give a negative light. I also like large homes, big boats, airplanes, remote control things, guns, and as I said fast cars, none of which I can really afford but are still cool to learn about and admire for their beauty/design/craftsmanship.

Life is about the possibility (or dream) of things bigger than your current reality. Existence otherwise is a total bummer.

To my mom, every single item Outlaw sells isnt worth it because its a total waist of money to her, like any audio item we all buy.

For me....I listened to the very expensive (+100k) YG Acoustics flagship Anats Reference II's and was in full on audio heaven. The sound was so enveloping that I lost myself in a song I had never heard before. Was it worth it, when you dont have it anyway? I dont know, but I do know personally that song was worth a million dollars for those few minuets. Times in life like that you dont forget.

Jimna, I didn't mean to sound too negative. Although, admittedly my wife would not let me buy most of this stuff (or rather it is more correct to say that I shouldn't go out and buy it if I want to have a happy wife) which is indeed limiting to some degree (you are a lucky man), I too am not really interested in most of the products because they are just too big, ostentatious, or because I just can't appreciate the better performance enough to be willing to pay for it. For example, I have owned a Porsche, but I would likely never own a Ferrari, or a Lamborghini, or a tricked-out fast & furious type car, or even a jacked up "mini-monster" truck, even though I am lucky to be able to afford them. But, I do appreciate the passion people have for exotic and unique automobiles; and I like to go to automobile shows to see such automobiles as well as people's passions and reactions to them. However, while appreciating them, I do often find myself smirking at the large cost and ostentatiousness of a Lamborghini or a Ferrari, as well as the craziness of the wildly tricked out fast & furious cars and super-duper jacked up trucks. Therefore, while appreciating them, I am also amused by them. It is that kind of amused appreciation that I have for the audiophile gear you photographed. Therefore, I would definitely like to go to an audio show to be pleasantly amused and entertained--and my wife would too. So, really, I am not trying to convey negativity, more amused astonishment.

Ed.

You gotta admit, anything that far out on the edge is too impractical for most of us. Otherwise it would be mainstream, and Bose would make it.

Very nice photos Jimna and thanks for sharing them. I looked at the entire slideshow and it is evident there is still craftsmanship in the audio world.

I too look at the over-the-top gear and wonder: Who buys that kind of stuff? I've got to admit some of the speaker designs looked like some of the goofy things created by clothes designers that are passed off as fashion! But I'm glad someone is pushing the envelope, regardless if it is audio, cars, houses, computers, etc, because some of the innovations will trickle down to mainstream products after passing through the market's filter of acceptability and profit. I'm sure some folks thought drum brakes on passenger cars were more than adequate and disc brakes were only needed on race cars. I bet metal and ceramic driver cones plus ribbon drivers pushed the speaker design envelope at one time but all are now pretty common. So I enjoy looking at the kind of audio gear at RMAF simply because it is fun to consider the possibilities.

Just my .02 cents.

Yep, your right, just like going to the car show...most of that is impractical and very few will own it. Still cool to look at, and even better listen too. They need half naked chics to lay across the hood for more folks to get it.

One of the best parts of the whole show was actually talking to the speaker designers. It was cool to listen to the logic that took them to a final product/design, be it a speaker or amp, and feel the passion they tell the story with. Mr Joseph of Joseph Audio looked like the happiest guy on earth just to play his speakers for you.

It was a really fun time, I will be there next yr with bells on.

I thought the GR Research/Dodd Audio/PI Audio room was the best I heard, including both YG rooms. More detail, more depth, more bass extension, just better all around.

In case anyone wonders, GR Research sells speaker kits, and the ones featured at RMAF sell for $2,500/pair not including cabinets or assembly.

I dont think I saw that room, darn! I am a big fan of DIY. I need to make a point of it next yr.

Where the GR Research sells speaker kits is available? I am thinking to expand my band and for that purpose I need this kit.

For $2,500/pair, skiman was probably talking about the Super-V available here. You'll need to make (or have someone make) the cabinets, though.