Affordable Showcase at LA Audio Show!

[Steve Lefkowicz]

Well, since Dave posted it elsewhere today, I guess I can mention it here. but at the upcoming LA Audio Show in June, in addition to the great and highly hospitable hospitality suite that Positive Feedback will be hosting with Dave and Carol Clark and Dr. David Robinson, PF will also be hosting a second suite showcasing low cost, high value (some would dare say affordable) gear and systems, hosted by yours truly. If all works according to plan, there will be several system configurations to demo, with nothing, except maybe one set of speakers, costing over $1000! We will be encouraging attendees to bring their own choices of music to play, and we'll be out to prove that really enjoyable sound can be had without breaking the bank, or without having to wait until you're old to afford it!

We'll be working to make this a fun, non-condescending and highly inclusive suite, obviously focusing the younger or less experienced crowd. However, we would encourage everyone here to stop by visit and see what we have going on.

[JCOConnell]

sounds like fun

[Rust]

I hope the budget system demos are very well received and crowded as this the sort of thing that can attract new enthusiasts and perhaps encourage more manufactures to repopulate this end of the market with new products.

[Steve Lefkowicz]

I hope the budget system demos are very well received and crowded as this the sort of thing that can attract new enthusiasts and perhaps encourage more manufactures to repopulate this end of the market with new products.

That's the whole idea. We have some serious marketing plans to attract a younger crowd to the show and our room.

[JCOConnell]

you gonna have turntables, tonearms, and carts for less than a grand set up?

[Steve Lefkowicz]

you gonna have turntables, tonearms, and carts for less than a grand set up?

Of course, not sure what yet, but probably things like the U-Turn, Fluance, hopefully a Music Hall, Pro-ject or Rega. I've got a Music Hall 2.3 SE with acrylic platter and cork mat in for review and it's under a grand with a cartridge, and way better than you would expect.

[rbbert]

JMO, of course, but I don't think any LP system can compete sonically with a digital-only system at that price, or even at several multiples of that price. If you think it can, I'll be interested in hearing it

[JCOConnell]

Id say that at $1K, its a toss up between analog and digital. Any higher than that, analog wins.

[Rob]

I see it the other way around, the burden rests on a digital system at that price range that wont drive me out of the room or leave me completely detached from the sound coming out of it.

[Steve Lefkowicz]

As I said, we aim to be inclusive, and show them them better sound for the music they have, not the music audiophiles think they should listen to. If they have records, I want to show they can do better than Crosley or Ion. If they have digital, even if it is MP3 or iTunes downloads, we will play them. We'll also hopefully show them that full res FLAC or high res files sound better than their 128kbbs mp3.

[Dave Clark]

Obviously ELAC speakers, their integrated, and streamer come to mind. As well as the Auralic Mini. Schiit Audio also comes to mind. Cabling can be entry level from someone (Cardas perhaps?). Sadly the new Auralic integrated at $3700 is out of the running, but it is an integrated, dac, streamer, and phono all in one. Let me know if I can be of help. Welcome to borrow my desktop system - Schiit, Parasound, Canare, ELAC. All together around $1k. The two room are on the same floor.

[JCOConnell]

Doesn't VPI have a turntable with a phono stage and a headphone amp built in? what does that cost?

[Dave Clark]

VPI Player with a headphone amplifier, phonostage, and pre-mounted Ortofon 2M Red cartridge. $1200.

[Dave Clark]

VPI Player with a headphone amplifier, phonostage, and pre-mounted Ortofon 2M Red cartridge. $1200.

[Steve Lefkowicz]

Obviously ELAC speakers, their integrated, and streamer come to mind. As well as the Auralic Mini. Schiit Audio also comes to mind. Cabling can be entry level from someone (Cardas perhaps?). Sadly the new Auralic integrated at $3700 is out of the running, but it is an integrated, dac, streamer, and phono all in one. Let me know if I can be of help. Welcome to borrow my desktop system - Schiit, Parasound, Canare, ELAC. All together around $1k. The two room are on the same floor.

Most of those are on my list. I'll send you my thought via email.

[MylesBAstor]

Obviously ELAC speakers, their integrated, and streamer come to mind. As well as the Auralic Mini. Schiit Audio also comes to mind. Cabling can be entry level from someone (Cardas perhaps?). Sadly the new Auralic integrated at $3700 is out of the running, but it is an integrated, dac, streamer, and phono all in one. Let me know if I can be of help. Welcome to borrow my desktop system - Schiit, Parasound, Canare, ELAC. All together around $1k. The two room are on the same floor.

Or the small Audience speakers?

[Steve Lefkowicz]

For $995, I would expect something far more full range than the Audience. Elac UniFi F5 or the Tekton Lore, or something like that. I might actually bring my own Tektons.

[MylesBAstor]

$1250 ET 16a

http://www.eminent-tech.com/main.html

[Steve Lefkowicz]

Those are cool. Always liked ET speakers. Also, for $1199 you can get Magenplaner Super MMG with the bass panel.

[Steve Lefkowicz]

Just an update here, but so far I have commitments from the following companies:

Audioengine - Speakers, amplifier, Bluetooth
Audioquest - Cables, DAC, accessories
Auralic - Music Streamer
Belkin - Powerline conditioning
Elac - Speakers, amplifier
Emotiva - Speakers, amplifier
Magnepan - Speakers
Music Hall - Turntable, amplifier
Pro-Ject - Turntable, phono stage, amp, record cleaner
Schiit - DAC, Preamp, Power Amp
Tekton - Speakers
U-Turn - Turntable

Plus, I'll be bringing my own iFi iPhono and iDAC, a PC running JRiver Media Center, a Spin Clean record cleaner, Morrow Audio interconnects and Canare 4S11 speaker cables and whatever else is needed to make sure everything is working right.

Looks like we will have systems ranging from around $400 to just under $5000. Just need to arrange for functional,low cost racks.

Hope those of you that attend the show stop by to check it out!

[Hawk]

Great idea and forum for growing market segment. My daughter is a typical millennial(Going to college and living reasonably large on me) Ha-ha. She works for spending money and gets good grades.

She and her friends are really into music(mainly alternative) and see alot of shows. They have horrible stereo systems. Almost all are based on blue tooth and convenience. At their house, I donated an old NAD 7240 integrated, Wharfedale Diamonds and an Arcam rDock Uni for iPhone, Ipods etc. Sadly this old system is much better then alot of what her friends have. Excluding the Arcam, this is a 40 year old equipment(They were perplexed with the NAD cassette deck. Never seen one before & told me to bring it home) Need to develop a market for these young folks. I don't want them at my house messing with my good system.

[Steve Lefkowicz]

Busy breaking in speakers and trying to match amps with them. Somewhat tough since a lot of the equipment hasn't arrived yet. Maggie .7 speakers sounding sweet with the Heed Elixier integrated amp and surprisingly the Emotiva TA-100, a $399 receiver (complete with FM tuner, DAC and phono stage). ELAC B6 ($279/pair) playing way above their price point with their own Element integrated ($699) and the Little Emotiva airmotiv B1 ($299/pair) sounding very different from the ELACs but highlighting other positive attributes. I'm bringing my own ELAC F5 speakers, so they are already well broken in. Still waiting for the Audioengine speakers and the big Tekton Double Impacts, which are in the paint shop this weekend.

Have a feeling I'll be getting the pre-production Schiit Vidar power amp from their showroom, as they might not have production units ready in time.
Will have four turntables up and running. ranging from $309 to $750 complete with arm and cartridge - U-Turn Audio Orbit Plus, Music Hall's new $399 mmf 1.3 that comes complete with a built in (bypassable) phono preamp and their more upscale mmf2.3SE ($750). Also have a cool looking Pro-Ject RPM-1 Carbon ($499).

If any of you stop by to check this out, especially if we have met before, please understand I do suffer from injury induced facial blindness (not complete, but about 80% for people I've met after 2003) so even if we know each other, don't assume I know who you are, even if we talked earlier in the day.

And sorry guys, but no tape decks!