EASY LIKE SUNDAY

As I had just one day at the show, I was keen to get stuck in on Sunday morning. It was a bonus to share a taxi to Cranage with Mark and get a bit of feedback on some of his highlights from day one of the show, which whet my appetite even more for the day ahead. I met John at the grand entrance of the Elizabethan manor, which was replete with red carpet, no less, and we were greeted by a very warm welcome from one of the members of the Audio Show team, along with an unexpected glass of fizz. That all felt like a real treat, even before getting in to see what the show had to offer. Those were special touches and attention to detail I might have expected from a paid event. Not too shabby for me. So far, so pleasant. I really felt like I was escaping into fantasy/suspended reality, much like attending a music festival where it’s possible to become completely immersed in your surroundings and forget about the outside world, even just for a relatively short time.

As John had been to the show previously, and attended on the first day, he kindly offered to help me make the most of my slightly limited time at the event by showing me around and making some helpful suggestions on what we could check out. I was more than happy to follow his lead and grateful for the gesture. I really didn’t quite know what to expect, though I had read up a bit about the 70-plus exhibitors and countless components. Was it going to be a cacophony of music and chatter spilling out of every space and vying for my attention, or would it be so busy I could barely move, let alone get a glimpse of the many shiny objects on which to feast my newbie eyes?

It was neither, though I had heard Sundays tend to be a bit more mellow. Worked for me, I have to say. That’s not to say it was a ghost town. In fact, far from it. There were plenty of like-minded souls navigating their respective ways about the well-signposted labyrinth of corridors and rooms and the entire place was buzzing with enthusiastic mutterings, debates about the merits, or otherwise, of this room, that bit of kit.

I especially liked the use of all the fun ‘street names’: ‘Amy Winehouse Street’, ‘B.B King Close’, ‘Janis Joplin Lane’. You get the picture. Despite those and the detailed map of the building in the excellent programme, it did take me a little time to get my bearings. That was also part of the fun though, randomly wandering into a room that might not have been on my radar and being blown away by what I saw and heard or turning a corner to find another treat.

Most of the exhibitors had lots of information about the kit, should you wish to just pick up a flyer or brochure, while the aforementioned app and Programme had lots of handy reference info. All the reps were very friendly and approachable too and John knew quite a few of them, which was fortunate for me because I’m not always so forthcoming to introduce myself personally; often preferring to be quiet and unassuming, while not wanting to interrupt or feel like I’m bothering people. I really had no reason to feel that way anyway. Especially, as they were all there to show off what they’d brought along as well as being audio-enthusiasts and music lovers themselves.

Either way, I appreciated the ability to quietly pop into a room without feeling pressured, any sort of hard sell or being bombarded with information. I was very much left to my own devices (pun intended) in that regard and never felt overwhelmed by a barrage of the senses. For me, there was a lot of appeal in the freedom to have a good shufti at all the component parts up close, as most of the rooms I visited had enough space to move around. That may have just been the luck of the draw and timing though, as some were more bustling at other times I passed by, while others appeared to be constantly full.

What I also found impressive was the amount of effort put into creating a look, feel, and ambience in most of the rooms. That must be no easy feat to turn an empty hotel room or plain meeting space into an oasis of calm or as if you had stepped into someone’s actual living room or dedicated and professionally designed ‘listening lounge’ (Yes, that’s an actual thing. Alan McIntosh, the lucky beggar that he is).

Walking into and settling down in the Kef room was a complete departure from everywhere else due to the ambience created with cool, dim, mood lighting and comfortable air conditioning. It was reminiscent of a chillout zone at a nightclub. There was something very slick about that whole setup and experience, in general. I’d watched a lot of YouTube reviews of their speakers ahead of going to the

The New Reference

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“Anyone wanting to hear the full potential of their system should invest in one before considering other upgrades.” - HiFi+

“The sonic benefits are not in the slightest bit subtle, it’s up there with a significant DAC upgrade.” - The Ear show and very nearly ordered a pair online without hearing them in person. I found them enjoyable and of great quality, but the feel turned out to be just a bit too clinical or hyped-up for my tastes and not what I expected; a good example of one of the many benefits of a show like this.

Other spaces were decked out with big comfy seats (also kef/Naim), while house plants, and artwork were also incorporated here and there to give that more familiar, homely feel. Elsewhere, the more minimalist, less showy approach had been taken, perhaps preferring to let the audio do the talking. Either way, the variety catered for all tastes, and it was interesting to see that the show was not all about big branding. Conversely, Auden Distribution was the most ‘tradeshow’-like presentation I saw, in that it had that level of professionalism, organisation and efficiency with just the right amount of branding, in all the best ways. The selection of components was uber-modern, and I would have given my right arm to walk away with just a single: Hegel Amp, Merason DAC or pair of Amphion speakers. Lovely stuff, indeed!

John introduced me to Andy Baker from Sound Design Distribution, and it was lovely to see such a warm rapport between them due to their respective enthusiasm for HiFi and a mutual love of Elvis Costello. As such, we were treated to Lipstick Vogue, which I’d heard several times with John on differing systems. I recalled the drumming breakdown section coming across as a bit muddled and out of control on those but there was no such issue with the spellbinding Kii Audio Three BXT Active speaker system, which took charge with apparent ease. I was then beyond impressed with the precision in the way they were able to stop and control the audio on an atmospheric, instrumental demo track that also had a very defined ‘slap’ about it. They were so effective in their command I think my jaw may have dropped, even just a little bit. With a price tag not far shy of £30k, they fell into the aspirational realm, for me. I was pleasantly surprised though to learn that the Three speakers can be mounted easily on top of the BXT extension module, thus allowing you to invest in the former and then complete the set at a later time as a floor-standing unit, should the desire and budget permit. That was a new one for me. Quite an eye and ear opener.

In that same vein, I had convinced myself I was all about a more natural-looking, wood veneer box for speakers. What really threw me a curve ball, in the best possible sense, was how I found myself liking the aesthetic of the more contemporary and even futuristic or ‘out there’ designs. GoldenEar were demonstrating the prototypes of their brand new T66 floorstanders with’ built-in DSP-controlled subwoofer amplification (could well be the combo I’ve been looking for in my search for a solution in a slightly-challenging listening space and I would love to review them - hint, hint – Ed) There was just something that grabbed me about the style: the black grilles, slim profile and vibrant ‘Santa Barbara Red’ finish. When I sat down in the room, which was a pairing with sister company Audioquest, they were effortlessly pumping out some electro banger, which sounded awesome and brought a big, cheesy grin to my face. From one extreme to another, we then heard an intimate track by Lana Del Rey, which showed off the versatility of these speakers in the way her every delicate word was presented with crystal-like clarity. At £6499 in red and £6249 in black they could be just about attainable, despite what my wife may say; “Who would spend that much on speakers?” Well, given half the chance, me.

As with the T66, several exhibitors were revealing the UK debut of brand-new gear, such is the popularity and prestige of Cranage. Another surprise for me was the Hex3 open-baffle speakers by Paul Knipe of Solid-Sounds due to their non-traditional configuration of three, separate hexagonal speaker panels. I couldn’t take my eyes off them, nor quite get my head around how Giorgio by Moroder from Daft Punk could sound so good from these when I had heard it elsewhere, earlier in the day, and been left feeling quite flat. Everything just sounded ‘right’. John describes it better in his Cranage report, which I heartily recommend reading. While in that room, I remember thinking that I was chuffed to have witnessed the first outing of these and that I may never have experienced them, otherwise. It’s good to catch yourself in one of those moments, from time to time, and just be present there and then. I must remember to do that more often.

I was also particularly taken aback by what I heard from the Kerr Acoustic K300 stand mounts, even when just walking by the door to the room (another opinion I share with Mr Scott). From my perspective, this was easily the most natural-sounding setup and, when I closed my eyes, I could have sworn Nils Lofgren was performing live in the room right in