I had an opportunity this weekend to meet up with our very own Tom Andry from Audioholics and attend the Audio Expo North America (AXPONA) 2010 show in Jacksonville, Florida.
The event was held on three different floors of the Wyndham Jacksonville Riverwalk Hotel, along the St. John River in downtown Jacksonville. Vendors and manufacturers were setup in the convention center, hotel suites and regular rooms throughout the hotel. This was very much like "The Show" in Las Vegas or "Rocky Mountain Audio Fest" in Denver. You just made your way through the hotel going from room to room hoping to get a chance to squeeze inside and audition some gear. For the most part you really had to be patient or plan on visiting the rooms a few times to get your chance at listening.
For the most part this show consisted of
very high-end gear, tube amps and turntables for the analog gurus out there. Of course there was also all of the high-end "audiphile tweaks" that we are all so familiar with. I actually had more fun listening into the conversations of people around me to hear what they had to say about how minor changes and "tweaks" can be heard.
Just ask Tom about how he heard the
huge difference when a grounding wire is removed. But then again, Tom does have a set of the all elusive "golden ears" we all strive for.
This event was actually started from a "friend of a friend". Hopefully next year it will kick off and be larger. This year was the first, so there is a lot to learn. But since they had Stereophile Magazine as their primary sponsor, I'd bet it will get plenty of good press. So make sure you look for it in the coming months. But just remember, you heard about it first from Audioholics.
