majorloser

majorloser

Moderator
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. :rolleyes:

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. :p

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. :p
 
majorloser

majorloser

Moderator
So let me start off with my good friends at Emotiva with their rooms.

Emotiva was well represented with two rooms; a full 7.1 channel theater and a two-channel audio room. The theater room had a full complement of their speakers that included their new 12" Ultra subwoofer and the UNC-1 pre/pro. The two-channel room included a pair of their XPA-1 amplifiers and a pair of their new UPA-1 monoblock amplifiers.






 
majorloser

majorloser

Moderator
The rest of the pics will be in no real order.

Here's the "Wood Room".





I love this turntable made out of what appears to be a chunk of driftwood.








That big slab of wood is actually an amplifier :eek:
Notice Tom's hand in the picture for scale. I think ol' Tom might have been sportin' his own wood in this room.
 
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majorloser

majorloser

Moderator


Check out that belt drive system!




 
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majorloser

majorloser

Moderator






They were having a real tough time in this room getting thing to work right. Had some major problems with load pops and cracks. :rolleyes:
 
majorloser

majorloser

Moderator




Pricing info for those towers







I think these speakers were Tom's favorites of the show. We just never really got a good opportunity to listen to them with good material.

NOTE TO SELF: when a guy walks in with a stack of albums he wants to audition speakers with, WALK OUT QUICKLY.
 
majorloser

majorloser

Moderator




This guy was having a tough time getting material to feed over from his Apple computer. 'nuff said.
 
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majorloser

majorloser

Moderator






I really love the equipment rack in this room. Each shelf was suspended on the stainless steel cable.
 
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majorloser

majorloser

Moderator




For those of you out there who were ragging on me for my metal wire equipment rack...Pfft :p
 
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majorloser

majorloser

Moderator
Tom pointed out to me how these had "plasma" drivers in the top. There was actually a grill on the top to let the heat escape (or cook a hamburger). When looking at the tweeter from straight on it had a bright glow.



 
majorloser

majorloser

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I'd be willing to bet the crates these puppies came in were taken by some of the local J-ville homeless for conversion into condos.
 
majorloser

majorloser

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I just love the CNC alluminum case for that CD transport. One massive block of solid alluminum. The blue glowing tubes didn't look bad either. Looks like something right out of a sci-fi movie.
 
majorloser

majorloser

Moderator










I think they forgot to iron the wrinkles out that driver ;D

Another super mega turntable, too.
 
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majorloser

majorloser

Moderator


These speakers were $130,000.00 per pair.
There was also another module available to place under the bottom with a larger woofer.
Dang thing would be almost 7 foot tall by then. :eek:


I found these to be some of my favorites of the show, though not good enough for me to buy.
Not really a freak about the "super tweeter" but they were the only speakers I would have want to audition in my home.
 
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majorloser

majorloser

Moderator






I found these speakers to have a very narrow cone of listening. Move out of it and you lose quite a bit of material.

Another mega-bucks turntable. :eek:
 
majorloser

majorloser

Moderator


This little setup was only $1,000. It kind of reminded me of my little EMP amp and speakers, though these speakers are in no way near as good as the BE drivers in the EMP/RBH speakers.


 
majorloser

majorloser

Moderator




The people who had this room had their young kids working the room. Their son was a trip. He was passing out raffle tickets to win a CD transport while the daughter was running the sellection of music. They were also passing out snacks to attendees.

These two young children were better organized then most of the other rooms at the event.
(they better be getting an increase in their allowance this week)
 

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