I am convinced listening is an art form. Being a true music lover and collector more than an audiophile (I've more than 10k rare LPs), I'm listening more on the emotional rather than the accuracy/frequency level. Hence, music doesn't have to sound accurate to sound right to my ears. I do not fully understand the argument that there's also beauty in accuracy hence, my late start into the world of audiophilia.

Attending this particular show, I did have the rare privilege of hearing a variety systems as well as the manufacturer's interpretation of what a system's supposed to sound like through his or her product. Needless to say, the sonic differences were as varied from one room to the next the only thing each had in common were the listening seats (see photos above). That said, many rooms sounded commendable while only a handful presented that extra something special that made me want to sit back, relax, forget all life's worries and ENJOY!

Walking a show with CP can wear you out. CP's ability to maneuver in and out of so many rooms in single day reveals how much he really loves this hobby. CP's tirelessness, knowledge and passion rises during these events. So, in all due respect, please don't expect the same level of feedback from me. I'm still too green and am learning as I go. And, yes, I am and enjoying the ride tremendously.

Basically, all I wanted to do was go around with CP, critique the setups and see if we agreed on the standout rooms. Understanding this as a trade show and nothing more, it's somewhat unfair to expect anything more than respectable sound. So to really exact the best sonic virtues in two or three days under these conditions obviously takes the collective experiences of the individual setup teams, synergy of components and a healthy dose of luck (you've no idea how often a manufacturer would mention how few hours a new component has on it). I was very impressed with many of the setups because they were not only great sounding but even more rare, I counted better sounding rooms than last year's show.