Yesterday was a day well spent for me in all possible ways. More than just listening to the speakers on demo, I was quite intent on meeting the wizards and druids of the forum and gain better understanding into the reproduction of music. In that aspect, it was mission accomplished for me. The fantastic planning and execution with everything taken care of, along with the wide array of gear to audition were a nice icing on the cake. I cannot thank enough the team of Capt., Srini, Rajiv and others for their time, effort and expenses to make this event a success. Hats off to you gentlemen.
My sincere thanks to all the dealers who indulged us by lugging over all the equipment and giving us a taste of what I understand are some of the best products available in our country.
Here are a few random thoughts, inferences and take-aways from Yesterday that I'm hoping would be useful to somebody. I could be wrong on some or all of them, though.
1. DO NOT buy any equipment based on the description of the sound by others
2. Audition as many systems as possible before selling your wife's jewellery
3. The recording quality makes a huge difference on certain systems (Avalon Ascendants)
4. Some speakers need to be listened to in full-tilt (Avalon & Thiels)
5. Avalons are a tad weak on the bass but is a bit more of an all-rounder than the Thiels
6. Kodo drums sounded phenomenal on the Avalons
7. Most of my impressions of the Avalon and Thiels could be turned on their head if they are setup in an optimal room (Thanks Ramesh)
8. Your room decides how you listen to your music, not your spouse
9. It would be very difficult for a single speaker/system to satisfy all your aural needs
10. The Cadences bring Jazz singers to life, especially the ones of the fairer sex. Tin Pan Alley was sublime too.
11. The Klipsches rocked the hardest. Pink Floyd would have been proud.
12. My preference seems to border on the enjoyment of music more than ultimate resolution
13.A BS/sub combo might be the best bet to listen to full-range music in an apartment
14.If possible, every speaker needs 2 amps to switch between. 1 of the 2 has to be a tube amp.
15.A source makes a huge difference to the sound
16.Sadly I could not chat with more people
17.Wish we could've listened to the music a little longer
18.I'm planning to make a CD (and a thumb-drive) with all my reference tracks and carry it with me at all times. A compact screw-driver set as well.
19.I need to start off on my speakers and amp ASAP
20.Old is gold (LS3/5A and Quads)
21.Not all that glitters is gold
22.Harry Belafonte's voice is magical
23.I need to make a trip to Bangalore ASAP (Thanks Santosh & Ramesh)
24.I am eagerly looking forward to a vinyl meet in Kottayam. (Thank you Mr. Kuruvilla Jacob)
25.I missed out on hearing the Genelecs and Matbhuvi's car setup
26.Hotel Savera makes a mean pepper chicken gravy
I am hoping that meets like these would be regular events in the Chennai and Bangalore calendars. I am grateful for all the encouragement, tips and pointers that a lot of you friends were generous enough to share with me. Thank you everyone!