Today's California Audioshow (Miillbrae) experience in a nutshell

[PorkChop]

1. Enter Westin parking lot approximately 12 pm.

2. Cycle through full lot 3-4 times looking for a space

3. Try to figure out how to leave w/o paying money since I did not actually park.

4. Circle down Cowan Ave., the frontage road, up the next road -- absolutely nothing

5. Went home

[gmgraves]

1. Enter Westin parking lot approximately 12 pm.

2. Cycle through full lot 3-4 times looking for a space

3. Try to figure out how to leave w/o paying money since I did not actually park.

4. Circle down Cowan Ave., the frontage road, up the next road -- absolutely nothing

5. Went home

 

 

This is normal for that show. In the past, I have solved the problem by getting there about 9:00 AM, parking near the door, and eating breakfast in the restaurant. By then, the registration is open and you can get your credentials/tickets.

 

Getting there much later than that guarantees no parking. Why don't you try again tomorrow - but go much earlier!

 

Wish I was there, but I don't live in the Bay Area any more, and it's too long of a drive from Reno to Millbrae!

[wgscott]

I went with Bob Stern four years ago. My one and only audio show. It was enough.

 

One of the things I thought was really weird was they had all this expensive equipment, but they would play absolute musical dreck on it for demonstration purposes. Light jazz or some-such dentist office/elevator muzak. I did find one exception: My fondest memory was hearing DSOTM playing from down a hall, and then walking into a room where approximately a dozen old bald dudes were just sitting there grimacing and wringing their hands and generally looking miserable. The last time I walked into a room with that playing, it was in college and there was a thick cloud of illegal smoke and people with much more hair (it was early 1980s at that point) appeared to be enjoying themselves.

 

Another fond memory was seeing a lamp in one of the demo rooms that I had recently banished from the house. Sure enough, it was emitting the same high-frequency noise that caused me to get rid of the thing. Everyone there kept asking me if I was one of those audiophiles with unique hearing abilities; I guess no one else could hear the high-pitched whine that was driving me nuts. I assured them it was not the case, and that I could not even hear differences between power cords and USB cables.

 

Lots of absurdly over-priced boutique stuff, and one or two absolute gems.

 

I bought some Audioengine 2 speakers discounted to $150.

 

I think the near-migraine headache that lamp gave me lasted well into the next day.

 

The SHAKTI Electromagnetic Stabilizer was the real show-stopper. It lifted a bunch of veils and punched beyond its price-point. The music became liquid, the clouds parted and angels began to sing.

 

Did you notice my current post-count is palindromic?

[PorkChop]

Getting there much later than that guarantees no parking. Why don't you try again tomorrow - but go much earlier!

 

I might, but I've been working the last several weekends and shouldn't use up half a valuable day away from my neglected family. My office is near the Westin too. The plan seemed so perfect. Go to work 6 am, get obligatory duties done, then take an early lunch and sneak off for a half-day of audio hooky. Oh well, the best laid plans of mice and men...

[loop7]

I went Sunday and parking was brutal but there were 10-20 spots open in the Aloft Hotel next door which shares the same parking lot.

[Miska]

I think the near-migraine headache that lamp gave me lasted well into the next day.

 

I get the same feeling from many metal dome tweeters. Kind of "dentist drilling inside my head". I've thought it must be the 20+ dB resonance peak just above 20 kHz typical to metal domes. (especially when it is hit by high level leak of same frequency from the DAC due to missing or inadequate digital filter for RedBook)

 

 

P.S. Number of SMPS have the same high pitch whining noise, especially when they get old. And old CRT TV's, but those TV's were easy to fix with electronics lacquer spray to the tube windings.

[Jud]

Did you notice my current post-count is palindromic?

 

As Clouseau (Peter Sellers) says of the ex-piano in this video...