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The very first Hi-Fi Show you attended.

Isobarik

Isobarik

pfm Member
The first show I attended was in London, can't remember the venue or date but remember Celestion playing Dark Side through the then new 66's.
Absolutely amazing sound! I do remember the 66's being cited in the middle of the venue and not in a dem room. The sound hit you as soon as you got through the main door, gods knows what amplification they used?

Anyone remember the show and where the venue was? It's got to be around 50 years ago! I think it was Earls Court. Some of my fellow fishes were probably not even born then!šŸ˜
 
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My 1st shows:
- UK, Hammersmith
- France, Paris
- Germany, Munich

I only have dates for Munich - 2018, 2019 and 2024. No idea of the dates for Paris and London but probably late 1980's. At Hammersmith Black Thodium was still trading as Sonic Link and Paris was the early days of CD with people trying to persuade me that the CD would never replace the LP... ironic, really, given the poor availability of quality up-maeket decks here in France.

That list might actually be the sum total of my show attendance - I might have been to two Paris shows, in which case I've been to six at most..
 
It was in Bristol in 1979, before the Vincent Rocks (1982) event or the ones now held in February. Probably at the Grand Hotel in Corn Street or thereabouts.
I remember some very big AR floorstanders which sounded great - I don't think too many people were into 'source first' then.

My abiding memory, though, is a demo by Naim demonstrating the difference (thermally?) on the NAP250 when using a preamp power supply, or somesuch. This would have been using an LP12 and Isobariks. All I can recall of that is a rather vague, thumpy bass and not much tune. Much preferred the ARs, whatever they were used with.
 
My first was one of the early Bristol Shows in is current format, so 1989 or thereabouts.

I remember a big Linn/Naim 6 pack Isobarik setup, which was fun, some monster Cerwin Vega! speakers that were even more fun, and the full Yamaha Centennial system which remains to this day one of the best systems I have ever heard.
 
Probably one at the Last Drop Hotel in Bolton (1979 I think). My first siting of the Trio L-07D and a long-standing love affair.

Long story short: it was part of the Bespoke Audio system - the Trio L-07D, Albarry Amps, Allison speakers. I was beguiled: it really was a wonderful system. I couldn't afford it then, but lusted after the t/t. Go forward 30 years, and I met Albert to buy his L-07D. He was an ex-Bespoke Audio staff member, and told me that in all likelihood the t/t I was buying was the one from that show. Reunited with my first love.
 
Never attended any conventional audio shows, the first was Scalford.
Though I've been to, and very much enjoyed attending Cranage the last few years, not this though thanks to the intervention of a certain virus.
 
At the Royal Albion Hotel in Brighton in 1985 or 6
Really enjoyed it and was I blown away by the Absolute Sounds room with an Oracle - Air Tangent Arm and Koetsu onyx cartridge.
Audio Research SP10 and Krell monohlocks into Magnepan MG 3 speakers
Also the Linn and Naim room with LP 12 - Ittok - Asak T and 32 active Sara's with 4 - 135 's
As a young 15 year old it made me aware how good audio could be
 
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Cyclopse said:
I was also at one of the early Bristol shows possibly early 80s. HiFi at the rocks and the venue was close to Clifton Suspension Bridge.
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That was the Vincent Rocks Hotel in 1982, just after the Celestion SL6 had come out - LP12/Ittok/Asak into Crimson amps and a stunning sound for the size.
Meridian's active speakers were pretty good too.
 
My earliest certain memory of going to a show was one at a hotel in Swiss Cottage, London. Maybe the early 1980s. I don't remember any details of the show and what was in it but I remember the event well because I bumped into a work colleague (actually my boss) in the road leading to the hotel. We did share an interest in music and HiFi but he was in Swiss Cottage for other reasons as it turned out.
 
First one was early 90's when Danmarks Hi-Fi Klub (now HiFi Klubben) hosted their own exhibition in a big mansion at the outskirts of Copenhagen. Only thing that clearly stands out was the intro heartbeat from DSotM pounding my chest on a pair of Cerwin Vega 1215..
 
1982 South Coast show in Brighton. Unemployed at the time but liked the Naim room and met JV. A 250 was Ā£787 if I remember correctly so totally out of reach. Fast forward a year and employment meant that I could take my first steps on the Linn/Naim ladder. I really should have kept that mk1 Nait.
 
Oh, I also (now) remember Roy Gandy actually attending the event showing off the new Mk1 clamshell Elicit amp together with Planar 3 and Ela speakers.


Unless I confuse that with another hifi klubben event around that time.
 
I vaguely recall going to an event at a hotel near Manchester airport when I was a student in the late seventies. I can recall nothing of the occasion and if you told me I had false memory syndrome I could believe you. I've been to a number of Bristol shows since my first one in 2004.
 
Mid/Late-80's Heathrow Penta show. Wall to wall Tracy Chapman and Dire Straits... That show was always super crowded back then, so really hard to get a proper listen to anything.
 
1st and only was Bristol about 10 years ago. Only went to compare speakers - Kudos X2 and some similar Neat ones. Bought some Kudos soon after.
 
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