At any audio show, the Marketplace is the gym — for credit cards. Not getting them a workout is a matter of skill, but that’s altogether no fun. Especially with such tasty morsels all within reach.
Chad Kessem from Acoustic Sounds was selling records, Ultrasonic Records was showing off their multi-LP cleaning system, and SOTA turntables had a full display. Tweak Studio‘s always-charming Arnold Martinez and protege Levi Wilcox were showing the tiny and brilliantly-colored Ernestolone Carot One and some spectacular inline skates. Music Direct had a whole table full of goodies. Elusive Disc was also selling records. I saw monster cables from Dana Cable and the sonically marvelous B.M.C. PureDAC all out on display.
I always short-shrift these rooms, I’ll be honest. Since I’m traveling, it never makes sense to buy anything as I’ll just have to ship it home. But for the local attendee, this is — and was — a bonanza. I saw folks walking out with milk crates full of new-and-used LPs and lots of miscellaneous doodads. I was jealous ….
On the way out, I ran into Mike Morrow from Morrow Audio showing off his new “Elite Reference” series of cables, featuring a completely separated positive and negative cable run. All the cables use solid-core wire with minimal gauge and insulators, and generally feature high-grade parts and that they offer at approachable prices. The team over there is also unfailingly nice. It’s kinda hard to beat that combo, if you ask me.
