Day 3 of T.H.E Show down in Costa Mesa brought with it the 3 ground level floors, along with the marketplace ballrooms. There was an exceptional amount of high end gear to see, making it a great final day for us as we pounded the 60s inspired floral carpet with our feet. As is the case with many shows, the later days often hold the best sound quality, as manufacturers have had time to tweak and refine the rooms even further.
Words and Photos by Brian Hunter
There was a really solid selection of vinyl to purchase in the marketplace, along with a few other audio nicknacks and a live demo from Kirmuss Audio record cleaner (did I mention we have a sweet, limited edition branded solid bronze record weight as merch right now?). Upscale and Wells Audio rounded out the personal audio options on the lower floor and United Home Audio held its usual late night listen sessions with an amazing collection of reel-to-reel albums.
We managed to catch an impromptu Q&A session with Andrew Jones of MoFi Electronics in an offshoot bar located on the main floor. Jones is recording a documentary in conjunction with THE Show titled “THAT Andrew Jones” and filmed a live seminar on Saturday as well.
Von Schweikert Audio debuted the new VR-55 MkII SE (Special Edition) in McLaren Volcano Orange, and attendees were dazzled to the sounds of both a plasma tweeter on a pair of Lansche Audio speakers in the Cake Audio room and the unique designs of the open baffle Linkwitz drivers. Acora Acoustics impressed with the Acora Acoustics VRC-1 we first saw at FLAX 2023 this year and PBN audio presented an entire room filled with equipment of their own design – even a turntable. Their giant MR!777 Loudspeaker on active display in the room was certainly a show stopper for many attendees.
It was a very fun stop on the HiFi circuit overall, filled with audio delights and good industry friends to fill the weekend with. While the event wasn’t without a few hiccups along the way, the vibe was extremely positive and just a really entertaining experience – even for a team that visits shows almost weekly in spring and early summer. Thanks to the showrunner hosts Emiko Carlin and Maurice Jung – a speedy recovery to you Maurice after your recent surgery.
In addition to our coverage here, THE SHOW 2023 podcast is due out early next week. We will also be posting video content of room coverage on our Facebook Reels page and brand new TikTok feed.
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