That time again of the year again , NW Hi Fi Show at the De Vere Cranage Hotel Holmes Chapel, date 27th,28th June. Acoustica Chester will be in attendance as usual with a Naim 500/Statement system with Sonus Faber Stradivari loudspeakers. Usually a very good relaxed show and we’ll worth a visit. Live artists and shops ie Doug Brady, Audio Counsel and Audio Works. Kudos showing the 505 stand mounted speakers and Chord also. This is a free event with plenty of free parking.
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Should be there on the Sunday
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See you there at the Diverse Vinyl stand. Look for the hats!
I’ll be there. It’s not far from me and free. What’s not to like?
Roger
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Looking forward to this.
Some interesting kit I’d like to see and hear.
Have been warned it can be hot in the rooms so aiming to get there as early as I can (late listening session tonight permitting!)
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Please do visit the AlChris speaker room demonstration and send me some feedback/impressions, thanks (in advance)
I’ll be there Sunday as it should be a little cooler - although if others do the same, the crowds will also up the temperature. Better get the Mancini out 
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Going Sunday with lucky wife who won a pair of £1k speakers at the free entry ticket raffle a couple of years ago (think they canned the free raffle after that)..
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I went this morning. Notwithstanding the downturn in hifi purchasing (?) it was very busy, though fortunately not too hot. I had no intention of going into every room and doing careful comparisons, rather visiting a few favourites and ambling around popping my head in if I heard anything sounding interesting. A couple of overall impressions: where do some exhibitors get some of the awful stuff (I refuse to call it music) they play and why do they set it up to be so unrealistically loud and bass heavy?
So, first was Acoustica who were using some lovely Sonus Faber speakers with McIntosh electronics. Sounded good but I couldn’t face looking at this every time I wanted to listen to music.
Across from them was Chasing the Dragon, sounding good as usual, but I thought the reel-to-reelers out there might appreciate this:
I had hoped to here the new Acoustic Energy active AE1s but they’re not trickling through in sufficient numbers yet, so had to make do with the new AE2s which sounded as expected like bigger brothers of the new AE1s. Worth putting on a shopping list, I’d say.
Then to Fanthorpes who were demoing the new PMC Prophecy 9 which sounded good, but they were driven by a full rack of Bryson electronics set up to drive Fact 12s which no doubt helped.
Roger
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OK a couple of very personal awards from me.
Firstly the quirky award goes to Maravedis Audio a new loudspeaker manufacturer from Norfolk.
Combined with these simple electronics it produced some of the most enjoyable sound of the morning for me. Real, textured even at modest volume and rather addictive.
And finally, my room of the show, by a country mile, featured the new EL version of ATC’s active 50s.
They showed just how bloaty and overblown so many setups were. At first I thought they sounded almost lightweight but when some real bass came along it was there in full, tight and textured with no overhang and you could feel it too. You could hear everything in a mix but in a way that did not deconstruct the music. There was very little seating but I hogged the sofa far too long. I want a pair, I really, really, really do. Fortunately for my bank balance, I just don’t have a suitable room.
Roger
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Just arrived home from the show - very busy but overall a good chance to see first hand some very expensive boxes!
One think that did hit me was the lack of anything from Naim. Even the Naim stalwarts of Acoustica and Brady had nothing. I didn’t go in every room so perhaps something from Naim was lurking in a corner somewhere.
Is this part of a cash conserving exercise by Naim??? Who knows.
Anyway for those going tomorrow enjoy!
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There was a room rocking an NDX2 / 282HC / 300 with a pair of stand mounts.
Marvedis?
They produced a lot of bass for their size, I think they were dipoles.
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That was definitely the party room.
As another punter noted, no spikes, no fancy mains blocks or cables.
Just good laughs and rock n roll.
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Enjoyed Pearl Acoustics.
Especially as Harvey Lovegrove was there.
Otherwise I think I spent more time round the record sellers.
They were all really friendly and chatty. I came away with 14 LPs which will keep me going for a while.
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Yep, I thought both of those rooms were excellent.
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Attended with Mrs twofifty. We go every year and always enjoy the show. Other than the corridors many of the rooms were air con cool so heat wasn’t a problem. As for the gear - much of it was ruined by some incredibly dull music selected by disinterested reps and, subjective I know, but there’s some really ugly kit. Too many people in some rooms to get a decent seat so hard to judge much of the equipment. That said Kudos was good. Audio Counsel was, as ever, the place to listen to an enthusiast selecting CDs and Vinyl. They don’t like streaming. Tubes aren’t for me but Audio Counsel is always a good advert for Audio Note. Best room for us was Brian & Trevor’s. For the second year running we were entertained by a Qobuz ambassador who chose music and enthused about it. Audiovector speakers would definitely be on my list if I had the money and the space and no neighbours. I believe the amplification was Ultrafide rather than their usual Linn. I believe Kudos were also using Ultrafide. Wouldn’t normally award a booby prize but my word, Lowther horns. Big enough to house a small family, slung from scaffolding and making a poor job of Leonard Cohen’s You Want It Darker album. Really enjoyed the Record Fair. Some inevitably over priced vinyl but plenty of fairly priced stuff. The fair has been a great addition to the show over the last 3 years (I think). We’llbe back. Next job, give the Qobuz ambassador’s play list a go at home.
Beian&trevors playlist on Qobuz has over 700 tracks on it…
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Bit of commitment and you can take it on I’m sure 
The Qobuz ambassadors play list on the other hand had only 10 or 11 tracks 
Thanks @wardy - good to see Naim did have a presence, sorry though I missed out!
How did it sound