[Vangelis]

Looks really interesting but I don't know which headphone related companys are going to show at this event. Nice to have as large a show such as Axpona in the mid west. Check it out.

 

[bearFNF]

Looks really interesting but I don't know which headphone related companys are going to show at this event. Nice to have as large a show such as Axpona in the mid west. Check it out.

Looks like the list has been updated on the AXPONA site, Mr speakers, Sennheiser, JhAudio, Audeze, A&K, Woo Audio, Focal, Noble Audio, Sony, ZMF headphones, Wywires, etc.
 
http://www.axpona.com/

 

[bearFNF]

At the Benchmark in the Westin Ohare...getting primed for the weekend. ..

 

[buson160man]

 I went to last years show and it was a lot of fun. It had been too long a time since we had a good high end show in Chicago. The last one was that I can remember was the high end show they had at the Chicago historical society building on clark way back when?
  Looking at the exhibitor list there are a lot of repeat exhibitors this year from what I remembered from last years show. That is a  good thing because the exhibitors thought enough of last years showing and thought it would be worth it to come back. I hope this show becomes an annual event for us show starved audiophile in the Chicago area. I sure miss the consumer electronics shows when they held them in Chicago.
Those days were a blast. I am a union person but I guess the unions became a bit too pushy about everything back then and we lost a great show to union greed.
  Hope to see a lot of people at axpona this year. Have a blast.

 

[bearFNF]

Here's a shot from last night while some were setting up.

I'll update it later this morning when they open.

 

[bearFNF]

Up and running.

Dana cable blinged out...

 

[buson160man]

 There are a pretty good mix of headphones and hardware on display. A great  place to check out some of the phones and amps you have read about. I will check out some more tomorrow but I got a chance to check out some fine examples today.

 

[acidtripwow]

I was there yesterday and am going back today.  I took some pictures but after downloading them they all seem to be blurry.  Damn cheap camera or maybe it was the photographer. 

 Oh, and I lost my phone too!  But I did put it in lost mode and about 15 minutes later someone called to say they found it, awesome!!!   
 
I got to hear the Chord Hugo through some Noble IEMs and the sound was very clear but I thought it lacked a bit of warmth.  I'm not sure it's $2500 good maybe $500.  Well I think the total with the headphones and DAP was around $6500.  That's just my opinion.
 

 
Here are some other photos.  I don't think Schit is here and I really wanted hear some of their stuff.
 

 

 

 
I finally got to briefly listen to some Senn 800s.  They really didn't appeal to me but that's just my opinion.
 

 
Some non-headphone stuff.  I don't know why but to me a lot of it sounded very bright and loud.  Maybe that's the audiophile sound?
 

 

 

 
I liked the KEF speakers.  They sounded a lot bigger than they really were.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
 

 
I always liked the look of McIntosh equipment.  But again a little too bright and loud.
 

 

 
 
Not sure what this equipment was but it put out some good sound.
 

 

 

[bearFNF]

Here are some shots form this morning...








Steady stream of people coming through.  It time for lunch though...

 

[bearFNF]

Fire alarm went off and wouldn't you know it I was on the 12th floor.



A little bit of forced exercise walking down 12 flights of stairs. ..

 

[acidtripwow]

Wow, good thing I was gone by then. After going to this year's Axpona I think last year's event was better. I'm not a big fan of the Westin hotel. I'm sure rooms are pretty expensive but I thought the inside of the hotel wasn't that great. At last year's event I was given a badge and moved from floor to floor and room to room without any hassle. This year I was given a bracelet and I guess those were security guards that kept asking to see by bracelet. I felt like I was being watched and couldn't really relax. Food and snacks inside the hotel were outrageously expensive. I had lunch in their restaurant and a couple hours later I was hungry again. I ordered the roasted chicken for $18. I received a small chicken breast on top of some beans and I think spinach. For $18 + $4 for a diet coke I was expecting more. If Axpona is back next year and held here then I think I'll pass.

 

[bearFNF]

From the "What's the right headphone for you?" seminar.

 

[acidtripwow]

I listened to this setup and it was amazing.  This gets my vote for best sound at the show.  It's an A&K Titan DAP and a Final Audio Design Pandora headphone.  I was listening to Patricia Barber and I never heard her sound so good and I've seen her live!
 

 

[buson160man]

The hotel corridors were confusing it would have been nice if there were signs indicating west and east and some arrows .I kept losing my bearings about where I had been before and where I was going to. I probably agree about the point with the wrist bands and the security personal. Big brother is watching. I did eat in the only restaurant and the bill for a burger and a coffee with tip was 22 dollars. the coffee was over 5 dollars(wow).
  I did feel more at ease at last years event.
 I talked with some of the exhibitors and they said their rooms were much difficult to set up for sound at the westin.
 But I still had a great time at the show. I got to hear a lot of headgear and amplifiers that I have read about and have never had any chance to actually hear them. Kudos to woo audio for showing up. All their amps sounded pretty damn good. I enjoyed ear expo room on the main floor. Though at times the din was distracting while listening to some of the open back phones.
  Of course there were also a lot of good sounding speaker rooms as well. I felt way more good rooms than bad
I talked with frank van alstine and he said his preamp has a very respectable headphone amp built into it that utilizes the preamps line stage with the addition of a buffer for headphone use.
Too bad he did not have a headphone to try the preamp headphone out .I would have liked to hear it.
  I also finally got a chance to check out a dark star the dynamics on this headphone amp just cannot be touched by any headphone amp that I heard at this years axpona event. nothing really came close. of course not everyone will  like its sound.
 I was astounded  with the dynamics of the convergent technology sl1 preamp. They have the best dynamics of any the preamps I heard at this years axpona. The dynamics were surprising considering the single ended output(no balanced outputs supplied). It did sound more like the dynamics you get from a balanced piece.
  Well there was a lot more to comment about but I do not want to get too long winded.
 The show was a blast.
   Come baaaaaaaack next year axpona!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Skyediver]

I'm still new to this hobby (addiction), and now have attended two shows (Denver CamJam & Axpona).  Just curious; what are considered the can't miss shows that are open to the general public?  If you could only go to one or two shows, which would they be?