The Bongo Beat Newsletter – Spring 2018

Bongo Beat Spring 2018 header


Audio Show Season is almost here!

The opening day of baseball season is a National Holiday at our house, and we’re St. Louis Cardinals fans, so we are looking forward to the first pitch of the 2018 season. For audio folks, however, AXPONA kicks off the spring/summer audio show season. Then, pretty soon after we’ve wrapped up our coverage of AXPONA, we will be heading to Southern California shows followed closely by the California Audio Show in July.

We hope you will enjoy our look at ‘The Ultimate in Sound’ system and a rundown on what to look for at the shows plus an inside look from an exhibitor and a show producer on how an audio show comes together. And, please say hello if you see us at the shows. We’d love to meet you in person.

Thanks for your support,
Jack, The Audio Beatnik (jack@theaudiobeatnik.com)
Becky, The Beatnik’s Wife (becky@theaudiobeatnik.com)


New at the shows in 2018

There’s even more in store at audio shows this year. Find out what’s new at AXPONA, The Home Entertainment Show, the LA Audio Show, and the California Audio Show. From listening rooms to seminars and live entertainment, read what the show producers are adding to make their shows even bigger and better than ever before. We know that with this much going on, you’re probably asking how you can possibly see it all. Two tips, really good walking shoes and prioritize.

Read more here, and you might want to start your “must-see” list now for these shows.


You’ve got to hear ‘The Ultimate In Sound’


This will be “the system” people are talking about at the shows this year. Billed as ‘The Ultimate In Sound’ by The Audio Company, the folks behind putting these components together, you will want to hear it yourself. Read what Gordon Waters of The Audio Company told me about this system here.


Putting it all together; insider viewpoints

So, have you ever thought about how much work it must be to set up an audio show? On set up day, it starts with a stack of boxes that will hopefully be transformed into a great sounding system by the time the show opens. In reality, though, long before the boxes arrive, there are endless hours of work. I spoke to a veteran show producer and an exhibitor to get the inside story on what goes on before the crowds show up at an audio show. Find out more about how it all comes together.


How to get the most from an audio show

Have FunYou don’t go to audio shows just to see the newest, best equipment and sometimes some great vintage equipment. No! We go to audio shows expecting the most exotic audio equipment in the industry to perform great in a hotel room. We ran this article last year, but we thought it might be good to bring up again. But, don’t forget, as the sign says (and this sign was posted outside the door of one company’s listening room) the most important thing is to have fun! Take a look here.


  • Orchard Audio’s ApplePI DAC
  • ESS 252 headphones
  • ESS 422H headphones
  • OPPO UHD 4K Audiophile Disc Player
  • Clearaudio Concept Turntable, Tonearm, and Cartridge with the Clearaudio phono stage
  • Clearaudio Concept Turntable, Tonearm, with Hana Cartridge and Nova phono stage
  • Triangle Art Meastro Turntable
  • Qualiton Phono Preamp
  • DeVore Super Nines
  • Studio Electric FSX

Product Reviews:
Reviewing the MEGAschino Cherry Amp
Studio Electric m4 Monitors Review
OPPO Sonica DAC Review
Qln Signature 3 Loudspeaker Review
Pass Labs HPA-1 Review
DS Audio DS 002 Optical Cartridge and Phono Stage
Record Reviews:
Gillian Welch’s The Harrow & The Harvest
Reviewing Jaeger & Reid’s Debut Album
Reviewing Belafonte at Carnegie Hall
Thoughts from The Audio Beatnik:
How Remodeling My Listening Room Affected My System’s Sound


Happy birthday to The Audio Beatnik

We launched our Facebook page and website during the last week of April last year. This means that we are just about a year old. Thank you to our readers who have helped us grow at a speed that frankly surprises us. We are especially thankful to our advertisers, including our newest advertiser, Pass Labs. We appreciate your feedback, your Facebook likes, and your page views. Please keep sharing, and if you did not receive the newsletter via email and would like to receive future issues, please subscribe.