AXPONA, April 13-15, in Chicago, is the largest high-end consumer audio show in North America, something to get excited about. This year, the show is moving to a new and larger location, the Schaumburg Convention Center and Hotel, and has over 60 first-time exhibitors. A full list of exhibitors is available here.
At the show, be sure to take some time for the seminars and/or master classes that are offered. One in particular you might want to check out is Michael Fremer’s Internationally Renowned Turntable Set-up Seminar, a one hour “hands on” seminar that will teach you how to correctly set-up a turntable, install a cartridge and optimize its performance. A question and answer period follows, time permitting.
This will be our first trip to AXPONA, and we can hardly wait. To see everything, you will need a multi-day pass and plan in advance due to the size of this show.
The Home Entertainment Show is June 1-3 at the Marriott Irvine Spectrum in Orange County California. What’s new here is that this show is back after missing last year. Tickets to include access to exhibits, educational seminars with industry luminaries, exotic car show, wine tastings and live music all day into the evening, and more!
With an exotic car show, a fashion show and some of the best food trucks you will ever be able to order from, this show is a whole lot more than just an audio experience. Attendees will have an opportunity to see and hear the latest in loudspeakers, audio components, home theater, video, HDTV, digital music, vinyl recordings, headphones, virtual reality, and more.
This is a great show to attend with your family. We did that 2 years ago, and enjoyed a quick trip to Disneyland and to the Southern California beaches which aren’t very far from this show’s location.
The LA Audio Show, June 8-10, with a preview evening on Thursday, June 7th, features a new location for 2018 as they have moved to the Hilton Irvine Hotel, and exhibition space is selling out fast. The move is the result of many things according to Marine Presson, President LAAs, but primarily will make it easier for more people to attend. “In some ways this is coming him,” she said. “I first became involved with audio shows in Orange Country, and the Hilton was a site we enjoyed.”
This year, the show has partnered with the famed audio manufacturer, McIntosh to bring the company’s industry-leading technical training to consumers. The certificated consumer version of “The McMasters Class” is adapted from the two-day course given to McIntosh dealers and is a first-time opportunity for show attendees. The will be no “extra-charge” for the course, it is included in the Show registration fee. However, attendance will be strictly limited
This year the California Audio Show, July 27-29 in Oakland, CA, is introducing a new, premium auditioning space of headphone products, named “HeadMasters Auditioning Room.” We had lunch with Constantine Soo last week, and he was excited to tell us about the new HAR, which will be in the Pacific Room behind the HeadMasters/”Viva Vinyl!” ballroom across the hall and in the same building as the CAS Registrar and hotel restaurant. The HAR Pacific Room measures 35 feet x 30 feet with a 12-foot ceiling. A quiet, comfortable headphones auditioning environment will be arranged in the HAR Pacific Room for attendees to enjoy. Only 8 companies will be part of this premium headphones experience. Exhibitor inquires: organizer@caaudioshow.com
Also, for the first time ever at this show, attendees will be able to vote for awards for their favorite exhibitors. If you haven’t attended this show, try it this year. It is conveniently located at the Hilton Oakland Hotel adjacent to the Oakland Airport.
