AudioCircle

The Commercial Zone => Audio Shows and Events => Rocky Mountain Audio Fest => Topic started by: Rick Craig on 18 Jan 2019, 05:04 pm

Title: RMAF 2019
Post by: Rick Craig on 18 Jan 2019, 05:04 pm
Having been to the RMAF several times I am wondering how the new venue will work out. I checked prices for rooms and then noticed the daily fee to park. Ouch!
Title: Re: RMAF 2019
Post by: barrows on 18 Jan 2019, 05:22 pm
Hi Rick,

As a Colorado Front range resident I suspect the new venue will be much more appealing to exhibitors.  The new Hotel is very close to the airport, and I would expect that many exhibitors flying in could get away with no car rental, which could save on expenses.  I have not checked out the area yet, but supposedly there are good dining choices in close proximity to the Hotel, so one could, if they wished, avoid gong into downtown Denver altogether.
As one who has been in charge of setting up and running Demos at RMAF and CES, I could see this new venue making things a bit easier on exhibitors, but until we get through one show at this venue we will never know for sure.
I hope you choose to come, i would love to meet you and hear some of your speakers.
Title: Re: RMAF 2019
Post by: Tyson on 18 Jan 2019, 05:42 pm
One thing I hope they do is spread out the rooms a bit more from each other.  In past RMAFs, the only things that bothered me was that the rooms were small and they were also close together.  Hopefully the new digs mean larger rooms and more space to spread out between rooms. 
Title: Re: RMAF 2019
Post by: Phil A on 18 Jan 2019, 05:50 pm
I went in 2017 to the old venue (the only RMAF I've been to).  It definitely wasn't convenient to the airport and it was horribly organized (the worst audio show I've ever been to - I could understand if that was their first rodeo).  I'd reconsider trying the new venue after there's feedback but it was so badly organized, I'd probably opt to go to another audio show first (going to the FL one this year - was going to try AXPONA but the FL one is closer to home).
Title: Re: RMAF 2019
Post by: mtrot on 19 Apr 2019, 03:19 am
I'll be there!  I told myself I would only attend RMAF or AXPONA, but not both this year.  RMAF prevailed because I can scoot over to Estes Park for a few days in conjunction with RMAF, like I did last year when I met my two sons there.  I do like that there is more than one restaurant in the hotel, unlike the Tech Center, which only had that one very marginal restaurant.  And I have no desire to get into the city of Denver anyway, so the new location is fine by me. 
Title: Re: RMAF 2019
Post by: Norman Tracy on 19 Apr 2019, 03:49 pm
RMAF's move to the new hotel has come with significant price increases for exhibitors. Enough to price smaller companies and dealers out of RMAF. My passion is for high value systems, which I define as each component costs a few hundred to a couple of thousand dollars. I have noticed in the AXPONA 2019 coverage the tilt is to the five and six figure price range and fear RMAF with higher exhibit costs is headed in the same direction. Pragmatically the transition of the high-end from local dealers to regional, national, and international HiFi shows as a primary opportunity to present to clients does pressure component prices to cover exhibition costs.

Removing my manufacturer's hat speaking as a passionate audiophile of course attending RMAF would be fun, fun, fun.
Title: Re: RMAF 2019
Post by: Tyson on 19 Apr 2019, 03:58 pm
I can't wait to go this year.  I think the new hotel is going to be a big step up over the old Tech Center location, frankly RMAF was too big for that place.
Title: Re: RMAF 2019
Post by: garyalex on 19 Apr 2019, 04:31 pm
I'll be attending as well.  I was a bit hesitant when I saw that sleeping rooms at the Gaylord were $235 per night.  Rates for the DMTC were about half that.  I know there were issues with the Tech Center, like the sometimes-broken passenger elevators.  However, it's the only audio show I attend, not counting the very small NYC show.  I'm hoping for a great show and an improved experience from the previous venue.
Title: Re: RMAF 2019
Post by: SoCalWJS on 19 Apr 2019, 08:06 pm
I'll be attending as well.  I was a bit hesitant when I saw that sleeping rooms at the Gaylord were $235 per night.  Rates for the DMTC were about half that.  I know there were issues with the Tech Center, like the sometimes-broken passenger elevators.  However, it's the only audio show I attend, not counting the very small NYC show.  I'm hoping for a great show and an improved experience from the previous venue.
I was shocked when I saw the Room prices as well. It looks like a nice Hotel, but lets face it - that's an awful lot of money. I thought the Hotels out by the Airport were going to be reasonably priced. If that's what they're charging per night (and the exhibition room prices are bad), I can imaging what a Burger or Sandwich and a Beer for lunch will cost.  :o

Was thinking of going this year. I have missed the last 3. The SoCal T.H.E. Show is looking like it may bomb out again (their website is a mess - Hotel venue is listed as Long Beach. If you click on their Directions site, it takes you to Irvine. Eek! Not a ton of confirmed Vendors), so I thought maybe I'd splurge - but not at those prices!
Title: Re: RMAF 2019
Post by: jtwrace on 19 Apr 2019, 08:18 pm
Totally agree. 
Title: Re: RMAF 2019
Post by: Tyson on 19 Apr 2019, 08:56 pm
There's lots of other hotels at the Airport that you can stay at that are much cheaper. 
Title: Re: RMAF 2019
Post by: SoCalWJS on 19 Apr 2019, 10:43 pm
There's lots of other hotels at the Airport that you can stay at that are much cheaper.
I imagine that’s correct. Defeats my goal though - I love to be able to pop back to my room whenever the mood strikes. Breaks. Food. Drink. Rest.

If my Wife comes along, she REALLY likes having the room nearby. She is a GREAT sport about this crazy, nutty Hobby, but after a couple of hours, she DEFINITELY needs a break.

A room in the same Hotel makes this simple. Driving to a different location and dealing with parking (and potential $$ every time you move) defeats this.
Title: Re: RMAF 2019
Post by: garyalex on 20 Apr 2019, 03:54 am
There's lots of other hotels at the Airport that you can stay at that are much cheaper.

The problem, at least for me, is that those other hotels are over two miles from the Gaylord.  It's a bit much to walk and I'm not going to rent a car or take a taxi to get back and forth.  So I just bit the bullet and reserved a room at the Gaylord.  I hope it's worth it.
Title: Re: RMAF 2019
Post by: mtrot on 20 Apr 2019, 04:17 am
Fortunately, when I booked back in December for two nights, the rate was $220/night.  But, with all the fees and taxes, I'm still looking at $563! 
Title: Re: RMAF 2019
Post by: OzarkTom on 20 Apr 2019, 12:51 pm
It will be interesting to see attendance figures this year. Usually a change of venue will knock it down, but at those prices, that will hurt also. At the Tech, we stayed at a Howard Johnson a few miles away for $59 a night. My daughter picked us up and brought us to the show. Several vendors stayed there also and taxied into the show everyday. I doubt if you will want to taxi into the airport. Rental of a car would be much cheaper and get a hotel back in the city.

Definitely, not going to get many of the younger crowd there.
Title: Re: RMAF 2019
Post by: ngamountains on 20 Apr 2019, 01:01 pm
Fortunately, when I booked back in December for two nights, the rate was $220/night.  But, with all the fees and taxes, I'm still looking at $563!

That’s absurd. Sounds like this show will continue to struggle, just for different reasons.

I’m admittedly at the other (cheap) end of the spectrum, being happy to hoof it to save my $ for better things.  I just returned from AXPONA; 4 nights in AirBnB listing, 4 days Enterprise car rental (3 of those on $14.99/day weekend special) and round trip train from my flight to Midway to the Enterprise neighborhood location within walking distance of the train station for $253 all in.
Title: Re: RMAF 2019
Post by: SoCalWJS on 5 Sep 2019, 09:44 pm
Wow.

All the participants are starting on their setups for RMAF 2019 today - many are probably finished and working on fine tuning. Industry day is Today. Open to the Public tomorrow.

Nary a post on this thread since April 20.  :o

I can remember when this would have been a hot topic with all sorts of planning, meet ups, GTG's. Golf, Dinners, Lunches, Breakfasts, etc being discussed.

Crickets.

Sure hope their decision to move out to the Airport to a VERY expensive location doesn't backfire on them.

Title: Re: RMAF 2019
Post by: Tyson on 5 Sep 2019, 10:29 pm
I'm taking off work tomorrow & will hit all 3 days of RMAF, as usual.  I'm not posting much because I'm not doing the crazy live show coverage with Jason like we did for so many years. 

I imagine the higher costs might keep some of the mid priced value based vendors away.  I hope not as those guys usually have some of the best stuff.  We'll see.
Title: Re: RMAF 2019
Post by: 30 Ounce on 6 Sep 2019, 01:26 am
I’m glad I saw this thread!  I forgot all about RMAF.  I live 30 minutes from there and it’s a lot easier to get to than downtown Denver.  Trying to work it into tomorrow or maybe Saturdays schedule.
Title: Re: RMAF 2019
Post by: dB Cooper on 6 Sep 2019, 02:42 am
RMAF's move to the new hotel has come with significant price increases for exhibitors. Enough to price smaller companies and dealers out of RMAF. My passion is for high value systems, which I define as each component costs a few hundred to a couple of thousand dollars. I have noticed in the AXPONA 2019 coverage the tilt is to the five and six figure price range and fear RMAF with higher exhibit costs is headed in the same direction. Pragmatically the transition of the high-end from local dealers to regional, national, and international HiFi shows as a primary opportunity to present to clients does pressure component prices to cover exhibition costs.

Removing my manufacturer's hat speaking as a passionate audiophile of course attending RMAF would be fun, fun, fun.

All of the above seems also to apply to Capital Audiofest as well (and probably other shows too). I did some calculations at that show few years ago (2016 IIRC) based on handout sheets and show reports in the 'usual suspect' hi-end magazines. Taking out the most affordable room (Odyssey) and the most expensive ($220K for a pair of KEFs that looked like giant shampoo bottles)(I didn't bother adding up the rest of that room), the mean price of the systems I had data onexcluding the boutique cabling and racking was $58,000. They used to advertise that they had 'budget' systems too, but those have virtually disappeared. I am almost certain to skip this year's show. I left last year after 2-1/2 hours because there are no $58K audio systems in my foreseeable future. I don't expect this year's show (or next) to be any different.
 
As a result of this, there is no 'new generation' coming along to replace us 'old lions'. There are young people interested in audio, but when they come to a show, only to be told (by implication and sometimes straight out) that they need to spend a few grand just to plug in their gear, they move on to other pursuits.
Title: Re: RMAF 2019
Post by: mtrot on 6 Sep 2019, 02:57 am
I'll be there all three days.  I'll arrive Friday around 11 or 12.  I really want to hit the Audio Solutions room and get a listen to those speakers.

BTW, there will be a number of entry level rooms at RMAF, with system prices ranging from $1,000 to $5,000. 
Title: Re: RMAF 2019
Post by: rbbert on 6 Sep 2019, 03:18 am
I think a lot of the younger crowd head first for the headphone area anyway, much of which is certainly "affordable".
Title: Re: RMAF 2019
Post by: mgalusha on 6 Sep 2019, 03:46 am
Today was press and industry day, many folks still getting set up.

The new venue is freakin' huge, wear comfortable shoes, really. That said, it's a beautiful hotel but they (the hotel) want your money. Parking is obscene at $29/day. If you're local, either carpool or take a Lyft or Uber. If you do park, be sure to get your discount parking sticker from the registration desk, that knocks $11/day off the price, still excessive but less so.

For affordable stuff, visit the HiFiGuides room on the 9th floor. These guys are not selling anything, they did a go fund me to bring a ton of affordable gear simply to show that it's possible to get decent sound without spending a ton. Cool guys, and how often do you see a 25 year old with a triode tattooed on his arm. Of course lots of head phones and amps but also about a half dozen speakers as well.

Title: Re: RMAF 2019
Post by: jtwrace on 6 Sep 2019, 12:13 pm
That said, it's a beautiful hotel but they (the hotel) want your money. Parking is obscene at $29/day. If you're local, either carpool or take a Lyft or Uber. If you do park, be sure to get your discount parking sticker from the registration desk, that knocks $11/day off the price, still excessive but less so.
That's exactly why I won't go.  Marjorie totally blew it on this venue just like Axpona did. 
Title: Re: RMAF 2019
Post by: dminches on 6 Sep 2019, 12:53 pm
That's exactly why I won't go.  Marjorie totally blew it on this venue just like Axpona did.

How did Axpona blow it?  The current venue is significantly better than the one near O’Hare.  The hotel is better.  The food options are better.  There is a lot more space at the Renaissance.
 
Title: Re: RMAF 2019
Post by: rbbert on 6 Sep 2019, 02:01 pm
How did Axpona blow it?  The current venue is significantly better than the one near O’Hare.  The hotel is better.  The food options are better.  There is a lot more space at the Renaissance.
 

As the saying goes, you get what you pay for.  Look at Munich, by most accounts the premier hifi show in the world for both exhibitors and attendees; it is anything but affordable, yet somehow few are complaining.
Title: Re: RMAF 2019
Post by: jriggy on 6 Sep 2019, 04:28 pm
I’m glad I saw this thread!  I forgot all about RMAF.  I live 30 minutes from there and it’s a lot easier to get to than downtown Denver.  Trying to work it into tomorrow or maybe Saturdays schedule.

Glad I’m not the only one. It seems like it has popped up out of nowhere, with no ads or banners on the sites, no ‘build up’ around here, barely a mention until now. And seems like most of the usual AC manufacturers either are not attending or haven’t bothered to mention it this year. Weird. Is it dying? I’ve heard rumbles.
Title: Re: RMAF 2019
Post by: dB Cooper on 6 Sep 2019, 05:56 pm
I think a lot of the younger crowd head first for the headphone area anyway, much of which is certainly "affordable".

Agreed. Glad they have one. Capital Audiofest has seen fit to largely ignore headphones for the second year in a row, which I think is a big mistake, especially when they claim to be seeking to attract a younger demographic. Woo Audio (normally a regular) isn't even coming this year.
Title: Re: RMAF 2019
Post by: richidoo on 6 Sep 2019, 06:52 pm
As the saying goes, you get what you pay for.  Look at Munich, by most accounts the premier hifi show in the world for both exhibitors and attendees; it is anything but affordable, yet somehow few are complaining.

My wife attended a conference at the gaylord resort about a month ago. She thought it was great, and a decent value for a luxury hotel.

My RMAF trips in 2006-2008 cost around $1000. It would have cost me about $1200 this time.
Title: Re: RMAF 2019
Post by: sounddog on 6 Sep 2019, 09:27 pm
Early this year, a dealer told me RMAF had doubled the fee charged to exhibitors. If true, I’m sure that contributes to the decrease in exhibitors this year. Glad I went to Axpona instead.
Title: Re: RMAF 2019
Post by: targa02 on 6 Sep 2019, 09:47 pm
I heard the same thing from an exhibitor.  It will be interesting to see the turn out.  I usually go, but too many irons in the fire this year.
Title: Re: RMAF 2019
Post by: SoCalWJS on 6 Sep 2019, 10:07 pm
My wife attended a conference at the gaylord resort about a month ago. She thought it was great, and a decent value for a luxury hotel.

My RMAF trips in 2006-2008 cost around $1000. It would have cost me about $1200 this time.
Interesting numbers. I used to stay 4-5 nights at around $100/night. Usually spent a couple hundred each on food and a flight. Right around $1k guaranteed (plus anything I bought or ordered   :green:)

Now over $200/night. Food more expensive. Parking FAR more expensive (free previously at Hotel I stayed at - walking distance to venue). Looks like over $2k right off the bat by my calculations.

I gotta hope the SoCal T.H.E. SHOW continues to do well. Cheaper. Closer. Not as many AC vendors (but that's dropped off at RMAF as well).
Title: Re: RMAF 2019
Post by: S Clark on 7 Sep 2019, 01:58 am
Part of my lack of interest is the gouging at the Gaylord Hotel chain.  Sorry, just too cheap to blow that kind of money to look at gear that I'm very unlikely to buy. 
Title: Re: RMAF 2019
Post by: twitch54 on 7 Sep 2019, 05:37 pm
Part of my lack of interest is the gouging at the Gaylord Hotel chain.  Sorry, just too cheap to blow that kind of money to look at gear that I'm very unlikely to buy.

agreed, attended a convention last year at the Gaylord in Nashville, what dump for what you paid, not to mention lousy food.

As for Denver and RMAF , $29 to park, come on it's not Manhattan !
Title: Re: RMAF 2019
Post by: jsalk on 7 Sep 2019, 07:22 pm
For many of the reasons listed above, we were considering skipping RMAF this year.  Glad we didn't.  Not that there weren't challenges.  This place is HUGE!!!  We were only allowed to unload at Freight Dock 11.  It was about a half mile from our demo room. 

Rates for the rooms went way up this year.  Parking is expensive.  But the crowds came anyway. Traffic seems better than the past few years.  We constantly have people waiting outside our room to get in.

There plenty of lower priced hotels close by.  And some of them will shuttle attendees to the show so they don't have to pay for parking.

All in all, although RMAF's stature as one of the premiere audio shows has slipped a bit in recent years, based on our experiences so far, I think the change in venues will help them regain their reputation.

- Jim
Title: Re: RMAF 2019
Post by: 30 Ounce on 8 Sep 2019, 12:01 am
Just got back from RMAF...i am glad I went!  Lots of very cool stuff to see and hear.  My son got a new pair of headphones, the wife got some skin care stuff and I got confirmation that what I got at home is pretty badass! 
Title: Re: RMAF 2019
Post by: bh5280 on 8 Sep 2019, 12:12 am
I was at the show today (Saturday), have been to this venue before so knew it was HUGE.

For me it felt like an upgrade from the old location.

A couple of highlights, we got a seriously impactful demo of the Kronos Turntable where he did an A/B turning off the opposing platter, the drop in bass was undeniable and incredible to hear, and it just sounded smeared in comparison. Really makes the technology design evident.

A second (favorit)e was the talk and demo of the Børresen 01 speakers. Just hanging out listening to Lars Kristensen was time well spent, hearing those speakers fill up that large space was pretty impressive too.

Yeah, parking cost was painful, but all in all, enjoyed it more than years past at DTC.
Title: Re: RMAF 2019
Post by: witchdoctor on 8 Sep 2019, 02:02 pm
For many of the reasons listed above, we were considering skipping RMAF this year.  Glad we didn't.  Not that there weren't challenges.  This place is HUGE!!!  We were only allowed to unload at Freight Dock 11.  It was about a half mile from our demo room. 

Rates for the rooms went way up this year.  Parking is expensive.  But the crowds came anyway. Traffic seems better than the past few years.  We constantly have people waiting outside our room to get in.

There plenty of lower priced hotels close by.  And some of them will shuttle attendees to the show so they don't have to pay for parking.

All in all, although RMAF's stature as one of the premiere audio shows has slipped a bit in recent years, based on our experiences so far, I think the change in venues will help them regain their reputation.

- Jim

It's like they rebranded the whole show and decided to go upscale. Let's face it, a luxury venue is the right way to present luxury audio and home theater.
Title: Re: RMAF 2019
Post by: AvsFan on 9 Sep 2019, 03:31 pm
For many of the reasons listed above, we were considering skipping RMAF this year.  Glad we didn't.  Not that there weren't challenges.  This place is HUGE!!!  We were only allowed to unload at Freight Dock 11.  It was about a half mile from our demo room. 

Rates for the rooms went way up this year.  Parking is expensive.  But the crowds came anyway. Traffic seems better than the past few years.  We constantly have people waiting outside our room to get in.

There plenty of lower priced hotels close by.  And some of them will shuttle attendees to the show so they don't have to pay for parking.

All in all, although RMAF's stature as one of the premiere audio shows has slipped a bit in recent years, based on our experiences so far, I think the change in venues will help them regain their reputation.

- Jim

I parked right next to your trailer!  :D Always get excited to see your room!


(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=198540)



Title: Re: RMAF 2019
Post by: AvsFan on 9 Sep 2019, 03:35 pm
Just got back from RMAF...i am glad I went!  Lots of very cool stuff to see and hear.  My son got a new pair of headphones, the wife got some skin care stuff and I got confirmation that what I got at home is pretty badass!

What do you have at home?

I got confirmation that I need to work on things. LOL  :D

It was that Alsyvox room that ruined it for me! I played the same tracks on my Maggie's at home and although the Maggie's souded great, the Alsyvox planar's blew them away! They're also $87,000 speakers!!!
Title: Re: RMAF 2019
Post by: Tyson on 9 Sep 2019, 04:08 pm
I talked to some of the volunteers at the show and attendance was WAY up over past years.  So much so, that they ran out of booklets and handouts for people attending the show.  I don't think that's ever happened before, in the history of RMAF.

For myself, as a show attendee, the fact that everything was spread out was great because you didn't have vendors bleeding sound into each others' rooms nearly as much. 

And the "big rig" rooms finally had enough space to breath and really do their thing.

It was that Alsyvox room that ruined it for me! I played the same tracks on my Maggie's at home and although the Maggie's souded great, the Alsyvox planar's blew them away! They're also $87,000 speakers!!!

The Alsyvox planar speakers were also dead sexy works of art.  The fit and finish on those speakers was just incredible.  Those are speakers that you would never, ever want to shove up against a wall, because they are so damn beautiful.
Title: Re: RMAF 2019
Post by: SnowPuppy77 on 9 Sep 2019, 04:40 pm
agreed, attended a convention last year at the Gaylord in Nashville, what dump for what you paid, not to mention lousy food.

As for Denver and RMAF , $29 to park, come on it's not Manhattan !

Actually for those registered for RMAF parking was $18/day.  The new venue for RMAF is a significant upgrade.  Rooms sounded much better.  They were more spread out so there was much less sound bleed.  Much more variety in room types.  At least inside the hotel there are more food options and the food was very good.  A little expensive but reasonable for a resort.  Breakfast was excellent but will cost you anywhere from 14 to 30 bucks depending on what you get.  At least it was good food and good coffee.  It was lots of fun.  Time flew by so fast.
Title: Re: RMAF 2019
Post by: 30 Ounce on 9 Sep 2019, 05:05 pm
What do you have at home?

I got confirmation that I need to work on things. LOL  :D

It was that Alsyvox room that ruined it for me! I played the same tracks on my Maggie's at home and although the Maggie's souded great, the Alsyvox planar's blew them away! They're also $87,000 speakers!!!

Nothing outrageous but it is very well setup.  Nothing at the show had imaging and balance like I have at home.  Setup is B&W Signature 805’s connected to Bob Latino M125 monoblocks with a bi run of XLO Reference 5. Then a Don Sachs (recently replaced my Audio Research) fully upgraded preamp is connected with Kimber Hereo and the source is Matrix Audio X SABRE PRO MQA streaming Tidal and Quboz.  Also have a Toshiba SD9200 DVD Audio player.  The second output of the preamp goes to a Behringer parametric EQ then to a Velodyne HGS 15 sub.  Everything is plugged into Monster Power HTPS 7000 which is plugged into Monster Power AVS 2000 voltage stabilizer which is plugged into a dedicated 20 circuit.  All setup with REW and calibrated Behringer measuring mic.  I’m moving soon and am going yo miss this room because it was built for the stereo.

The Alsyvox’s were pretty awesome!  I also have Martin Logan CLS II that I need to have freshened up...my daughter decided to help clean one day and electrostats and windex don’t go together...
Title: Re: RMAF 2019
Post by: AvsFan on 9 Sep 2019, 10:38 pm
I talked to some of the volunteers at the show and attendance was WAY up over past years.  So much so, that they ran out of booklets and handouts for people attending the show.  I don't think that's ever happened before, in the history of RMAF.

For myself, as a show attendee, the fact that everything was spread out was great because you didn't have vendors bleeding sound into each others' rooms nearly as much. 

And the "big rig" rooms finally had enough space to breath and really do their thing.

The Alsyvox planar speakers were also dead sexy works of art.  The fit and finish on those speakers was just incredible.  Those are speakers that you would never, ever want to shove up against a wall, because they are so damn beautiful.


Simply incredible on all levels. If I were wealthy, these would be the speakers I would own. LOVED them!

Title: Re: RMAF 2019
Post by: seadogs1 on 11 Sep 2019, 01:15 pm
to all those that attended the 2019 RMAF, did anyone get to hear the PS Audio AN3 loudspeakers or the Kii 3 loudspeakers? If you did what are your opinions? Any suggestions for better choices for either the passive AN3 or the active Kii? Thanks!
Title: Re: RMAF 2019
Post by: Tyson on 11 Sep 2019, 05:10 pm
to all those that attended the 2019 RMAF, did anyone get to hear the PS Audio AN3 loudspeakers or the Kii 3 loudspeakers? If you did what are your opinions? Any suggestions for better choices for either the passive AN3 or the active Kii? Thanks!

I heard the Kii 3.  With their bass towers, they definitely sounded better than the Kii room last year.  Good but not great sound.  Good bass and dynamics, but not as open or musical in the mids/highs as I'd want, especially if I was dropping $14k on them. 

Here's a funny observation.  I go into every room and I never know the price of anything when I walk in.  So I get a sense for the sound of the room without the bias that cost can bring into the equation.  For the Kii room, I thought they were actually a lot cheaper than $14k.  In fact I assumed they probably cost around $2500-$3500, and I was like, "meh, not bad for $3k".  Now that I see they are $14k, hell no.  IMO and all that of course!
Title: Re: RMAF 2019
Post by: SnowPuppy77 on 11 Sep 2019, 10:35 pm
to all those that attended the 2019 RMAF, did anyone get to hear the PS Audio AN3 loudspeakers or the Kii 3 loudspeakers? If you did what are your opinions? Any suggestions for better choices for either the passive AN3 or the active Kii? Thanks!

Yes my Dad and I did hear the PS Audio AN3 speakers.  They sounded good at first but did not wow me.  No sonic nasties to be heard on the vinyl demos.  No apparent fatigue.  However as the listening continued I found it difficult to pull away from the session.  Turns out that I really enjoyed that system including the speakers.  The AN3 looks very attractive in person.
Title: Re: RMAF 2019
Post by: mtrot on 29 Sep 2019, 04:18 am
I'll be there!  I told myself I would only attend RMAF or AXPONA, but not both this year.  RMAF prevailed because I can scoot over to Estes Park for a few days in conjunction with RMAF, like I did last year when I met my two sons there.  I do like that there is more than one restaurant in the hotel, unlike the Tech Center, which only had that one very marginal restaurant.  And I have no desire to get into the city of Denver anyway, so the new location is fine by me.

So, I was there all three days, glad I went.  Wow, what a fantastic venue.  It was just so spacious and nicely laid out that there was no feeling of being crowded.  I really liked the Marketplace, which allowed one to get a decent bite to eat without spending big dollars in one of the three or four restaurants. 

Of the reasonably affordable rooms, I really liked the Revel and Salk setups.  The PS Audio speakers seemed to be rather polarizing, with some really liking them and believing they have great potential, while others hated them. 

(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48696603543_4e1faa4a04_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2hc9PEP)DSC_0076 (https://flic.kr/p/2hc9PEP) by MDTshots (https://www.flickr.com/photos/67568395@N04/), on Flickr
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48696604298_c37fd3685c_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2hc9PTQ)DSC_0089 (https://flic.kr/p/2hc9PTQ) by MDTshots (https://www.flickr.com/photos/67568395@N04/), on Flickr
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48694434456_2da065199b_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2hbXGSL)DSC_0062 (https://flic.kr/p/2hbXGSL) by MDTshots (https://www.flickr.com/photos/67568395@N04/), on Flickr
Title: Re: RMAF 2019
Post by: dB Cooper on 29 Sep 2019, 09:14 am
Which is which?

(I can tell the middle pic is Salk from the signage.)
Title: Re: RMAF 2019
Post by: DaveC113 on 29 Sep 2019, 02:56 pm
Revel is on the bottom.

I missed PSA but not a big fan of the mids/tweets used so probably a good thing!