• WANTED: Happy members who like to discuss audio and other topics related to our interest. Desire to learn and share knowledge of science required. There are many reviews of audio hardware and expert members to help answer your questions. Click here to have your audio equipment measured for free!

ASR-style Setup at Audio Show

FrantzM

Major Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Mar 12, 2016
Messages
4,337
Likes
7,731
Hi

I am interested in this idea. Can we define a budget for components? Some boundaries.. Say $1000, $2000. Room volume would have to be considered. Protocols> Are the items covered or not, etc? No room treatment except for regular, can-be-purchased-at-Walmart or Home Depot drapes ..
I'll play :)
2 x JBL LSR308 $550.oo
2 x Dayton Audio SUB1500 $550.oo
1 x miniDSP Flex $600.oo
Raspberry Pi3 streamer $100.oo (?)
Speaker Stands $75.oo
Cables $100.00

Some knowledgeable persons to set-up the system with REW, MSO and Dirac.
Total: Less than $2000.oo, for a very good audio system that will wipe the floor with many HEA systems in the show, costing from twice to 10 times and beyond...

Peace.
 

Mart68

Major Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Mar 22, 2021
Messages
2,609
Likes
4,861
Location
England
I'd go along with that, only trouble is the cost to exhibit in a room at Axpona is $4250 so added to the cost of the system and it starts to look like an expensive day out.

 

MakeMineVinyl

Major Contributor
Joined
Jun 5, 2020
Messages
3,558
Likes
5,871
Location
Santa Fe, NM
In my will, I have designated friends to liquidate the above - my fear is that the wife would sell things for what she thinks I paid:facepalm:
A depressing thought is the image of all one's gear on eBay after you're gone. :(
 
OP
F

FishInLA

Member
Joined
Aug 12, 2021
Messages
28
Likes
22
I'd go along with that, only trouble is the cost to exhibit in a room at Axpona is $4250 so added to the cost of the system and it starts to look like an expensive day out.

This is a really great point. I wonder if the shows would grant a discount of any kind to non-commercial exhibitors? Probably wishful thinking on my part.

Still, even at that high price split among 20 volunteers/donors it'd be almost doable...
 

FrantzM

Major Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Mar 12, 2016
Messages
4,337
Likes
7,731
I'd go along with that, only trouble is the cost to exhibit in a room at Axpona is $4250 so added to the cost of the system and it starts to look like an expensive day out.

Some of the money can be recouped, the system can re-sold at cost/price... So we could remove it, still $4250 is stiff. Is it for the entire show? We could fund it.. or I believe we could...;) ... An interesting to bring more people to the fold.
This needs further consideration.

Peace.
 

Tom C

Major Contributor
Joined
Jun 16, 2019
Messages
1,501
Likes
1,370
Location
Wisconsin, USA
It would help if we just used gear already owned by members. Then the gear part would just be a loan for several days from each individual. That would allow for having different kinds of gear for A/B comparison, even.
 
OP
F

FishInLA

Member
Joined
Aug 12, 2021
Messages
28
Likes
22
It would help if we just used gear already owned by members. Then the gear part would just be a loan for several days from each individual. That would allow for having different kinds of gear for A/B comparison, even.
Yes, I was imagining/hoping that most equipment would be loaned by the participants.

My wishlist would look something like this: a very classy looking room, so as not to tip off visitors that it is in fact a low-budget system. Electronics in a rack with a door, so they can be revealed at the end. Room treatments either DIY or along the lines of what you can get from GIK Acoustics or similar; to be functional but also aesthetically pleasing. Obligatory fake plants (the real secret to audiophile-quality sound at a show, or so it seems). Speakers visible, but subs hidden, as I want the integration so good that people don't realize there are subs involved, and thus surprised at the reveal. My proposed setup would be something like:

Midlist Denon AVR, 3700 or 6700 running Audyssey XT32
iPad running Apple Music as the source to Airplay to the Denon
Revel F208 speakers
Rythmik F12 subs or similar, either 2 or 4 depending on room size and seating layout
MiniDSP Flex running MSO
Turntable for guests to spin records if they so desire (Rega? Technics? Pro-Ject?)

Most important would be a skilled calibrator with ample time to do the calibration, especially the sub integration.
 

iMickey503

Senior Member
Forum Donor
Joined
Jul 19, 2021
Messages
405
Likes
659
Location
United States PDX
With all those empty buildings in places all around, you would think getting a venue for something like this would be dirt cheap.
I know that a lot of hotels don't have a lot of traffic these days so it might be really cheap to buy few rooms at a discount ahead of time in the off season, and that would lower costs.

Also, there seems to be a lot of Vacant spaces for rent. Might be a boon to a realtor to showcase the space and have a event there. Might be good for both parties.
 
OP
F

FishInLA

Member
Joined
Aug 12, 2021
Messages
28
Likes
22
Not to mention the approach road to the hotel had warning signs along it advising that a sinkhole might open up and swallow your car...

Their new venue is just a ten minute walk from my house, which is handy.

I think you actually did show what could be described as an 'ASR style set-up'.

It's a good idea, although you'll still never convince the die-hards.
Thanks to you all for describing the Scalford show, which sounds delightful (and the hotel seems very charming). I may have to plot a trip out there for the new version some year.
 

ahofer

Major Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Jun 3, 2019
Messages
4,952
Likes
8,698
Location
New York City
Personally I’d like to see a blind test room, where you can swap in your DAC or cables and ABX. Prize for those who are successful.

Imagine the dirty looks from the snake-oil vendors and Fremers (Bet he wouldn’t come and try to repeat his purported success)
 
OP
F

FishInLA

Member
Joined
Aug 12, 2021
Messages
28
Likes
22
Personally I’d like to see a blind test room, where you can swap in your DAC or cables and ABX. Prize for those who are successful.

Imagine the dirty looks from the snake-oil vendors and Fremers (Bet he wouldn’t come and try to repeat his purported success)

As much as I would love to see that (also a blind test for people to see if they can hear the difference between hi-res, Red Book and AAC files of the same master), I think in the context of one of the mainstream shows it'd be in poor form. Showing that "the ASR way" can make for an incredibly good-sounding room is one thing; implicitly attacking other vendors at the same show would likely be frowned upon by the organizers.
 

DownUnderGazza

Active Member
Forum Donor
Joined
Jul 28, 2018
Messages
130
Likes
301
Location
New Zealand
I love the idea of a ‘modest’ cost objectivist system that sounds amazing. That alone would be threatening to subjectivist exhibitors.
A true double blind ABX type display to the side would be inline with ASR principles and would not be a direct attack on others. Say an ipad plus transparent DAC and amp with AAC, Lossless and HiRez playing and BYO headphones?
 

iMickey503

Senior Member
Forum Donor
Joined
Jul 19, 2021
Messages
405
Likes
659
Location
United States PDX
I love the idea of a ‘modest’ cost objectivist system that sounds amazing. That alone would be threatening to subjectivist exhibitors.
Then don't invite them.
How much extra gear do you have around? I have lots. Maybe just bring in what you got.

Also the rooms would only be about 100 bucks if purchased in advance.
Best western had nice rooms and looks pretty nice. But I've seen prices on these rooms go for $50 bucks if you use a corporate card program like when I was on the road.
1647841255192.png


That's more then enough room to showcase an audio setup for a day.

And I think a theme of of rooms at $500, 1000, 1500, and $2000 would be the way to go.

Also, a lot of community colleges are empty these day. Evergreen I think is almost out of bussiness. So they should have plenty of rooms. Also, up the street from me, there is Concordia University and they shut down but the facilities are still nice and all the rooms are still there including the dormitories.

The whole place is closed. so this would make a great spot for a meet up if we can contact them
maxresdefault.jpg

And they have a Bunch of dormitories on site that the students use to live in. And this would be easy to set up systems in.

I'm pretty sure we could clean up after ourselves, and it would not be that much of an issue.
And the cost of doing something like this there would be very low for the weekend.

Plenty of access to power and outlets. Also small rooms. This photo above is of the Library.
And there is a TON of parking.

Also"
EDUCATION

Neighbors react to U of O facility opening on former Concordia University campus​

The University of Oregon plans to open the Ballmer Institute for Children's Behavioral Health at the old Concordia University campus in Northeast Portland

07d515c8-1e30-4f24-8c6e-d3955f383a4e_1920x1080.jpg






00:0000:00









Author: Tim Gordon
Published: 5:19 PM PST March 5, 2022
Updated: 5:39 PM PST March 5, 2022
Facebook Twitter
PORTLAND, Ore. — It's been just over two years since the sudden and dramatic closure of Concordia University in Northeast Portland.
Since then, the campus has sat dormant while some legal drama played out involving the Lutheran church's handling of the shutdown.
With a sale pending, the campus will reopen as soon as next fall as the University of Oregon’s Ballmer Institute for Children's Behavioral Health. The institute is opening thanks to a $425 million donation from former Microsoft executive Steve Ballmer and his wife Connie.


Amir use to work for Microsoft. Maybe this would work out really well?
 
OP
F

FishInLA

Member
Joined
Aug 12, 2021
Messages
28
Likes
22
Then don't invite them.
How much extra gear do you have around? I have lots. Maybe just bring in what you got.

Also the rooms would only be about 100 bucks if purchased in advance.
Best western had nice rooms and looks pretty nice. But I've seen prices on these rooms go for $50 bucks if you use a corporate card program like when I was on the road.
The original idea was to attend one of the mainstream shows (T.H.E. Show, AXPONA etc), taking out a suite as if we were a show exhibitor. I enjoy going to those shows anyway (snake oil notwithstanding), plus we'd have an opportunity to do outreach to other show attendees who are perhaps not familiar with the ASR-style approach.

Your idea of essentially mounting our own little audio show somewhere in a hotel or college campus also sounds like fun! Or perhaps we could organize an ASR Cruise...

Back to the OP, I guess a good first step would be to gauge numbers on how many people would be interested in such a thing, and at what show. I'm in Southern California and so T.H.E. Show is the easy one for me to get to.
 

iMickey503

Senior Member
Forum Donor
Joined
Jul 19, 2021
Messages
405
Likes
659
Location
United States PDX
These are the systems I most enjoy. There is something about getting a system together for the price of 2 tickets to a movie theater.
It's exciting to me.

Can you describe what's in this $100 system? It has my interest.
 

Willem

Major Contributor
Joined
Jan 8, 2019
Messages
3,658
Likes
5,276
Personally I’d like to see a blind test room, where you can swap in your DAC or cables and ABX. Prize for those who are successful.

Imagine the dirty looks from the snake-oil vendors and Fremers (Bet he wouldn’t come and try to repeat his purported success)
I remember a show in Cambridge UK, many years ago, where Quad's Peter Walker demonstrated a blind setup where you could try to identify his three amplifier designs, the early Quad II tube one, his Quad 303 and his Quad 405. He had great fun showing that nobody could identify them reliably.
 

ahofer

Major Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Jun 3, 2019
Messages
4,952
Likes
8,698
Location
New York City
As much as I would love to see that (also a blind test for people to see if they can hear the difference between hi-res, Red Book and AAC files of the same master), I think in the context of one of the mainstream shows it'd be in poor form. Showing that "the ASR way" can make for an incredibly good-sounding room is one thing; implicitly attacking other vendors at the same show would likely be frowned upon by the organizers.
Sadly true, I suspect. Same reason there’s so little of it in advertising-driven high-end media.
 

sergeauckland

Major Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Mar 16, 2016
Messages
3,440
Likes
9,100
Location
Suffolk UK
I remember a show in Cambridge UK, many years ago, where Quad's Peter Walker demonstrated a blind setup where you could try to identify his three amplifier designs, the early Quad II tube one, his Quad 303 and his Quad 405. He had great fun showing that nobody could identify them reliably.
Peter Walker commissioned James Moir & Associates to run blind tests involving various luminaries from the HiFi industry, using the Quad II (2 of them bridged), the 303 and 405. Results statistically analysed showed no better than guessing as to which was which.

At the Scalford show, Pluto of this parish demonstrated how bit depth and dither could make even 12 bit audio indistinguishable from 24 bit, with the exception of noise just noticeable between tracks. Of course we were accused of cheating when the Golden Ears brigade who thought even 24/96 was barely acceptable couldn't hear the difference!
We even went down to 8 bit, although at that point, even old Cloth-Ears (me!) could hear the difference.

S.
 
Top Bottom