Anyone going to T.H.E. Show in June at the Hilton in Costa Mesa? Coming soon. See you there!

I plan on attending since I live nearby

 

Yep, I'll be there on Saturday.

 

Picked up some "cheap" records there last time I went.....before Covid...

 

I'll be there not sure which day yet, damn work stuff keeps messing with my social life!

 

planning Sat and Sunday

 

I’m tempted to go as I haven’t gone to an audio show since before the pandemic.

 

Damn, I grew up in Corona and if I was still living there would absolutely attend and meet some of you guys! Unfortunately in Seattle now…

 

sorry to hear that. Lol
Jk man

 

Think this will make it's way to Lubbock, TX ???

 

No but I heard Waylon and WIllie were headed to Luckenbach....

 

That would be fun. It's been a super long time since I last went. It was the Stereophile show back when. I remember seeing Fabio there.

 

Maybe Saturday. Maybe.

 

Show has changed a bit from when it was Stereophile, was there last year. Anyhow will stop by Audio Note room and say Hi.

 

That’s the one on Bristol street? I’m really close bye, sounds good.

 

He certainly had an outrageously expensive and very large system.

 

Correct Bristol and the 405 approximately. Good you are close parking is $.

 

I am going on Saturday for sure.

I am not trying to disparage the organizers of T.H. E. Show, I give them loads of credit for their efforts.

But I am hoping not to be disappointed as I have been almost every year since the founder, Richard Beers died.

Pryor to 2016, T.H.E. Show was consistently at least 90 rooms, and one year (2015?), they had to extend it to the hotel next door to the main hotel (The Hilton Irvine). It used to take 2 days to cover the entire show. But since 2018, T.H.E. Show has been very small (30 rooms, with the exception of the 2019 show, which was about 80 rooms), and can be covered in half a day.

I had high hopes for 2023, since other shows in the US and the rest of the world, made almost full recoveries after covid, but it was only about 30 rooms, again. There were some great sounding rooms, but even with repeating rooms, I was done in 4 hours.

 

If anyone is interested, here is a brief history of audio shows in LA/OC since 2016.

After the founder of The Home Entertainment Show, Richard Beers, died in 2016, the remaining team that assisted in the organization and implementation of T.H.E. Show, despite attempts by the LA/OC Audio Society to communicate with them (to assist with T.H.E. Show, or possibly do a joint show), was not communicative.

SO, the LAOCAS got tired of waiting. So, to fill the void, the LAOCAS organized their own in 2017 at the Sheraton near LAX. It was a moderate success (from the vendor's view). But from attendees view, it was a good success. There were almost 100 rooms, and a very large marketplace.

With the success of 2017 behind them, they were on the path to an even better show in 2018, so they booked the 2nd weekend in June, for 2018. And with no (or minimal) communication, T.H.E. Show, books the weekend before. The LAOCAS announced their show, and booked the dates before T.H.E. Show announced and booked theirs. So, there were 2 shows booked for 2 consecutive weekends.

Then, without notice, Marine Presson, who was Richard Beers' 2nd in charge while he was still alive, and in charge of the LA Audio show, on her own, without consulting with the other members of the LAOCAS show organizers, abruptly (with only about 6 weeks to go) cancels the show. She supposedly "found" some god or another (what that has to do with organizing an audio show, is beyond me).

Why she would just not resign and let the rest of the organizers press on, is beyond me, or anyone else involved. I was in pretty close communication with one of the LAOCAS show organizers, and they were completely shocked and surprised at the cancellation.

So, that just left T.H.E Show in 2018, which was tiny. 25 rooms at most. With a tiny marketplace, with several vendors selling skin care products (if I remember correctly, there was also a time share vendor!), and only a few audio related vendors. T.H.E. Show then moved to Long Beach, with a pretty good show in 2019, maybe 80 rooms. But the last 2 have been about 30 rooms.

With the lack of success of recent T.H.E. Shows, the LAOCAS wanted to have another show, but since they didn't want to step on the toes of T.H.E. Show, they booked it for January of 2022. At the time, in the moths leading up to that date, it looked like covid was fading enough to have a relatively safe show. But there was a huge spike that winter, so the LAOCAS show was cancelled.

And, despite all other audio shows around the world, and in the US, recovering to near pre-covid size and attendance in 2023, T.H.E. Show still could only muster another 30 room show.

Many people blame the LAOCAS for the lack of success of T.H.E. Show since the debacle of 2018. But, I am at a bit of a loss to see how it was the LAOCAS' fault, for the lack of a good show in SoCal.

They were the ones who reached out to T.H.E. Show organizers in 2017/2018, with almost no communication in return. They were the ones that booked and announced their show first in 2018. They were the ones who booked their show in 2022 in January, so as not to compete with T.H.E. Show in June. They also, after they cancelled their January show, in 2022, announced on their webpage, that they supported T.H.E. Show 2023, and wished them luck.

And now again, for 2025, they scheduled their show for January, so as not to compete with T.H.E show.

https://www.chestergroup.org/the-los-angeles-audio-show-2025/24

Michael Fremer wrote this article in Stereophile, placing blame squarely on Marine Presson, where it belongs, not on the LAOCAS.

"Dazed and Confused"—LAAS Audio Show Cancelled (And Not Due to Lack of Interest!)

 

I was underwhelmed by the THE show I attended a couple years ago and was not going to attend future ones. Really, if it weren't for the fact that they are admitting military veterans for free, I probably would be there this year either.

 

Last i saw Fabio had Martin Logan and Krell stuff that was truly drool worthy.I would be super curious to what he has now.

 

I have liked the smaller shows because you can spend significantly more time to get a sense of the sound of it - and have time to go back a second time on later days to see if they improved. Quality listening over quantity - walk in take some pictures listen to one song and walk out. It's not a lot of time to impress someone especially when half the rooms are playing nonstop "Keith Don't Go" and one of Diana Krall's songs (it doesn't matter the title as they all sound the same). I mean even Margaritaville in Las Vegas plays something else once in a while.

You can sit there for 30 minutes multiple times with a show with 30 or so rooms (knowing there will probably be 5-10 you're not going to go back to).

CES was fun but it's also where I chose YG Acoustics and MBL as the two worst-sounding speakers at the show - then at a smaller show (CAS) I ranked the two rooms tied for first place in best-sounding rooms.

 

Copied from the Martin-Logan owners forum.

 

Prefer smaller shows. Big shows are always too much. One can only eat so much candy before getting sick! Smaller shows let you revisit rooms and stay longer, no stress .