The Audio Show, Leamington Spa

Will be there helping out Nick of Longdog Audio.

I haven’t either lol, dont get much of a chance to look round anyway. I’ll try and take pics of anything interesting though.

Just had a look, twenty quid on the door.

They're having a laugh really, I have to pay for the privilege of having people try to sell me stuff?

Don't mind paying for Scalford or the hire of the room at a bake-off but paying to get into a commercial show? What added value am I getting for my £20?

It's taking the piss. A fiver is about the limit.

If it was just down the road maybe I'd pay the twenty. But add the train fare on and something to eat and your looking at sixty quid.


Last show I went to was the NW Audio Show, that's in its fifth year and has always been free entry and a complimentary drink. Very posh venue too. So I don't see the need to charge, especially not so much. And if it is anything like the last show I went to... trawled round all the rooms, finally got to one where I was thinking 'This is almost as good as what I've got.' The speakers alone were twelve grand. Just the speaker cables cost more than my entire system. And yet it wasn't quite there.


There were only 2 as good as or better, Longdog and Lampizator. And Lampizator were using speakers that cost as much as my house is worth.


And btw I'm not saying my set up is that great, I've heard better at bake-offs many times. So do I want to spend £60 for that? No.

If there is then they aren't making any mention of it I saw. I suspect the way it works is the exhibitors fees cover the cost of the venue and the ticket money goes to the organizers. So it's in the interest of the organizers to get as many through the door as possible, which is also what the exhibitors want.


But the exhibitors also want a certain demographic. No point trying to flog your hundred grand system down the local market, you could do that every week for decades and not get one person walk past who could afford it, even if they wanted it.

So I guess twenty quid to get in (or fifteen of you pay in advance) also helps to separate the wheat from the chaffe. I'm chaffe, I suppose.

Hart Audio are there, that might be interesting. His stuff is way out there. www.soundandvision.com/content/hart-audio-dampw-aural-pleasure-speakers

No, different company entirely. I think they were Hart Audio Kits, then Williams-Hart or something similar. The Hart Audio bloke used to be a brief, lives on the Isle Of Wight. Opinion on his speakers seems to be dived between him being a genius or a right chancer.

That's my point, I'm paying for the privilege of being sold to. They should pay me a fiver as an incentive to attend, that would make more sense.

Then they go and hand out spare passes to exhibitors to hand out as they please. Illogical as ever.

Come and say hello Dave, if you’re still at the show, am in the Longdog room.

I would’ve liked to see a few rooms, but I think I’d need somtpething like 5e old Heathrow shows to tempt me into travelling

BTW, the tickets were free for months before the show if you booked online.