AXPONA 2022 DAY ONE VIDEO COVERAGE

(Note: This video was 'down' for a few days because of a "copyright strike": there was a small section of a 60 year old Dave Brubeck tune in the background in one room. Sony chose to "ban" the video until the section was muted. Meanwhile you'll hear "Stairway to Heaven" in the background of another room and that was permitted by the publisher, which made the correct decision to allow it and share in the video's monetization).
It was good to be back at AXPONA after a two year Covid-caused hiatus. The show wasn't as big as before, nor as well-attended but it was big enough and sufficiently well-attended for their to be plenty to see and large crowds in the rooms, hallways and elevators. Super show, but will it turn out to be a superspreader event? We'll soon find out. AnalogPlanet editor Michael Fremer having contracted Covid during his recent U.K. trip where he witnessed SME's launch of the new Model 60 turntable, arrived at AXPONA loaded with antibodies and so wasn't all that concerned. There were a few product debuts at AXPONA, notably the new Avantgarde acoustic Trio G-3 with optional i-TRON current drive power and the North American debut of Luxman's PD-151 MKII turntable featuring a brand new Luxman engineered tonearm to replace the previous JELCO arm following that company's decision to close. Kronos introduced a replacement arm for its Black Beauty, but unfortunately we missed the room and it wasn't purposeful. Stereophile sent a full crew for detailed coverage so please visit the website for that. AnalogPlanet's coverage is mostly for watching with less attention to detail you'll find on Stereophile's website. Enjoy day one's video coverage here, which of course concentrates on analog. Thumbnail is of MoFi's FenderX PrecisionDeck turntable.

[@John-Edward]

Micheal I just love your show coverage!!! The best! I feel like I’m there with you!!! So glad the shows are back!!!

[@cjay2]

Thanks Michael for the video coverage of the show.

[@jbf2858]

Great to see show coverage again from you Michael! Now we are back to abby normal. Thanks

[@donaldscheer5206]

Thank You Mike! Great As Always!

[@andrewlittleboy8532]

Great to see you back at shows and things looking very normal at long last. Absolutely love Nordost.

[@mikeross4081]

Had to laugh when Michael asked the first guy to explain what was new. Guy said 'yes' but then called Panchard to explain. He clearly didn't have a clue about anything going on there. Must be a non-technical business partner or something.

[@Universityofvinyl]

Appreciate the coverage Michael!

[@gadymarcus5297]

Welcome back thanks SIR.

[@yeti8073]

Great to see the coverage Michael, thanks for sharing. I like the choice of a Beatles Revolver tie!

[@lynnpoole7830]

Thank you so very much !

[@javierorozco410]

excelente ! thank you very much :)) ...as always , impressive the VTL components :))

[@Roscoeverdin5469]

Awesome. I enjoy your visits to these shows and what you present to your viewers.

[@Kowinaida]

And it ends with you getting pissed...! Your show videos are always the best.

[@pew32]

Yes, been waiting for this

[@chrisboudreaux73]

Thanks again Mr. Fremer for the coverage and for allowing us to come along. 👍

[@OFBCyclingWorld]

Great shot of Micheal dancing from the inside at the end!

[@bradknight2618]

Thanks for being there for us analog guys!

[@tomdaues2982]

thank you!

[@glenncurry3041]

Thanks for helping me start out my first AXPONA adventure. Thanks for taking the time for a photo together first thing Friday. Where do I send the $50? And now I can prove I was there as you caught me while panning in the JS Audio WAMM room. So much to see and hard to make real serious evaluations. But I was extremely impressed with the Joseph Audio speakers. One of the most convincing sound stages from any box speaker there! They truly did disappear. Keep up the good stuff!

[@AnalogPlanet]

yes that room was swell....but it almost always is...

[@EduardBroekman]

Thank you for the bill evans track tip - brilliant indeed.

[@rickewilde]

Gotta admit the sound in the Luxman room while you were trying to talk was pretty impressive on my headphones.

[@s.t.e.r.e.o.]

On the luxman TT did he say you could by the pd151 and up grade with the new MKII components due to the factory closing?

[@jimcoope7194]

I very much enjoyed visiting Axpona with you! Thanks for taking the camera along! Glad you didn't get into any political fist fights! Ha! ; > )

[@DAVIDGREGORYKERR]

The Dave Brubeck Time Out quintet must have been a great album that no one was allowed to hear it.

[@lildishwasher9844]

Great coverage! It was great meeting you at axpona.

[@plato801]

Interested to hear your thoughts on the new Klipsch Jubilee's.

[@zeprls]

At the end of the day, if it sounds good….. it sounds good and moves you and that’s what it’s all about. Don’t tell me that’s it’s made of unobtainium and uses 10 flux capacitors to reverse the space time recording continuum or colored lights. We love the sound, let’s leave it to that and let it speak for itself. My preference, reel to reel baby.

[@Arch007]

🤣

[@DAVIDGREGORYKERR]

The Minot Wheel is a must see and a must listen to.

[@jobos98]

Very nice video Michael. Loved it. Had to watch over & over. Put me to sleep. Lol Great audio. Great Gear..

[@velocitymj]

thank you for showing us once again, that "Synergistic Research" is a fancy name for "Snake Oil".... Did the "Tranquility Base" make a "very big difference"?😆

[@mikemcguinness1304]

Hey I agree

[@512bb]

Avantgard is the real deal & shows why it is so hard to do horns right but so worth it if you can.

[@scottwheeler2679]

I thought the Avante Garde demo sounded really bad. Imaging was reduced to a smear of mono across the middle and it was easy to hear the distinctive character of the different drivers. Poster child for incohesive sound

[@512bb]

@@scottwheeler2679 I wasn't there so can't commit but I have heard some pretty impressive Avangardes systems in the past. So hard to get great sound in show conditions so don't doubt your assessmentt in the least.

[@scottwheeler2679]

@@512bb yeah, my assessment is only in regards to that demo. And I can understand the dificulties in getting a speaker system that large to work in a room smaller than an airplane hanger. What I dont get though, generally speaking is the failure of exhibitors to even try to address room issues. I walk into these rooms and often see literally over 100K in power cords, cables, cable ****ing lifters and other assorted bullsh** and rarely do I see a single bass trap. Much less what would be needed. It should be no secret that any hotel room or hotel meeting room is going to need bass traps. Take 10% of the damned cable budget and buy bass traps! Maybe some active DSP room correction to boot? Strategically placed absorption and diffusion? Maybe bring some basic room analysis software and and some calibrated mics and measure the room/speakers and then act accordingly. It really shouldn't be that difficult in this day and age. I can do it and I am far from an expert. And what do these manufacturers expect? If they can't get their shit to sound decent in a dedicated room how do they expect us to believe we will do better in our homes? Honestly I am done giving exhibitors a free pass with the bad room excuse. Ther are a few that know what they are doing and they get great sound in these same rooms.

[@scottwheeler2679]

@@512bb By the way, That was just me ranting about exhibitors. Not aimed at you

[@512bb]

@@scottwheeler2679 Don't worry Scott, I didn't take it that way. As a matter of fact it is nice to know that I'm talking to fellow audio lover that can actually hear! I've been at it for 45 years, used to go to CES all the time & as you would be left scratching my head. Do you notice many of the best sounding rooms are the most modest. Maybe these hi end companies jost want to show off their top of the line stuff thinking the shows are filled with nothing but high rollers. I'm with you, it's madening, actually pretty disrespectful when you think about it. And the whole crazy cable thing, talk about where to spend more of your budget. Wire does make a difference but you don't need to spend 100k to get good sound as they would have you believe. There are a lot of young guys just getting into the hobby. I hope they don't end up turning them off in the end, especially when you consider they are the ones that saved the industry.

[@digggerrjones7345]

Does anybody know what the music is starting at 23:06 or 24:05???

[@vintagestereocollector3415]

They are so fanatic with all those turntable,It’s their life..

[@edd2771]

great stuff

[@analoguecity3454]

Great!

[@brucegelman5582]

The latest turntable features a gerbil on a treadmill keeping perfect speed.When it drops dead of exhaustion replace with a fresh gerbil for only 200 dollars plus shipping.

[@ceejaydeesoozaa]

7:30 wow beautiful rose gold daytona. his biz must be flourishing

[@mnobrega64]

Michael, you are like Moses! These people just open their doors for someone like you.

[@iamjezuzchrist]

Mofee? Anyway, you're a brave man, Michael!!! Thank you for wading through the hoards of the infected to show us how deep this pustulent hole goes!!!

[@jackneidinger9544]

Jesus, those big horn speakers sounded spiffy through my Kindle Fire and 20 dollar earbuds.

[@scottwheeler2679]

probably where they sounded their best. In person they sucked

[@ringwearvinyl]

Anyone knows which record is playing on 16:25?

[@DAVIDGREGORYKERR]

I love my Pro-Ject Turntable but would love to have had the REVOX B975

[@gdwlaw5549]

So manufacturers should get involved in Music production thus avoiding any blocked music streams!

[@ianmedium]

Good to hear real music played in the Klipsch room and some others rather than the Jazz Muzak one normally hears at shows. Gives me a much better idea of what it’s capable of sounding like

[@minsleyskidoo6327]

I was there it was great! My product received some great coverage. It's a very unique record cleaner. It's a toilet, and what you do is you put your vinyls into it, and when you flush it, the water runs over the vinyls and cleans the vinyls. It's a very unique way to clean vinyls. And the price for the vinyls cleaning toilet is only $15000. I received quite a few pre-orders.

[@thegrimyeaper]

Your comment hurts my very soul.. The plural of vinyl is vinyl. Not vinyls. And I'm very interested in purchasing this "toilet" product.

[@scottwheeler2679]

Sure fire formula for shit sound

[@enigmatwist6548]

What was the orangish turntable on the Klipsch stand?

[@gweflj]

Those New Trio’s with the active modules must sound outrageous. I’d take those over all the other hi-if bling garbage in this video.

[@stevematthewsnaptons5253]

what is that gorgeous turntable in the Klipsch room?

[@hurkamur1]

That's the fender edition of the mofi. You could even tell how good those speakers sound even through the pickup of Michael's camera through headphones.

[@jimf5160]

I have never cared much for horn speakers...but AvantGarde really sound great!

[@codygrayland]

Didn't the Wilson rep ask you to not touch anything?

[@OFBCyclingWorld]

Hey Mikey, can you tell me why that record clamp is no good for a Rega?

[@bryceallan523]

Low mass and high rigidity are the order of the day. - adding unnecessary mass may change it but not improve it -speaking from personal experience

[@OFBCyclingWorld]

@@bryceallan523 Thank you Bryce for your reply. I thought it may have been something to do with the mass of it hurting the bearing somehow but now you mention it, that sounds more like it for the newer Rega turntables going for the lightweight but rigid style now. I use a Groove Tracer clamp on my highly modified older Rega P3-24 and it helps to flatten some LP's for sure and the sound is fantastic, but the clamp shown in the video was much heavier.

[@rickg8015]

That’s damn sad that Jelco closed shop..

[@chrisl5156]

Thanks Michael, I was looking forward to this video; I always enjoy your walk-throughs of Axpona, etc. Just one observation. I have been an avid audio fan for more than 45 years, and yet when I hear something like that guy explaining the "grounding device", I have absolutely no idea what he's talking about. Not sure if this is because I'm a big dummy or if these audio sellers are so poor at explaining what their products do. Probably a little of both, I expect.

[@AnalogPlanet]

Wasn't a great description....I use the CAD (Computer Audio Design) ground system. www.computeraudiodesign.com The idea (too simply put) is that a lot of noise in the ground plane within components has no way "out". You connect a cable (in CAD's case it's a cable capable of carrying very high frequencies) to an unused component input and to one of CAD's heavy passive grounding blocks where the noise "drains".....it really works. The reviews are pretty much unanimous....wasn't inexpensive but I bought it.....

[@chrisl5156]

@@AnalogPlanet OK, now I understand. I will definitely look into this approach. Thanks.

[@ronaldjennings8057]

They do have a lot of good equipment too expensive for a man like me I love my records and I love my music but I guess it's made for the men that has a lot of money and don't know what to do with it will you take care of Michael just remember that virus is still out there my friend we sure think about you keeping us going with your good videos a lot of nice stuff will take care of Michael God bless🙏👍👍👍👍👍👍🎸🎷🎶

[@samflynn8750]

Conditioning the ground connection and changing the LED colour Wowo skilfully avoided that topic

[@RowanTasmanian]

Most of those dealers sound like "Telemarketers". They make a myriad of claims about their products without any scientific data. A record clamp made out of Stainless Steel and Carbon Fiber, This is complete madness. The scammers have moved from Nigeria to the land of Audiophilia.

[@grimtrigg3r]

Oh it's total snake oil, but when has marketing ever been based on scientific data? These aren't prescription drugs or vaccines, they are toys for rich people.

[@RowanTasmanian]

@def creator What such bravado you have. Your point is self defeating the moment, using your "logic" you , as the consumer have a product fail or it doesn't do what the "Dealer" said it would and then you insist on a refund. If a product is good, one should never have to resort to deceptive conduct the way the Hi Fi industry and Used Motor Vehicle etc. sell their products. It's time to grow up and have some maturity kid. Bravado is only used when Logic, Integrity and Maturity are in short supply kid.

[@ChristopherJonFerrara]

Good to hear the mention of the Nashville and Memphis record pressing expansions at 11:50

[@davidkavanagh4966]

No CROSLEY coverage this year again??

[@AnalogPlanet]

Crosley was a no show

[@DAVIDGREGORYKERR]

The New TECHNICS Digital Integrated Amplifier (SU R1000) is something I would want but I cannot as I already have a really good Surround system.

[@thegrimyeaper]

First time I've seen a "grounding device". Have always had some grounding noise with turntables, so maybe it's not as useless as it looks...

[@AnalogPlanet]

This is something very different....

[@hurkamur1]

@@AnalogPlanet I don't believe in violence, but i gotta believe if someone started talking about Schumann resonances while trying to sell me on a $10k grounding device, I'd probably want to leave the resonance of my shoe, right on their ass.

[@brucegelman5582]

Everybody wants to sell a 1,000 dollar turntable for 3,000 now.Remember that.

[@dennye3652]

About a third of the way in there's a snippet of an 'electro version of Fever? Anyone know who performs it? 👍👍

[@ener5361]

Sounds like Yello or Boris Blank.

[@dennye3652]

Didn't know they'd covered the old Peggy Lee classic?

[@DingleBerry88]

These videos being back is among my favorite things about Covid being on the decline. Not as much as less grandmas dying but it’s up there.

[@jconsolmagno]

Trust me covid is not declining. Wear your mask!

[@ThomasOwl]

Everyone dies. Children used to come first. Child suicide increased by 30% to keep old people alive a couple more weeks. Life was better when everyone died before 50. Older people = Greedier people

[@kayakuprising5914]

The grounding tech for each component is going a little far, but hey what do I know.

[@GlaciaDay]

It does make a difference even thought\ I hate to say it!

[@mikrophonie5633]

This is comedy gold. Overpriced junk made for chumps with more money than common sense. With video coverage by the Pauly Shore of the audiophool world. 🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@AnalogPlanet]

Like your KZbin channel, your skull has no content.

[@carmenandthedevil2804]

More common sense then money huh? I doubt. Jealousy's a curse but being a dumbass is worse.😵

[@sc0or]

A coil in a cartridge never works in a balanced mode. So, a score goes to Pro-ject's marketing department.

[@AnalogPlanet]

cartridges are inherently "balanced" since there's no reference to ground. Your comment is inherently wrong...

[@John2E0GTU]

It is great to have the shows back but with the same boring music choices though!

[@crazyprayingmantis5596]

That Turntable in the thumbnail looks horrible 😳

[@tritiumglo4699]

Not as well attended? People were parking in the grass....

[@revelry1969]

Everyone has to sell their systems with jazz. Play some rock and roll already!

[@ianmedium]

Or classical, anything but this ruddy audiophile jazz Muzak! Honestly, I think if it were not for HiFi Jazz would have died years ago, it’s soo boring to listen to. I have spent years trying to understand the genre but it just bores me to death!

[@scottwheeler2679]

Just because you don’t get it means there’s nothing to get. Jazz is high art in music.

[@revelry1969]

@@scottwheeler2679 blah. I like jazz too. But there is some seriously bad jazz used to sell these systems. You probably one of those guys who likes that ps audio Muzak they call jazz. Jazz is mostly good for elevators…unless you are hitting the master works

[@scottwheeler2679]

@@revelry1969 ah, yes!!! much agreed. LOL I think I have reached a point where I don't even think of that crap as actual jazz.

[@boriken395pr]

25:35 interesting...

[@Fluterra]

Steimhelm must be the worst value speaker in the high end.

[@blablabla82a]

Most of us cannot afford this stuff

[@thomascaselli6139]

Your Synergistic Research sarcasm was not lost. Schumann Resonance, Ted’s latest buzz word.

[@scottwheeler2679]

He is a sh** stain on audio

[@mondoenterprises6710]

I just went to a concert and got covid, so I'd advise folks to stay masked up in any large setting. On my 3rd day of dry mouth, hacking cough, no sleep, scratchy throat. Ugh. And I had 2 regular shots and 2 boosters.

[@scottwheeler2679]

But you are alive

[@johnbarrington2526]

Oh god….kirmuss again

[@andrewlittleboy8532]

I think he's referring to the 'Audio Desk' which apparently isn’t ultrasonic after all.

[@gotham61]

@@andrewlittleboy8532 He's cheating. The Audio Desk Systeme Glass website in only in German, so no, it doesn't say "ultrasonic" it says "ultraschallreinigung" instead.

[@twochaudiomg2578]

the man says ,,,what I understand the guys were up in age . Damn , they would fit right in this place Good place for a Gay Bar I would think

[@AnalogPlanet]

You should know.

[@terence3908]

wow they even use fish tank air pumps and air stones to clean records now LMAO. Audiofools are really easy to fool

[@scottwheeler2679]

A lot of them are

[@rickdeckard8431]

I just put a cd in and enjoy the music, these suckers listen to cables and cartridges.

[@homerjones3291]

It’s good that the hifi shows are returning but I get nothing out of listening to these hucksters do their salesman spiel.

[@dilbyjones]

it's cool. I have no ill will twords ANY of these FINE ppl. With attitude like that we would have NO R&D

[@lorigetz4489]

Ok Debbie Downer

[@homerjones3291]

@@dilbyjones There is no R and D; the only real money is spent in the marketing department. Why hasn’t the speaker evolved much over the past several decades, where you still have some magnetic force causing a cone or membrane to move back and forth. Why do decades-old tube units command such high prices - does anyone pay top dollar for old flip-phones? Why, after all this time, do we still use cartridges on pivoted tonearms to read our analog records, for which you can find many to argue that records sound better than the finest digital offerings? Why do we still insist on passing audio signals through various multiple wires? No, I argue we haven’t progressed very far in audio technology at all, and these company reps blather on about their “innovated” product/process when they’ve done nothing of the kind.

[@witchred9333]

All you have done is demonstrate your ignorance and paraded it as if it was some insider info.

[@scottwheeler2679]

Seriously? Speakers haven’t “evolved” in 4 decades? Nothing could be farther from the truth.

[@gilbertwashburn7095]

Bad ground box is hokey snake oil

[@AnalogPlanet]

Not really!

[@brucegelman5582]

Time to get out the shovel and wheelbarrow again.....🙄

[@jhuc2869]

It’s absurd deploying all this engineering to replay an obsolete stamped plastic disc that cost no more than a few pence to make.

[@AnalogPlanet]

Do you go to barbecue sites as a vegetarian and post similar bullshit?

[@jhuc2869]

@@AnalogPlanet Bullshit? I can only see one bullshit and that is boutique high end audio. Sadly higher res formats have been tried and failed commercially, mainly due to the gear capable of exploiting their performance being too expensive for the average consumer. Hopefully class d and dsp will nullify this and I look forward to streaming and playing a far superior sound to someone with their plastic discs and ridiculous lumps of machined steel/aluminium that they think impress their pals - ooh look it goes round perfectly at 33 1/3 rpm - the pinnacle of 21st century acheivement (but more importantly it cost 50 grand)! If the hobby is to survive in any meaningful way its adherents need to start promoting the future and not this obsolete elitist nonesense. The alternative is withering away in some technological backwater while being surpassed in performance by mainstream, democratic tech. I can’t wait.

[@ecyfoto]

I think that LP dealer quoting you prices for those two box sets was high on crack. Embarrassing.

[@kurtzcol]

there all on crack at the show

[@greencraig8570]

Glad to see all those old white guys survived the pandemic.

[@thegrimyeaper]

We can't all be green like you, Craig.

[@homerjones3291]

Yep, they’re still around because they’re always at estate sales hip-checking old ladies out of their way to get to the records.

[@gotham61]

While age is a COVID risk factor, I'm pretty sure that race and gender aren't.

[@petekutheis3822]

SR b cr^p= UNREAL TRUE! lol

[@jackfrost838]

Avantguard guy's comments are so incorrect. The current WILL be blocked /controlled by the crossover. He needs to go back to school and learn basic voltage /current theory. I have never heard so much rot .

[@bitcomet51468]

It uses active crossover so the signal frequency first divided by active xover then goes to i-tron amp section which convert it to current and then goes directly to voice coils without any filter

[@cseresznyessandor237]

it a great hocus posus good for nothing

[@AnalogPlanet]

get out the box of tissues and have at it..

[@matiasss550]

Seriously... who buy this stuff?

[@fickfehler3866]

Every product rep has their own hocus pocus snake oil philosophy to secure sales. And the audiophiles gobble it up !

[@scottwheeler2679]

“Every?”

[@AnalogPlanet]

aren't you the smart one.

[@scottwheeler2679]

@@AnalogPlanet I just like to seperate the baby from the bath water before tossing it out. There is a lot of bullshit in audio but certainly not all of it is bullshit

[@705johnnyboy]

mask on for me until its over

[@andrewlittleboy8532]

😶🙄🙄

[@mikechivy]

Looks like you’ll be wearing a mask for the next 50 years. Have fun bud

[@705johnnyboy]

@@mikechivy awesome im going to lve to 108 ,moe time for hifi....

[@allesLuege..]

🙄🧐so so Wodka...😏

[@philipw7058]

I have used a lot of synergistic products over the years and all I can say is overpriced snake oil,quality builds but ripoff electronics 👎🏼

[@mahasidha9]

Shitty that Mr. Josephs hijacked your camera; is he afraid that the microphone would not do his speakers justice? Seems wildly insecure as you use the same camera for all the rooms & this is far from his first rodeo; despite all the raves for his work that action does not reflect well upon him; quite different than we he was starting out welcoming everyone into his tiny room back in the day. Clearly he did not care; if this is how he treats someone with clout in the community, what could a customer expect should an issue arise after a purchase? Seems like a show first; in the worst sense; watching a silent film of an audio room! Well done Mr. Josephs; not!

[@JohnLee-db9zt]

Wow, this is the largest number of old white guys I’ve seen in one place.

[@AnalogPlanet]

You need to visit The Villages in Florida

[@scottwheeler2679]

Go prog rock concert

[@JohnLee-db9zt]

@@scottwheeler2679 I have no interest in that.

[@jconsolmagno]

Are you able to identify the people not wearing masks? I would like them to be exiled from society.

[@jowblow2171]

I think you my friend will be wearing a face diaper for the rest of your chicken shit ass life.

[@albertomarino242]

Yes its wonderful people can exist without socialist having an abundance of control , in this case society can actually live and conduct life normally without completely abnormal regulation…

[@AnalogPlanet]

Science isn’t socialism

[@mbankslje0nk]

Maga morons still feeling compelled to show their ignorance! 😁 Bubba some things never change ! 😉

[@craigaust3306]

Ridiculous