WARSAW AUDIO SHOW 2017 – PREVIEW [English]

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Athens Pro Audio

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Aphrodite’s Vision

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Videorythmos

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Sound Gallery Of Athens

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Obscure Audio

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ΗΧΟΔΟΜΗ

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Audio Vision Art

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Chameleon Audio

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Golden Acoustics

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Exclusive Audio

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THE WARSAW AUDIO SHOW was a total success. Period:

• Attendance was so high, it proved that the Polish are forever young, despite their history and problems, they are very music oriented and on the right path.
• They know they cannot compare to any Munich show, but in many ways it was better when it came to people and having fun. We had so much fun that the money we spent going there was worth it in entertainment itself. Not to mention the products.
• The Polish people ARE VERY cordial and well mannered. I was shocked.
• The amount of rooms that existed had everything, from the worst I have seen to the BEST I have heard in my entire life. That being the Sonus Faber Aida 2 setup. Simply the best in show by a mile. Worst in show? So many I dare not even touch the subject.

• Despite the fact that most people would not have, they actually got better and better by listening to the people who had many shows under their belts, and were very curious to hear what most reviewers had to say, they were immediately effective in taking in the knowledge and making it into a reality.
• The women were pretty, Warsaw was extremely clean and beautiful, and it snowed…
• The amount of NEW equipment seen was a true experience. I will name a few later.
  

  Andrea Pivetta Opera ‘Only’ solid-state hyper-wattage amplification ? More soon…

• The rooms were very large in the stadium and the larger rooms were perfect for an audio show.
• The adjoining countries were there and this made the show much more interesting.
• It was an honor to meet some very special reviewers from all over the world, including from Stereophile, 6 moons, hifi pig, hifi+ and a ton of other great writers. Every single one of them was great. The only person I didn’t talk with was the only other Greek reviewer. I had invited him for dinner but he was busy, and then we only shook hands, and then I never saw Panagioti again. He seemed very happy to be there, but I simply thought we would spend some time together.

• Kostas Metaxas is an Australian-Greek, which honors not only our country with his intense and immense productions in audio, but his superfluous designs and impeccable machinery that defines what others need to do, to become better. The Serene, takes 800 kilos of Aluminum and it is shaped down to 80 kilos. I cannot even fathom the amount of work it takes to build one. I then found out, it is close to three months. He did not have the best in show, but he had the best built and the most advanced designs, hands down. There is nothing he has designed which is less than what Leonardo would have done himself.

• The best system of the show, was not the best speaker of the show. The best speaker of the show was the Sigma acoustics MAAT, the best room was the Aida 2 from Sonus Faber.
• The smallest speaker of the show was the best sounding speaker under 5000 euro. Of course its from Switzerland.
• 88MM, was a speaker which under the 4000 hrtz level, tuned perfectly, it had some minor imperfections above that, but they were so close to have something so wonderful. It was the most natural speaker in the show, since it was made from 100% oak wood, and it weighed in at 150 kilograms each. Such bass, that would make speakers 5 times the price be jealous. The problem was that it was 18.000 euro despite the fact that it looked like it was well made, it was its first show and it should not have been so ridiculously expensive.
• The Czech maker RD Acoustics with two speakers at the show, revealed they do have the ability to design something totally different, but they had a small room with a great looking but awkward sounding integrated, that just couldn’t make it play as well as it should.
• The Pivetta Only, world premiere, at only 2.2 million looks like it comes from another world. I hated it. Seriously. It really looked disgusting.
• The NAIM statement, was a statement, and it said, “you can’t touch this”. Very well made and the effort that was put into it surely has paid off. VERY good sonics indeed.
• The Paradigm and Rockport were very .. not clearly thought out, before they set them up. Sound was average to less than average.
• The Amazing Focal Utopia was playing in an open space while they had a much smaller, but great sounding speaker with 100 people inside the room, which made the big speaker sound like it was smaller.
• Bower and Wilkins 700 was actually very refined and well behaved in classical, but very tight and virtue filled with mids this time around. They actually made a speaker that left the sound of the past. Good for them.
• After speaking with the designers of the Trenner & Friedl, and endless hours of listening to the Taliesin, I realized that these two are seriously going to be favorites in the next years to come. I congratulate them for their work and their inspiration.

• My lovely Wilson Benesch Resolution was simply divine, it had such a thin enclosure that you do not mind its height, and has a waf (Wife Acceptance Factor) factor of 11 out of ten. It sounds VERY close perfection and is a perfect home speaker. Highly recommended. I would have one in my home blindly.
• The Wilson Audio Alexia II series was the best Wilson that was on. The larger was simply not put together well. It counts when you have someone who knows how to set up a system for a show, and other than this, the others were not on par.
• The Magico S3 Mk2 was nice to see but embarrassing to hear. It was not even playing music it was meant for, during shows. Too bad, I was honestly expecting more.
• The Sennheiser Orpheus was a great piece of equipment, it is 40.000 euro and it has the ability to keep you listening forever, I would own it even if I had every other headphone in the world at my disposal anyway.

• The Focal Utopia Headphones are simply bass heavy here with the current amplification, but I still enjoyed them, they were so comfortable and warm.
• Metaxas and Sins, the Memento Mori, otherwise known as the skull headphone with UV meter eyes and glasses is a piece of art. It actually plays more than what the price tag suggests. If I were into headphones that much, this would be one that had to be bought, and not just for its looks.
• Woo Audio, WA234 Mono was simply astounding, it made the Chord Hugo 2, go home and stay home, but then again, they do have a vast difference in cost.

For these and for very many reviews stick with us, as the Czech companies send us their equipment for reviews. I will be heading off to Italy for Sigma Acoustics, where I will play alongside Aldo various instruments and then listen to some rock with his most impressive ever speakers.

I forgot to mention Thrax and Bespoken (whose creator explained to me personally the entire psychology of the company) and we will be getting something ASAP to test here on Hiendnews.gr. Both of he aforementioned were prodigious but did not play with the best available. I met the owner of Thrax from Bulgaria as well, and he was a very serious professional. He will go very far very soon. So many more to mention but space is limited and its time to listen to Chopin. After all, Poland still has Chopin, no one can take that from its history.

by Tony Pothitos

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Athens Pro Audio

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Videorythmos

---

Aphrodite’s Vision

---

Sound Gallery Of Athens

---

Obscure Audio

---

ΗΧΟΔΟΜΗ

---

Audio Vision Art

---

Chameleon Audio

---

Golden Acoustics

---

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Exclusive Audio