2010 RMAF/CJ@RMAF

[morphsci]

What? You don't like having your head patted like a puppy?

[Edwood]

Mmmm. Me Hungry.

[jp11801]

I fucking surrender you curmudgeons will never see positives in this shit. If you had been there you'd have seen the rather lengthy conversations and visits all the mags/on-line zones made. In particular the guy from Stereophile spent a while talking and listening to gear. It's a fucking three day show that takes up an entire hotel I'm surprised/pleased we got the coverage we did considering the size of the event.

[The Monkey]

John, was the guy from The Absolute Sound there?

[jp11801]

There were several AS guys there from memory but I missed a lot traipsing through the 7 or 8 floors of hotel rooms trying to see as much speaker crap as I could.

[morphsci]

My comment was about the short-sightedness and narrow-mindedness of the media and the fact that it was called The Ray Smuels room and not the Head-Fi or CanJam room. It sounded and felt very condescending, but as you say, I was not there. Plan to rectify that.

[jp11801]

My comment was about the short-sightedness and narrow-mindedness of the media and the fact that it was called The Ray Smuels room and not the Head-Fi or CanJam room. It sounded and felt very condescending, but as you say, I was not there. Plan to rectify that.

Didn't catch the rsa room comment too funny most likely shoddy writing as Ray was tucked in the corner

[deepak]

I fucking surrender you curmudgeons will never see positives in this shit. If you had been there you'd have seen the rather lengthy conversations and visits all the mags/on-line zones made. In particular the guy from Stereophile spent a while talking and listening to gear. It's a fucking three day show that takes up an entire hotel I'm surprised/pleased we got the coverage we did considering the size of the event.

Jon I didn't mean any offense with my comment. I wasn't there and just wanted to see more coverage for myself.

[justin]

From a business perspective, I thought RMAF was better than the regular CanJams (note I did not go to RMAF last year). And there was plenty to do outside the show as well.

For me the biggest difference is people didn't stop by my table to be overly critical of Amp A vs Amp B or anything like that, like they would from Head-Fi. People were blown away by the sound from the Omega II, and they would have been at any table. So overall it was a more positive experience for the people involved

[Dusty Chalk]

I fucking surrender you curmudgeons will never see positives in this shit. If you had been there you'd have seen the rather lengthy conversations and visits all the mags/on-line zones made. In particular the guy from Stereophile spent a while talking and listening to gear. It's a fucking three day show that takes up an entire hotel I'm surprised/pleased we got the coverage we did considering the size of the event.

Having not been there, I could care less how much socializing they performed while there -- my criticism was of the reporting, and my criticism stands, and if anything is amplified by the fact that they actually took the time to learn, but synopsized anything they learned to ...well, drivel.

I mean, it's the equivalent of going to a concert, going backstage, interviewing the performer, and then posting a two or three pics of the band playing.

Maybe I'll feel differently when the actual article comes out.

[jp11801]

Just for perspective it's not the equivalent of going to a concert going backstage and interviewing the performer, its the equivalent going to a festival with this many (see list below) performers, going backstage, interviewing many of the performers and then having to choose what you can put in the coverage. My comment was not about the "socializing" but to simply state they came through and did not just snap a few pics talk to Jude and split. Dusty how ever you feel is however you feel. All I am saying is without the context of the enormity of the event expecting a lavish spread of coverage is unrealistic. We received similar coverage to others that were there, some were better some were worse all were fly by coverage with no depth. Maybe thats because they were trying to give a sense of the show to their readers who did not attend and were covering as much as possible in the 8 blog pages of coverage.

Edited October 31, 2010 by jp11801

[tyrion]

^^^ puts it in perspective.

[justin]

i'm disappointed in the lack of coverage on EgglestonWorks, fidelis distribution, and Skiing Ninja Systems

[recstar24]

Jp I think I am with dusty on this, but you posting those vendors implies that you feel our issue is with vendors not being represented, which you can clearly see why a vendor would be left out. The issue is the apparent lack of respect for headphone audio from a coverage standpoint, and for the, to clump all headphone audio as Ray Smuels is sort of condescending. If headphone audio was important to them they would take the time for another paragraph or two with maybe another picture or two. I don't think dusty wanted or expected some lavish spread but merely a show of respect from a media standpoint that headphone audio is legitimate.

[Dusty Chalk]

Yeah, I just wanted more coverage.

Just for perspective it's not the equivalent of going to a concert going backstage and interviewing the performer, its the equivalent going to a festival with this many (see list below) performers, going backstage, interviewing many of the performers and then having to choose what you can put in the coverage.

Fair enough. But if the tents were categorized, and there was a tent for jazz (or insert name of your favorite genre here), and only 10% of the performers were jazz, and they had 10 pages of coverage, it would be like they devoted one page to four pics -- one of a jazz ensemble playing without identifying the ensemble, one of Quincy Jones backstage identifying Quincy Jones, and another of Steve Hoffman in the audience. And an ad.

[NekoAudio]

I met Steve Guttenberg in the Can-Jam room this year, and he did use a good percentage of his words to cover headphones: High-end audio fest rocks Denver. Probably because he was impressed with some specific gear.

[Tyll Hertsens]

I fucking surrender you curmudgeons will never see positives in this shit.

Thanks for all your work on this front, John.

I think it's a laudable effort, and that there should be a way to try to add the strengths of our hobby in with the strengths of the audiophile hobby. The problem I have is that I think we were making serious headway with the CanJam meets as independent entities as well, and it's a shame to loose that momentum.

It seems to me that we've moved sideways, and not forward in this case, hitching our gitalong to the audiophile world. They say they're dying, you know.

I talked to John Atkinson at RMAF and he was very complementary about how the headphone hobby is moving forward. But he was saddened to hear that independent CanJams were likely to end. He definitely perceives the headphone world as the healthiest area of the audio hobby.

I think separate events are as, if not more, important to the health of our hobby than events combined with the audiophile market at large.

I think we have new and important things to say and do ... I think we're the leaders, not the followers, in this case (how to breath new life into the audiophile hobby) ... I think running our own events is important.

[morphsci]

^^^ This pretty much sums up my feelings as well, although it is stated much better than I could.

[jp11801]

CanJams require leaders, leaders that Donate significant blocks of time to an event.

To my knowledge neither Aaron or myself have had the bandwidth at work to take the first step, site selection. While others have stated their interest all are essentially waiting for someone else to do something.

The annual meet "canjam" will not succeed as an annual ongoing event without a large crop of enthusiasts that are willing to do what it takes.

For me the true communal aspect of the hobby resides in the regional meets. Even these are shaky, take Norcal in the past three years if Al or I didn't host there was not an event. In NY it's up to Aaron or Erik.

Look at all the meet interest threads with no one stepping up on Headfi. I'm not sure what the answer is but a roving national is not the solution unless new leaders step forward on a continual basis.

[Tyll Hertsens]

I agree.

What about this?

[morphsci]

The problem is that enthusiasts are not necessarily born. Many are formed as a community forms. Perhaps the problem is that the sense of community that was once part of Head-Fi is no more.

[manaox2]

Even with head-fi being a huge eyesore and PITA to navigate, I would still reply with a definite hell no. The industry and its customers have grown more then ever on the high end in 2010 in my eyes and I'm encouraged by the continued growth in attention its receiving by serious players in the industry. This thread alone shows that to me. I am worried that head-fi is becoming less personable and getting too watered down by questions and little info being posted, I have no idea whats going on there now ideas other then the summary crowded by junk on the homepage.

As far as a large regional meet goes, Team NY is a hugely spirited group of audio and headphone enthusiasts that I would trust to handle such an event extremely well with all of their experience and knowledge. I think they are probably the best chance we have at a hugely successful independent CanJam this year.

[morphsci]

That was not the statement. How exactly does Huddler-fi encourage the community aspects of the hobby which is absolutely necessary for the development of meets at all scales?

[ironbut]

Yup.

I think that the independent CanJams are very important to our headphone addiction too. I've been part of the speaker/audiophile world for a long time but I really think that there's an energy and enthusiasm in the headphone world that's faded there.

I also think that a larger percentage of headphone folks are hearing deeper into the mix and believing their ears more than what reviewers say. There's a lot of so called audiophiles out there that are reluctant to say that they love or hate something until such and such reviewer says it's gold or shit.

The powers that be in the audio world are well aware of this. Coverage of events like RMAF is a balancing act between maintaining credibility with their target audience and keeping their advertisers happy. I really can't see criticizing them for trying to keep their careers and the audio industry healthy. That usually leads to a conservative approach to big events and if they choose to champion something (read, stick their neck out) it's usually a particular product or technology. Remember that this isn't a hobby for these folks,.. it's their jobs.

Overall, I'd like to think that there's enough room to have both types of events. RMAF is all about gear, gear, gear.

Where the independent CanJams are a gathering of the community.

I'd like to think that CanJams will always happen as long as there are folks willing to organize them. I can't see that there has to be some kind of "Official" involvement.

[recstar24]

Canjam was one of the most enjoyable and thoroughly fulfilling things I have ever done. To be a part of something that brought people together is truly special. It would be a very sad day if there were no more independent canjams, but I obviously understand it takes a few devoted/somewhat crazy individuals to step up and unfortunately we all have lives that may not permit us to step up. Reading your comments also kind of conveys that it is unlikely new leadership will arise from the current generation of huddler fi.

Me sad.