UK Audio Show 2022

UK Audio Show 2022 – A Review

With the same Worcester Suite as we had last year, we again produced an excellent sound with our systems using the two sets of loudspeakers we featured. Many visitors stayed a good while, some revisiting during the two days. We were grateful for many compliments on our sound. Many said that we were one of the best sounds at the show. Some even volunteered “the best by a county mile” and were pleased we were not playing music overly loud and upfront. Attendance at this Show was significantly up on last year, and there were many more exhibitors. Overall, an excellent weekend.

The Ophidian Voodoo loudspeakers teamed very well with the new Luxman L-507Z amplifier driven by the new Ayre CX-8 CD player. The sound was large and spacious with an elegant, natural tonal balance; unforced and with powerful dynamics when required. Their large cabinets were no impediment to delivering a holographic sound picture well beyond their boundaries and amply filling the large space. The Ayre CX-8 CD player was much admired for its balanced sound, playing all genres of music exceedingly well, especially considering its achievable price point.

In the afternoon, we switched to Ayre EX-8 2.0 integrated amplifier and the excellent Aqua Acoustics La Diva/La Scala CD combination. This system attracted the attention of many listeners, and the many photographers and videographers who seemed enthralled enough to revisit the room a few times. This combination also worked well when the Voodoos were substituted with the renowned Kudos Titan T707 loudspeakers.

The Sunday opening system was the La Diva/La Scala CD combination with the excellent AVM Ovation A6.3 integrated amplifier driving the Titan T707 loudspeakers. This was a popular sound as many remembered the AVM/Titan 707s from last year’s UK Audio Show. The AVM amplifier drove these very well and was able to deliver the speed and dynamics set by the Aqua Acoustic CD playing combination, one the major appealing characteristics of this brand. Fast rhythmically and fast dynamically. In the afternoon we switched back to the Ophidian Voodoo which also responded well to the drive of the AVM Ovation 6.3 amplifier.

The new HRS EXR audio stand was admired for its minimal and elegant simplicity. Discussions around the HRS chassis noise control products were of interest for those that were not so familiar with this unique technology.

The Puritan Audio Studio Master Special Edition mains purifier with a full set of GutWire power cords attracted much interest, as did the Synchrony Cube signal cables used throughout the systems demonstrated. There is no doubt the Furutech enhanced Studio Master with the heavily screened GutWire power cords contributed to the sound in our room, countering the negative effects from the wide fluctuations in voltages and the RFI that occur at such shows. Our static display of these provoked many interesting discussions.