The high-end audio show, once an occasional event in the U.S., has recently become a mainstay of the audio scene. Today you’ll find consumer-oriented shows in Chicago, Washington DC, Dallas, Tampa, Seattle, and two(!) in Southern California, to name a few. This increasing proliferation of shows wouldn’t be happening unless attendees were showing up and manufacturers, distributors, and dealers made the calculation that exhibiting at a show is worth a substantial investment in time and money.

The audio show is a double-edged sword for consumers and the industry. On the plus side, it’s an opportunity for music lovers to get first-hand experience over a weekend with a much wider range of equipment than they could see in years of visiting dealers. Showgoers can often meet the designers, discuss their systems with experts, and discover new music. Shows also get music lovers more engaged with their hobby. But more than that, a hi-fi show is a communal celebration of music and the equipment that brings it to life. It’s an opportunity to be among like-minded people who “get” what our passion is all about.

The downside—and it’s a considerable downside—is that the sound in the exhibit rooms rarely comes close to realizing the performance of which the products are capable. Stuffing a pair of huge speakers and monoblock amplifiers into a hotel room, powered by an overtaxed AC power system, with only a brief set-up time, isn’t a recipe for showcasing high-end audio at its finest. It’s like saying to a potential customer, “Here, test drive this car with four flat tires.” I wonder how many people come away from a hi-fi show disillusioned by what they heard and decide that the pursuit of high-quality sound isn’t worth the money and effort. The notoriously poor to mediocre sound at shows is exacerbated by the tendency by exhibitors to play their systems way too loudly. At the recent AXPONA, I estimated that 70% of the rooms I visited produced unpleasant—or even painful—sound-pressure levels.

Nonetheless, there is some good sound at shows in the stand-out rooms. It’s always a surprise and delight to sit down in a room with excellent sound, where the exhibitor is playing good music at a moderate level, and everyone in the room is respectful and listens rather than talking loudly in the back. It’s even better when the person in the sweet spot offers to share the prime seat with other showgoers. The best show experience is when several people in the room share the same musical tastes, and everyone offers track suggestions. An equipment demo suddenly, unexpectedly, and delightfully becomes a shared musical journey of discovery.

As much as I appreciate discovering a fabulous sounding cost-no-object product at a show, what gratifies me even more is chancing on a great-sounding room with affordable gear and eavesdropping on a young couple who thrill at discovering great sound they can afford. On many occasions, I’ve listened in on young people excitedly discussing buying the system being demonstrated—one of the few systems at the show that fits their room and budget. After seeing and hearing room after room of gear they can’t afford, their excitement at finding great sound that is within their reach is wonderful to witness.

Speaking of the prices of gear, there’s an unfortunate tendency among show exhibitors to demonstrate their flagship models rather than their entry- or mid-level products. I suspect that the lower-end products sell in greater numbers and generate more revenue than the cost-no-object products and would be more relevant to showgoers, but the manufacturer’s ego gets in the way. If a company makes six-figure monoblocks as well as a lower-powered integrated amplifier, the company brings the monoblocks in the belief that they need to strut their high-end bona fides in such a public setting. Consequently, most of the people at shows can’t afford most of the gear on display. The industry would do well to put one-upmanship aside and focus on a wider range of price points.

Showcasing gear that’s attainable by a larger segment of music lovers is increasingly important as shows start to attract a more diverse audience. I’m delighted to see more young people, women, and couples at U.S. shows. AXPONA has done a great job of attracting attendees of all ages and more families. That’s a trend I hope continues. The European and Asian shows bring in a huge attendance of couples and families, so there’s no reason we can’t emulate that success in the U.S. If the industry is committed to putting on a large number of shows, we need to expand the outreach beyond traditional audiophiles. That’s when the hi-fi show will realize its potential.