The California Audio Show, CAS, 2018 was held at the Oakland Airport Hilton July 27 – 29. It was about 20% larger than last year, with many small rooms added [and a few larger room vacant]. It was very much a “people’s show”
It was fun, relaxed and a lot more focused on music and it’s enjoyment than the latest doohickey and thingamajig.
It’s kind of nice. Very friendly. There were a few Dagogo reporters there, Dave and Carol from Positive Feedback, and Jack and Becky from the Audio Beatnik, but no one was intimidating the exhibitors who then close and lock their doors to keep riff-raff audiophiles out while the reporter ‘listens’.
The three days were beautiful, not too hot, and not too cool. About 70 – 75 and sunny.
You must visit this show if you are in the Bay Area. You can causally walk from room to room, hearing new music, good music, and meeting good people. What’s not to like?
Some of the rooms I liked:
- Triangle Art and Angel City Audio
- Audio Note
- Joseph Audio
- Margules Audio.
And each for a different reason – they had completely different sounds from each other.
There was a flavor for everyone – and if you are like me, there were many flavors you will enjoy
The exhibitors were wide ranging:
Business is really good in “Silicon Valley”, California, and many local dealers feel they have all the business they can handle. But I think this is selfish, and I hope that more will see the light and realize that by exhibiting at the California Audio Show they can help grow our hobby and introduce more and more people to the world of high-fidelity music.
Organizing shows is a funny business – a years worth of prep then a few days of reward.
But Constantine does a great job – many shows are run by people who are not audiophiles – and it makes for a cold and even hostile show environment for the exhibitors, and the attendees can feel it.
