Ok, so a long overdue review of the recent 35th anniversary!
Friday night was spent listening to music on a special system, one that would have a list price of a small automobile. The speakers were LFR’s couple with 2 EP 800’s. Rumour has it that these speakers were heading home with Craigsub, possibly for an upcoming test? These were driven by 2 large ADA’s mated to a Bryston preamp. The music was provided by a USB stick attached to the bare bones circuit boards of the Axiom Air. It sounded incredible, and when Ian asked us to test the Air via our phones, mayhem ensued.
While I commented previously that the product was vulnerable, the truth is that it did not seem well equipped to handle the volume of connected users – which to be honest was less than 10. There were also issues with various users (both Android and iPhone ) not able to connect, while others could.
Saturday started with factory tours, Ian with one group and Debbie/Andrew handling the second. Having attended the 30th, it was quite an eye opener how much had changed and improved. Interestingly as this is the product everyone is interested in, there was only 1 Air that I sighted, albeit in the lab. We stumbled upon a few prototypes of the Axiom/Bryston speakers and a “Pro” Axiom subwoofer that according to Ian was incredibly efficient! Production was in operation, and when asked a question, each Axiom team member would spend time with us, happy to share their knowledge. Each and every member gleamed with a pride of being part of this great company.
After the tours, we went back to the resort, and lunch was served. The round tables began after lunch, and unfortunately work took priority for me, and I missed most of this. As reported earlier, James Tanner from Bryston was an eager participant, and added great knowledge to the portion I could attend.
Dinner was very good, and then we watched in anticipation while the band setup. I asked that the room with the Friday night system could be opened, as FredK wanted to hear the LFR’s. I managed to get everything online – Axiom Air was a bit problematic, but once online, people worked the system over until the band began. Connectivity problems again plagued the people attempting to play with it.
A good group of musicians, they entertained with several sets. I will admit they were not to my taste, but a tight outfit none the less. I left after the 1st set of originals
Sunday was departure day for most, and really the only good weather day of the weekend. I spoke with Tom, and we agreed it was a decent anniversary. In terms of the magnitude of the 30th, this was more subdued, laidback and refined.
I would like to thank Ian and Debbie for their tremendous efforts in making us feel at home and well taken care of. As one of their longest serving “Axiomites” I salute every member of the factory!
To the forum members who I wandered around with:
Exlabdriver – Tom, great to meet you, and glad you survived the bartenders “Liquid Cocaine” shots!
Onn – nice to see you again, go Eskimos!
FredK – glad you got to hear the LFR’s and did you ever get hooked up to the Air before Andrew grabbed control?
Craigsub - looking forward to more reviews and comparisons, hope you managed to get your new speakers home!
John Palumbo – nice to see you again, and glad there was not a ping pong table around this time!
Doug Schneider – great to talk audio shop and hear your experiences at other audio companies. Give Fremont Street a try during non-CES time!
