Last weekend I attended the New York Audio and AV show in New York City’s Waldorf-Astoria hotel. This event was an audiophile’s dream where one could sample the best technology for reproducing stereo music.

It’s a lot like the Rocky Mountain Audio Fest I attended last fall—and in fact I saw a lot of the same people and brands there—but this one had a definite New York feel. Probably because a lot of the demonstration suites were run by New York or New Jersey dealers and importers (there must be a lot of audiophiles in New York).

At the show I traveled from room to room, chatted with the dealers or manufacturer reps and listened to amazing sound systems. Some of them sounded great, some amazing, which is pretty impressive considering that many thousands of dollars’ worth of audio gear was set up in small hotel rooms (or double-sized suites) that were not at all suited to audio. Sometimes the exhibitors brought their own acoustic improvement materials. All of them brought large collections of music to fill two and a half days of listening.

At each exhibit I took notes on the equipment and my thoughts on the performance. Check out the slideshow for my mini review/impressions of each system I experienced.

Grant Clauser - Technology and Web Editor, Electronic House

Grant Clauser has been covering home electronics for more than 10 years with editorial roles in several consumer and trade magazines. He's done ISF-level damage to hundreds of reviewed products and has had audio training from Home Acoustics Alliance and Sencore. He's also the author of the book The Trouble with Rivers. Follow him on Twitter @geclauser.