RMAF 2019

RMAF 2019 Wrap Up

Michael Fremer  |  Sep 16, 2019

This final RMAF video includes the Pro-Ject room, an image from which was inadvertently used in a previous video. Also here is the interesting $1699.99 Direct Drive turntable from Cambridge Audio and a few more analog-y items that will be of interest.

After getting off to a "rocky" start, RMAF 2019 ended up a very successful show. Attendance was very good based on participant reports—including many with a skeptical or "wait and see" attitude. Most interesting were the attendee demographics. Instead of the old, tire kickers, it seemed to be a younger crowd, including a significant number of under 25 year olds who were there for the headphones but made their way upstairs into the hotel room exhibits.

The Gaylord Rocky Mountain Resort venue was either beautiful and enjoyable and/or tacky depending upon your perspective. I think it was an enjoyable place for an audio show and the rooms sounded better than most hotel rooms, in part because they were not square boxes.

Overall, I think those who said this would be "the last RMAF" (and I heard from plenty of those) were proven wrong. It was a great show, after all.

COMMENTS
richiep's picture
Submitted by richiep on Mon, 2019-09-16 21:37

Enjoyed all the informative videos from the show, especially the sales pitch for K&L Sound. They used a melting pot of actors in Boston, and it must have been very expensive to hire that many. Now we know where Crazy Eddie got some of their commercial ideas from. Always look forward to the adventures of Michael Fremer and only wish to be a Parrot on your shoulder. You didn't show us the Vinyl that you were toting along? Always interested thanks.

Michael Fremer's picture
Submitted by Michael Fremer on Tue, 2019-09-17 10:46
Yes, I was pretty melted and on pot when I did that commercial. How did you know?
richiep's picture
Submitted by richiep on Thu, 2019-09-19 21:44

Probably didn't know at the time, my cousin lived in Cambridge and I would visit her in the summer and listen to the Radio all the time, once she finished with collage stuff, I was a few years younger we headed out to the Cape and could get the Boston stations at night when we were sparking the pot on the beach not Lobster. I'm almost sure that it was, as I listened to your revive'd radio show every Monday (making my wife join me so I could justify records showing up at the house every other day) it had very familiar (trying to think of a great english word to use) sound and concept to the programming that I thought I knew. You can take credit for another one, Thanks for all you do it's appreciated more than you know.

WaltonGoggins's picture
Submitted by WaltonGoggins on Mon, 2019-09-16 22:00

Especially hoping to read about your thoughts as to how it might compare to the Planar 3. It definitely passes the eye test and the new Oyster cart series seems to be very nice.

I imagine certain forums will pronounce that it is sure to have motor noise, hum and poor speed stability and that anyone considering it vs a Planar 3 or SL-1200 7 is totally out of their mind and should just stick to CDs, but mid-fi me really hopes this one will be a winner- and perhaps my final phonograph indulgence in my pathetic loser Class C world! :)

Ortofan's picture
Submitted by Ortofan on Tue, 2019-09-17 01:33

... the Sopranos, he'd have been known as 'Mikey Bag-O-Rekkids'.

bassrome's picture
Submitted by bassrome on Tue, 2019-09-17 11:10

I’m starting to have a real allergic reaction to this guy. I don’t use Last Preservative on my records anymore but did so back when my collection was much smaller and I wanted to protect my favorite LPs. One thing that I learned early on was that if you could see anything on the record after the application, you used too much.

Anton D's picture
Submitted by Anton D on Tue, 2019-09-17 13:01

Love the ad!!!!!

The K & L ad reminds me of National Lampoon's "Stereos and Such" ad from back in the day...

Caution, NSFW language, but the same flavor as the K & L ad.

(Actually, I thought the K & L add was funnier.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZ3Cvd31BCs

Final warning, it has some swear words in it...do not cancel your subscription if a swear word tickles your umbrage.

Michael Fremer's picture
Submitted by Michael Fremer on Wed, 2019-09-18 10:24
To have my work compared to National Lampoon!
OldschoolE's picture
Submitted by OldschoolE on Thu, 2019-09-19 10:32

I agree with this assessment of RMAF. While I was not in attendance (I wish I could), Marjorie and team are not new to this. Marjorie knows what she is doing, she produces a good show time and again in my opinion judging from what I have read and heard from others year after year. She even manages to get through the rough bits (construction, etc). I only wish there was still a SoCal show produced by a similar person and team these days. I miss taking in a good show. (For me, the last one was 2016). That said though, in my opinion RMAF, Axpona and Munich have always been better than any SoCal show, at least in manufacture representation.

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