UK Audio Show 2024 Show Report
Discovering many glorious new companies and equipment too!
UK Audio 2024 Show Report By Clive Meakins

  UK Audio Show was very enjoyable, I came across companies and equipment that were new to me. There was innovative thinking in evidence too. I also very much enjoyed the Alphason technical session where the highly experienced Mike Knowles clearly was very on top of his subject. The Bob Harris sessions were a masterstroke, they combined a love of music with highly interesting tales from the music industry.

The UK Audio Show at the Staverton Park Hotel, Daventry, UK took place 5th and 6th of October 2023. The show was expertly organized by Chester Group who operate internationally and has been running the UK show since 1997, however, times are a-changin'. Not long before the show it was announced that Stereonet – a sponsor of the show – will be taking over for next year. There will be continuity as Roy and Justin Bird of Chester Group continue to be involved.

This year it's still Chester Group so onwards! As the opening time of 10 am on Saturday beckoned the very British queue had formed. It wasn't long before the early birds gained entry.

I reckoned the busier rooms would be the ones near the entrance so I decided to be contrary and make my way to the furthest room first in the hope that I would be able to take photos in less full rooms. The plan worked; I started the day within the three Audio Note UK rooms. As is usual there were beguiling sounds from the Audio Note rooms.

The first room included the AN-K / SPx SE speakers, CD 5.1x, and the TT Three turntable. The impressively proportioned and lovely Meishu 300B integrated vacuum tube amplifier was impossible to miss!

The £50,000 Audio Note UK AN-E field coil loudspeakers in another room were sounding great too and the finish on them was really impressive. Field coil drivers are rare and always expensive – even for DIY'ers – they are in effect an electromagnet in place of a permanent magnet on the loudspeaker driver. Field coils are generally used to improve sound quality, particularly dynamics.

The AN-E field coil speakers were on the end of the system comprising a TT Three turntable, CDT Four transport, DAC 4.1x Balanced, M preamp, and Ongaku Kensei power amp.

Audio Note UK not only had exquisite equipment on show but they went one better than this. They had arranged four 1-hour sessions with Bob Harris playing music and chatting with the audience. Bob currently presents the BBC Radio 2 The Country Show. “Whispering” Bob Harris (his nickname) flits between London and Nashville on behalf of his show so it was a coup for Audio Note to capture him for the UK Audio Show. I took time out from visiting rooms to have a chat with Bob prior to his first one-hour stint. We had a varied and interesting conversation. What a lovely chap he is.

I joined the throng for the first the session 12:30 pm. Bob gained his early fame from presenting OGWT on BBC2 TV. OGWT was the abbreviation for The Old Grey Whistle Test, a revered British music show. Bob presented OGWT between 1972 and 1978.

The first track Bob played for his UK Audio Show audience was the theme from the OGWT – Stone Fox Chase by Nashville band Area Code 615. Here is Bob checking the track listing of an OGWT LP for the theme tune.

A few pieces of music were played but we also wanted to hear what Bob had to say; the very short hour passed amazingly quickly.

One of the stories Bob told was about his wife and himself singing on a David Bowie track. This was recorded in 1969 at Trident Studios – Memory of a Free Festival. The track features a live-sounding crowd singing The Sun Machine is coming down and we're gonna to have a party….Bob, his wife, and few others sang this over and over, it was overdubbed to give it the sound of a festival crowd. This was a fun story to hear and far better when Bob tells it.

We were all fascinated to hear more stories of Bob's times with Queen, The Faces, and even an escapade with Bruce Springsteen. Bob interviewed Bruce after a New Haven gig and then they both walked to a tiny venue where an up-and-coming band was playing, even after the exertions due to his gig and an interview Bruce got up on stage yet again to do a number with the band. Incredible energy and commitment.

One more thing; when chatting with Bob I foolishly asked him what system he had at home. He said he has a studio. Of course, he does....

What a lovely way to spend an hour.

Apologies for the diversion, now we return to equipment.

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