October 2019

Senseless Rambling
RMAF Vs. CEDIA, Twice Vs. CE Pro
And We'll Never Have A High-End Audio Organization
Editorial By Steven R. Rochlin

  Since this is a Senseless Rambling article by Yours Truly, loyal readers of mine know what to expect. So grab the popcorn, a fine beverage and listen to some cool n' crazy tunes. Or something more 'age appropriate' as we are discussing the latest generations of music enthusiasts.

You opted to allow your phone to provide GPS tracking data to apps. It was your decision when you clicked 'Agree' to Terms and Conditions. Of course that data is sold, and resold, to many entities. Fear not, as we're here to 'help' you find the music you love. Perhaps you attended a concert, or visited a luxury high fidelity audio event. Whatever the case, one has to wonder what happens with promotion when the musical party is over. Welcome to the modern world where you are the 'product'... or at the very minimum your data is taken advantage of for highly targeted marketing.

If you use Waze, you've experienced pop-up ads. Uber and other ride sharing services also use your data to make your life easier in informing the driver of your pick-up location. So it begs the questions, why isn't there some high-end audio organization being of service to music lovers by 'feeding' them information we feel benefits their lifestyle? How many times did you read or hear about a concert or hi-fi event you missed out on and then kinda kick yourself for not knowing something you'd love to do was a few days ago. You reeeeeally missed it!

Imagine the audience expansion of show attendees within a city / state / country if we employed highly targeted GPS data-based advertisements / techniques to further enhance our music-loving audience? For instance, you land at DEN (Denver airport) and a pop-up ad informs you there's a luxury audio event only a few miles away.

Perhaps the best organization at publicizing their consumer electronics audio event is HIGH END in Munich. One can't help but see their posters within the airport, on the side of busses, posters within the subway, etc. Why is it that no one is also employing GPS data to reach music enthusiasts who desire an authentic experience? Why is there no organization in charge of such things within one of the world's most consumer-driven economies? Of course the selfie-generation 'culture' is all about themselves, showing off expensive luxury goods, money and fame. The real players get paid for their Tweets / Instagram posts. Frankly, what the fuck are we doing to proactively expand our audience?

Skewed Search And Music Discovery Results
We've all been there. You're using a streaming music service and search for something, or try to discover new music you may love. Spotify, for instance, a company like many Internet Generation companies, desire increasing revenue and decreasing their losses. So cheapen the cost of the product as much as possible and maximize profits. While we all still wait for Uber to make profit.... That's a discussion for another day within another publication. Am sure you already know where this is going as do you feel they're going to suggest music that is more expensive or cheaper? Maybe even play one of the 100% royalty-free tracks as filler, and as often as they can get away with it. Hey, we all know Amazon does the same thing in suggesting higher profit items within their search function, so don't act all surprised. So is the way of the material world, profits over music quality and all that.

Pay For Play In High-End Audio
It's no secret that quite a few video guys, and perhaps a magazine or five, does pay for play. So what? Manufacturers / distributors pay to have their gear featured within videos, we all know this. For decades in Asia it is known that reviews are bought and paid for, and thus business as usual. Time is indeed money, and if a magazine pays reviewers for their efforts and reviews four of five products from a manufacturer, would it be too much for said magazine to hope they advertise as well? Is there even any concept of a conflict of interest in 'pay for play' given the Selfie Generation? The facts point to no.

Given the younger generation's attitude, it appears pay for play advertorial is fine. And, again, this is the norm in Asia so what's the big deal? And no, Enjoy the Music.com is not a pay for play site, though we do pay our reviewers and, hopefully, a manufacturer values our efforts. Older generations like a separation of 'church and state' whereas it appears from datapoints that the younger generation does not see anything wrong with demanding manufacturers pay for advertorial promotional video and reviews.

Once again will say that the selfie-generation 'culture' seems to be about themselves, showing off expensive luxury goods, getting more followers, more money and of course increasing their being famous for... being famous. The real players get paid for their Tweets / Instagram posts. That's all I want to say about that as it can easily slide into a slippery slope... depending on your age of course. Of course we must add that all paying participants get a Gold Best Of Show Award, because everyone who participates is special, and a winner.

Twice And CE Pro Magazine Feature Hi-Res Audio / Music
With the recently announced Hi-Res Music streaming by Amazon, who joins Qobuz in providing top-shelf true loss high resolution music up to 24-bit/192kHz, it makes sense that the mainstream media push is upon us. Twice had a variety of articles within their print magazine covering higher quality consumer electronics, while CE Pro posted a less than positive article about Rocky Mountain International Audio Fest online. In a sense, it reminds me of the early days of the Internet where print magazines down-talked the web. History has a way of repeating itself. It was truly wonderful seeing Twice tout higher quality audio products, and top-shelf customer service too.

CE Pro was a less that positive jab at RMAF 2019 yet never named the show specifically (pussies!), and I can understand that as our Denver show bumped right up against CEDIA, which was held about a week later. CEDIA has the typical industry-only feel within a very large upper level at the Colorado Convention Center (floor plan pictured above). For those who have been to HIGH END in Munich, think of it as one of the larger bottom level halls where there are booth, lots of noise and human traffic. Sounds from one booth easily echo into others, and so demos can be a bit of a challenge. The atmosphere of CEDIA convention center is Big Box versus the Gaylord's high style luxury. Then again am hearing that InfoComm is bettering CEDIA as a true alternative event for today's modern custom install market.

At RMAF we have a far nicer, and family friendly, venue at the Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center. At RMAF, exhibit rooms were nicely spread apart to avoid sound leakage; there were many larger rooms where a single exhibitor could conduct a top-quality demo, without worrying about unwanted background noise. Furthermore, RMAF has public days whereas CEDIA is for the industry only like CES. If I were a manufacturer of very high quality products delivering top-shelf services, which venue do you feel better represents your efforts? A convention center or the Gaylord?

With that said, it is time RMAF starts to discuss reaching exhibitors from CEDIA and showing them how the Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center delivers a far better experience for their distributors and retail stores, is family friendly, plus the amenities at the Gaylord blows away what CEDIA provides. There is no doubt the entire industry will be promoting Hi-Res Audio and Hi-Res Music to a far higher degree in the near future, and now is the time for RMAF to plan early and grab onto that initiative to show manufacturers and distributors which venue better suits their clientele for both industry and consumer facing.

Don't get me wrong as am sure CEDIA is secure, as some of their customer base is a bit different than that of RMAF. CES has already lost high-end audio, and good riddance! Many industries have happily left CES in the dust and done quite well.

Of course there is some product and lifestyle overlapping too of RMAF versus CEDIA. If retailers that visit CEDIA want to experience the very best in Hi-Res Audio, there is no doubt RMAF has far and away more to offer than CEDIA. Furthermore, manufacturers' prized demos will shine through better due to the Gaylord having proper room isolation. How many times have you tried to demo gear during CEDIA and there were booms and blasts coming from another exhibitor, which negatively affected that room's demo. Let's play hardball, as CEDIA is nice and all yet the venue is typical lackluster CES convention center affair whereas RMAF's Gaylord venue is a true luxury location.

As An Industry We Can Do Better
Much better! Longtime loyal enthusiasts of my articles have read a variety of topics written by Yours Truly. Some article might actually be half decent, others total rubbish.... Or not depending on your point of view (perhaps). During a discussion at RMAF was taken aback at how little some of the other magazine editors may have read of my Senseless Ramblings, because the topics we discussed, which they said no one really talks about, I wrote about years ago... and time and time again. So instead of rehashing the same ol' shit I already wrote, below are some links. Basically, deep inside I'm screaming the words "Wake the fuck up industry people!"

Below are a few previous article by Yours Truly. If you have not read them, please take a moment to do so... or not. Your call.

These Are My Confessions...
The high-end audio industry needs a good 'civil war'!

My Memo To The Industry
In this age, optimism like that is a revolutionary act...
I just want to be inspired.

In A Time Of Universal Deceit, Telling The Truth Is A Revolutionary Act.
Is digital really better than analog?
Plus there’s a cold war happening and you're part of it... sort of.

A Plan We Can All Take Part In
Another crazy idea by Yours Truly.

Look, if we don't harness the wave of Hi-Res Audio and Hi-Res Music mainstream promotion, then we're going to lose an epic opportunity to broaden our reach / audience. Personally, have waited over two decades for this moment to finally happen. So what are we going to do about it?

Any Last Words Steven?
Last words? Have full control of the URL HighEndAudio.com, yet waiting on the industry to get off its' proverbial tuckus and make it worth our wild to do something that benefits everyone within the industry and high-end audio enthusiasts too. As I say to my lovely Muse / wife Heather, "Just waiting on you, dear." And to that one guy... if you expect me to do it all, and pay for it all, forgettaboutit and good luck to you ! Have already learned no matter what I personally do it matters very little, because it seems the industry (as a whole) refuses to group together and join forces for the greater good.

Question: During RMAF posed a question to a few editors. Let's say I gave a starting $1,000,000 'investment' for the luxury audio industry to do something, what would the USA industry do?

And that's the rub as there's no organization, as we have no 'unified voice' to steer such efforts to bring a higher awareness of our industry. If you feel I should personally start such a thing, come up with trademarked logos, offer full financing, etc....

I'm going in a different direction for my life. Time for something else, something I wanted to do for many decades. This is long before Enjoy the Music.com was even a thought, as there was no Internet back then.

You're Not Going To Be Seeing Me...
Most of the industry assumes I'll be at this or that show. Of course this assumption has held true for decades, yet the time has come to bring more Enjoy the Music.com photojournalists to the forefront during events. This will, in turn, enable us to post more coverage than we have in the past. It also means you'll be seeing less of me and far more of our writing staff. They do a truly an outstanding and tremendous job at covering events! Rick Becker's show reports eclipses my recent efforts.

Senior Editor Greg Weaver is in charge of our Capital Audiofest (CAF 2019) report where we plan to have three or four guys there. New York Audio Show (NYAS 2019), same basic thing. It is time the industry gets more face time with our incredibly talented writing staff. Note that our new hires / reviewers have been music professors, an orchestra librarian, and we're in talks with a few new guys to bring the average age of our staff down a bit.

For my good friends and loyal readers who deeply care about where I'm going, am busy doing drum rudiments, practicing scales, and rebuilding my technique for percussion and drum efforts. It'll take about two years, yet within the past four months have been quite happy with the personal progress thus far... yet feel and know intrinsically that a lot more practice is needed while also (re)building muscle memory, subtle timing cues, etc. It's been about three decades since getting serious about my musicianship, and the new kit is a thirty year dream come true!

So if you don't see Yours Truly at an audio show it is because my efforts are being placed elsewhere. Today, Enjoy the Music.com has a historically deeper staff to better serve the high-end audio industry and our readers alike.

Besides, haven't you seen enough of me over the past 25+ years at high-end audio events all around the world? Yes, will be at a show or two during 2020, in 2021 possibly none.

At shows, please welcome guys like Rick and Ron and Greg and Matt and Bob and Dave... we have a truly epic staff right now and we're hiring too! That reminds me, if you actually read this far and feel you have a unique voice, we're hiring and we do pay for reviews. Plus it'll give you more opportunities to get your selfies online and expand your social media status. The opportunity is here for you, all you have to do is go for it! E-mail us (link at bottom of page) if you want to join our crew, get paid for your efforts, plus achieve more fame and social media followers. 

"The moral of the story is you have one life, so do it all."
  – Bobby Axelrod, Billions

As always, in the end what really matters is that you...

Enjoy the Music,

Steven R. Rochlin

I'll find a place to rest my spirit if I can.
Perhaps I may become a 'highwayman' again...
Or I may simply be a single drop of rain.
But I will remain.
And I'll be back again, and again and again and again and again...