On the last day of the show I was
preparing to head into the halls of the Rocky Mountain Audio Fest when I spied Michael
Latvis, owner and president of Harmonic Resolution Systems, eating breakfast in the atrium
restaurant. Speaking to him briefly, he said something I thought was important, which I
paraphrase: If this industry is going to survive, we all -- press, manufacturers,
consumers -- have to band together at a show like RMAF and make it work. I agree 100
percent. And I think most everyone at RMAF felt the same way.
Jeff takes a moment to talk to Gilbert Yeung of Blue
Circle Audio, a regular at RMAF who is always happy to give you his point of view on
high-end audio -- as well as anything else you might ask him.
Although this is my first time at the Rocky Mountain Audio
Fest, I came away extremely enthused. It was one of the most relaxed, pleasant audio shows
I’ve ever attended. In terms of sheer enthusiasm for enjoying music, RMAF probably
has no audio-show peer that I know of. Certainly nothing in North America comes close.
Industry types I usually see in suits and ties at Las Vegas' CES and Munich’s High
End were dressed in jeans and Polos and generally relaxed at RMAF. New companies were
debuting their wares alongside industry stalwarts, all on equal footing at the Denver
Marriott Tech Center hotel. I think this is important for the folks, particularly since
RMAF is primarily a consumer show, unlike CES, which is supposed to be for the
trade only. I’ll be back next year, enjoying some hopefully good Denver weather, good
restaurants, and great music, celebrating and promoting an industry I love. I hope to see
you there.
