The North West Audio Show returned to Cranage Hall in Cheshire on the 27th and 28th of June, and the conditions were about as good as they get. The sun was out, England were on the television, and the mood across the weekend was warm in every sense. We were there representing Audison and Hertz across four cars, and as it turned out, the weekend became something of a conversation between two worlds. The home hi-fi rooms upstairs and the cars outside had more to say to each other than you might expect.
Cambridge Audio — Feisty - Fred again.. & BIA/ Carti - TroyBoi
Cambridge Audio was a room I enjoyed spending time in. Feisty by Fred again.. & BIA offered a pleasing sense of depth and an immersive quality that drew me in, even if the tonality wasn't always as defined as I'd have liked. Carti by TroyBoi was the stronger of the two. The mid-range, I felt, was well-defined, the separation between elements was clear, and the soundstage felt properly constructed.
What made the Cambridge Audio visit particularly enjoyable was what happened next. Two of the exhibitors from the room came downstairs and had a listen to the Porsche 997 — and their reaction said everything. They played a few tracks and were genuinely impressed by what the system had to offer. Hearing someone respond to a car audio demonstration the way you might hope they would, especially coming straight from a room they'd spent the weekend curating, is a good feeling. It's a reminder that the fundamentals of great sound don't change depending on where you're sitting.
Pearl Acoustic — Angel - Massive Attack / Black Mascara & Escapism, Raye (Live at the Royal Albert Hall)
Earlier in the day, I had played Angel by Massive Attack to Ajay, Pearl Acoustic's Managing Director, in our Porsche 997. It's a track I return to often as on a hifi system, it should be controlled and immersive. It’s also a song that does something rather special in the Porsche 997 with the two ten-inch subwoofers in the back. The bass is present without ever becoming too much; filling your cup to just the right amount. When I then sat down in the Pearl Acoustic room and Ajay put the same track on in return, there was a real sense of mutual curiosity. Less a demonstration, more a conversation.
Their system handled it beautifully. The tonality was clear, and the bass played low. The one thing I found myself reaching for was height in the soundstage. In a car, speakers work harder due to the environment of the car and placement. Tweeters sit high, often in the A-pillar or dashboard, and that gives the soundstage height. Home hi-fi speakers sit at a more conventional level, so the soundstage sits differently. It's not a criticism, just a different point of reference.
From the same album, I then played Escapism and that is where the car audio system genuinely blew my mind. The organ at the Royal Albert Hall has a presence that is very commanding and here, it revealed itself gradually, announcing its presence without dominating. And then there’s the bar chimes, that reminds me of the introduction to a Disney movie. Where the star [moves] over Cinderella’s castle. The bar chimes move across the soundstage, and before you've quite caught it, the intro continues building. The Thesis speakers offer clarity that makes the intricacies of the orchestra impossible to ignore. Every time I listen to that track in the right system, it leaves me breathless. This was one of those times.
To round up the weekend
It was, genuinely, one of the best times we've had at Cranage.
The feedback across the two days was overwhelmingly positive. Nothing illustrated that better than a moment on Sunday morning, when a gentleman approached us to say that after seeing us at a previous show, he'd gone ahead and had his BMW upgraded. He then sat in our BMW Z4 for a demonstration, and walked away impressed all over again. The system was a step up from what he already had, but a reminder of what had started him on that journey in the first place. That kind of conversation is exactly what we're there for.
Magazines were handed out, curiosity was high, and the organisers and editors from Hi-Fi Pig came and sat in the cars themselves. That last detail felt significant. There's sometimes an assumption that home hi-fi and car audio exist in separate rooms with the door closed between them, but this weekend suggested otherwise. The audience at Cranage was receptive, open-minded, and genuinely interested in the idea that great sound doesn't stop at the front door.
Lots of good music, lots of good people, and a lot of common ground. That's the show.
Top Five Tunes:
Black Mascara (Live at the Royal Albert Hall) - RAYE and the Heritage Orchestra
Escapism (Live at the Royal Albert Hall) - RAYE and the Heritage Orchestra