Show report part 3 from the Bristol Sound and Vision Show 2018 featuring: Acoustic Energy, Creek and Epos, Michell, Elac, Mitchell and Johnson, Canton, Mission, Elipson, Tangent, Audioengine, REL, Bluesound, Nordost, Proac, XTZ, Totem, Q Acoustics, Monitor Audio, Roksan, Audio Note, focal, Naim, Dynaudio, Isotek, KEF, AKG, JBL, Schiit, Audio Quest, NuNu Distribution, Quadral, TAD, Ammonite Audio, Bowers and Wilkins and IAG and Quad. 

Bristol saw the launch of the Acoustic Energy 300 series of loudspeakers. These are being branded as a a premium line of speakers designed to build on the success of the 100 series. The mid-bass drive units are bespoke Aluminium with an Aluminium dome tweeter using the companies Wide Dispersion Technology.

Some rather splendid kit from the Harman Luxury audio stable in the form of Mark Levinson.

Creek Audio used the Bristol Show to launch a new low-cost moving magnet phono-stage preamp called the OBH-8mk2 and two EVO 100P power amps running in bridged mono. Epos had their K1i standmounters at the show for the first time too. The new phonosatge was being fed with a classic LP12 from Linn. Nice.

Michell  Engineering using Sugden amp and Proac DT8s.

ELAC gear is quite lovely to behold and at Bristol we got to see the Miracord 70 turntable in the system. Also in the room and new to the show was the Discovery Z3 Zone loudspeaker that will allow you to play music from your phone via Bluetooth, AirPlay or Spotify Connect.

Mitchel and Johnson unveiled their new 800 series at this years show. The 800 series is entirely designed and built in the Uk and feature solid machined billet front panels, custom machined knobs and has extensive input flexibility for analogue and digital sources.

Canton had a couple of rooms at the show mostly concentrating on soundbars. However, they also had this system based around their Reference loudspeakers.

Mission unveiled their QX range of speakers that includes two bookshelf designs and three floorstanders and a centre speaker. the standmounts are very much in the budget price-range but sounded great.

Elipson and Tangent launched their new Prestige Facet speakers with Bluetooth APTX and Google’s Chromecast streaming audio. The range features the 6BT bookshelf and the 14BT floorstander. Both use Class D amplification.

The little Audioengine 2 desktops.

REL had a couple of rooms at the show and both were very busy. However, we did manage to grab a couple of pics and you can read the very recent review of their T9i sub here.

Another room we struggled to get into was Bluesound who were showing their multi room system off.

Nordost were showing off their range of QKore grounding devices at the show.

This is the Proac Tablette 10 Signature costing £1440. We did see their entry level DT8 elsewhere and that costs £1950. The new Tablette Signature uses the same sealed cabinet and soft dome tweeter of the Tablette 10 but uses a new mid-range/bass driver.

This is the XTZ Cinema range.

Vince Bruzzese’s Totem Sky Tower speakers.

This room was very busy indeed and the pics are grabbed images when the opportunity arose. These are AKG and JBL cans powered by a whole host of Schiit.

The very dark, as always, Audioquest room.

NUNU Distribution, headed up by Anne and Tony had a couple of rooms. On the one hand was the TAD room where they were showing off a really high-end system and the other we were treated to mainly Quadral loudspeakers. Both systems were fed with signals from the excellent (we use one) Novafidelity streamer/ripper and stands were from Creativ.

Being a fan of the Technics 1210 these armboards from Ammonite Audio really caught my eye. They look a lot sturdier than armboards i’ve used in the past for the Techy and are available for Jelco and SME arms. Price is just over £200.

Think Bowers and Wilkins and I think of big speakers with strange shapes but at this year’s show they were being much more subdued, though equally impressive. The new 700 Series 2 loudspeaker which uses a new driver that moves away from the well known Kevlar cone previously used. Impressive sound for such a small speaker.

IAG and Quad. How many people I wonder started their Hifi journey with a pair of Wharfedale Diamonds.

Q Acoustics deserve the rep they are garnering in the audiophile world. Their latest model, the Concept 500 is very good indeed.

Monitor Audio launched two new speakers at the show the Monitor Series and the more expensive Studio series. The Roksan Radius is sporting the new Corus 2 cartridge. The speakers on dem were the Silver Series in a 5.1 set up.

We almost didn’t get let into this closed demonstration of the KEF LS50 wireless speakers but glad we did. The speakers sound great have everything built in and even have an app that you can change DSP settings etc. The Star Wars inspired speaker is pretty cool in the flesh too.

The second of the Sound Fowndations rooms where an IsoTek dem was going on.

Always a very, very cool room is the Dynaudio room, whichever show you go to. The danish company will be no stranger to many and in the main are we were treated once again to their Special Forty speakers, launched at Munich last year to celebrate the company’s 4oth anniversary.

Focal and Naim, the perfect partnership.

Audio Note.

And that’s it. If we missed you we apologise, your room will either have been locked when we came by or we couldn’t get in.

You can see more coverage of the Bristol sound and vision Show and all the other shows we cover here.