MY FIRST TIME AT THE BRISTOL HIFI SHOW

We bumped into Joseph at the Bristol Show earlier this year when he was trying on a pair of headphones. We asked if it was OK to photograph him and he agreed. After that we got chatting and asked if he’d like to do a short review of the Bristol HiFi Show for us. He agreed and this is what you see here.

On Saturday, 22nd February 2025, I went to the Bristol HiFi Show with my Dad. I was so excited because I had never been to Bristol before, and I had never been to a HiFi show either. My Dad is always talking about speakers, music, turntables, and things like that, so I wanted to see them for myself. I like music, and we have a sound system at home, but I never really thought about how it all works. This was my chance to find out.

When we got to the show, the first thing I noticed was how many people were there. The entrance was really busy, and everyone seemed to know exactly where they were going, except me. My Dad went up to the desk and got our name badges, which was cool because it made me feel like I was part of something important. They also gave us a big map with seven floors of different rooms to visit. Seven floors! I knew we wouldn’t get through everything, but I wanted to see as much as possible.

As we started walking down a long hallway, I saw some massive speakers. The first place we went to was called Symphony Distribution, and they had Tannoy speakers. These speakers were bigger than anything I had ever seen in my life. I wondered how they even got them into the building. Could they even fit in a house? My Dad explained that these were high-end speakers used by people who were really serious about sound.

Next, we walked into a huge room called the Bristol Suite. This place had loads of headphones on display, but it was so packed that I could barely move. I only got to try one pair—the Focal Bluetooth ones. When I put them on, I could hear the music so clearly that it felt like it was inside my brain. I told my Dad I wanted a pair, but he just laughed and said, “We’ll see.” That usually means no, but I’ll keep asking.

After that, we walked down a hallway into the PMC room. This was one of my favourite stops because I met a man named Craig who showed me how the PMC speakers worked. They had a speaker cut in half so you could see inside. I never really thought about what was inside a speaker before, but now I know there are different sections to make sure the sound moves properly. Craig also gave me some sweets, which made this room even better!

Then came the Rel subwoofer room. Oh, my goodness, this was something else. The moment the music started playing, my whole-body shook. It was like an earthquake! I had to sit down because it felt like my stomach was vibrating. I had no idea speakers could do that. I think this was my Dad’s favourite room because he just stood there smiling while I was freaking out.

Next, we went downstairs to the turntable section. I liked this part because I like watching records spin, and I think turntables look cool. The Dual turntables were my favourite because they only had one button to press, which made them easy to use. I’d like to have one, but I don’t think my Dad would let me put one in my room.

After that, we went up two floors and met the people from HiFi Pig. They were really nice, and they gave me a fan. It was really warm in the building, so this was super helpful. I even got one for my sister, which was good because now she wouldn’t be jealous when I got home.

Then we saw the huge Focal speakers. These were even bigger than the Tannoy ones! The sound coming from them was so clear that I felt like I was in a movie. I don’t even know how to describe it—it was just incredible.

By this point, I was starving, so my Dad said it was time for lunch. We found a place to eat and took a break before exploring the rest of the show. I needed to sit down for a bit because my feet were starting to get tired from all the walking.

After lunch, my Dad decided that we should start at the top floor and work our way down. That’s when I saw my favourite thing of the whole show—the Kanto speakers. These were small speakers, but they were bright green, which made them stand out to me. I thought they looked really cool and would be perfect for my bedroom. Even though they were small, they sounded amazing! My Dad said they were great for their size, but I think he was just saying that so he wouldn’t have to buy them for me.

On the next floor down, we saw the giant Tannoy speakers again. This time, we actually got to listen to them for a while. We heard three songs, and I could hear every little detail in the music. I didn’t even know some of those sounds were in songs! It was like hearing music for the first time.

Then we went into another turntable room. They had turntables in different colours, which was cool, but I got distracted by a loud noise coming from the next room. I had to find out what it was. When we walked in, I saw that it was the JBL cinema room. It was like being in a real movie theatre! The sound filled the whole room, and I felt like I was inside the movie. My Dad said this is what proper home cinema setups are like. I think he secretly wants one.

By now, my feet were killing me, and I was really tired. My Dad asked if I wanted to see more, but I was done. We decided to head home, and I slept in the car on the way back because I was exhausted.

Overall, I had an amazing time at the Bristol HiFi Show. I saw so many cool things, and I learned a lot about how speakers, subwoofers, and turntables work. The best parts were the Kanto speakers, the Rel subwoofer room (even though it was crazy loud), and the PMC room where I got sweets.

If you like music, I definitely recommend going to this show. Even if you don’t know much about HiFi, it’s still really fun to see and hear everything. I can’t wait for my next show—my Dad has already booked us tickets to CanJam London, which is all about headphones. Maybe I’ll get to try even more cool stuff there!

Joseph McCaffrey