The Marriot Irvine Spectrum's grand opening was only two months ago. I geeked out over the high-tech elevator system which queues guests in a more efficient manner. The Hive & Honey Rooftop Bar had a gorgeous view and the pool-side restaurant and bar had fantastic ambiance and food. As for the hotel rooms, they were modern and luxurious. Great for guests...but not quite for audio. The reflective floor and surrounding windows were a problem for some of the rooms. Imaging and focus took a hit for many systems. Regardless, some were able to make clever use of rugs and pillows. Unobtrusive Synergistic Research treatments were found in many of the rooms, which helped. It's a new venue so I'm sure exhibitors will be more prepared next year. I care for sound, not so much drama. T.H.E. SHOW Newport 2018 was a small show this year but we made the best of it and had a ton of fun. It was a joy just listening to music and chatting with the exhibitors. The live performances themselves were worth the price of entry. [caption id="attachment_11063" align="alignnone" width="680"] Mick Adams & The Stones (Tribute Band)[/caption] [caption id="attachment_11074" align="alignnone" width="680"] Concert Couture - Beautiful performances. All modeling fashion by Sen Couture. Performing original choreography in runway style, directed by Vera Ninkovic with additional choreography by Nichole Beeks.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_11093" align="alignnone" width="680"] Hive & Honey Rooftop Bar[/caption] [caption id="attachment_11095" align="alignnone" width="680"] Meanwhile in the Scott Walker Audio room - Caught her doodling into madness! Give her some music![/caption] [caption id="attachment_11097" align="alignnone" width="680"] Scott Walker Audio: Thinking about the upgrade...[/caption] [caption id="attachment_11102" align="alignnone" width="680"] Royole: Not a VR device. Royole Moon personal entertainment device for use on planes, cafes, and lounges. Video and audio quality is pretty good but a bit bulky for me.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_11105" align="alignnone" width="680"] Royole dips their toes in everything related to touch interfaces. Here are some leather pads you could stick onto your car's armrest or sofa to control smart devices. Royole was founded by Stanford engineering graduates in 2012. They have over 1,500 patents and have recently achieved a market valuation of over $3 billion. A bright future ahead of them.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_11106" align="alignnone" width="680"] Keyboard in a stick![/caption] [caption id="attachment_11109" align="alignnone" width="680"] Tasty burger from the Marriot's Heirloom Farmhouse Kitchen.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_11110" align="alignnone" width="680"] Not much happening in the Odyssey Audio room...[/caption] [caption id="attachment_11114" align="alignnone" width="680"] Scott Walker Audio had the largest presence at the show (check out our Day 1). Martin Logan Expression ESL 13A with Constellation electronics. A very spacious and incisive sound.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_11115" align="alignnone" width="680"] Scott Walker Audio: Long lines for the Synergistic Research demo. I think they should keep the ELAC AF-61 in all their demos...[/caption] [caption id="attachment_11119" align="alignnone" width="680"] Scott Walker Audio: Magico A3 driven by VAC electronics - Smooth and easy listening.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_11122" align="alignnone" width="680"] Thanks for the buzz High Fidelity Cables[/caption] [caption id="attachment_11124" align="alignnone" width="680"] ELAC AS-61 - Silky. Clear.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_11126" align="alignnone" width="680"] KEF LS50 - Everyone has one.[/caption]