Hi-Fi trade shows took a beating during the pandemic. Munich is supposed to happen after a 2-year hiatus but who knows with Putin on Ukraine’s doorstep and people still rather hesitant to attend large public events. Qobuz is not letting that get in the way of its impressive growth over the past 24 months and we’ll have more to say about the incredible job that David Solomon has done in the United States on an upcoming podcast.
Back to trade shows and a quick look at where we currently stand.
While CEDIA, CanJam SoCal, and T.H.E. Show returned with actual show attendees in 2021, the crowds were not huge. All 3 shows were smart to offer a live experience and attendees were able to spend more time with each exhibitor.
CES 2022 in January was not a success; people should not believe the published attendance numbers which were nowhere near 40,000 claimed — CES attendance was down 80%.
Sadly, not everyone survived as the Rocky Mountain Audio Fest (RMAF) ceased operation permanently and Axpona postponed its 2021 show and rescheduled it for 2022.
However going forward in 2022, it appears that things are on the rebound as the Florida Audio Expo (2/18 – 2/20) and CanJam NYC (2/26 – 2/27) are going ahead with their 2022 events.
Qobuz Sponsorship
To support to these events, hi-res music streaming service Qobuz is lending its name and financial support as the official sponsor of both events.
Qobuz is taking a hands-on approach with its sponsorship. Qobuz VP of Business Development and Chief Hi-Res Music Evangelist, David Solomon, will be on the floor, performing flash DJ sets, and speaking as time allows.
Despite COVID, the hi-res streaming service has been busy. Here are just a few examples:
- Released its first U.S. exclusives (including recordings by Christian McBride).
- The first service to stream in Hi-Res on Sonos devices.
- Appointment of its first Artist-Approved Sound Ambassador (The Flaming Lips’ Wayne Coyne).
Solomon will be on-site to discuss it all with the visitors, high-end audio executives, and hardware/headphone manufacturers attending both shows.
For those not familiar with Qobuz, it was founded in 2007. Qobuz is France-based music streaming and download service that meets the needs of demanding music lovers and audiophiles. Qobuz is currently available in 19 countries around the world in Europe, the USA, Australia, New Zealand, and Japan (Hi-Res download service only). Qobuz is in its third year of availability in the U.S.
Qobuz offers its subscribers over 70 million tracks. In addition to music streaming and downloads, Qobuz offers exclusive editorial content written by a team of experts. All for a low monthly subscription price.
The Florida Audio Expo
This event will be held from 2/18 through 2/20 at the Embassy Suites by Hilton Tampa Westshore.
Bart Andeer, co-founder and operations manager of the Florida Audio Expo states that “Our mission was to create an audio show that offers music lovers the opportunity to explore some of the best equipment made and new ways to enjoy their music. Bringing the best sound quality to the show, Qobuz fits that structure perfectly–we’re thrilled to once again have Qobuz as the official streaming platform for the Florida Audio Expo“.
Some of the companies expected to exhibit at the Florida Audio Expo include:
- ATMA-Sphere
- Audioholics
- Bob Carver
- Convergent Audio Technology
- Gershman Acoustics
- House of Stereo
- Jolida
- Krell
- Kuzma Turntables
- Linn
- Luxman
- MBL
- MSB
- Nordost
- Piega
- Pro-Ject
- Q Acoustics
- RBH | UNRIVALED Sound
- Rega
- Scott Walker Audio
- Spatial Audio
- TAD
- VPI Turntables
- Wireworld
- Wolf Audio Systems
Tip: Although Qobuz is the major event sponsor, Enjoy The Music is sponsoring the kick-off Happy Hour.
CanJam NYC 2022
CanJam is the world’s premier headphone audio show with annual events in New York City, Singapore, Los Angeles, London, and Shanghai and is produced by Head-Fi.org, the world’s largest online audio community. The New York Show will be held on 2/26 and 2/27 at the New York Marriot Marquis in Times Square.
CanJam is the headphone audio industry’s showcase for exhibiting brands to expand their product distribution channels, interact with customers, industry peers, and engage with the international audio, lifestyle, and technology press.
Ethan Opolion, Producer of CanJam Global states that “CanJam NYC 2022 returns to the Big Apple at the fabulous New York Marriott Marquis in iconic Times Square. Featuring over 100 leading brands in over 20,000 sq ft. of exhibition space, CanJam NYC 2022 will showcase the latest products and innovations in headphones and personal audio electronics in all price ranges — from $50 earbuds to the world’s finest headphone audio systems at over $50,000.”
Ethan goes on to say: “We are thrilled to once again partner with Qobuz to be a Show Sponsor and Official Streaming Provider for CanJam NYC 2022. As CanJam caters to a younger and more dynamic audience, streaming is a natural solution for headphone audio auditions at the show. This is especially true at CanJam, where attendees and exhibitors can easily share specific tracks and Qobuz playlists with each other, to help facilitate meaningful auditions using lossless and hi-res tracks.“
Note: As part of the event, David Solomon of Qobuz will be giving a Streaming 101 seminar where he will personally walk through all the basics and benefits of streaming. There will also be a Q&A session.
Editor-in-Chief, Ian White, will be at CanJam NYC 2022 for both days with daily coverage starting on Saturday morning.
Some of the exhibitors include:
- Ambient Acoustics
- Audeze
- Dali
- Focal
- Headphones.com
- HiFiMAN
- Meze Audio
- PSB Speakers
- PW Audio
- Sennheiser
