ROCKFORD FOSGATE: The International CES, Las Vegas 2014

I have known Andy Hefft for decades, literally. In that time he has worked for a good few top outfits in car audio and is a true ‘˜lifer’. These days he looks after the whole of Europe for legendary Rockford Fosgate and has had some rocky riding in recent years. However, the doom and gloom recedes a tad in the UK and has seemed to be less terrifying an issue in the USA, albeit it is a different business to what it once was. And this year, I was partly assisted in getting to Las Vegas to see the CES and more, by the UK distributors of Rockford Fosgate, Car Audio Security.
While I was impressed and embarrassingly amazed by how terribly pleasant and easy to deal with everyone in both the UK and the USA passport and visa offices were, it was a £300-odd cost in real terms of time and money! (The mega-form was the toughie) For this year the ESTA or Electronic System For Travel Authorisation would not let me tick a box and travel under the Visa Waiver system any longer. Yes, for the first time as stuff has changed in the five whole years since I last did it I am a US Visa holder as a ‘˜foreign news journalist’ and my passport has a biometric information chip inside it that is read and approved by a robotic machine at UK customs when you come home. It was very official this time.
But you know what? When, after four layers of security and pre-approval and finally getting to have my appointment at the secure counter system inside the American Embassy, the chap knew about our scene. The fellow had a chum with an SPL system so long ago, he recalled that his friend’s truck had to use a bit of ‘˜Flashdance’ as a distinctly LOUD recording on CD for SPL competing! Any readers able to date how long that was ago? Wow I was beyond impressed with him.
Anyway, I was tired after a lot of show going that day but utterly enthused to get to the Hard Rock hotel. The room was a theatre they use and was filled with Rockford stuff. At the centre, was a display of tiny wee amps, unashamedly showing their most personal parts off for all to see!

Fan cooled, as well.

But the big story was about dropping better stuff as perfect-fit into cars with the correct socketry and hardware but with ROCKFORD drivers plugged in:

And even the speakers have the correct sockets to take BMW loom plugs.

I made an interview clip with USA Rockford dude Dan Hunter and had Heffty in shot. he looks a bit startled. (Jetlagged to hell!)

Here, faithful reader, is that video clip.

But the audiophile in my soul was thrilled by these:

Which are REALLY posh bits of kit, with a passive crossover, that you can switch passively at remote control via a system of switches and a small controller! Cool, or WHAT? No more moving and setting and getting in and out to adjust high end passives do it by EAR.

And always on trend and maybe leading here, they have some frickin’ scary new mids and stuff for the Sound Quantity Level nutters of the Latin Americas who call their crazy PA trucks that unfold by this title. THIS is Andy Hefft’s best portrait in YEARS, reflected in the magnet cover or a stupefyingly powerful midband driver. It’s a ten

And here is the selection of shots above but as a gallery that scrolls, as the Talk Audio picture system can just DO that! and I wrote captions! (Can you spot the one shot that isn’t above? No prizes)
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