Week fourteen – Here’s the Mise En Scene

Picture a large exhibition at the Mighty NEC. In halls 9 to 12 and with a large area given over to Pioneer electronics. There’s a theatre section and in charge, for this week only, is Yours Truly. Future publishing, who put out T3, HiFi Choice and Home Cinema Choice (all of whom I have written for at one time with HCC being the main body of work) are running the Pioneer HiFi Theatre and we’re having five sessions a day about Car Audio, Home Cinema, The World Of DJ, How to pick kit for your budget and needs and HiFi in general. We’ll have illustrious panellists and after we get the folks in, I am going to come amongst them and ask for someone to rat out a mate if they are sat next to a person who could, for reasons of lippyness and/or experience, serve on the expert panel on stage.
I have minor swags to give away as well as super-rare and impossible-to-otherwise-get-for-the-public dts demo Blu-Ray discs! Also, of course, I have been on the ‘tief from Pioneer, so we will have some product to award as well, based not on who is prettiest or has the most voluptuous girlfriend (although I have been frickin’ SHAMELESS at car shows doing just ‘zackly that on occasion in the past) but rather on merit. I want to keep folks on their toes and a bit worried that I might stick the microphone in their face for an opinion. Love the stage work, hate the stage – always leaving it to get at the audience….
On the TA front, we have an amazing vehicle written up for your perusal. It does run to a long read and that’s without a slew of extra hardcore in-car acoustical treatment tech that I left out. It’s the £80,000 Sonic Frontiers Astra van. You WILL BOGGLE at the money spent in this system and it’s installation.
Also, there’s a little departure for Talk Audio in that we are talking about headphones. If you are reading this, you are sat in front of a headphone socket on your computer somewhere….and I am great mates with Bowers & Wilkins, so when it transpired that they had a headphone, the P5, I just HAD to try a pair. They are a cool £250 so I’ll play with some cheaper ones as well, soon but meanwhile, with luck and a following wind, both car feature and review should be up this week.
I have had a coolant hose pop on the Daddybus so am riding to the NEC on a train, with close to unfeasible amounts of luggage as I’m also planning to try and  get an Action Reply feature done for the Anglers Mail on Pendigo lake, catching Carp off the top. So part of my huge luggage is two full loaves of Sainsbury’s Tiger Bread and a rod case. Must be mad, but those fishes make my thumbs itch.
Lastly, we just wanted to offer our condolences to Highdown Car Audio & Security who, we have just learned, lost their young staffer James last week. Having stayed behind to test Nathan Carey’s bass system, it is believed that he payed some frequency that resonated with his heart and basically stopped it. He was found in the morning last Thursday. Those wishing to add their wishes to ours can call them on 01903 238 119.
I’ll go get on a train, then.
Adam Rayner – Online Editor