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Top Audio Video Show Milano 2012 celebrates Silver Anniversary

September 13, 2012 — Article

The Top Audio Show in Milan has just opened its doors for its 25th edition. The Show has expanded over the years to become the leading trade event for this sector in Italy, hosting annually over 20,000 visitors during four days and allowing them to enjoy an ever expanding range of activities including daily conferences, concerts and seminars for everyone, from high-end audiophiles to the young generation looking for the latest in technologies.

Despite the economy, the show boasts this year over 100 exhibitors and 600 brands on display throughout the over 100 listening and viewing rooms, in addition to an area dedicated to Car Audio and another one to offer a look at some Home Automation solutions.

Meet here the Team, headed by Illaria Bertino, Segreteria Generale, which deserves a round of applauses for the superb organization that makes this show such a pleasure to attend each year.

We will be bringing you more on the many individual stands at the Show in the coming days, including the recent trends shown at IFA with 4K televisions, but also looking at what we feel is an interesting orientation toward addressing a more custom aspect of products, to make them unique with the increasing possibility to personalize colors.

High-End Audio will always have its demanding audiophile followers where high quality equipment and cable for the ultimate sound are essential, but statistics show that the digital music market is growing. The way we listen to music and enjoy it today has changed. This is particularly true for the “iPod” generation. We will celebrate on the 23rd of October its 11th anniversary already… which means for those in their early 20’s some have had an iPod in hand for almost half of their life! In addition, for example, in Italy was just launched the first high definition digital music store, www.iflac.it, where users can download music files with the same quality as the master copies.

Visitors could spend their entire show combing the hundreds of square meters dedicated to vinyl records and CDs to find just that one they had been looking for to add to their collection, but, for others, they could listen to the colored design Monster headphones with the wireless model by Dr. Dre on show.

Another innovation was on display for the first time in Europe with the new KEF X-300A active speakers, just arriving at Milan from their World Wide launch in the US at CEDIA. A new direction for KEF with a wireless model to follow, but when talking to other manufacturers, and among the very high end, we may have a trend appearing here.

KEF X-300A active speakers

Color personalization makes speakers better adapted to each individual home for the pleasure of all (!) and there is a full customized choice from some brands including high-end models like the KEF Blade, the Focal Electra and Utopia Series, the range from Avantgarde Acoustic and even for the 200,000€ a pair Alexandria XLF speakers from Wilson Audio, matching exactly what the client wants, be it the home interior design or the woman-of-the-house’s favorite shade or the color of his (or her) bright orange Lamborghini is possible at a cost that makes having something totally unique in the world for 5 to 10% more expensive makes one want to enjoy this privilege.

Avantgarde Acoustic Duo Grosso-G2 with light topaz blue horns

Another example is the recent Home Theater range that Spectral had on display as their new furniture line with integrated speakers offering all the colors of the rainbow at the same price!

For those with design in mind but without a preference for color, the alternative on demonstration at the show again this year is the unique patented technology for the transparent glass speaker line-up from Waterfall Audio.

Cédric Aubriot, Founder of Waterfall, demonstrated the entire range

Finally creativity is one of the cornerstones at the Milan show with their unique Top Awards, where we will be bringing you the winners at the close of the Show.

Top Awards - Top Audio Video Show Milano 2012

Is color more present only because we are in Milan, a fashion capital of the World, and just a passing fashion fad, or will it become an underlying trend to enjoy something unique? Only time will tell, however to expand the Audio Video market beyond its historical base clientèle, changes in marketing are needed.

Innovate, create, liberate your senses! In the current very grey economy a little color is exciting, and maybe just the answer…