CES 2018 Day 3 Is Anything Happening at "The Zoo"?

In the "old days" of CES we used to call the main convention center "The Zoo". For the past ten years or so there simply wasn't sufficient time to cover the High Performance Audio exhibits at the Venetian and "The Zoo", but this year with "High Performance Audio" participation low there was time for a "Zoo" visit.

What we found there was odd. Other than spectacular new video monitor OLED and Nano technology, the Hi-Resolution Audio group's excellent display, plus imaging (Canon, Nikon, Polaroid back with instant photography, etc.) it was mostly a weak attempt to push artificial intelligence/robotics plus self-driving cars. The fit between a CES-type trade show and these technologies is not comfortable.

Also here, as you'll see, are faded former prestigious brands like RCA, Westinghouse and Fisher back in a most depressing way. And of course there was vinyl exploitation from a new company called Victrola, pushing worse than Crosley Cruiser type stuff and Crosley itself, which had a series of moving magnet equipped turntables that are far better than the stuff that made them a "by-surprise" player in the turntable business (Crosley originally got into turntables as a gift store novelty until sales took off like the proverbial rocket). They also showed a really cool 45rpm, 70 disc jukebox with a U.K. sourced mechanism that appeared to be of very high quality. An Apple Corps licensed Beatles "Sgt. Pepper's...." jukebox was an object of desire—even among the usual Crosley haters.

my new username's picture

If C1A can not just deliver, but also open my beer then I'll consider it.


Was there no "B1A?"

I actually kinda hate myself now, for watching the Honda presentation.

mrl1957's picture

Hey Mikey,

After hearing & feeling your obvious (and very justified) disdain about the Victrola "vinyl shredders", I began to flash way back...Capehart...Electrophonic...Soundesign...Lloyds...Juliette...

The things we put up with during the 70s!

gbougard's picture

I fail to see why
Might as well buy a Project turntable, no?
This industry is stupid

Michael Fremer's picture
Often products are sold through various mutually exclusive channels. It's quite possible that Klipsch dealers don't sell Pro-Ject and/or vice-versa. This is why it's good that Crosley sells two Pro-Ject models that are similar to but not identical to Pro-Ject's own turntables at those price points: Crosley reaches people who have never heard of "high performance audio" but through Crosley (irony or ironies) they just might!
Gandt10's picture

I can vouch for the quality of the jukebox I have one being made by the same company a Sound Leisure SL15 which a saw being made. The company is really old school lots of hand crafted wood and attention the detail. There were rows of the mechanisms running on selecting discs over and over for weeks on end for quality control. Service is fantastic and although I wouldn't call if hifi the jukeboxes sound punchy and fun. If you are in the UK I'm sure you'd get a kick out of visiting them.

ravenacustic's picture

For a throw away world. Although my first turntable was similar to those Victrolas and I played my Golden Record collection a thousand times and enjoyed every moment. The Honda display was pathetic for sure. Overall quite depressing.

vinyl listener's picture

are they used ?
new ?
is anyone still making 7 inch 45s ?
thanks for the great but depressing video mike.

Michael Fremer's picture
Of course. Watch the video I put on YouTube with the Doors 45 box set the Ramones box set, and the Sex Pistols 45 box set. Many others too not in box sets. The 45rpm collectibles market is insane!
Jeffrey Lee's picture

The Crosley guy makes a point of saying that the second jukebox is fully stocked with Record Store Day releases.

JanS's picture

And I wouldn't ever let this Crosley guy put on mý records!

Jack Gilvey's picture

Reminds me of the Coach House diner.

David Andrews's picture

Mikey, when will Pro-ject bring to the US the S-shaped, interchangeable headshell tonearms seen at Munich on the Xpression, Xperience and Xtension? I'd like to buy an Xtension 9, but I'm leery of the carbon fiber arm because of reviews and forums that say that the counterweight is unsecured and can fall off. What is Pro-ject's S-shaped arm made of?

PS, Mikey - I don't know if it's because I'm still using Windows XP, but every time I want to log in and message on AP, or the newsletters for Stereophile, InnerFidelity or AudioStream, I have to remake my passwords. You have no idea what I went through just to write this (finding a good page to remake the password at, when the Captcha didn't work on the offered page). Took twenty minutes - that's a lot of security for some audiophile sites.

Jeffrey Lee's picture

If you're using Internet Explorer, try a different browser. In fact, try a different browser no matter what you're now using.

David Andrews's picture

Nope - Firefox, where I can view my logins and passwords, and get in quickly at other sites where I'm logged out. Thanks, though.

David Andrews's picture

Also, I tried to remake my password on a Windows 10 office computer, and the Captcha doesn't show on the Send New Password page you get when you try to sign in to the message board, either. You have to go to the Login tab at the top of the home page.

Rudy's picture

I have the Xtension 10. The arm itself isn't bad, and no issues with the counterweight falling off. (It is not affixed all that securely, but no, it can't just randomly fall off.) Now, are the counterweights finished nicely? From the front, yes, but from the rear, the sorbothane looks low rent--bubbly and uneven. In addition, don't touch the calibrated dial too much, as those fall off of the counterweights very easily. And it would help if they had included the mass ranges of the counterweights in the documentation I received, vs. the arcane numbering system that indicates...something, I'm not sure what. A bit fussy in other words, but functionally they work fine as long as you're careful.

It's the quality control on mine that is inexcusable. I have a list of about ten items that the US distributor (at the time) gave me basically a "buzz off" attitude when I asked quite nicely how I could handle the problems. Let's see...a pulley that now chatters at startup, a tonearm lift that quit working and leaks oil, a speed controller that takes ages to ramp up to 45 RPM (and lands at 45.1 RPM...seriously, Pro-Ject??), a polished edge on the platter that was covered in some sort of manufacturing grime which, three years later, I'm still fighting to get clean (which I can't do much since there's a Dynavector perched on the arm inches away)...need I go on? No, everything in life is not perfect but c'mon, at the level of a near-flagship turntable, this is (pardon my French) f*cking ridiculous at the price they want for it.

The saddest part is that when it decides to work correctly, it sounds damn good, better than most in the same price range (including the VPI contraptions I never warmed to). I just find it hard to play records on a turntable that sickens me to look at.

I wish now I'd saved up for a Clearaudio. I have to take a huge trade-in loss on this boat anchor now.

Rudy's picture

...this reply was supposed to be beneath Mr. Andrews' comment...

Tom L's picture

I don't know how you purchased this table, but it sounds like you should have returned it immediately as defective unless it was bought used. I wouldn't have put up with the "manufacturing grime", much less the other issues you mention.

Rudy's picture

...posted below. I had clicked on Reply underneath your post, but thanks to the login, it booted me back a step so it created the post as a new comment thread, rather than a direct reply.