Vince Gill's "Guitar Slinger" now available from MCA Nashville

You’re invited to join us for Music Matters – two nights of presentations by industry experts – devoted exclusively to great musical reproduction with some of the newest and best audio components, in a casual, low-key atmosphere.

The first night, our Triangle showroom at 8621 Glenwood Ave. in Raleigh will host Music Matters on Thursday, Nov. 17th. Our second evening will be Charlotte Music Matters, on Friday Nov. 18th in our Pineville showplace at 11409 Carolina Place Parkway. Both evenings will last from 5:30 pm to 9:30 pm, with 30 minute presentations conducted every half hour. Wine and food in Raleigh will be served by Bella Monica, and in Pineville by Born to Cook. These are must hear events for musical enthusiasts of the Carolinas!

Some of today’s newest and best audio components will be presented by: Audio Research, AudioQuest, Ayre Acoustics, Bowers & Wilkins, Classé, GoldenEar Technology, Magnepan, Peachtree Audio, PSB Speakers, Transparent Cable, and Wilson Audio.

We’re excited to have industry legends Sandy Gross of GoldenEar Technology and Paul Barton of PSB Speakers in attendance! Chris Connacker, founder and chief writer for the website Computer Audiophile will also be a special guest presenter for Music Matters!

During your visit, enter our drawing for special prizes including the DAC-iT from Peachtree Audio and copies of the new Vince Gill album Guitar Slinger, courtesy of MCA Nashville.

We look forward to seeing you in November! Please RSVP if you plan to attend with the number of people in your party, and the location, to event@audioadvice.com.

Triangle event location: 8621 Glenwood Ave. (2 miles east of I-540), Raleigh, NC 27617  (919) 881-2005

Charlotte event location: 11409 Carolina Place Parkway (outside Carolina Place Mall), Pineville, NC 28134  (704) 821-4510

We had people from Apple, Lutron, Control 4, Kaleidescape, Classe/B&W, Sonos, Peachtree Audio, and Audioquest doing presentations on the latest home entertainment technology from their companies.

I must say, I think the coming new Kaleidescape products are especially cool. Their new Blu-ray vault/player is really neat! Sonos also presented with us the first public appearance of their new speaker system that can be used mono or as a stereo pair. Peachtree showed off their new little DAC that promises to be great for the money. And as always, the Apple room was packed the whole evening as people learned all about diving deep into iTunes, and more.

Apple iTunes power user tips shown at Digital Living

All who attended had a great time, and we hope a lot was learned along with enjoying the good food.  In thinking about all the fun I had presenting our Signature system, I thought about this. When was the last time a local big box store (Best Buy, HH Gregg, etc.) or on-line electronics retailer spent over $10,000 per location to bring in the best people from some of the top high performance brands, giving customers a chance to meet them and learn about future technologies before anyone else? I cannot not think of such events….

Audio Advice events have become special evenings where you can meet industry leaders on a very personal level and catch up with old friends. We really appreciate everyone who attends, and as long as you keep coming, our vendor partners are more than happy to keep coming back. Can you guess why?  They love it too!  We always get great comments about the thoughtful questions and enthusiasm you have for improving your home technology. And when we have standing room only for lots of presentations, they like it even better!

Talking with Jett from AudioQuest before a new session

Our next big event will be Music Matters, November 17^th in Raleigh and the 18^th in Charlotte. These will feature some of the top experts from the best manufacturers of high performance audio, and we’re working on having some that are new to our evenings. Watch the blog for more news as the days get closer.

We hope to see you with us in November at Music Matters, if not sooner!

Wednesday, May 4th, 6 pm to 9 pm, Raleigh Audio Advice Showroom
Space is limited. RSVP as soon as possible to reserve your time. Please see details below.

Spring brings with it the chance for outdoor fun! On Wednesday, May 4th at our first event of 2011, we highlight a spectacular outdoor theater featuring an outstanding JBL speaker system and the amazing M-Vision Cine 400 projector from Digital Projection. To help you relax after (or before) the excitement, wine tastings will be conducted every half hour (beginning at 6 pm) in our showroom by the Triangle’s own award-winning Chatham Hill Winery. Light food will be provided by Bella Monica, and will be available beginning at 5:30.

To ensure the best possible experience, by request of Chatham Hill each tasting session will be limited to 25 people. Tastings will be every half hour, beginning at 6 pm with the last tasting beginning at 8:30 pm. As each half hour is limited to 25 people, we encourage you to RSVP by email at the link here as soon as possible to reserve your time. (Please list your preferred time and number in your party.)

Outdoor theater seating will be located under a tent in front of the showroom, so you can enjoy the presentation come rain or shine. Between the theater and wine tasting sessions, your friends from Audio Advice will be available in our showroom to show you some of the newest products that make home entertainment easier and more fun, including the Oppo BDP-93 Blu-ray player, Peachtree Audio’s highly praised musicBox digital desktop music system, and an economical home projector from Epson!

Once again, please RSVP by email as soon as possible for the wine tasting to reserve your place and time. (Give preferred time and number in party.)

The Audio Advice Raleigh showroom is located at 8621 Glenwood Ave., in Raleigh (about 2 miles southeast of I-540). Email directly to event@audioadvice.com.

Visit our Google maps page for directions.

Another highlight of the event will be a wine tasting conducted by award-winning Triangle winery, Chatham Hill Winery. Their presentation will include tastings of a variety of Chatham Hill wines with simple food pairings from our friends at Bella Monica. This tasting is designed so everyone from the wine novice to the dedicated enthusiast can enjoy it.

Important RSVP Information for Wine Tasting: Please Read:  Because of the nature of the wine tasting event, Chatham Hill requests that the number of people at each of the evening’s six tasting sessions be limited to 25. Each session will last approximately 30 minutes. The sessions will begin promptly at 6:00, and continue at 6:30, 7:00, 7:30, 8:00, and 8:30. When you RSVP, please give the number of people in your party, and which tasting session you would like to join. Please RSVP as soon as possible to event@audioadvice.com if you wish to attend. Space is limited, and our last events have been extremely well attended, so get in touch as soon as you can. We look forward to seeing you in Raleigh in May!

John Atkinson of Stereophile magazine speaks at Charlotte Music Matters

John Atkinson, editor of Stereophile magazine, was a guest at our Music Matters events last November. In the latest issue of Stereophile (February 2011), he has some nice comments about the events in his column, As We See It. Here’s an excerpt: for the complete column see the February issue on newsstands now.

As We See It by John Atkinson

Music Matters

“The weekend of the great website migration, I was driving back from North Carolina, where I had been doing something else to keep audio passions growing. Leon Shaw, Scott Newnam, and Phil Melton, all of specialty retailer Audio Advice, had asked me to take part in two “Music Matters” evenings at their Raleigh and Charlotte stores, filling in for an indisposed Michael Fremer….

“Music Matters” is the name given an evening hosted by a retailer, during which manufacturers and audio journalists play music and give presentations to an audience of audiophiles. The North Carolina evenings featured Peter McGrath of Wilson Audio Specialties, Dave Nauber of Classé, Steve Silberman of AudioQuest, Jim Spainhour of Peachtree Audio, Sandy Gross and John Miller of GoldenEar Technologies, Dave Gordon of Audio Research, Alex Brinkman of Ayre Acoustics, Eric Joy of B&W, Mike Pyle and Keith Parke of Mark Levinson, JBL, and Revel, and Brad O’Toole of Transparent Audio….I gave a series of musical presentations based on my “As We See It” column of November 2009, “The Spaces Between the Notes” (www.stereophile.com/content/spaces-between-notes), in which I demonstrated the evils of the ‘Loudness Wars,” and how the overuse of compression actually minimizes the musical content of recordings.

…Audio Advice’s “Music Matters” events were well attended and the audience was engaged, interested, and enthusiastic. Some ‘philes had driven there from as far away as Atlanta…. these evenings illustrated something I had mentioned at a similar event in England a quarter-century ago: that the role of the specialty retailer is to be less like a fisherman who passively waits for customers to drift pass his door, and more like a farmer tilling the earth and sowing seeds to be more certain of an eventual harvest.

I applaud dealers who promote evenings such as these…. Were every dealer in the US like Audio Advice….and the others who give up their evenings to promote recorded music and keep their customers’ passions growing, the audio industry would return to its preeminence.”

Raleigh, Dec. 10 & 11 (Fri. and Sat.) – Demo times listed below

“The best sound of the 2010 CEDIA Show went to the Harman truck.” – Leon Shaw

Make your appointment for a demo today! Details below:

See first hand the latest in audio excellence from Harman and Audio Advice. The Harman Mobile Showcase is coming to Charlotte and Raleigh, and we’re inviting you to take an exclusive tour through this magnificent customized display.

Inside, you’ll experience the acoustic purity, impressive power, and outstanding clarity of the newest offerings from Mark Levinson, JBL Synthesis, Lexicon, and Revel of the High Performance Audio/Video (HPAV) group. From home theater systems delivering professional quality sound, to pure audio systems providing an incredible depth to your listening, the Harman Mobile Showcase will delight and thrill your senses. Make plans to attend and become immersed in “Sound That Stirs the Soul.”

How to RSVP for the Harman Mobile Showcase

Check the hours at your location below and RSVP for a specific time (on the hour, quarter hour, or half hour), as space is limited. Make your demo appointment as soon as possible so you won’t miss out!

RSVP by e-mail (please specify location, time, and number in your party)
to: event@audioadvice.com.

RSVP by phone: (please specify location, time, and number in your party)
Raleigh (919) 881-2005
Charlotte: (704) 821-4510

Charlotte Demo Location and Hours

The Harman Mobile Showcase will present demos at the Pineville (Charlotte) location at 11409 Carolina Place Parkway (the former Tweeter building near Carolina Place Mall) on Wednesday, Dec. 8^th from 12 noon to 8 pm. On Thursday, Dec. 9^th, demos will be presented from 12 noon to 6 pm.

Raleigh Demo Location and Hours

The Harman Mobile Showcase will present demos at the Raleigh location at 8621 Glenwood Av., in Raleigh (about 2 miles southeast of I-540) on Friday, Dec, 10^th from 5 pm to 8 pm, and Saturday, Dec. 11^th, from 10 am to 6 pm.

For up to the minute details, check here at our website, www.audioadvice.com or go to our Facebook page.

Audio Advice will host Music Matters 2010 in our Raleigh showplace at 8621 Glenwood Avenue on Thursday Nov. 18^th, and Friday Nov. 19^th at the Pineville showplace at 11409 Carolina Place Parkway. Both evenings will last from 6 pm to 10 pm.

Wine and food will be provided by Bella Monica in Raleigh, and by Born to Cook in Pineville, and a prize drawing will be held for attendees. (You do not need to be present to win the prize drawing, but you must attend Music Matters to register.)

John Atkinson, Editor of Stereophile (pictured above) will be a featured presenter at each of these two evenings devoted to the celebration of music. (Regretfully, Michael Fremer had to cancel his planned presentation.)

The latest in speakers and components will be demonstrated by representatives from several of our favorite companies, and one new to Music Matters, GoldenEar Technologies. Here are the confirmed attendees:

Audio Research / Dave Gordon

AudioQuest / Steve Silberman

Ayre / Alex Brinkman

B&W / Eric Joy

Classé / Dave Nauber

GoldenEar Technologies / Sandy Gross

GoldenEar Technologies / John Miller

Mark Levinson / Mike Pyle (Raleigh)

Mark Levinson / Keith Parke (Raleigh)

Peachtree Audio / Jim Spainhour

Transparent Cable / Brad O’Toole

Wilson Audio / Peter McGrath (Raleigh)

Also in both Raleigh and Charlotte, John Q. Walker of Zenph Technologies will be on hand to demonstrate Zenph’s amazing re-performance technology that enables them to recreate legendary performances of the past with modern recording techniques. Their recordings have been featured in numerous media outlets, including The New York Times and NPR.

If you plan to attend, please RSVP for Music Matters by e-mail to event@audioadvice.com with your name, contact information, which Music Matters you will be attending and number of people in your group. RSVP by phone in Raleigh at (919) 881-2005 and in Charlotte call (704) 821-4510 and leave your information.

Watch the blog here and our Facebook page for more information as it is available. We hope to see you there!

Michael Fremer (R) at Music Matters 2008 at Audio Advice Raleigh showroom, talking with a visitor between sessions

Here’s an interesting interview with Michael Fremer, writer of the Analog Corner column for Stereophile magazine. Michael will be visiting both Audio Advice showrooms for our upcoming Music Matters events: in Raleigh on Nov. 19th, and in Pineville (Charlotte) on Nov. 19th. Michael was a big hit at Music Matters in Raleigh in 2008, and we’re happy that he’s able to be with us again in the Triangle, and in our Charlotte store for the first time. Each Music Matters is scheduled for 6pm to 10pm each evening. Mark your calendars now, and watch here and our Facebook page for more details soon!

Audio Advice participation in this year’s Raleigh/Wake County Parade of Homes features an affordable flat-screen surround system at a home from Upright Builders, Inc. (pictured above) at 240 Michelangelo Way in Cary.  This year’s Parade is being held, as usual, on the first 3 weekends of October. You may visit on Oct. 2nd and 3rd, Oct. 8th, 9th and 10th, and Oct. 15th, 16th and 17th from 12 noon to 6 pm. (See beneath the entry below for directions.)

The combination of home theater elements featured in the home can be adapted to almost any family den or living room. Elements include a 60” widescreen Samsung LED television,  a surround speaker combination from B&W, audio/video receiver from Integra, and Sony Blu-ray player. Components are housed in a Hampton cabinet from Salamander Systems.  The cost of the entire system pictured below, installed and calibrated at the Parade location, is slightly more than $11,000 including tax.

Home Theater System

Samsung 60” LED Television / UN60C6300

Integra DTR-70.1 Audio/Video Receiver

Sony BDP-S570 Blu-ray Disc Player

B&W Model 684 Floorstanding Speakers / Front (1 pair)

B&W HTM62 Center Channel Speaker

B&W CWM6160 In-Wall Speakers / Side and Rear (2 pairs)

B&W ASW608  Subwoofer

Salamander Chameleon Hampton 236 Component Cabinet

Google Map directions to 240 Michelangelo Way, Cary from Audio Advice, 8621 Glenwood Ave. Raleigh

1.	Head southeast on Glenwood Ave past Ebenezer Church Rd		5.2 mi
2.	Take the ramp onto I-440 S		5.9 mi
3.	Continue onto US-1 S		4.4 mi
4.	Take exit 98A to merge onto Tryon Rd		0.5 mi
5.	Turn right at Regency Pkwy		0.6 mi
6.	Continue onto Ederlee Dr		0.6 mi
7.	Turn right at Regency Pkwy		0.3 mi
8.	Turn right Destination will be on the right

DPI rear projection on a Stewart Starglas screen

Outside the VIP tent

Flatscreen monitor in the VIP tent

Another shot inside the VIP tent

The downtown crowd at Band Together 2010

If you are looking for something fun to do this Saturday evening, May 22 2010, Audio Advice is helping out with a charity event called Band Together.  The event takes place in front of the Lincoln Theater in Raleigh and runs from 6-11PM.  Step Up Ministry is the charity being helped out this year by the Band Together event.  They help people with job training, transitional housing, and self-sufficiency.

Five  acts  will perform, including Michael Franti and Spearhead, One Eskimo, The Old Ceremony, Holy House Tent Revival, and Anoop Desai.  Michael Franti has been performing for over 25 years and recently has become quite the You Tube hit with over 4.5 million views of his latest hit song, “Say Hey”.  Anoop Desai is the Triangle’s own contestant from last year’s American Idol.

Audio Advice is helping in the set up of a very cool VIP area.  We want to thank Digital Projection for loaning us a $70,000 commercial projector.  We are setting this up with a large Stewart rear projection screen to broadcast the performance into the VIP booth.  The picture should be most impressive! We’ll also have a couple of smaller flat panel TV’s set up in the VIP area as well.

We invite you to come out for what should be a great event.  You can learn more or donate at  http://bandtogethernc.org/home/

Leon