Evening star., 1952-11-09
TurntobIe Talk.
NEW YORK.


There may be q, few people
around who still don't know
what an audiophile is. The an
swer couldn't have remained q
mystery very long, however, to
any one who. between October
20 and November /, was within
earshot Of Manhattan's Hotel
New Yorker.
Audiophiles-I will explain be-
cause the dictionary doesn't
are worshipers Of sound, the
kind Of sound that comes Cor
should Gomez from radios and
monographs. Generally they
are record collectors. but they
are collectors with a motive.
They are concerned not merely
with what is on the record. but
what comes OF. They admire
piccolos, triangles, violin resin
and kettledrums (which often
are not as audible as they should
be). They buy, not radio sets
or record players. but custom
c0mpOnentS-Such as ampli-
f1ers. tuners, turntables, pickups.
They have their own vocabulary,
largely unintelligible (some-
times even to themselves). And
they are rarely satisfied, in con-
sequence of which they are
nearly always broke.
Fifteen thousand anything is
a considerable number; $4,000
audiophiles is overwhelming.
That number. by official count,
converged on Eighth avenue
and Thirty-fourth street from
the 29th through the 1st. The
occasion was the Audio Engi-
neering Society'S audio fair,
an annual event intended to
allow the public to sample the
newest wares Of burgeoning
industry, to mutual advantage.
The fairs, Of which this was the
fourth, have been growing.
Three years ago. 5000 attended.
and last year. 5000. This year,
exhibitors increased, too. More
than 100 participated. an index
Of the fields growing signif1-
canoe. This years fair also was
a day longer. Patiently, it was
not intended to be quiet. It
wasn't.
Two complete floors of guest
rooms-the fifth and sixth
were allotted. Beds and similar
superfluities were removed, and
in their place was installed a
profusion of sound-making ap-
paratus, Of remarkably diverse
functions, shapes and prices.
Experts, ranging from company
presidents down, took their
places. Then came the deluge,
both aural and physical.
From questions and comments
overheard, it is certain that
many came seeking specific en-
lightenment. Which of several
speaker systems should one buy,
for instance? What amplifier
in such-and-such price range
sounds best? These seekers
were disappointed. Answers so
specific were impossible in the
circumstances. Factors of space,
acoustics. professional courtesy
and general. unmitigated turbu-
lence conspired against precise
comparisons. Drumbeats from
one chamber mingled with or
gan notes in the next, and both
with the harpsichord of the
third. Hardly an overtone was
not suspect. But a few hours
elbowing was nevertheless in
structive. To those previously
un1nitiated, it could not help but
be an eye-opener.
There wasn't a single con-
ventional radio-phonograph in
the place. A few looked some
thing like them-a concession
to consumer habits and the
normal layout of living rooms.
But the insides were different,
and so, in most instances. was
what came out.
II there was nothing conven-
tional, neither was there much
that was radically new since a
year ago. For the most part
the displays presented refine
mentS. or items new from a
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