Audio Video News

Short version: bandwidth, budget, and better coverage from home.

For the last dozen years, CEDIA has been a fixed point on my calendar;a reset button for the custom‑install world and a reality check for what’s actually shipping versus what’s still a render. This year, I’m skipping it.

Alongside my work at Sound & Vision, I now handle web and social at Stereophile and report on 2‑channel audio shows. The week a cross‑country trade show consumes—prep, travel, floor time, follow‑ups—comes straight out of assignments that serve readers better. I’d rather spend those hours publishing useful coverage and keeping 2‑channel show reporting tight and timely.

Fewer of the companies I typically cover at CEDIA are actively working with Sound & Vision right now. When that happens, the ROI on airfare, hotel, and several days of coverage drops fast. I’m not paid to collect tote bags.

Most “news” now arrives as embargoed press releases. From home, I can hit publish as embargoes lift, verify specs, cut the fluff, and use the reclaimed time for reviews and news coverage as well as to attend 2-channel shows. It is exceedingly rare to get any information out of a major manufacturer that is not already in the press release.

In‑person trade‑show coverage has drifted toward video reels, booth tours, and social buzz. If that’s your beat and you’ve built an audience on it, sincerely: keep going. It’s not mine. I’m more useful when I can evaluate gear in controlled conditions, hear it in a treated room, and file with context rather than crowd noise. Moreover, a lot of the demos you see at shows are either unobtanium due to price, or not reflective of reality due to various show-related factors like noise from competing demos.

The hallway intel that never makes a press release. The late‑night arguments about crossover slopes. The one jaw‑drop demo that reminds you why any of this matters. It does happen. You can go to CEDIA and get goosebumps repeatedly. If you are part of the AV world, the quality of attendees at CEDIA is unparalleled. All the superstars of the category are there.

• Cover the announcements that matter—minus the marketing sugar—on a tight turnaround from my desk.
• Prioritize real listening sessions at local dealers and at home, where variables are controllable and comparisons are more meaningful. Trade shows are fun but they are a bit like an amusement park, each demo is designed to be a thrill ride.
• Go deeper on stories that survive first contact with reality: shipping dates, pricing clarity, and performance deltas you can actually hear or see. That takes time.

Yes, I’ll be catching some ocean air at the Jersey Shore that week. I'll also finally get to watch the first Eagles game of the season instead of following the score online while flying on a plane.

Have a great show. I hope the demos land, the new products earn their specs, and the networking is as warm as ever. If you hear or see something that cuts through the noise—something not already in the release—send it my way. I’ll be listening, reporting, and writing it up for Sound & Vision readers, minus the convention‑floor buzz. Perhaps I’ll catch you at the next one.