Filed Under:

Music Matters 2018: Highlights of the Party We Planned All Year Long

By Bob Cole

Last weekend proved just how much the music really matters. Over 200 people attended World Wide Stereo's annual “Music Matters” event, filling both stores in Montgomeryville and Ardmore to capacity, despite dreadful weather. Thank you to all of our presenters and staff who worked so hard to make the presentations the best ever — and especially to our wonderful customers who make these events possible. This year we went a little out of the box adding the gang from Martin Guitar and Molly Hicks, a hospice music therapist. These were strong additions, and only emphasized how much it’s really all about the music and not just the gear we sell.

To our manufacturer partners — McIntosh, Audeze, Dynaudio, Bowers & Wilkins, KLH, and Focal Audio — who donated almost $12,000 in giveaways: Thank you for allowing a handful of attendees to take home a piece of the experience. (Prizes included: Focal Spark Headphones, two KLH 5.1 Quincy Home Theater Systems, a pair of Dynaudio Xeo 20 Bookshelf Speakers, a pair of Audeze LCD-X Headphones, a pair of Bowers & Wilkins 606 Bookshelf Speakers, a McIntosh MA252 Integrated Amp, and a pair of Bowers & Wilkins PX On-Ear Headphones.) And of course, thank you to our local vendors: George's Music and Izenberg's Catering.

Thank you also to the many new folks who attended and who are just beginning to appreciate the World Wide Stereo experience. Our motto is to do well by doing good. We make our living bringing the joy of music and all the other wonderful things consumer technology can provide to our customers. What follows is a summary of the event, the music played, and the gear used — check it out, and be sure to scroll through our photo gallery at the end!

The music of the night: Session highlights & playlists.

Making Magic with Martin Guitar

For over 180 years, Martin Guitar has been “the” choice for the best musicians on the planet, from the icons of rock, pop, country, folk, and bluegrass to classical and flamenco players of every age. During their keynote and breakout sessions, we learned more about Martin's incredible history and experienced what makes them so special, as their guitars were played by some of the folks who build them.

Presented by: The folks from Martin Guitar

Products used (Martin Guitars):

000-28EC (Eric Clapton Model w/ East Indian Rosewood)
D-Jr (Junior version of the iconic Martin Dreadnaught body style)
Custom Shop (“Sinker” Mahogany)
GPC-18E (Grand Performance body style w/ Genuine Mahogany body)

Products used (PA System):

Electro Voice Evolve 50

Products used (Stereo equipment)

Playlist:

"Layla" - Eric Clapton Unplugged (Tidal)
"Layla" - Eric Clapton (Performed live by local guitarist, Ricky Smith)

How Music Moves the Heart and Saves the Soul

Molly is a music therapist and bereavement coordinator at Penn Wissahickon Hospice in the Philadelphia area. She also serves on the Allied Therapies Steering Committee of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization. During the presentation, Molly performed two original songs. During the breakout sessions, she talked 1:1 with attendees and shared more about music therapy. It was incredibly moving for all. (To get in touch with Molly, click here to send her an email or follow her on Facebook.)

Presented by: Molly Hicks, MMT, MT-BC

Songs performed:

"Call in the Light" - Written and Performed live by Molly Hicks
Original song - Written by one of Molly's clients (Performed live by Molly)

The Evolution of the Loudspeaker

During this special session, KLH President and CEO Dave Kelley covered the different types of speakers available today, and took us through the creation of a speaker from conception to production.

Presented by: David Kelley, President and CEO of KLH, Former President of Klipsch

Products used (Montgomeryville):

McIntosh MC462 2-Channel Solid State Power Amp
McIntosh D150 Digital Stereo Preamp
Bluesound NODE 2i Wireless Music Streamer
AudioQuest balanced interconnects
AudioQuest Rockafeller Speaker Cables
AudioQuest NRG Power Cables

Products used (Ardmore):

McIntosh MA9000 Integrated Amp
Bluesound VAULT 2i Network Streamer, CD-Ripper, and Music Library
AudioQuest balanced interconnects
AudioQuest Rockefeller Speaker cables
AudioQuest NRG Power Cables

Playlist:

"Little Wing" - Stevie Ray Vaughan
"Spanish Harlem" - Rebecca Pidgeon
"Arms of a Woman" - Amos Lee
"Winter Birds" - Ray LaMontagne
"Keith Don’t Go" - Nils Lofgren
"I Can See Clearly Now" - Holly Cole Trio

The Musical Potential of the Subwoofer

During this session, McIntosh's Bob Staples explained how the placement of a subwoofer and speakers can have a huge impact on the listening experience.

Presented by: Bob Staples, McIntosh Labs

Products used:

Bluesound NODE 2i Wireless Music Streamer
McIntosh MAC7200 2-Channel Stereo Receiver
Focal Electra 1028 Floorstanding Speaker Pair
Focal Sub 1000 F High Power Subwoofer

Playlist:

"Ballad of the Runaway Horse" – Jennifer Warnes (Tidal)
"In My Soul" - Orrin Evans and Captain Black Big Band (Tidal)
"Bach" – Cello Suite #1 in G, Prelude (Tidal)
"Lester’s Methadone Clinic" – Sonia Dada (Tidal)
"Seeya" – Deadmau5 (Tidal)

Analog vs. Digital

While both formats have their differences, it's all about the same thing: the music. Whether you prefer the classic sound of vinyl or the freedom of digital files, our very own Adam Domurad showed us how to maximize the listening experience for both.

Presented by: Adam Domurad, World Wide Stereo

Products used:

Focal Utopia Maestro Loudspeaker Pair
McIntosh C2600 Vacuum Tube Preamplifier
McIntosh MC611 1-Channel Quad-Balanced Power Amplifiers
Pro-Ject Xtension 10 Turntable
Roon Nucleus Wireless Music Server
Torus Power
Bluesound VAULT 2i Network Streamer, CD-Ripper, Music Library

Playlist:

“Either Way” - Chris Stapleton (Tidal)
"The Four Seasons - Autumn" - Boston Symphony Orchestra, with Seiji Ozawa Conducting and Joseph Silverstein on Violin (Vinyl)
“Can’t We Be Friends” - Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong (24/96 FLAC file)
“Riviera Paradise” - Stevie Ray Vaughan (200 gram 45 RPM vinyl, Tidal at FLAC resolution and DSD64 resolution)

Taking the Confusion Out of Music Streaming Services

Spotify, Tidal, Deezer — oh my! Another one of our own, Ben Morrow, gave an educational 101-level crash course on music streaming, and how it can take the listening experience to new levels.

Presented by: Ben Morrow, World Wide Stereo

Products used:

Playlist:

"Cats in the Cradle" - Harry Chapin (Napster, Deezer, and Tidal)
"Rollin in the Deep" - Adele (Napster, Deezer, and Tidal)
"Can you Hear me Knocking" - The Rolling Stones (Napster, Deezer, and Tidal)
Smooth Jazz station on Pandora Radio
Various Sirius XM stations

The Headphone Experience: How Close to Live?

Evan Grimm of Audeze, one of the industry's leading headphone manufacturers, gave an info-packed session that included the history of headphones and the many types we have today. He also proved it's perfectly okay, and even beneficial, to have multiple pairs for different situations.

Presented by: Evan Grimm, Audeze

Products used:

Playlist:

"Bubbles" - Yosi Horikawa (Tidal)
"Three Wishes" - Roger Waters (Tidal)
"Lonesome Tears" - Beck (Tidal)
"All Your Love (Turned to Passion)" - Sara K. (Tidal)
"I Feel It Coming" - The Weeknd, Daft Punk (Tidal)
"On the Run" - Pink Floyd (Tidal)
"Midnight" - Coldplay (Tidal)
View Evan's full Tidal playlist here.

My Bluetooth Speaker Sounds Great. Is There Really Something Better?

During this session, Dynaudio's Mick Tillman discussed how music affects our emotions, and how better audio equipment can take it to an incredibly powerful level. The better the equipment, the better the detail and accuracy of the music — all of which translates into a moving experience unlike any other.

Presented by: Mick Tillman, Dynaudio

Products used:

JBL Flip 4 Portable Bluetooth Speaker
Dynaudio Music 1 Intelligent Wireless Music System
Dynaudio Xeo 2 Wireless Bookshelf Speaker Pair
Dynaudio Contour 30 Floorstanding Speaker Pair
Bluesound NODE 2i Wireless Music Streamer
McIntosh C2600 Vacuum Tube Preamplifier
McIntosh MC452 Amplifier

Playlist:

"Jolene" - Mindy Smith (CD quality: 16 bit 44Khz)
"Madness" - Muse (CD quality: 16 bit 44Khz)
"Baubles, Bangles, and Beads" - Christian McBride (CD quality: 16 bit 44Khz)
"Radioactive" - Pentatonix (CD quality: 16 bit 44Khz)
"Layla" - Eric Clapton Unplugged (CD quality: 16 bit 44Khz)

80% of the Music is in the Movies? Yup, and We’ll Show You.

Sound is what makes you jump out of your seat, dive for cover, or reach for your Kleenex — and we experienced exactly why during a selection of iconic movie scenes.

Montgomeryville

Presented by: Kevin Wolf, Bowers & Wilkins

Products used: Academy Room Theater featuring Bowers & Wilkins

Scene list: