What I learned from the first show was that the second time around I will play my own music in the room or I will simply not cover the room and say why.

I am tired of rooms that play their music to their volume and "stack the deck" in what their systems can handle. It may be beautiful but I am going to play a variety of rugged stuff.

It might not be a bad idea to create a couple of your own CD's (a mixed tape) of songs you like, songs that are well enough recorded and run the gambit from rap to oboe solos and everything in between. Moreover, it would save time and space carrying the CD carry case. Make sure the first three tracks run a reasonably wide gambit. Acoustic with a variety of string, percussion, horn, wind etc, then a well recorded hard hitting amplified music piece, and then perhaps a well recorded female vocal. If the system even warrants going forward after three such pieces then it's probably already going to be considered a good stereo at the very least. 3 tracks is really all it takes IMO to determine if it has something worthwhile.

I am going to do my best to make it to CAS.

Trouble is I am not sure Trenner and Freidl will be there and I really do want to hear them again.

I enjoy reading polar opposite responses to rooms but at the same time I want to know what was actually played in the room. One magazine loved the Perfect 8 technologies room while another mag didn't care for it remotely. The latter review was audiofederation's take but Mike is a musician while the other isn't. It would be interesting to find out what music was played during the sessions because the magazine that liked it may have listened to music that played to the strength while the latter didn't like it based on playing something else.

A smaller show also would be less tempting to cover many rooms quickly. I would like to be able to say - I played this track from this artist at a reasonable level, low level, high level and this is what the system did with it. Very few rooms will play anything not deemed audiophile caliber (which is a bit iffy IMO). I like the rooms where they will play 1940's mono or not so great recordings but of great talents. I can say that only three rooms at CES 2010 did that and two of the three rooms were from the same manufacturer. Trenner and Freidl was the other. And they were only a handful of rooms that actually played at levels to get you dancing.