The High End by Oz room was bigger than life, just like Oz himself (both in size and personality). Every iteration of his Ocean Way Audio loudspeakers, though all wildly different, has been remarkable. The products of renowned studio engineer Alan Sides (who owned five Ocean Way recording studios across the country) has consistently been in the running for “Best sound of the Show” since he turned his attention to speaker building over a decade ago. Some of the attendees interpreted this as a lack of participants (or they'd have complained about the overcast skies). I enjoyed having the exhibitor rooms widely spaced as it meant that there was far less hallway congestion than we typically get at these events. Ironically, some of the attendees complained that the exhibitors were spaced too far apart. The hotel was attractive inside as well, with several satellite bars strategically located in case of emergencies.Įxhibitors and attendees often complain about the acoustical properties of small hotel rooms, but this place seemed to have many more conference rooms available than its T.H.E.