UK Audio Show 2024 - GoldenEar Highly Commended Award

 

Just across the corridor from a £100k system that was difficult to listen to, Goldenear brought a system based around Heed electronics, Audioquest cables and their BRX standmounts that feature AMT tweeters and twin sidemounted passive radiators for the bass loading. A system that comes in at under £5k was by far a more musical experience than across the corridor. Not the same level of detail, but engaging - you wanted to listen and listen to more, as opposed to wanting to leave the room.  Goldenear demonstrated the system with and without the subwoofer.  This added bass (as you might expect) and cleaned up female vocals (which you might not expected) but also made the timing of the music more sluggish.  I preferred the system without, but more experimentation or a different room (this was a small room) may have given a different result.

Bristol Show 2014 - Heed, The White Room

Possibly best decorated room with white sheen drapes all-round and the black and white spotty rugs hiding the usual hotel room carpet challenge. Sounding thin and lightweight with the Foo Fighters on the TT. Much richer sound from mac mini. Enigma speakers remind me a bit of Shahinians.   I do like the all white simplicity of the kit, but not sure that glossy white plastic fronts look very expensive.

Often at these shows the room host will be seen to exaggeratingly nodding their head, rocking their bodies or waggling their toes.  The Heed room took this to excess with our host clearly out to prove how rocking the Foo Fighters were sounding - with head banging and air guitar to prove it.  On the flip side, he did say that the Enigma 5 speakers "won't suit everyone" due to their sloping baffle which disperses the sound into the room.