Regular readers will know I was spirited off to Las Vegas at the beginning of January to attend my eighth or ninth Winter Consumer Electronics Show. Quite a statement to even be there in these tough times for a website as specialized as us.Over the last fifteen years or so I have managed to get along to quite a few though. In the early days there was simply enough cash floating around for some distributors to think it was a Good Thing for me to get there and the guys at ProPlus Sound and Matthew Robins of then Icetronic both helped out. Also, Pioneer took me along to see the birth of OEL, now called OLED and Kenwood have taken me too.In the latter years, Blaupunkt ran a posh trip taking Snapper Spike and two Fast Car competition prize winners and we got so much work out of it (due to professional quality pictures) that we then started asking different outfits to help us both get there after that. In return for features in Fast Car, they would chip in and the lion would lie down with the lamb.
Companies seriously head to head as competitors joined forces. Clarion and Kenwood in the same year one time. One occasion I took FC snapper Daniel Pullen with - he was a 'Vegas virgin at the time. I spoiled his girlish laughter for ever.This year it was Midbass Distribution who really wanted Talk Audio to be out there to report and so along with Clarion again (their demo car was awesome - full feature to come soon as well) and the guys at TDR (who distribute the US Amps and RE Audio equipment) who also chipped in, we were sorted.The Vibe guys had some new kit and three fabulously cute Minis in red white and blue to signify the UK onslaught to the USA Car Audio market. Now with US distribution with the Metra people they have cracked the USA like the ruddy Beatles and the Stones and Leona Lewis all rolled into one!So big is the launch that they had more than three demo cars.
