The festival scene is now in full swing, and my home is humming with tales of performances by Arctic Monkeys, Harry Styles and Lana Del Rey.  My home is also beginning to take on the other type of festival hum – and we haven’t even yet got to Boardmasters or Reading! 

I love a live gig as much as the next person but I’m not too sure that I love the post-festival smell of wet dog permeating every fibre of the house. I’d love to go to a few festivals, but I like a daily shower, a toilet that has been flushed, a fully charged phone and more than four hours sleep. 

I don’t want to wake up to a teenager in the tent next to me having something dodgy for breakfast, I don’t want to pay £15 for a congealed pot noodle in a soggy paper cup, and I certainly don’t want to see someone on stage wearing the Zara Kids’ version of Martin Fry’s gold lamé suit.  And if the man of 50,000,000 Elvis Fans Can’t Be Wrong was watching, well, I imagine he would be turning in his grave. 

So, I’ve decided that I’ll set up a festival for me, in my very own home, with nobody else around. My festival will be the complete opposite to a real one: there will be no walking, no standing up for five hours, my feet won’t be trodden upon and there will be no pints of warm liquid flying through the air.

And here’s the best bit, what will I choose to play my digital festival playlist on? What hi-fi components should I select? The choice is very exciting!

First up, I think that the classic MOON ACE will more than do the job. It’s an all-in-one music system that’ll do everything that I could ask of it and more. As it’s simple to use, I can sit in my most comfortable armchair (no damp grass at my festival) and play my chosen tunes. As the marketing material says: ‘Featuring the world-renowned MOON sonic signature of visceral tight bass, transparent midrange, precise natural highs and lifelike sound, the ACE will always deliver an unforgettable performance.’ I’m sold!

And: ‘Turntable owners have not been forgotten as the moving magnet phono stage allows the ACE to bring the best out of any vinyl record.’ 

Which means that I’ll need a turntable to bring out the best of a live recording, one that will do justice to the Who Live at Leeds. The new JBL Spinner could do the job, it looks quite funky with its striking orange and black colour scheme, and it comes with a ‘high-quality Audio Technica moving magnet cartridge’ preinstalled. However, perhaps I should go for something more rock ‘n’ roll? How about a mighty VPI Titan Direct turntable? I’m sure that would do the Who justice!

Which speakers shall I choose? I think there’s only one choice here, a pair of Audiovector’s QR 7 floorstanders. These beauties have been specifically designed to bring a party into the home, just what I am looking for. The sound is big, bold and dynamic, yet subtle and detailed when required, and an excellent solution for all types of music. They are the flagship in the QR range and sport a whopping 2×8-inch bass system, 6-inch midrange and a detailed AMT tweeter. Audiovector says that the QR 7s are ideal for non-fatiguing and dynamic listening sessions – perfect! Another consideration: should the speakers be black piano, white silk or dark walnut? Or should I order a custom finish?

Lastly, to shift a bit of air and to give some deep bass heft, I’ll add Audiovector’s super-fast QR subwoofer. It has a powerful 10” bass driver which combines with a downward-firing passive driver for the very lowest frequencies – just what I need.

I think that I’m now set up for my home festival listening experience! I’ll have the doors to the garden wide open so that I can smell the jasmine and roses in my garden, which is much better than a real festival’s smell of hot skin mixed with Lynx Africa. Thinking about it, the doors will only be a little bit open, as at my solo festival I don’t want to make my neighbours envious when they hear my supreme festival sound.

If, like me, the festival season has inspired you to think about upgrading your hi-fi to get the live music sound, then do contact the Loud & Clear team. They have everything you need to make your home rock!

Matt Tasker (Ammonite Media), July 2023