Most Significant

The release of any new Vandersteen is an occasion, and that may be even more true for the $23,900 Quatro CT EVO. Richard Vandersteen likes to design speakers that require a high-pass filter in front of them, but that requires unusually complicated sale and set-up processes. Ergo, we now have the Quatro CT EVO, which can be directly connected to any amplifier. Vandersteen also favors internal subwoofers, and here the new model is no exception. The CT EVO sports dual 8” side-firing woofers powered by a 300-watt Class B amp. At the show, the latest Vandy shone with the company’s natural house sound—the very opposite of the bombast you could find elsewhere. And though the demo pair were placed far apart, they nonetheless imaged beautifully. The Quatro CT EVO should be an easy sale.

Denmark’s Dynaudio has been on a roll lately, and at AXPONA the momentum continued with the launch of two impressive newcomers. The Contour 20 Black Edition wowed me with its refined, transparent sound and $8k price tag. Don’t confuse this new model with the standard Contour 20i; they’re completely different (aside from the cabinet). In fact, the bulk of the Black Edition’s innards are of the same build quality as the also-new, slightly larger, and more expensive Confidence 20A (see below). Further, while most speakers at this price point are entirely made of wood, the Black Edition’s front baffle is ½”-thick aluminum recessed into its curved MDF cabinet.

Though the Black Edition is limited to a low end of 42Hz, the greater internal capacity and a combination of novel port tuning and onboard DSP of the Confidence 20A allows it to reach 33Hz. Playing at AXPONA the new active version showed off deep, powerful bass and highs that, as on the Contour 20 Black Edition, were extended, sparkly (but not bright), and smooth.

Ampsandsounds is best known for its namesake products, but the aptly named Sasquatch ($17k) may change that. With a front panel dominated by an enormous 18” woofer, you’d be forgiven for mistaking Sasquatch for one of those huge subwoofers with a Greek name. But make no mistake; this is very much a full-range speaker. Complementing the woofer, which is good for 30Hz, is an elliptical horn-loaded mid/tweeter. Together, the two drivers yield a sensitivity rating of a whopping 99dB. With sensitivity like that, you can drive the Sasquatch with as little as 8 watts, and that’s exactly what ampsandsounds did. Like many dynamic/horn hybrids, the Sasquatch sounded bold and dynamic. But this speaker also had the much rarer attribute of perfect balance between the drivers.

To my ears, the Israeli company Morel hit it out of the park with its $11k model 634. The new speaker takes its place as the firm’s flagship, and its sonics are worthy of the title. Indeed, the 634, along with the Dynaudio Contour 20 Black Edition and the recent Acora MRB ($8k), is representative of a new wave of superb speakers in the circa-$10k price range. The 634 inhabits a svelte, room- and spouse-friendly tower that houses dual 6.5” woofers, a 6.5” midrange, and a dome tweeter. Powered by Hegel electronics, it produced astonishing bass, along with a punchy musicality that was quite bewitching.

PMC’s Prophecy 7 isn’t just a new speaker, it’s part of an entirely new, mid-level line from PMC meant to overlap lifestyle and audiophile attributes. For fans of the former category, the $10k Prophecy 7 takes the form of a slim contemporary tower. For us audio geeks, the speaker contains some very some cool tech. For instance, the low frequencies are internally routed through a long transmission line that has a special dispersing vent in front, designed to produce clearer bass. Sure enough, at the show the 5.5” LF driver did indeed deliver good crisp bass; though, owing to the room, there wasn’t a lot of extension. The speaker also boasts surprisingly-sophisticated waveguides for the midrange and tweeter, leading to an unusually wide sweet spot.

Audacious Debuts

After 30 years of building speakers in Germany, Auer Acoustics made its U.S. debut at AXPONA. Based on the $45k V2, driven by nonpareil Soulution electronics, and wired with Crystal Cable, I’d say the company knows what it’s doing. A 3-way sealed design, the V2 spans the octaves from 30Hz–40kHz. The handsome enclosure is made of extremely dense layered tankwood. The resultant sound is clean and neutral with good spatiality in all dimensions.

Whenever designer Andrew Jones works on a speaker, great things result. At AXPONA, he launched the Master Edition of the MoFi SourcePoint 10. The difference between the Master Edition and the now-discontinued regular SP10 is primarily in the crossover, where Jones is now using air-core rather than steel-core inductors. The 10” concentric driver remains unchanged, as does the sterling sound. Price is TBD (because, tariffs), but the previous SP10 cost an unbelievably-low $3k/pair. Soon there will also be a kit that allows current SP10 owners to upgrade to the Master Edition. That price is TBD, too.

Utah-based RBH introduced the Unrivaled SFTR/AX ($33k) active speaker. In a unique twist, the side panels are custom-made for each pair, so buyers can order them in any desired shape. The speaker is considered active because the price includes an external 6-channel amplifier that feeds 200 watts to the AMT tweeters, 400 watts to the 8” midrange units, and 2000 watts to the dual 12” woofers in each channel. Taking advantage of the active crossover, RBH also includes a DSP-based equalizer. The sound at AXPONA was delightful: big, punchy, and crisp.

Yet another outperforming sub-$10k speaker was the Opera Quinta V.2 ($7k). The top of the entry-level Classic line, the new model saves money with wood-finish vinyl sides and faux-leather surfaces. You’d never know it wasn’t real wood veneer and leather over the enclosure’s HDF. Opera put the bulk of the budget into the sound, which was remarkable for the price. Among the speaker’s virtues are good balance, excellent coherence, and plenty of detail retrieval.

Subwoofer specialist Perlisten has a new flagship for its S-Series, the D8IS (price TBD but “under $20k” each; available this summer). The highlight of the speaker is its dual-opposing 8” carbon-fiber woofers. The arrangement is meant to cancel vibrations and, as a glass of water atop the speaker attested, it works. The package includes a 3000-watt amp and full EQ slope control. In the less-expensive R-Series, Perlisten also introduced the R8 (approx. $1500 each; available this summer), a small cube that uses much of the same tech as the S-Series.

The Maarga (approx. $20k) from Rethm is a fully active speaker with unusual versatility. The dual woofers, in an Isobarik arrangement, are driven by a 600-watt Hypex Class D amp with a tubed output stage. The mid/tweeter is a concentric driver and there’s a 12-watt Class A amp for that. Users have full control of relative volume and crossover points, as well as the ability to bypass the mid/tweeter amp altogether and use their own.

In Other News….

SVS introduced a new sub, the 5000 R|Evolution ($2k each). The hefty unit sports a single 15” driver with a 30-pound motor and dual voice coils. The internal amp can deliver 2000 continuous Class D watts and 5000-watt peaks.

Horn and horn/dynamic hybrids were big at AXPONA. Volti Audio’s Vittora ($50k), is a 3-way pure horn speaker with a 15” folded-horn woofer. Sensitivity is a staggering 105dB, meaning the Vittora can be driven by as little as 0.1 watt! As for hybrids, Pure Audio Projects launched the Duet 15 ($7540), consisting of a 15” dynamic woofer and a horn mid/hi driver. Sold direct, the Duet 15 had a very open, unforced sound.

Another horn/dynamic hybrid came from venerable Klipsch, which introduced the $15k La Scala. The speaker, with a 12” ported woofer and a horn tweeter, looks and sounds very much like a Klipsch. For $3500, you can buy it with an active crossover. Finally, a brand-new company, O Audio, launched the Icon 12 hybrid for $23,400. It has a 12” dynamic woofer and a horn mid/tweet, which together span the octaves from 28Hz–20kHz.

Another trend in my category was active speakers. Along with those already mentioned, there was the ATC SCM 20 ASL ($10k+). This is the company’s smallest active speaker, and like all ATC products, every part is made in house.

A company new to me, Kii, introduced the model 7 ($8k), which is not only active but can directly connect to Tidal and Qobuz. The speaker is Roon Ready and has side-firing woofers. Lastly, although jPorter of Texas has been in business for five years, this was its first AXPONA. There, it launched the Wellington Active Tower ($20k), which has dual-opposed 9” mid/bass drivers and a transmission-line beryllium tweeter. You can have its balsa-birch enclosure in any color you’d like.

I’ll close with the incredible Bacch DrC2 ($20k), a complete 3-D desktop system from the folks at Theoretica Applied Physics. From just two small speakers, you get realistic surround sound.

Best of Show

Best Sound (cost no object): Though Stenheim gave it a run for the money, the big Acora/VAC system was unparalleled in its ability to portray instrumental timbres, scale, and dynamics in a realistic manner. Spatially, nothing came close.

Best Sound (for the money): A tie between the little Acora MRB with the VAC Essence FoiQs ($38k total system) and the not-so-little mbl 126/C41/C21 trio (also $38k total). Both made sound you’d never expect at this price range.

Most Significant Product Introduction: Rockport Lynx. Although $78k isn’t cheap, it’s a bargain for Rockport’s latest and one of its best.

Most Significant Trend: Excellent under-$10k speakers. In the past, this price point has yielded mostly disappointments. Not this year. I heard at least half a dozen circa-$10k speakers I’d be happy to own myself.

Most Coveted Product: Stenheim Ultime 2. These speakers are well out of my price range, but if I could afford them, I’d buy them. They look and sound equally beautiful.

The most eagerly anticipated new product in my category, electronics, was undoubtedly the Soulution 717 power amplifier. Not merely an update of its existing flagship, the 717 is an entirely new animal. In stereo mode, the 717 outputs 150Wpc into 8 ohms, a figure that doubles as the impedance is halved, all the way to 600Wpc into 2 ohms. In bridged mode, the 717 can output 600Wpc into 8 ohms. It features four 600VA switch-mode power-supply modules with very short signal paths from the power supplies to the circuits they supply and the loudspeaker binding posts. The audio circuitry is all new. I heard the prototype 717 briefly at the Soulution factory after last year’s Munich show and was taken aback by how much more lifelike it sounded than the company’s already fabulous 701. The price is $119,995, a figure that doubles if you run a pair of 717 in monoblock mode.

PS Audio showed four products in the new Paul McGowan Signature Series. The PGM Signature components feature identical and gorgeous casework made possible by building the same chassis-within-a chassis structure for all four products to realize economy-of-scale manufacturing. The PGM Signature series features 1½**-thick front panels and a very cool round illuminated touchscreen display. The linestage preamp, phonostage, DAC, and CD/SACD transport share the same retail price of $8495. The PMG Signature PureStream DAC replaces the company’s DirectStream DAC. Since I’m covering electronics, I’ll talk only about the linestage and phonostage. The linestage features all film caps, with no electrolytics, even in the power supply. It features a 1MHz bandwidth, custom stepped-attenuator volume control, and an astonishing –150dB noise floor. The phonostage offers a conventional voltage input as well as a transimpedance input (also called a current input) for cartridges with a very low internal impedance. The fully complementary, all-discrete circuit uses zero global feedback, offers balanced and unbalanced inputs, and variable cartridge loading by remote control. It looks like a lot of phonostage for the price. If these products sound as good as they look on the outside and inside the chassis, PS Audio has a winner. Shipments begin in June.

The venerable Audio Research Corporation introduced no fewer than six new models that are priced within reach of more music lovers. The three tube and three solid-state products start at $7450 and top out at $12,950. First up is the LS-2 tube linestage built around two 6H30 tubes. It features four single-ended inputs, two balanced inputs, and can accept an optional mm/mc phono card and an optional DAC card. A large touchscreen display dominates the front panel. Price: $8450 without options, rising to $9950 when fully loaded.

The LS-3 preamplifier is essentially a solid-state version of the LS-2, with all the same features, chassis, front-panel display, user interface, and remote control. The LS-3 costs $1000 less than its tubed sibling.

Next up is Audio Research’s S-100, a 100Wpc stereo Class AB power amplifier. It features a dual-mono architecture including separate transformers for each channel. The circuit is a balanced differential design and includes XLR and RCA inputs. Price: $9450. For those wanting more power, ARC offers the S-200 with 200Wpc along with the same circuitry and feature set as the S-100. The big brother, however, has a pair of large power-output meters on the front panel. Price: $9450.

Next up is the D-80 is an 80Wpc vacuum tube amplifier built around a pair of KT-150s per channel operated in pentode. The amplifier is a balanced differential design and offers only balanced XLR inputs. It is built on ARC’s REF80S platform. Price: $12,950.

Finally, we have the I/70 tubed integrated amplifier. Unlike the five all-new products just described, the I/70 is essentially an upgraded version of the company’s I/50 integrated amp with more output power (70Wpc) and built with the same platform and tube complement (two 6550s per channel). The higher output power is realized by replacing the transformer with the transformer from the company’s REF75 amplifier. The upgraded transformer reportedly also allows better control over challenging speaker loads along with wider dynamics and higher resolution. The input and driver stage are all tube, as is the headphone amplifier. The I/70 employs ARC’s auto-bias circuit. The I/70 can be loaded with optional phono and DAC boards, and it offers additional expansion capabilities with its preamplifier output jacks and subwoofer output. Price $9950 and $11,450 fully loaded.

Pass Labs showed its new flagship preamplifier, the XS Pre 2, a three-box affair with separate chassis for control electronics and left and right audio-channel electronics. The new model is an improvement and update of the XS preamp that has been Pass Labs’ flagship for 12 years. The new three-box design results in quieter circuitry. The power supply is now dual mono with three double-shielded transformers along with more filter capacitance and additional pre-regulation stages. The output stage has more Class A bias and lower output impedance. The circuit boards feature a new ceramic-based material with gold traces. The circuitry is based on Toshiba FETs in the input stage and MOSFETs in the output stage. Wayne Colburn, who designs all the phonostages and linestages for Pass Labs, says it is the best design he’s created in his more than 35 years of amplifier design. Price: $55k in silver, $56k in black.

CH Precision, known for their ultra-high-end electronics, recently acquired Wattson Audio, a Swiss high-end manufacturer. CH Precision began collaborating on designs with Wattson Audio and brought Wattson’s manufacturing in-house to offer a line of electronics that bring some of the CH Precision DNA to more affordable products. The first offering from this collaboration is the Madison, a compact Class AB power amplifier delivering 50Wpc. The Madison is designed and built entirely in Switzerland in the same factory as CH Precision’s electronics and even shares some design techniques and parts with CH products. In fact, the Madison’s single pair of output transistors are identical to those in CH’s $200k M10 flagship amplifier. The Madison was demonstrated with Wattson’s Madison Streamer where the pair sounded fabulous driving the Magico S3 2024—not an easy load, incidentally. The sound had a wonderful purity and expressiveness, transparent soundstage, and excellent dynamics. It was hard to believe that I was listening to just 50Wpc. The sound was like that of the CH M10 but scaled down in power. Price: $6495. Watch for our upcoming review.

Auspicious Debuts

Theory and Application elektroakustik (T+A) from Germany showed two new integrated amplifiers that are each a single-box distillation of their excellent half-chassis R200 series. A third model in the line will be introduced in Munich. The model I saw is called the Symphonia Streaming Integrated Amplifier, and it is packed with functionality and connectivity. It features T+A’s new streaming engine that supports Roon, Qobuz, Tidal, Deezer, etc. Other proprietary T+A technology includes a dual-differential DAC architecture along with the company’s DSD decoding circuitry. The Symphonia also offers FM radio, DAB, Internet Radio, bi-directional Blueooth, DLNA/UPnP, and HDMI with ARC. If that’s not enough, a phonostage that will accommodate mm or high-output moving-coil cartridges is included, along with a subwoofer output jack. The Class-D power amplifier section, based on the superb Eigentakt module, delivers 125Wpc into 8 ohms and 250Wpc into 4 ohms. Price: $9995.

Valve Amplification Company (VAC) had a great show, producing terrific sound with its new Statement 450iQ power amplifiers. These are an evolution of the company’s flagship product, now with a bigger power supply, improved transformers, and a new driver stage, among other advancements. The KT-88-based amp produces 230Wpc into 8 ohms in stereo mode, and 460W when used as a monoblock. Driving Acora’s top VRC speaker and sourced with a SAT turntable and tonearm with a Lyra Atlas cartridge, the Statement 450iQ was magical. See Jonathan Valin’s show report for a detailed description of this room.

At the other end of the scale, VAC introduced its most affordable components yet, the Essence Linestage and Essence 90 iQ monoblock amplifiers. The Essence 90 iQ features a pair of Gold Lion KT-88 power tubes along with VAC’s patented iQ Continuous Automatic Bias System that keeps the output tubes perfectly and automatically biased. Although a compact design, the Essence 90 iQ features a 14-pound transformer along with a direct-coupled input and driver stage built around two 6SN7GTB twin triodes operating in Class A. A rear-panel switch configures the amplifier to accept single-ended or balanced inputs. Output power is rated at 90W continuous. Price: $9900.

Vandersteen showed the full production version of its L5-ACC linestage (“ACC” stands for Audio Control Center). It may seem odd for a loudspeaker manufacturer to introduce its first preamp after nearly 50 years of making speakers, but the L5-ACC is the linestage that Richard Vandersteen always wanted for his own system but that wasn’t commercially available. He figured that other folks might want the L5-ACC’s unique features as well. Those features include bass and treble controls that are implemented in a way that doesn’t degrade sound quality. The amount of adjustment is limited and sensible—just enough to nudge the system in the right direction. The preamp also offers tone-adjusted presets. Next is a mono-blend circuit to reduce the “ping-pong” mixes prevalent in the early days of stereo recording—drums 100% in the right channel and the lead instrument 100% in the left channel, for example The mono-blend circuit reduces that exaggerated stereo effect and is selectable on the L5-ACC remote control in four steps including full mono. Finally, the L5-ACC incorporates a matrix that takes out-of-phase information from each channel, inverts it, and mixes it back in on the theory that this out-of-phase information restores the natural ambience encoded in the recordings. Price: $15k.

I spent some time getting a technical briefing on the new Atoll IN400 Evolution integrated amplifier. This is an overhaul of the IN400 SE that Neil Gader reviewed so enthusiastically in 2017. This new model brings circuit improvements along with a thoroughly modern feature set. New features include two balanced inputs, DSD decoding, and Bluetooth connectivity. In addition, the unit accepts an optional digital decoding board. In speaking with the company’s owner and the lead engineer, I was impressed by the product’s focus on sound quality. The circuit is all discrete (no op-amps), has separate transformers for the audio and control circuitry, is a low-feedback design, and its output stage has eight MOSFETs per channel. Power output is 160Wpc into 8 ohms, and 300Wpc into 4 ohms. This ability to nearly double the output power as the impedance is halved indicates a robust power supply and power-output stage. The $7500 IN400 Evolution was part of an excellent sounding system that included the company’s CD400 Evolution CD player and ST300 Signature streamer/DAC/preamp driving Dynaudio Contour Black Edition loudspeakers.

Germany’s AVM showed an interesting AC power conditioner, called the PL 5.3, that allows you to see and hear the noise on the AC line—noise that the PL 5.3 removes. The company offers two conditioners, the six-outlet PL3.3 at $4900 and the 12-outlet PL5.3 at $6900, with identical features and performance.

In Other News

I heard an absolutely gorgeous sound in the room of dealer/distributor Gestalt Audio that featured Wolf von Langa Ultima loudspeakers with a field-coil driver and AMT tweeter. The amplification was a pair of SW1X MPA V monoblocks with a whopping 6W of output power. That was more than enough to power the Ultimas. The SW1X amplifiers are Class A, tube rectified designs with a directly heated triode output tube which varies with model. The amplifiers all feature interstage transformer coupling. Price: $35,895 per pair. The SW1X Pre III LPX Classic preamplifier ($29,995) fronted the system. SW1X is a British company that makes a wide range of extremely esoteric electronics.

I heard more excellent tube sound in the Engström room (Rhythm Distribution) featuring Engström Eric Encore monoblocks ($180,000 per pair). Driving Marten Parker Trio Diamond loudspeakers, the 70W Class A Eric Encore had a beautiful tonality and spatial dimensionality. The system also included the Engström Monica MK3 Preamplifier ($70,000) and Engström M-Phono MK2 Phono Preamplifier ($35,000).

The French company Devialet that made a splash many years ago with its slim line of amplifiers employing a unique Class-A/Class-D hybrid output stage, showed a new integrated amplifier due for release later this year. Called Astra, the integrated amplifier is packed with features and connectivity including AirPlay, Google Cast Built-in, Roon Ready, Spotify Connect, UPnP and Tidal Connect. It also features Devialet’s Speaker Active Matching (SAM) circuitry that adjusts the amplifier’s output stage characteristics to best drive a specific speaker’s impedance curve and sensitivity. Robert E. Greene has favorably evaluated SAM in a previous issue. The amplifier’s initial setup is through an on-line configurator, allowing you to configure the inputs for your particular system, set phono gain and loading, and choose your speaker from more than 12,000 speakers in Devialet’s database to engage Speaker Active Matching. Available in silver or gold, the Astra will sell for $20,000 when it begins shipping this summer.

Boulder Amplifiers demonstrated its newly introduced 1151 monoblock amplifier and 1162 stereo amplifier. The 1151 is rated at 350W of peak power (250W continuous), and features Boulder’s Class-A Smart Current Biasing Circuit. In typical Boulder fashion, the output stage is massive, with 40 output transistors fed from 12 large supply capacitors. The 1162 is a stereo amplifier that outputs 300Wpc into 8 ohms. Prices are $23,500 each for the 1151 and $45,000 for the stereo 1162.

RH’s Best of Show

Best Sound (cost no object): Stenheim Ultime 2 SX driven by VTL amplification with Nordost cabling.

Best Sound (for the money): PS Audio Aspen FR-5 loudspeaker ($3000 per pair). This little standmount played way above its size and price, filling a large room with a big soundstage and deep bass.

Most Significant Introduction: Soulution 717 power amplifier. Soulution’s 701 was already world class, and this new model promises to establish a new benchmark in amplifier performance.

Most Coveted Product: The Dan D’Agostino Master Audio Systems Relentless preamplifier is a work of sonic, industrial, and visual art.

Most Significant Trend: The incredible price escalation at the very top of the high end, along with a proliferation of great-sounding affordable gear at the entry level.

Jazz artist Patricia Barber also wore two hats, signing her newly remastered vinyl reissue of Modern Cool at the Elusive Disc booth on Saturday and then performing a concert in the evening. The buzz was definitely on for this concert, and I’m glad it was a huge success, as hosting an artist of this stature is certainly a feather in AXPONA’s cap.

Musicians also have a history of speaking at AXPONA. This year David Chesky gave a talk entitled “What Is Good Sound and How to Get It.” As a composer and musician, Chesky has an extensive discography that embraces several genres, including jazz, classical, and Brazilian music, but he also has a history of taking audio technology to the next level.

Recently the U.K.- and Asia-based Evolution Music Group is now reissuing some classic Chesky titles on vinyl. Here you see Edwin Lo, Business Lead for Evolution Music Group, holding a couple new CDs on the label. Consisting entirely of piano trios, Harvey Mason’s Changing Partners: Trio 2 is a fascinating project that matches the veteran drummer with different bassists and pianists, with contributors including Stanley Clarke and Buster Williams on bass and Chick Corea and Jackie Terrasson on piano. Evolution Music Group makes some of the best-sounding CDs I’ve heard, and Wayne Garcia will review their 1-step vinyl pressing of Changing Partners: Trio 2 for Issue 362.

Like David Chesky, jazz pianist Elan Meher is a musician who also launched an audiophile label. The vinyl-focused Newvelle Records is about to celebrate its tenth anniversary. Musicians who have recorded for the label include Bill Frisell, Rufus Reid, Jack DeJohnette, and Frank Kimbrough. On Sunday, I visited a room where the equipment included Stenheim loudspeakers and Nordost cables. Newvelle Records used Nordost cables during its recording sessions, and because some Newvelle selections were played at AXPONA, that room offered a rare through-line between the recording and the playback. That afternoon we listened to two Newvelle tracks: the opening song from Elan Meher’s There is a Dance, which features a piano trio led by Meher; and “Ode to Satie” from an album where the legendary drummer Jack DeJohnette focuses exclusively on piano. The recording and the system sounded great, and I was very happy to hear that Newvelle is preparing to launch another series of albums. You’ll definitely be hearing about that series in upcoming issues of The Absolute Sound.

What Inspires Me About AXPONA

I’ll close by getting philosophical. Obviously, the main reason people attend AXPONA is to listen to equipment that, under normal circumstances, they can read about ad infinitum but are unlikely to hear in person unless they travel to an audio show. It’s no wonder that close to 11,000 people attended the event. As a result of hearing the equipment in person, many people decided what their next piece of equipment would be.

There’s something else about AXPONA that makes it a memorable experience, however, and that’s the camaraderie that occurs when you mingle with fellow music lovers. That’s why the focused listening sessions that brought together listeners to hear specific titles or genres are such a welcome feature. To give just two examples, this year Sierra Sound hosted two Metal Zone listening sessions for heavy metal fans, and another room hosted a listening session for the Who’s Live at Leeds. The fact that these high-energy listening sessions took place later in the day suggests that music fans might like a quick energy boost after racing from room to room all day.

There were also the focused listening sessions that occurred spontaneously. When I walked into the room where Sierra Sound was set up, they were playing a Bach Cantata instead of a heavy metal record, but they were happy to follow up the Bach with a Candlemass song that featured a fiery guitar solo. One tangent led to another, and somehow we ended up listening to a Charles Mingus platter with a mono cartridge. (I’m not sure how we got there.) Thanks to Sierra Sound for that musical journey, and I’ll bring a couple mono LPs next year to check out on your system.

On a similar note, I continually found myself in rooms where people were asking about an artist they’d just discovered after listening to a song. That interaction is an integral part of AXPONA, and I love that part of it. The fact that people come from all over the world for the event—this show featured equipment from more than 50 countries—makes the interaction that much enjoyable. Constantly I’m reminded that the enthusiasm for high-end gear is a worldwide phenomenon that brings people from different countries and cultures together—and the more of that, the better.

Acoustic Sounds also had a booth with vinyl, accessories, and a large quantity of reel-to-reel tapes. When I asked Chad Kassem, the owner of Acoustic Sounds, what brand-new title he was most excited about, he immediately grabbed a copy of AP’s reissue of Buena Vista Social Club. As it turns out, Jonathan Valin purchased a new reel-to-reel copy of BVSC at AXPONA and he’s going to review it for Issue 362 of TAS.

The booth for Elusive Disc stayed busy throughout the event, and especially on Saturday, when Impex Records hosted a meet-and-greet/album signing with jazz artist Patricia Barber, who also performed at AXPONA that evening. Here’s to the hard-working crew at Elusive Disc:

Delmark Records was also on hand for the event. A Chicago-based record company launched in 1953, Delmark has a rich blues and jazz history. New titles keep appearing, including Johnny Iguana’s At Delmark, a solo piano blues album that came out the week of the show. On Saturday afternoon Johnny signed copies of the album, which is available on vinyl, CD, hi-res digital, and reel-to-reel tape. (It’s actually one of five R2R tapes in the Delmark catalog.) The owner of Delmark, Julia Miller delivered a talk on Friday about the history of Chicago labels, which have contributed so much to music—and are still making an impact.

David Solomon, the self-described “Chief Hi Res Music Evangelist @ Qobuz,” also spoke at the event. His topic: “What’s New With Qobuz and Why the Audio Experts Prefer Qobuz Over the Rest.” Look for some TAS-created playlists on Qobuz in the future.

Revox B77 MKIII

Revox and Pro Sound Ltd. showed the Revox B77 MKIII tape deck in its standard configuration ($17,950) and in a visually tricked out Alice Cooper special limited-edition model. The B77 MKIII features an all-new internal electronics package featuring fully balanced circuits, XLR input and output terminations, electrolytic-free signal-path capacitors, new tape heads, NAB/IEC eq selection, 7.5ips/15ips speed selection, output level selection of -10dB consumer or +4dB pro settings, and a Class A headphone amplifier. I’ll be evaluating the B77 MKIII for TAS in an upcoming edition of the magazine, stay tuned.

Zesto Athena DAC

Zesto Audio showed its new and nearly finalized Athena DAC. The Athena has an all-tube output section with no additional filtering because the tube section has a natural high-frequency limit that Zesto feels is right without the addition of extra electronic components. The Athena will play up to 24-bit/384kHz PCM formats and 3 DSD formats (1x, 2x, and 4x). It has inputs that accept USB, coax, optical, AES/EBU, and I²S. The Athena is equipped with both XLR balanced and RCA single-ended outputs for system connections. Using 12DW input tubes and 12AU7 output tubes, the Athena, in an all Zesto-based system sitting on Stillpoints racks driving YG Hailey 3 speakers using all Cardas cabling, sounded smooth and inviting playing a Cannonball Adderly tune as well as producing Christian McBride’s double bass with finesse and authority on the opening of the Krall cut “Temptation.”

Air Tight ATE-5

Air Tight showed its new ATE-5 phonostage ($13,575) in a system with Air Tight’s reference components (ATC-7 preamp and ATM-3211 211-based push-pull tube monoblock amps). The ATE-5 is a stripped-down version of the flagship ATE-3011 phonostage but without any switching in the circuit path. The ATE-5 is as pure as it gets for an RIAA-based unit. Even the step-up transformer needed for mc cartridges requires an external unit. In this system, Air Tight used the ATH-3S step-up transformer to connect its Opus1 cartridge mounted to a special Panzerholtz edition Reed 3P arm on a Reed 3C Friction Drive table. The entire system was connected with TARA Labs cabling, flanked with Nihon Onkyo Engineering room treatments, with Franco Serblin Ktema loudspeakers producing the music. The sound with the ATE-5 was remarkably coherent, delicate, and had plenty of speedy get-up-and-go when called for. The ATE-5 was impressive in this system. A TAS review is highly likely.

Clearaudio Diamond Jubilee Cartridge

Clearaudio introduced the new Diamond Jubilee MC cartridge ($29,000). At that price it is clear this is a model in the lineup that is a step above the Goldfinger variants. The new cartridge sports a Zirconium Oxide body and uses Clearaudio’s knowledge of cartridge parts and assembly techniques to produce the Diamond Jubilee’s patented signal generator assembly. The cartridge sounded fast, dynamic, and steady while playing my music in one of the Quintessence Audio rooms during the show.

DS Audio TB-100 Tube Equalizer

DS Audio’s TB-100 Tube Equalizer ($20,000) was wedded to a DS Audio Grand Master EX cartridge mounted to a Clearaudio Universal 9” arm on the Master Jubilee turntable. The TB-100 uses only transformers and the four matched-quad set of 12AU7 tubes for equalizer functions in a pure single-ended circuit design. The TB-100 played back through a suite of ARC top-tier electronics driving Sonus Faber Stradivari speakers; the sound was fast with plenty of upper-midrange energy to open up the recordings and soundspace.

Auspicious Debuts:

Clearaudio Smart Double Matrix

The Smart Double Matrix ($3500) is a lower-cost version of the Double Matrix Professional Sonic with fewer features in a smaller footprint. The new unit still cleans (wash, rinse, and vacuum) both sides of the record at once using the same non-contact design. The functionality drops the one-button auto features of the Pro Sonic but retains the user button selections to control each cleaning step, while using a manual static brush rather than the auto static wand of the Pro. Overall, it seems like a fair tradeoff of auto features for the price break of the new model.

Aida Tru-Stone Violet Limited Edition Cartridge

Aida showed another limited-edition cartridge made from the same generator used in its Mammoth Gold cartridge but in a new body called the Tru-Stone Violet Limited Edition priced amd priced at a more affordable $6500. The Tru-Stone Violet was mounted to the KV 12 MAX tonearm on a J.Sikora Reference SE turntable ($49,250) feeding a Doshi Audio Evolution phonostage, preamp, and monoblocks powering Joseph Audio’s new Pearl Graphene Ultra loudspeakers in a system wired with Cardas cables. A wonderfully recorded 45rpm LP from AC Records called Art in Wroclaw, the sound was excellent. Save for a room-induced bass boom that refused to go away, one could hear the control over the speakers that system had, and the resolution produced by the cartridge through the system was impressive, as was the speed and dynamic contrasts heard on a tune like “My Shining Hour.”

Connected Fidelity TT-Hub Turntable

Sierra Sound showed the new Connected Fidelity TT-Hub turntable with a Sorane TA-1 arm ($6000 for TT & arm) and Benz SLR Gullwing cartridge. The TT-Hub’s base, plinth, and sub-chassis are made from sustainable bamboo plywood. The base is rigidly connected through spikes to the plinth but mechanically isolated to reduce vibrations. The thrust bearing is a PEAK Plus Sapphire sphere, with precision machined spindle in a sintered bronze bearing sleeve. The platter uses a flat belt and separate AC synchronous motor with a dedicated outboard quartz-controlled power supply that regenerates the AC voltages for precise speed. The platter is acrylic with a built-in foamed special material record surface said to absorb and limit LP-based vibrations during record playback. In a system with Aesthetix phonostage, preamp, and amplifier, Cardas-based cables, HRS racks/bases, and Vandersteen Quatro CT loudspeakers the TT-Hud produced very good sound on guitar and vocals and provided depth of stage during Janne Petersson’s background string instrumental additions on Eric Bibb’s “Painting Signs.”

Alieno Phono Extremo Phonostage

High Water Sound displayed the very new Alieno Phono Extremo ($60000) phonostage in an all-Alieno (preamp and amp) equipped system. The Phono Extremo is all tube, but we were unsure if it uses internal step-up transformers due to its newness (it was the first unit made). The Phono Extreme has three user-selectable inputs for arms and three selectable EQ curves (RIAA, Decca, Columbia) for those who dabble in curve rolling beyond the standard RIAA setting. A stereo and mono selector switch, five loading options, and a mute switch round out the controls. In system, driving Cessaro Mendelssohn loudspeakers connected with Stein cables and a TW-Acustic Raven LS-Copper table and DAVA Soul cartridge, Eric Bibb’s vocals were clean and full sounding with complete guitar follow-through and ample upper midrange energy to bring the recording to life.

In Other News:

Koetsu is back! Arturo Manzano has purchased the name and assets of the company. He started out repairing and retipping models already out in the audio world but has now started producing new models (with stone body cartridge production to start in the future). Manzano says he has assembled the Koetsu artisans and craftsmen who were building and repairing the cartridges. As a result, the sound of Koetsu and their quality will not change. In the USA, the Koetsu cartridge models will be distributed through AXISS Audio USA to dealers in North America. Listening to the new Koetsu Vermillion ($8300) played back in an all Accuphase-based system driving Gauder’s New Elargo 200 speakers using the Yukiseimitsu Audio AP-01EM table and a Glanz tonearm, the cartridge produced good, fast, dynamic, full-bodied sound.

On the DAC/streamer front Innuos debuted two new music streamer/server products: the Stream 1 ($2800) with LPS1 external power supply ($TBD) and Stream3 ($7215). Stream1 offers the ability to upgrade to the LPS1 external power supply, use the internal USB output, or upgrade to a dedicated output module (standard DAC, Performance DAC, PhoenixUSB, or SPDIF). The Stream3 contains an upgraded power supply designed in collaboration with Dr. Sean Jacobs and supports the addition of a higher performance dual-mono PhoenixDAC module with OCXO and Femto clocks. Other additional modules beyond those mentioned for Stream1/Stream3 also include PhoenixI²S option. Berkeley Audio Design showed a new Alpha DAC Reference Series 3P ($34,000)with the Alpha USB Reference ($6500). Rockna displayed its Wavedream Reference Signature DAC ($26,900). PS Audio introduced a new series of components, including the PMG Signature PureStream DAC, PMG Signature SACD transport, PMG Signature preamplifier, and PMG Signature phono preamplifier. All items have a monthly staggered shipping schedule for customers starting in June and going through September for the last product. I believe PS Audio mentioned the price target to be $8500 for each item. Using digital in service of analog, MIBS Distribution displayed the Seismion Reactio 2 (<$20k estimated) isolation platform under its SAT table, which yielded better instrument separation and a slightly expanded soundstage. We also spied a new DST CD transport for Metronome’s more affordable Digital Sharing line of products.

On the analog front we encountered the new MC 90X ($5500) cartridge from Ortofon, TechDAS’s AirForce 10 air-bearing arm ($45,000), the new Constellation Revelation 2 phonostage ($29,000), a Clearaudio Al Di Meola Celebrity turntable ($4900), the AFI FLAT.DUO LP Flattener & Relaxer ($2500), and the first show sighting of the Grand Prix Audio Monaco 3.0 table ($56,250) with Fuel Station battery power supply ($15,250) hosting a Lyra Etna cartridge feeding a full suite of VTL electronics connected with a gaggle of Nordost’s finest cables driving Stenheim Reference Ultime Two SX speakers.

AJ’s Best of Show:

Best Sound (cost no object): Gauder Akustik DARC 250 Mk II/Soulution 7 Series/Transrotor in the Axiss Audio room produced resolute, quick, and three-dimensional sound and Stenheim Ultime Two SX/VTL/Nordost in the Nordost room produced big dynamic sound in a large space.

Best Sound (for the money): Air Tight ATE-5 supported by AT’s statement pre/amp siblings and Franco Serblin speakers. Devore Gibbon Super Nine driven by a Leben integrated fed with my vinyl on a Well Tempered TT and Kauri MK II cartridge.

Most Significant Product Introduction: Koetsu is back! and the DS Audio TB-100 Tube Equalizer for the tube user who now has an all-tube equalizer option with the DS Audio Optical cartridges.

Most Significant Trend: The increased interest from non-traditional audiophiles attending and enjoying the show. As a result, we are expanding the hobby’s reach.

Most Coveted Product(s): Revox B77 MKIII, the Air Tight ATE-5 phonostage, and possibly a reference speaker from Devore Fidelity.

Enjoy the show!

Nirvana A

Joseph Audio showed its $52k three-way four-driver Pearl Graphene Ultra floorstander, driven by Doshi Audio electronics, sourced by a J.Sikora table, and wired by

Cardas. Despite being a little shouty, forward, and abrasive on vocal fortes (the first instance of what was to become a show-wide trend), the Pearl Graphene Ultra had superb delicacy on cymbals and decent though slightly loose and underdamped bass. Midrange was lifelike on Blossom Dearie “Do I Love You,” but still piercing on transients.

Nirvana B

The $200k Credo Cinema LTM multi-driver line source was driven by EMM Labs electronics and sourced by EMM Labs, Meitner, Feickert, and DS Audio in a very large room. Once again, the sound was piercing on vocal fortes and slide guitar transients.

Nirvana C

Acora Acoustics huge, five-driver, granite-enclosed $218k VRC, augmented by rears and center and sub and driven by CAT electronics, had huge depth of stage on “Avalon.” The speakers disappeared; their sound was dark, sweet, vast, and beautiful, with next to none of that piercing quality on transients, even on “Coal Train”! A contender.

Utopia D

Wilson Benesch’s £100k Omnium, a tall, slim, seven-driver floorstander in a biocomposite monocoque enclosure (with a silk-carbon hybrid tweeter and isobaric woofers), was being driven by Audia Flight electronics and sourced by WB’s fabulous GMT One record-playing system. The sound was very open, with lovely treble, a huge stage, and notably good decay. The speakers were facing straight forward (no toe-in) in a giant room, so the center image on vocals was a little diffuse. Bass was also a bit thumpy and cool in timbre.

Prosperity

The $54k, two-and-a-halfway, five-driver (one diamond tweeter, four 7” ceramic mid/woofers) Marten Parker Quintet Diamond floorstander, driven and sourced by Luxman and wired by Jorma boasted a neutral balance, surprisingly natural timbre on female vocal, and fine definition in the bass. A good showing.

Euphoria

Another set of Acora Acoustics’ $218k, three-way, five-driver (one 1.25″ beryllium dome tweeter, two 4.5″ midranges, and two 12″ woofers) VRC floorstander in a massive, solid-granite, ported enclosure was here being driven superbly well by VAC tubes, and sourced by Wadax and an SAT turntable. Although I haven’t been wowed by these speakers in the past, this year’s showing was an unalloyed triumph. On a cover of “Sound of Silence,” the bass went incredibly deep, midrange timbre was gorgeous, instruments were extremely dense in color, dimensional in imaging, and vast in staging. The overall balance may have been a bit dark, but so what? Despite a hint of room mischief on the lowest notes of the organ, the incredibly lifelike staging and imaging of the choir on the Rutter Requiem, which seemed to be huge in number, freestanding in space, individuated in presence, conjoined in harmony, and nearly life-sized in stature, made for what was perhaps the most realistic reproduction of a large choir I’ve ever heard. This was the best AXPONA sound yet and certainly a BOS contender.

Schaumburg C

The $65k Stratton Element 12 two-way stand-mount was being driven by Burmester amplifiers and Acoustic Signature’s new Apex phonostage preamp and sourced by an Acoustic Signature Ascona turntable with TA-9000 arm and MCX4 cart. This was a very good-sounding small system, aided no doubt by Acoustic Signature’s new phonostage and its wonderful table and arm. The sonics took me a bit by surprise given the speaker’s configuration and the largish size of the room it was parked in, but the Stratton had dense dark tone color, good though not earthshaking bass, and a very attractive treble without bite or edge (for once). A very nice showing.

Schaumburg D

Estelon’s $296k Extreme Mk II, 5-driver (two 11” Accuton CELL aluminum-sandwich woofers, one 11” Accuton CELL aluminum-sandwich mid/woofer, one 7” Accuton CELL ceramic-membrane midrange, one 1” Accuton CELL diamond tweeter), four-way floorstander in a large, ported, hourglass-shaped, marble-composite enclosure with remote-controlled height-adjustable tweeter/midrange module was driven by Vitus Signature Series SM-103 MK.II monoblock amplifiers and an SL-103 linestage preamp, sourced by a Vitus SD-025 MK.II DAC and two Sonorus ATR10 mkII tape decks with Arian Jansen sampler tapes, and wired with Crystal’s Da Vinci cable and Infinity power cords. On the tapes, the sound was extremely open and present, with bass that was very powerful and extended albeit a little underdamped and a mite thumpy and a midrange and treble that were highly detailed but (yet again) edgy and aggressive on fortes. The tapes had great staging outside the speakers, thanks to Jansen’s Holographic Imaging software-treatment of the high-res digital files from which the tapes were made, but virtually everything recorded on them suffered from that same upper-midrange brightness and aggressiveness. I thought at first this might be due to off-axis diffraction, as I was initially sitting to the side, but when I asked distributor Aldo Filippelli what setting he was using with the Vitus amps—which never sounded even remotely bright or edgy when I used them in my system—he confessed they were running in “rock” mode rather than Vitus’ “traditional” Class A. I immediately asked him to change the setting, and the result was like a different system—far smoother, more neutral in balance and natural in timbe, without a trace of brightness in the upper mids and treble. It still wasn’t one of the very best sounds I heard at the show (the room was too big, IMO), but it was a whole lot better.

Schaumburg E

Dali’s $120k Core five-driver floorstander driven and sourced by McIntosh electronics surprised me. This was a good sounding room—dark and rich in color in the midband and treble, just a tad vague in center imaging, and a bit overblown in the bass, but very listenable with a wide soundstage and decent resolution. A fine showing.

Schaumburg F

The five fabric-driver (two 12″ woofers, two 6.5″ midrange drivers, and one 1″ soft-dome tweeter in an D’Appolito array), aluminum-enclosed, $165k Stenheim Reference Ultime Two, biamped by four VTL 450 monoblocks, sourced by dCS and Gran Prix Audio, and wired by Nordost, was sensational last year (Robert gave it a BOS award) and (after a late Thursday night recalibration by the great Stirling Trayle) proved to be just as wonderful sounding in 2025. From Robbie Robertson’s electric Sinematic (with Van the Man) to Hans Theessink’s mostly acoustic Jedermann Remixed to a completely acoustic Blossom Dearie and all stops between, these were best-of-show-worthy contenders, with super solidity and three dimensionality top to bottom, uniformly rich dense tone color, outstanding (and outstandingly well controlled and articulated) bass, sweet treble that never shrieked at you (as the tweets in so many other rooms did), and the phenomenal dynamic range that makes these very high sensitivity transducers so alive sounding. Once again, the Stenheims were instant Best of Show contenders.

Innovation

The $100k Monitor Audio Hyphen with 11 drivers (an AMT tweeter surrounded by six two-inch midranges—called the M array—on a center strut and four 8-inch force-canceling woofers built into the stone-acrylic side towers, making for an H-shaped form factor) was driven by McIntosh and sourced by Bluesound. The room the Hyphen was being shown in was very loud and busy, full of talkative people, so the sound of the speakers was hard to suss out. However, from what I could hear, they were quite neutral and natural, one of the few transducers I heard that seemed lifelike in balance. I liked them in spite of the noise.

Connection

The $50k, four-driver, three-and-a-halfway Sonus faber Stradivari floorstander with its distinctively thin, wide, gorgeously finished, soundboard-like enclosure was being driven by ARC 330M monoblocks and an ARC Ref 10 preamp, and sourced by dCS, Clearaudio, and DS Audio. The sound was simply gorgeous—dark in balance but superbly dense in color, texture, dynamics, body, dimensionality, and staging. Meltingly beautiful on strings, high and low, it may not have been the last word in resolution, but it was breathtakingly lovely to listen to. A BOS contender.

Perfection Boardroom

Wilson Audio’s $367k seven-driver Chronosonic XVX in a tall, immensely adjustable “enclosure” was being driven by D’Agostino electronics and sourced by dCS and Clearaudio with DS Audio cart. Wire was by Transparent. The XVX produced a dark solid sound with notably good speed and impact on transients. Bass was a little wooly in the narrow room in which it was ensconced. The XVX was not as rich, rounded, and ravishing in timbre and texture as the Sonus faber Stradavari with ARC—just a touch leaner and drier by comparison—but it was still quite listenable.

Third Floor

Despite being parked in a relatively tiny corner room of a large room, the four-driver $55k B&W 801 D4 Signature, driven by Marantz electronics and sourced by a Marantz DAC, had a very listenable sound—scarcely the last word in resolution or dynamics or staging but as smooth and sweet as a really good FM tuner broadcast. It would be nice to hear these handsome looking and sounding speakers in a larger space where they weren’t jammed against and between walls.

Fourth Floor

The $63,400 YG Acoustics Hailey 3 three-driver three-way floorstander in two stacked and finely fitted together aluminum cabinets was driven by Zesto tube electronics and sourced by Zesto’s new tube DAC, with cables by Cardas. Despite bass leak-through from nearby rooms and the confines of a small narrow hotel room, the sound was impressively open, neutral, lively, pacey, and lifelike on Miles and Trane. Staging was limited by the room, but tonality was quite natural and appealing. A good showing for YG and for Zesto.

Von Schweikert’s demure, 6-driver, $59,000 VR.thirty floorstander with ceramic cones, a diamond tweeter, a rear-mounted ambient ribbon tweeter, and active bass was driven by Class A Westminster Labs electronics and sourced by a Lumin streamer and a Rockna DAC. The sound was reminiscent of the YG Hailey 3, in part because the VR.thirty was situated in the same small narrow room. It, too, was impressively neutral and lively with a little less tube bloom, of course, than the Zesto-driven Haley but with faster transients. Another very good showing.

The second pair of $63k YG Hailey 3 three-driver three-way floorstanders (in the same tiny room) was driven by Class D bel canto electronics. They had a beguiling warmth and body and chewiness and the same openness as the other pair on Willie Nelson “Blue Skies” vinyl and Greg Brown’s “Brand New 64 Dodge.” Another nice presentation.

The $89k Altec Lansing Ribbonacci bipolar membrane loudspeaker with separate DSP’d woofers, driven by Lampizator tube electronics and sourced by a Method 4 DAC, was the fullest-bodied speaker I heard on Floor 4. It had rich dense tone color on all instruments, very lively dynamics, and a natural tonal balance. Though played a little too loud for me, it was still an outstanding system.

Fifth Floor

The $65k Cessaro Mendelssohn hybrid loudspeaker with compression-driver tweeter in a spherical horn and cone midrange and woofer, driven by Alieno tubes and sourced by a TW Acustic table and tonearm, had more stage depth than other speakers in small rooms.

Despite the too-loud playback level, the Cessaro was still marvelous on piano—extremely clear and natural. Unfortunately, voices had that Schaumburg edge on fortes, though they sounded well controlled at lower volume. All in all, a mixed bag that showed great potential for a larger space.

Bayz Audio’s always interesting-sounding, albeit plumbing-fixture-looking $60k Courante 2.0 omni, driven by Burmester, sourced by Burmester and Aurender, and wired by Shunyata, once again, exhibited that now-familiar shoutiness and edge on vocal and instrumental fortes, although the musicians were free standing and three-dimensional, as if not sourced by a loudspeaker. That omni effect alone made the Bayz worth a long listen, even if it was fighting the room and sometimes losing.

Sixth Floor

The $82.5k GIP 4165 replica of a WE full-ranger from the 1930s with a 105dB-sensitive 12” field-coil driver in a horn-loaded baffle with a separate TW 38 tweeter mounted atop the enclosure, driven by $55k 6L6 GIP amps and $48k GIP preamp, was being played piercingly loudly in a small hotel room! Though it had reasonably good timbre and dynamics on trumpet and piano, the excessive volume level obscured its virtues.

TriangleART’s $65k Metis loudspeaker with solid walnut spherical-horn-loaded midrange, ported cone woofer, and RAAL true ribbon tweeter was being driven by TriangleART’s tube electronics and a TA turntable. The Metis had good density of tone color on Diana Krall’s Live In Paris but, like the GIP 4165, was being played too loud in a small room, so sounded rather piercing on vocal and instrumental transients. Center imaging was also a little vague. That said and level aside, the sound was not unappealing.

Seventh Floor

The $70k Fourier Transform active loudspeakers with subs and amps is perhaps the weirdest speaker I’ve ever seen—a veritable jungle gym of 12 unenclosed cone drivers stacked atop each other, with an array of ribbons and planar tweeters to their sides and an outboard subwoofer. But surprise, surprise, the Fourier sounded great—open like an omni (which is what it is) with free-floating images of extremely natural timbre, save for the bass, where the subs were boxy and poorly blended. That aside, the Fourier Transforms were best-of-show realistic-sounding in the mids and treble.

Eleventh Floor

Italy’s $82k Albedo Audio Acclara SHS, a five-Accuton-driver three-way floorstander, developed quite a nice soundstage, wide and deep in a narrow room. Tonal balance was dark and moderately rich with a sweet treble. Instruments sounded dense in timbre and texture, and the bass was very deep going and well controlled on a Mino Cinélu drum album. A Tape Project tape of Nat King Cole and George Shearing was also impressive, though the Sonorus deck wasn’t quite as delicate in the upper mids as the Cinélu vinyl. Devin Hoff LP of standup bass was simply superb with very deep extension. A notably good-sounding room.

The $78k Rockport Lynx three-driver three-way floorstander with custom drivers and enclosure was being shown in two spaces. Here it was being driven by Absolare. The narrow room and large window behind the speakers weren’t helping, but aside from the usual brightness in the upper mids on fortes, the Lynxes were very detailed with excellent stage depth and height and deep going low end. Too bad about the room.

Twelfth Floor

The $91k ceramic- and diamond-driver Marten Mingus Quintet 2 floorstander, driven by Goldmund electronics and sourced by Goldmund and a Garrard 301, were very fast and finely detailed. Bass was overblown in this small space; timbre, neutral to slightly warm.

Fourteenth Floor

The $78k Rockport Lynx, making a second appearance here driven by Vinnie Rossi tube electronics, sourced by Innuous, and wired by AudioQuest, was splendid sounding, despite a bit of thickness in the bass—gorgeous on female voice and piano and in spite of the small size of the room, no shoutiness in the mids and treble. This was a better showing than the first Lynx. In fact, in spite of bass issues, it was one of the most natural and appealing sounds at the show.

Audio Note UK showed its large $65k AN-E/SPx Ltd. Field Coil two-way stand-mount driven by AN’s Meishu 300B integrated and sourced by AN digital and analog. For a two-way, the AN-E was surprisingly full range, with a seamless blend of hemp cone woofer and dome tweeter. Tremendously rich, clear, and dynamic on drum and synth (-6dB at 17Hz!), it was one of the surprises at AXPONA and one of the best two-way stand-mounts at the show.

Fifteenth Floor

The gigantic, $750,000, six-driver (one 1.1-inch diamond-coated beryllium dome tweeter, one 6-inch Gen 8 Magico Nano-Tec midrange, two 11-inch Gen 8 Magico Nano-Tec mid/woofs, and two 15-inch Gen 8 Magico Nano-Tec woofers) Magico M9s were housed in a nearly 8-foot-tall, 1000-pound (per side), oval-shaped, sealed enclosure of astonishingly complex and sophisticated construction. Driven by top-line D’Agostino electronics, sourced by top-line Wadax DAC, server, and player, and cabled by Vyda, the M9’s low end was big, powerful, and solid on solo double bass, with superb pitch definition and good timbre. However, the M9 suffered from the same aggressiveness in the upper-midrange/lower-treble that plagued so many other transducers at Schaumburg. Soundstaging was terrific, but that brightness and edginess on fortes with male and female voice, ensemble voices, and solo guitar made it sound as if the tweet were sticking out. The room (low ceiling and near sidewalls) and the relatively close listening area were not doing these massive speakers any favors. In a different room with a different setup, I’m sure the M9s would sound like a million bucks, which is virtually what they cost. In this oddball Schaumburg venue, not so much.

MBL’s $91k four-way 101 E MkII omnis, driven by MBL 9011 amps and sourced by its outstanding C41 streamer, sounded astonishingly realistic on voice! Not as rich in color as the Stenheims (in part, I think, because of the electronic bass trap Jeremy was using, which leaned down the midbass but, alas, also leaned down the lower midrange), but so boxlessly open, bloomy, and dimensional that Mark Knopfler sounded “there.”

Sixteenth Floor

The $120k Avantgarde Mezzo G3 two-way floorstander with spherical horn tweeter and woofer and powered and DSP’d dual-12” bass, driven by Phasemation MA-2000 tubes and sourced by Wadax, was just plain terrific. A BOS right off the bat. No horn coloration, dark gorgeous tone color, rich texture on voice and instrumentals, and a dynamic range and ease that were nonpareil. The Mezzo was also incredibly detailed, effortlessly differentiating previously undifferentiated background vocals on “I Heard You Paint Houses” from Sinematic. The best I’ve heard these speakers sound and a BOS contender.

The $105k Vivid Giya G1 Spirit, driven by Audionet electronics, and sourced by Master Fidelity DAC and Kronos table, had an appealingly light, sprightly, open presentation devoid of darkness but lacking some bass, midbass, and lower midrange color, weight, and body. Nonetheless, it was quite expansive in staging and boxless-sounding bottom to top.

The five-driver, four-way $250k Gauder DARC 250 was being driven by Soulution electronics, including the new 717 amps. It was hard to tell for sure on speakers I’m not highly familiar with, but the amps seemed to be absolutely colorlessly neutral, supremely detailed (brushes on drumheads had to be heard to be believed), and breathtakingly natural on “Take Five” and other jazz cuts, completely disappearing the Gauders as sound sources. With terrific treble and midrange timbre and astounding resolution (though not at all analytical), the new amps were phenomenal!

Best of Show

Acora Acoustics VRC loudspeakers driven by VAC electronics. Runner-up: Stenheim Reference Ultime 2 loudspeaker driven by VTL electronics.

Best Buy

Sonus faber Stradavari loudspeaker driven by ARC electronics.

Most Innovative

Fourier Transform omnidirectional loudspeaker driven by its own dedicated amps.

The NEW Car Audio Showcase offered passionate music lovers the best sounds in car audio. Manufacturers and dealers of high-performance car audio featured demonstrations from leading brands to discover new audio products for purchase and upgrades.

“AXPONA continues to set the standard for high-end audio events, and this year, we welcomed top-tier exhibitors. Their presence showcases the innovation, passion, and growth within the industry, making this a can’t miss experience for audiophiles and music lovers alike, added Smith.

Live Concerts nightly at AXPONA are always a big hit. On Friday night, AXPONA welcomed The Kyle Asche Organ Quartet to a packed and energetic crowd. Saturday night’s concert featured fan- favorite Patricia Barber, who closed out the concert series with over 600 attendees.

AXPONA returns April 10-12, 2026

For more information about the event, please visit www.axpona.com.

Patricia Barber – Saturday, April 12th, 2025 | 8:00 PM
Sponsored by Wire World Cable Technology, IMPEX Records and WDCB FM

On Saturday, April 12th, the stage will be graced by Patricia Barber, one of the most compelling and innovative jazz artists in the world. Known for her sultry vocals, sophisticated songwriting, and mastery of the piano, Barber has earned a reputation as a visionary composer who blends jazz, poetry, and art music into an unforgettable sound. With a career spanning over three decades, Barber has toured globally and released critically acclaimed albums, including Cafe Blue, Modern Cool, and Mythologies. Her performance at AXPONA will feature her original compositions, exploring complex harmonies and lyrical depth that have earned her accolades, including induction into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Patrons can expect a mesmerizing evening filled with Barber’s signature blend of jazz and art music, a performance that will be a highlight of AXPONA 2025.

Open to the public, AXPONA offers a variety of ticket options for attendees.

TICKETS:

1 Day – $30 online, $35 onsite

Multi-Day – $60 online, $95 onsite

Gen Z Pass – $15 online, $20 onsite

All general admission tickets grant access to the exhibits including Listening Rooms and Exhibit Hall, as well as educational seminars, live music, and special events.

AXPONA opens Friday, April 11 10am-6pm; Saturday, April 12 10am-6pm; and Sunday, April 13 10am-4pm.

For more information on ticketing and ticketing options, please visit www.axpona.com/register.asp

That exchange reminded me of one reason I like audiophiles. In the general marketplace, jazz hovers around two percent of overall sales. It’s been that way a long time, and unless Taylor Swift decides to start singing standards it’ll probably stay that way. In the audiophile community, however, jazz fares much better than it does with most listeners. Partly jazz sells so well in the audiophile community because there’s a clarity to a good jazz recording that brings out the best in a stereo. It isn’t only about sound, though. The popularity of archival recordings—which very rarely have audiophile sound—remind us that, when it comes to certainly jazz icons, audiophiles with listen to substandard recordings because they love the music.

Along with new vinyl, there was a significant uptick in used vinyl at the 2024 AXPONA compared to any previous year, and as a record collector myself, I was impressed by the broad selection of styles and reasonable prices. The amount of used vinyl this year almost equaled the new titles, and there were enough LPs there that the quantity rivaled the record shows I’ve attended. Some of the used dealers were from the Chicago area, but I also met a dealer from Indianapolis while one dealer toted his personal collection from Los Angeles. To those record dealers who live in or near Chicago, you should consider setting up there, because, as you already know, audiophiles aren’t afraid to spend money.

Adding something special to the event were some talented musicians who integrated with the event in interesting ways. Saxophonist Jerome Sabbagh, whose all-analog recordings I discussed in my recent feature on audiophile jazz that appeared in Issue 348, played tenor sax over backing tracks at several points over the weekend. Listening to Jerome’s recent all-analog LPs on the Sunnyside label, I was struck by how well the recordings captured the tone of his horn—so well that, while sitting in the room during one of his performances that used no mics or amps, it struck me how closely the real thing resembled the sound I heard on the recordings. Jerome is launching his own audiophile label in August, and you can learn more about that at the website for the record company, www.analogtonefactory.com.

In a similar vein, vocalist Anne Bisson sang over recorded tracks during the event and sold copies of her latest LP, Be My Lover, a mixture of classic rock covers and newer material.

Another musician who attended the event was wearing two hats. Garth Powell from Audioquest presented seminars on how to optimize audio systems for efficient noise-dissipation, but, as I discovered when we were discussing my audiophile vinyl feature in Issue 348, he’s also the percussionist for Zen Widow, a jazz trio I discussed in that article while Derk Richardson reviewed the record in the same issue.

The lineup for the free concerts on Friday and Saturday night was impressive. Guitarist Bobby Broom has played with Sonny Rollins, Sado Watanabe, David Murray, and others. As a leader, he’s had albums on Arista, Criss Cross, Delmark, Origin, and other labels. One of the highlights of his performance with an organ trio was a smoking rendition of Stevie Wonder’s “Superstition.” And on Saturday night the Americana group the Secret Sisters cast a spell over the audience. If you haven’t them harmonize, on record or live, you’re missing something.

In June of this year Impex Records will release a 1STEP of the Frank Sinatra album Sing and Dance with Frank Sinatra, and one of the highlights of the event was hearing historian, archivist, author, and producer Charles L. Granata weigh in on the reissue, which he has worked on with Impex since the project was first conceived. Along with Abey Fonn from Impex, Granata did an excellent job of giving the background of this record, which, when it came out in 1950, did much to revive Sinatra’s career. It also happens to be a memorable upbeat album that finds Sinatra surrounded by swinging musicians. Fortunately the master tape for this album was in excellent condition, and the test pressing of this mono LP had a clarity that’s hardly a given for a tape that’s been sitting in the archives for 70 years.

The curated listening sessions that took place after most of the listening rooms closed their doors were also a nice touch. Greg Weaver, “The Audio Analyst,” held some LP listening sessions where he shared selections from great-sounding albums along with commentary and insights. Included on his setlist were the Mobile Fidelity’s edition of King Crimson’s In the Court of the Crimson King plus MoFi’s 1-Step of The Eagles’ Desperado. In another curated listening event, Greg Berron again hosted some of his Legendary UHA After Hours Analog Tape Events, which always draw a crowd.

For someone reporting on AXPONA, the show is frustrating because time flies by so quickly. But did I enjoy myself? Absolutely. Along with listening to music in dozens of rooms, I talked music day and night with fellow music lovers, and I appreciated the opportunity to do so. Signs at the event announced that vendors and attendees from over 50 countries around the world were in attendance. That leads me to another reason I like audiophiles: They’re an international community, as I was reminded countless times at the event. In one of the rooms this year, someone who saw my name tag introduced himself because he’s a fan of The Absolute Sound. It turns out he had flown to the event from Chile not as an exhibitor but as an attendee. Thank you, Hugo Salinas, for reminding me what one of the fringe benefits is of this event: It brings people together. Thumbs up to that!