I admit to being skeptical. In 2023 when Gary Gill and Lou Hinkley announced their plan to hold a new HiFi show called Southwest Audio Fest in Dallas Texas March 15-17, 2024 my first reaction was "does North America need another high-end audio show?" Apparently, it is not about needs, rather wants. And the Dallas + Fort Worth northern Texas megaplex audiophiles certainly want their own high-end HiFi show. Southwestern music lovers and audiophiles joined by 53 exhibitors showcasing over 120 brands converged on SWAF 2024. Located in Dallas Market Center commercial area the Hilton Anatole is a 45-acre resort 1000+ room multibuilding hotel complex, a luxury high end venue befitting the high end HiFi equipment that dominated the displays. SWAF's uses the Anatole's 27-story atrium tower filling the Mezzanine, 12th, 14th floors, and many ground floor large conference rooms. Also, on the ground floor Marketplace exhibitors and record vendors offered show goers music and accessories. Over the three day run show attendees and exhibitors alike praised the event, its organization, and quality of the exhibits.
Before reporting on some of SWAF's exhibitors a little background on your author. In addition to covering SWAF for Positive Feedback, I was an exhibitor showing the boutique products offered under my Audio Crafters Guild and PureArtFi companies in the Marketplace. Take that into account when I describe other manufacturers' and dealers' efforts. Splitting my time between running our display and visiting others' rooms for reporting and enjoyment limited the number of rooms I can report on for Positive Feedback's readers. The rooms I did get to all sounded very good so you will not need to consider if negative comments are a competitive ploy, because I did not encounter any bad sounding rooms. In my experience in 2024 the competitive grind has eliminated truly bad sounding gear. Also, the cost of displaying at SWAF and similar events does favor established competent brands and dealers sparing attendees suffering beginners' mistakes. Now, onto the music and equipment that fuels our shared passion for HiFi.
Valve Amplification Company and Acora Acoustics
The cavernous Carpenter ballrooms held two different systems using VAC (vac-amps.com) electronics and Acora Acoustics (acoraacoustics.com) speakers demonstrating two complete systems. As a team these two companies go big at shows and SWAF was no exception.
The larger Carpenter ballroom was filled with sound courtesy the Acora VRC Reference Loudspeaker in an amazing Sunset Fire colored marble material. Horsepower courtesy VAC's Statement 450 iQ the 16 KT88s spread out over the two mono block chassis. Naturally VAC also featured in phono and line preamplification. Sources included analog by VPI and digits via Aurender streamer feeding a Lampizator DAC.
In the second smaller, but not small Carpenter room, VAC and Acora setup a system featuring components a few steps down from their line toppers.
One thing about attending HiFi shows and seeing the gear in person is how often I am struck by the quality of finishing and detailing we enjoy on high-end HiFi gear circa 2024. One needs to see this in person, nevertheless these photos attempt to show examples like the subtle sparkles in the VAC's preamp front panels and visual impact of a forest of KT88s.
Infigo Audio
Infigo Audio (infigoaudio.com) partnered with Stenheim (stenheim.com) loudspeakers and VPI turntables (vpiindustries.com) turning the oddly shaped Stemmons A room into a slice of high-end bliss. Here the big guns were employed for a mono block bi-amplified system. All the electronics from Infigo including the newly introduced Method 7 preamplifier with inbuilt phono stage, Method 4 DAC, and the quad of Method 3 class A mono block power amplifiers. The refinement, transparency, power, and natural detail I have come to associate with Infigo Audio were very much in evidence.
As an electrical engineer who loves the theory and practice of laying out printed circuit boards for high performance analog and power supplies, I never tire of admiring CEO/Founder Hans Looman work in his Infigo components.
Black Ice Audio and Zu Audio
Still on the ground floor in Stemmons C room Black Ice Audio (blackiceaudio.com) and Zu Audio (zuaudio.com) setup displays and demos that were both fun and impressive. The large room allowed multiple active systems and passive display units. Sean Casey self-described "FOUNDER // INDUSTRIALIST-propagandist" of Zu Audio had his DJ rig setup and the plethora of LPs in evidence (some left out of dust jackets, ack, audio nerd OCD triggered!) attested to the pair of 'tables not just being for show.
Regrets my busy schedule precluded returning for after-hours party. I did get to meet Black Ice's partners Jaime DeMarco and Jerred Dunkerson, interesting discussions about being in it for the long haul in high-end audio's tube sector. Those discussions and the music filling the large space left the impression these are a couple of A-list companies to watch.
Outstanding value for money and easy entry into the pursuit of HiFi award goes to the system using Zu's DWX (from $1398 pair) speakers and Glass Audio $799 FX10Hs 12wpc EL84 integrated amp. At a show dominated by systems sporting six and even seven figure price tags the fun HiFi filling the big room for $3,000 (with change for cables and source) was very impressive.
Continuing on the ground floor several record vendors offered all the LPs you could want, well at least for a while until the next purchase beckons. Under the twenty-story atrium's skylight those of us displaying in the Marketplace set up our booths.
Snake River Audio (snakeriveraudio.com) offer custom made cable assemblies using precious metals and handcraftsmanship by Jonny Wilson.
EN Music (enmusicworld.com) offers a deep selection of audiophile music from Asian labels in LP, CD, open reel, and SACD formats. They were setup with headphones to listen before purchasing. The quality of both the music and disk packaging on offer makes collecting this niche of world music very rewarding.
Audio Crafters Guild (audiocraftersguild.com) and Miller Audio LLC (milleraudiollc.com) shared a display of ACG and PureArtFi (pureartfi.com) products (by the author of this report) and Miller Audio LLC's Dyna-70 tube amplifiers.
Norman Tracy (left) of ACG and PureArtFi with Bryan Miller of Miller Audio LLC (right). Miller Audio has brought the classic Dynaco 70 amplifiers into the 21st century with new 6SN7 tube-based input and driver circuitry and improved power supplies. Amps are custom built using existing Dynaco chassis and transformers or as all new parts using modern reproduction components. Bryan offers many options, the copper plated transformer caps and Mundorf copper foil caps on this example were a big hit.
Bryan also offers auto bias and feedback circuits upgrades for the ST-70 and the other Dynaco tube amps along with accessories like banana plug adapters.
The PureArtFi LS-6 speakers and matching stands took pride of place among the speakers displayed. Also on hand were the Fi16 and Series 70 speakers from Audio Crafters Guild. New introductions at SWAF included Panzerholz support and racks and Carbide Audio (carbide.audio) isolation products.
Kimber Kable (kimber.com) offered a very interesting demo of identical very high end DAC amp headphone chain the only difference being silver vs copper cable on the 'phones. The consensus seemed to be it was easy to hear the difference between copper and silver cable while opinions on which was preferred seemed to be a personal thing.
Charles Kirmuss of Kirmuss Audio (kirmussaudio.com) was on hand to demonstrate the value of his LP cleaning processes.
WAM Engineering (wallyanalog.com) represented by JR Boisclair (right) and AV Room Services' (avroomservice.com) Norman Varney (left) shared a booth demonstrating their companies' extensive lines of LP setup tools and vibration isolation solutions.
JMF Audio (jmf-audio.com), Von Schweikert Audio (vonschweikert.com), and Ideon Audio (ideonaudio.com) were demoing in a nice large room off the atrium. This was outstanding quite memorable reproduction of the highest caliber. I enjoyed a nice conversation with Damon Von Schweikert (CEO of Von Schweikert Audio) during which he explained how the main VR-55 speakers worked with a pair of V series subwoofers in the room's rear corners. I had complemented the unusually clean tight bass and midbass they were achieving and Damon explained how the location and phase adjustment of the VSA subs allowed them to reinforce bass while smoothing and reducing room modes. No doubt the new to North America JMF Audio amplification and Ideon digital stack played their part in this perfected example of hyper HiFi.
Classic Audio Loudspeakers
Classis's prototype amplifier using 300B tubes contributed to an absolutely sublime sound. If you follow the industry, you know Classic Audio Loudspeakers (classicaudioloudspeakers.com), Atma-Sphere (atma-sphere.com) electronics, and Purist Audio Design (puristaudiodesign.com) cables are veterans of the HiFi show circuit and the results obtained were stellar. Offering the choice of analog or analog sources courtesy of a Studer 810 reel-to-reel or Technics SP10mkIII turntable with Tri-Planar Ultimate 12 tonearm and a Van Den Hul Colibri Stradivarius Reference cartridge.
Classic Audio has white cones for those of us who lusted after 1970s JBLs.
Notice the terminals marked 'Field Coil' on this driver. Classic Audio has been in the vanguard of reviving this old technique in the service of ultra-fi. Field coil drivers use electro magnets to energize the drivers' cone or diaphragm. A century ago, this was common because magnetic materials were insufficient and too expensive to put into radios. Today it is used in search of superior field strength and hysteresis characteristics surpassing those available from ceramic and rare earth magnetic materials. I note it as a trend in the ultra-fi niche, one that Classic Audio led as if not the first to revive field coil drivers among the first with bonus points for in house production. In their SWAF system the gold boxes next to the amps are the tube-based DC power supplies for the drivers. As icing on the HiFi esoterica cake they really nailed the 1960s Marantz gold anodizing on the power supply enclosures.
Speaking of the amps, Classic Audio prototypes using 300Bs as power tubes. Very impressive sound and the metal work fit and finish was well beyond what one would expect adjacent to the term 'prototype.'
Finishing up with Classic Audio's room with photos of the tape and disc sources including the impressive collections of tapes and discs on hand for the show. This really made me envious of the attendees who had time to linger in this room enjoying the superb music.
AGD and Rosso Fiorentino
AGD Productions' (agdproduction.com) amplification combined with Rosso Fiorentino (rossofiorentino.com) Siena speakers for a demo elegant and refined both sonically and visually. Close teamwork between AGD, Rosso Fiorentino in Italy, and Rosso Fiorentino North American distributor Audio Thesis (audiothesis.com) resulted in the AGD SOLO Limited Edition
GaN-Power Monoblock Amplifier and Siena speakers finished in matching leather. High style meets high end sound. The sound was as impressive and refined as the industrial design and execution of both companies' products.
Audio Group Denmark
The large corner room of the mezzanine was generating quite the buzz. Not a loose fixture rattling along with the music, rather the circa $2,500,000 price being quoted for the big AGD (audiogroupdenmark.com) system on display. At the other end of the room this was counterbalanced by a $50,000 system. The big system used AGD's Aavik Acoustics components while the second system featured the Axxess line components.
The AGD staff presenting the demo alternated between the two systems. In the immense ballroom sized room the big system sounded magnificent. Equally impressive was how the little brother system performed exhibiting its ability to keep up while delivering a large measure of AGD's cutting edge technology.
Ayre Acoustics
Ayre Acoustics (ayre.com) demo system featured their 8 Series amplification and source electronics driving YG Acoustics (yg-acoustics.com) Peak series speakers via Cardas Audio (cardas.com) Clear series cables.
Two aspects of the Arye system were striking. First the decades of combined development at the top of high-end audio engineering and design represented by these brands. Second the elegant minimalism on display demonstrating that enjoying HiFi listening at the state-of-the-art does not require tons of equipment or a man cave to hide it in. This elegant system would look at home in the family room bringing the joy of music to the entire family.
Believe HiFi
The two Joshuas demonstrated what was easily one of the best most musical sounds at SWAF. Joshua Masongsong's Believe HiFi (www.ibelieveinhifi.com) and Joshua W. Miles' JWM Acoustics (jwmacoustics.com) joined forces to magnificent effect.
As we setup in the Marketplace I was stopped in my tracks by this turntable Believe HiFi lent to Kirmuss Audio. The brand is Italy's Torqueo Audio turntables and they are as impressive in person as the photos on the web suggest. This example is a resto-mod of the Japanese domestic market Pioneer P10 direct drive table and arm featuring upgraded plinth and power supply. I have a deep admiration for these halo products of Japan's mid-1980s golden age of LP playback when Japan's industrial might was brought to bear on the challenges of extracting music from a rotating groove. Before the CD arrived, the major Nippon manufactures engaged in an arms race to produce ever more refined and massive turntables. I took a break from setting up to zone out thanks to the headphones Charles Kirmuss had connected to the P10 playing one of his immaculately cleaned LPs. Pure bliss.
Later upstairs visiting the Believe HiFi and JWM Acoustics room the music reproduction represented a piece de la resistance example in the art of HiFi. JWM's contributions included JWM Blackburn edition speakers, the new JWM Piston Subs, and JWM Jonathan rack. As the North American expert in Aries Cerat Masongsong's contribution to the system included the Aries Cerat Geminae mono amplifiers, Full Limited Edition stack Talos, Impera II, and Kassandra. Supporting cast included Vermouth VLAD Cables, Torqueo T34 Titanium Edition Idler table, and Orgin Live Renown Tonearm. This all-out effort also included extensive acoustic room treatments.
As the photos below attest this is the polar opposite to the minimalism of the Ayre Acoustics system praised above. In the HiFi equivalent of 'horses for courses' the Believe HiFi/JWM Acoustics system made a strong case for what can be attained when the practice of HiFi is taken to extremes. All the usual attributes like bandwidth, transparency, low distortion, dimensionality, etc. are effortlessly checked off. At this edge of the art added to those is a tonal density and emotional connection with the music that makes all the complexity not only justified but calling to and enchanting the music lover like Homer's sirens.
Bella Sound
On the last day of SWAF I visited Bella Sound (bellasoundaudio.com) demo room. Entering I instantly regretted that last day time crunch that would prevent a proper audition. Big power amplifiers and big planar speakers is a long-time happy place and that recipe was being served. There was time to admire the very high level of design and execution in the brand's casework. An engineer-to-engineer talk with Bella Sound founder and chief designer Mike Vice boded well for the circuits inside. As did the sound coming from the Analysis Audio full range, magneto-static planar loudspeakers.
Daedalus Audio and Linear Tube Audio
Daedalus Audio (daedalusaudio.com) is Lou Hinkley's company and of course they displayed at SWAF given Lou is partners with Gary Gill in producing three major HiFi shows, Pacific Audio Fest, Capital Audiofest, and now South West Audio Fest. As a room partner Linear Tube Audio (lineartubeaudio.com) provided the source and amplification electronics driving the Daedalus Audio speakers.
Daedalus' use of hardwoods construction in their speaker enclosures and equipment racks tracks with my recent experiences that materials used in building HiFi components has a critical effect on the sonic results. Thus, I admit a predisposition in favor of this system and was looking forward to hearing both Daedalus Audio and Linear Tube Audio for the first time. The system did not disappoint presenting a lush tonally saturated wideband sound. After enjoying the music for a while I commented to the presenter that the multimillion dollar systems were what I wanted to show off to my friends while the Daedalus Audio and Linear Tube Audio system was what one would want at home to enjoy the music.
As the source for the Daedalus Audio and Linear Tube Audio system LTA introduced their AERO DAC. The AERO is touted as first DAC using ZOTL technology. As an electrical engineer who has spent many hours designing and laying out printed circuit boards, I appreciated the complexity and care evident in this open top display unit. As a music lover and audiophile, I appreciated the fidelity of the active AERO fronting this room's system.
High End By Oz and United Home Audio
For attendees to SWAF who came for the exotic dealer High End By Oz (highendbyoz.com ) and open reel deck specialist United Home Audio (unitedhomeaudio.com) delivered. They lit my fire, figuratively and literally, playing The Doors on open reel tape via the bright emitter 845 triodes of Viva amps and the Lansche's No. 5.2's Corona ion tweeter.
Kimber Kable, EMMLabs, YG Acoustics, Scansonic, RBH, and Margules
Kimber Kable's (kimber.com ) large upstairs suite hosted three listening areas featuring systems populated by a wide range of interesting components.
First room in the suite system used YG Acoustics (yg-acoustics.com) speakers and EMM Labs (emmlabs.com) electronics.
The second room of the Kimber Kable suite used speakers by Scansonic HD (scansonichd.dk) and tube electronics courtesy of Margules (margules.com).
The suite's third room featured speakers and subwoofers by RBH Sound (rbhsound.com). I was pleased to see RBH Sound in attendance. They are typically considered a home theater centric company one encounters at CEDIA thus it was good to find them testing the audiophile two channel waters.
Locrian Audio
Basile Theodoropoulos' Dallas area dealership Locrian Audio (locrian-audio.com) provided a very enjoyable, memorable, and thought-provoking demo of German Physics speakers being driven by Accuphase, EMM Labs, and Ypsilon electronics. The thought-provoking part of this demo is a repeat of the often-repeated warning that absolute judgements on the merits of Hi-Fi gear cannot be made at shows, at SWAF 2024 I lived that warning. I attended the 2005 CES during its last days as the place for high-end HiFi when the high-end was hosted at the Venetian Hotel. A large Venetian suite featured the German Physics Unicorn speakers fronted by electronics and sources of the highest rank. As a fan of exotic technologies, I was disappointed when the Unicorn's full range DDD driver in that system delivered a decidedly underwhelming performance. Fast forward to SWAF 2024 and walking into Theodoropoulos' room spying the Unicorn I lowered my expectations. Basile played a variety of music expertly conducting the demo. The more I listened the more impressed I became as the previous opinions based on the CES experience were completely wiped away. As a Boomer who lived the British Rock Invasion in the 1970s and became a lifelong fan of Progressive Rock music I had no complaints when Basile queued up some Pink Floyd. The Locrian Audio system fronted by German Physics Unicorn made that music I have been listening to for decades fresh and attention riveting. The memory of how the playback precisely scaled the dynamics as they took the song to ever greater levels of intensity remain quite vivid. A single driver speaker offering the coherence that promises along with bandwidth and dynamics is one of HiFi's quests. No wonder German Physics calls this model the Unicorn as it delivers on that long sought ideal.
Raven Audio
Industry friends Dave Thomson and James Connell of Raven Audio (ravenaudio.com) expertly demonstrated a source-to-speakers all Raven system. Anchored by the excellent tube amps upon which Raven was founded models from both the affordable Avian and no holds barred Elite series were available for audition. Speakers included Conell's excellent Corvus monitors, CeLest' towers, and new large woofer + horn model Raptor. Supplying a Raven Audio source their new turntable recovered the tiny analog voltages off LPs the all-tube electronics took expertly in hand.
As typical of Raven's systems the music played with fidelity and the tube lushness one goes to tubes in search of. They remain experts at navigating the path between too analytical vs too much added harmonics and fat landing on a modern musical sound featuring transparency and tonal saturation.
Rosso Fiorentino and Norma Audio
Another industry friend is Derek 'Skip' Skipworth, his distribution company Audio Thesis (audiothesis.com) has come to specialize in Italian brands at the state of the art notably Rosso Fiorentino speakers and Norma Audio electronics. Skip has deep talents in system setup and his SWAF demo system was no exception, Rosso Fiorentino's Volterra speakers were driven by Norma Audio separates and Lumin streamer. Having come to the opinion cables are critical at this level Skip was very excited to introduce Turnbull Audio Prestige cables at SWAF. As we have come to expect the music reproduction in the Audio Thesis room was outstanding.
Scott Walker Audio
With one of their locations in Dallas high end dealer Scott Walker Audio (scottwalkeraudio.com) chose to bring a mega-system, just the kind show attendees come to see and hear. Highlights included Estelon speakers, MSB electronics and the uber exotic Taiko Audio SGM Extreme Music Server. Their use of Synergistic Research Acoustics Acoustic Art resonators including with/without demonstrations certainly made for lively lunch conversations in the bar!
Semrad Audio
John Semrad's Semrad Audio (semradaudio.com) is an artisan boutique manufacturer run by John who combines the skills of a master cabinet maker with very refined tube and analog centric audiophile practice. John hand builds the imposing horns that are energized using Oleg Rullit's Super Aero 8" field coil drivers. For introduction at SWAF the system is enhanced with new bass system using the legendary Great Plains Acoustics 515-8C 15" AlNiCo woofers. As John spun his preferred golden age jazz LPs the result was music that goes beyond typical HiFi reproduction by a considerable margin. The pace, rhythm, and timing (PhRAT) is off the chart. The image that come to my mind was a jazz club on a hot summer night where the band is so in the groove everyone hits the dance floor into the wee hours of the morning. The Gerrard 301 into the carefully curated electronics delivered a tonally saturated and extraordinary dynamic signal John's speakers made into magic. Exactly the mountain top experience those of us who make HiFi into a passion chase after. Lucky is the proud owner who takes home one of John Semrad's creations.
Sound Lab
Passion for the art and science of music reproduction in the home along with allegiance to a storied brand in the high-end was absolutely demonstrated in the Sound Lab (soundlabelectrostats.com) room at SWAF 2024. A genuine pleasure to walk into this demo and see the legendary Sound Lab electrostatic speakers and then meet Christopher St. G. Stubbs who along with his family had traveled from Shikoku, Japan to Dallas to tell the Sound Lab story at SWAF. Christopher is distributor for Sound Lab in Japan and his enthusiasm for the brand is infectious. Next treat was meeting Todd Garfinkle producer/engineer at MA Recordings (marecordings.com) who was on hand with a deep selection of MA Recordings' master files being played on his Korg DSD location recording rig. For demos Christopher assembled a system alternating between two sizes of the Sound Lab ESLs driven by the Korg DSD DAC/recorder, Berning 845 ZOTL Hi Fi One Edition amplifiers, and Benchmark preamplifier.
Despite a tight schedule trying to juggle exhibitor and journalist duties I made time to visit the Sound Lab room twice, both times auditioning the larger model Sound Lab ESLs. In the 1980s the ultimate transparency of a good electrostatic loudspeaker imprinted on me pointing to just how low distortion extreme transparency HiFi could sound. My first esoteric high-end HiFi rig was built around Acoustat Twos and I still own a pair of the rare Stax ELS-F81s. It had been about 30 years since I last heard Sound Lab. These current production Sound Labs driven by Berning 845 ZOTL were absolutely magnificent. Helped by Garfinkle's purist recordings this is a level of purity and transparency to source at, and perhaps setting, the state-of-the-art. What surprised and delighted this old ESL aficionado was the bass depth and effortless dynamic snap heard coming out of Christopher St. G. Stubbs' expertly curated system.
Van Zyl Audio
VanZyl Audio (vanzylaudio.com) is another of the growing number of high-end HiFi companies headquartered in Texas. Johan VanZyl is the company's founder and chief designer. We have become friends over the years both exhibiting at Lone Star Autio Fests. Johan's expertise is horn loaded speakers honing his design engineering and art over many years. At SWAF 2024 he displayed a system using his Alpine Mid-horns and BB-10 subwoofer. Specifications include Alpine Mid-horns 101dB @ 1-watt, 125 – 20kHz, and BB-10 horn loaded subwoofer 106 dB @ 1 watt 48 – 100Hz, useable output to 20Hz. In this system Johan's development work using back horn loading wide range drivers and the room's floor and walls to extend the horn pay off with dividends. Specifically, specifications like these usually requires enclosures the size of double wide refrigerators, not the Alpine and BB-10 which are very room friendly, the BB-10 is only 20 x 21 x 26 inches. Bass heads take note.
The Alpine + BB-10 system was sounding very good indeed driven by electronics including ClassD Audio's Mini GaN 5 400W Gallium Nitride Audio Amplifier, Dayton Audio sub amp, Mojo Audio's Mystique X DAC, and cabling by Silversmith Audio. Coherent, detailed and full range with a natural pleasing balance as typical of VanZyl's work it was easy to relax and sink into the music. Johan and I have something of a ritual at shows in that we always listen to the audiophile standard "Flight of The Cosmic Hippo" by Béla Fleck and the Flecktones. The deep subharmonic synth runs in the title track showed the BB-10 sub to be truly horn loaded as it exhibited the depth plus power plus nuance only horn loading provides.
Voxativ
The next treat was entering the Voxativ (voxativ.berlin) room and there was Holger Adler, owner designer and mastermind behind Voxativ over from Berlin. The system Holger was demonstrating included Voxativ's T211 SET Integrated amp outputting 12wpc from 211 triodes sited in a jewel like 120 pound aluminum uni-body chassis. I have a love for the results large bright emitter triodes like 211 and 845 consistently deliver so that was a great start. The impressive amp was powering Ampeggio speakers resplendent in perfect piano black high gloss finish. Cables also by Voxativ including Ampeggio Due speaker and Black signal cables. Source the Wess Engineering DAC502 streaming Quobuz. Total system price $54,000, graded on the SWAF curve and given the German built quality a 'reasonable' amount.
As I settled into my first audition of Voxativ it quickly became apparent this is high-fidelity reproduction at a nearly supernatural level. A half century pursuit of ever more faithful reproduction of musicians' tone and emotional messages started with and continues to prioritize a quest for 'transparency,' that is on a given rig can one hear further into the performance, venue, or studio? The Voxativ system exhibited a sense of transparency many levels beyond the norm with wide bandwidth, dynamics, tonality, and ease. This is a system that has been engineered and developed to the Nth degree all that work guided by an artistic vision possessing a deep understanding of music. Bravo and well done.
YG Acoustics
YG Acoustics system was anchored by the premier at a U.S. trade show of their Sonja 3.2 speaker system. Constellation amplification and MSB DAC drove the Sonjas. Analog courtesy the Pure Fidelity Harmony table and Pure Fidelity Stratos cartridge, preamplification via Audio Research Phono 3SE preamplifier.
Alas, another too brief Sunday afternoon audition. Like getting a ride in a Ferrari, but just around the block. Saving the day was Duncan Taylor's superb playlist demonstrating in the brief time available the YG Acoustics system's extreme resolution and state of the art performance envelope.
G
The above report is but a fraction of what the first South West Audio Fest had to offer. Apologies to the many exhibitors' time precluded exploring. Congratulations to Gary Gill and Lou Hinkley for a very successful inaugural event. SWAF 2025 is scheduled March 21-23 returning to the Anatole Hotel in Dallas, Texas. My advice is plan to attend for a full day, or better yet two, and take it all in.
