This article, as reviewed by Francisco Madrid, Victor Chavira, and Larry Cox, originally ran when audioMusings was in print. Issue 13, 2001 This is going to be the easiest review I've ever written. Simply stated, the ATC system is the best sound I've experienced in my home. (But then, this is the first time I've had $15,000 dollars... Read More »
In Part I of my AXPONA 2018 show report, I highlighted several "costs more than my first house" mega-systems, systems that only the up-and-coming hedge fund manager or successful neurosurgeon can afford. For those of us who have mortgages to pay, intend to finance our children's educations (in full or in part), still make car... Read More »
The LA&OC Audio Society Announces Blockbuster Award! The Audiophile Recording of the Year! The LA&OC Audio Society – the largest in the world with over 2500 members – celebrates their 2018 Silver Anniversary with the premier of the sure-to-be-coveted Audiophile Recording of the Year Award. The winner and runner-up will be announced at the LA&OC... Read More »
Schaumburg, IL (April 26, 2018) - AXPONA (Audio Expo North America) welcomed 8,134 attendees to a new location for the 2018 show at the Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center and Hotel, April 13-15, 2018. AXPONA offered music lovers, audiophiles, and seasoned audio enthusiasts three jam-packed days of incredible sound, technology, seminars, live music and the very latest products in the... Read More »
Bergmann Audio is a company and not an individual—and that's a good thing. Otherwise it would not have been very charming to admit that I did not quite believe the news about their tenth anniversary. For me, the Danish manufacturer appeared to be much older, basically due to their technically independent designs seeming to have... Read More »
Top Five Show Sounds at AXPONA 2018 1. GTT Audio lineup YG Acoustics Sonja XV Jr. speakers Audionet Heisenberg amplifiers, Stern preamplifier, PAM 2 phonostage Kronos turntable Air Tight Opus 1 cartridge Kubala-Sosna cabling 2. Quintessence Audio lineup Wilson Audio Alexia 2 Speakers Audio Research Reference M160 amplifiers and Reference 6 linestage AMG Viella 12... Read More »
By Sunday all that was to give it the olde college try and go for broke. Sunday's game plan was to start as early as possible—beginning with a 7:30 AM breakfast with buddy Andre Jennings from The Absolute Sound—and visit as many of the rooms that had missed. There's no question that covering audio shows... Read More »
For Immediate Release! When: Sunday, April 29th, 2018 Time: 6:30pm-9pm Who: DARIA & Her Trio Where: Fenix Music and Supper Club 919 4th Street, San Rafael, CA 94901 415-813-5600 [email protected] www.fenixlive.com Ticket Link: https://www.fenixlive.com/show/daria-jazz-2/ Cost: $12/$15
Bigger than a basketball court but slightly smaller than a football field. Roughly one-half of the exhibit hall was designated the "Record Fair," while the other half of the Marketplace was the Ear Gear Expo. Inside this massive room sat 80 tables/booths filled to the brim with audiophile goodies ranging from software to cables to... Read More »
By now the reality of covering 162 rooms (with 60 new exhibitors) and 80 booths was over. Any hope of seeing the whole show—other than sprinting from room to room and taking pictures—was also dashed and it was time to implement Plan B. So plan B—namely cover what I could—was put into motion. Of course,... Read More »
For 2018, AXPONA moved to a bigger, shinier, swankier venue, showed up with real attitude and renewed swagger, and hosted noticeably bigger crowds. The Renaissance Schaumburg Hotel and Convention Center, a ginormous, and ginormously over-the-top Bauhaus-influenced conference center, blessed with the amenities and exhibition capacity to handle a show the size of AXPONA, replaces the... Read More »
Casey, Where I Go When I'm Sleeping. Hassle Records. Casey is an emotional melodic hardcore band from South Wales, United Kingdom. Their second full-length album, Where I go When I'm Sleeping, is a continuation of the band's journey through music. The album builds upon the overall sound of the band, nailing down their feel and... Read More »
In recent years there have been major changes in the music industry. Sales of optical discs have declined while interest in other ways to get music albums including music downloads, streaming and formats like LPs and even Analog Tape are on the upswing with sales of some albums reissued on LP by Mobile Fidelity reaching... Read More »
All photos by Dave Clark, words by Carol Clark... more on AXPONA 2018. Also, just a note. Not all rooms provide equipment lists, so many times I have to go by what is on the door sign. If you notice an error we are happy to correct it. Thank you! Sennheiser headphones in the EXPO... Read More »
All photos by Dave Clark, words by Carol Clark... more on AXPONA 2018. Also, just a note. Not all rooms provide equipment lists, so many times I have to go by what is on the door sign. If you notice an error we are happy to correct it. Thank you! The Audio Company had an... Read More »
All photos by Dave Clark, words by Carol Clark... more on AXPONA 2018. Also, just a note. Not all rooms provide equipment lists, so many times I have to go by what is on the door sign. If you notice an error we are happy to correct it. Thank you! Vanatoo loudspeakers. Dan Wright of... Read More »
AXPONA 2018 was an absolute delight. More head count. More smiling faces. More listening rooms. Friendly hosts. Friendly patrons. It wasn't the shoulder to shoulder crush of people and the waterfall of merchandise like the CES of 10 to 15 years ago, but the good vibes and positive energy was everywhere. This was the first... Read More »
All photos by Dave Clark, words by Carol Clark... more on AXPONA 2018. Clarus Cable system. McIntosh in the house! Clarus Cables. Burwell & Sons Loudspeakers, Rogers High Fidelity. Very nice. A museum of electrical things in the High Fidelity Cables room. Van der Graaf generator. Electricity was in the air. High Fidelity Cables system.... Read More »
All photos by Dave Clark, words by Carol Clark... more on AXPONA 2018. Sue Toscano has an endless supply of energy, I was hoping it would rub off! Gayle Sanders with his new Eikon loudspeaker, room correction, amplifier, DAC, all-in-one system debuted at AXPONA. System total $24,5000. The sound was quite remarkable. While Gayle is a... Read More »
This is the first year Dave and I have attended AXPONA. I quickly learned, it's not just another show. With over 160 rooms, there was a lot of ground to cover. It reminded me of the days of CES, lots of walking and not enough time for listening. There were new products to see, and... Read More »
Observation 1 Okay we all get it—the bigger the better. The more rooms the better for profits and attracting attendees, but let's be realistic, it does not work for pretty much anyone other than the hotel and perhaps the promoter. The recent AXPONA had at my count 165 exhibit rooms (spread over 9 floors and... Read More »
This is Part 2 of my Axpona 2018 Show report... lots of pics! Sennheiser HE-1 Headphone System $60K, but yeah, it sounded great! Gayle Sanders Legacy Audio Scaena Constellation Audio and Martin Logan I loved this system last year, and it was equally enjoyable this year. Ruel: Self-powered Line Array. Very cool! How could they... Read More »
Berkeley, CA – April 16, 2018 – SUMIKO is proud to announce six new phono cartridges, the outcome of a 3-year development effort. The new line will be premiered at the Munich High End Show, May 10-13, 2018. Sumiko is introducing 4 new moving magnet cartridges, the Rainier, Olympia, Moonstone and Amethyst which join the... Read More »
Spectacle in Two Acts with Epilogue Prologue The plan was simple: we wanted to get to know the new dCS SACD player, the Vivaldi One. In December 2013, we were listening to the new at the time, four-box Vivaldi prepared by dCS and presented to us by the sales director, Raveen Baava. The device left... Read More »
1st Floor Entrance of the Renaissance Schaumburg Hotel The late, great show-master of early TV, Ed Sullivan, would say, "That was a Really Big Shew!" And yes, ladies and germs, AXPONA 2018 was certainly all that, and a bottle of spring water. After a successful multi-year run at the Westin in Rosemont, Il, this year,... Read More »
I’ve been totally overwhelmed by the size of the show, and trying to cover all the rooms. Industry turnout today Friday was, as my Absolute Sound buddy Andre commented, "like RMAF, pre-renovation, only with far more consumer turnout." According to Liz Miller of JD Events, there were 162 rooms at AXPONA 2018. Consumer attendance on... Read More »
Ye Olde Editor contemplating the mysteries of life and audio… (Photograph by John Robinson) Back in the winter of 2017 (HERE in Issue 94), I shared my evaluation of the Sound Galleries SGM2015 reference-level Music Server. Since a music server cannot be reviewed without also considering either an internal or downstream DAC, my comments had... Read More »
VPI Industries is proud to debut the production models of the VPI JMW Fatboy tonearms at Axpona 2018. Both Unipivot and Gimbal versions will be on display and are available choices for all VPI turntables. In-addition can easily be mounted with other turntable brands. The availability of Unipivot and Gimbal options is to provide arm option styles for... Read More »
A few of the new product debuts: DIGITAL Balanced Audio Technology REX tube DAC - $18,995 | Find it in the Wolf Audio room 714 COMPONENTS / DIGITAL Primare Prisma series integrated amps and CD players with network streaming | Find it in the MoFi room 334 ANALOG Mobile Fidelity’s new Super Heavyweight designed by HRS | Find it in... Read More »
DIEPPE, New-Brunswick, Canada—APRIL 11, 2018—RUEL® will unveil the R+ at the AXPONA Chicago April 13-15. The new RUELaudio sound system redefines the way that speakers are made, with a fantastic quality of sound and a beautiful design. “The R+ is our contribution to the music industry, and what we’ve done, and we love doing this... Read More »
2018 AXPONA, April 13, 2018 — The successor to First Watt’s legendary SIT-1 and SIT-2 amplifiers is now going into production. Like them, the new SIT-3 uses a Static Induction Transistor (AKA VFET) in the power stage of a simple no-feedback amplifier. This SIT was uniquely fabricated from Silicon Carbide with the character of a tube Triode – acting more like a... Read More »
SAN FRANCISCO (4/10/18) — Parasound has introduced its Halo JC 5 stereo amplifier that was designed by audio legend John Curl. Delivering a remarkable 400 watts per channel, the Parasound Halo JC 5 distills the essence of two top-of-the-line Halo JC 1 monoblock power amplifiers into a single chassis that is the same size as... Read More »
2018 AXPONA, Aprl 13, 2018 — At Pass Labs we don’t change our products unless we feel that the changes are significant improvements over previous versions. Because of this our typical product life spans are eight to ten years. We are constantly working on and listening to new things and increasing our knowledge of circuits and components... Read More »
AXPONA, April 13, 2018 — Clarus®, the high-end audio cable brand that is a “sister” company to Tributaries A/V cables, is introducing its first-ever line of AC Power Conditioners: Duet, Sextet, Octet and the flagship Clarus Power. These new models represent a complete reevaluation of all possible advanced technologies, high-performance materials and component parts traditionally used in this product category. The Clarus Power Conditioners will be available in four... Read More »
Ballston Spa, NY—April 2018—Luxman America will host two rooms, 580 and 582, at the 2018 AXPONA Show, to be held April 13—15 at the Renaissance Schaumburg Hotel & Convention Center, in Schaumburg, Illinois. Luxman will participate in AXPONA in cooperation with Triangle Loudspeakers. The main demo system will feature: Luxman M900u Power Amplifier Luxman C900u... Read More »
Gang tackling is not usually part of the gameplan around team Positive Feedback, but if you are a fan of phono stages, you will note that I am the fourth reviewer here to get a chance to audition the Gold Note PH-10 (see HERE, HERE, and HERE). As my colleagues have ably pointed out, it... Read More »
Gabriel Mervine's People, Places, and Things. Synergy Records SMCD 80040-2, 80043-2 and 80044-2, CD $12.98 each at Amazon.com Before I can introduce you to Gabriel Mervine, an incredible and ambitious jazz trumpet/flugelhorn player and composer, I have to introduce you to Uncle Don. He's not my uncle, by the way. Don Marsh is Colleen's uncle,... Read More »
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