Audio Advice Live 2025 took place August 1-3, in downtown Raleigh, North Carolina at the Sheraton Raleigh Hotel. I hadn't been to Raleigh in over sixteen years, and I have to admit—I honestly didn't recognize it at all, it's grown so very much! Raleigh is the capital of North Carolina and its second largest city; while its population is just shy of a half-million residents, it's overlapped by nearby Cary, and their metropolitan area is home to about 1.5 million people. And it's also part of the Research Triangle region that includes Durham and Chapel Hill, and that pushes the total population to almost 2.4 million. It's not an insignificant area, and Raleigh presents a surprisingly spectacular skyline along with a beautiful, heavily-treed downtown area with manicured streets, lush parks, a vibrant restaurant scene, and plenty of cultural institutions. If all this existed sixteen years ago, I must have been so focused on the recording session/concert event I was covering that I completely missed it!
So when Sue Toscano—the world's busiest public relations and communications professional—contacted me in early June to gauge my interest in providing coverage for the event, I had to be honest, I knew virtually nothing about Audio Advice (the consumer electronics company) or their offspring, Audio Advice Live (AAL). That said, my calendar was clear for August 1-3, so I was all-in, and as my anticipation and expectations for AAL 2025 began to grow over the course of the summer, I did a little online research into Audio Advice, the business as well as the show. Which grew out of their Music Matters showcase that originated in 2019 and actually took place at Audio Advice's retail location. Audio Advice is the fastest-growing eCommerce consumer electronics site in the US, with showrooms in Raleigh, Charlotte, and Wilmington, North Carolina, and over the course of nearly five decades, they've become the largest US retailer of premium audio and home theater systems. Sue kept me updated with the latest show details, and as the weeks counted down, I started getting barraged with emails from exhibitors and their representatives. Still, my impression of AAL 2025 as a smallish "regional" show persisted.
That is, until my arrival this past Thursday—where as we approached the center of Raleigh, I was flabbergasted by the high-rises, the size and scope of the venue for the show, and the sprawl of AAL 2025. It's definitely not AXPONA, but I'd taken Sue Toscano's comments about it being "a really manageable show" as gospel, and I quickly realized I'd grossly underestimated the level of my commitment. When Sue's finalized package of details arrived via email a couple of days before AAL 2025, I quickly realized I needed to get there relatively early on Thursday, July 31 for the Press Event. Which over the course of a couple of hours covered the highlights of key exhibitors and events that would be taking place at the show. Including Harman's launch of their new JBL Synthesis home cinema system, Audio Advice's introduction of their new Revelation Luxury home theater chair, Focal Naim's new Utopia Cinema system and the world premiere of the Focal Diva Mezza Utopia system, Epson's new Pro Cinema LS9000 projector with Polk Audio sound, and finally, the Ascendo/Trinnov Waveform home cinema system featuring the largest complement of subwoofers ever in a single system.
My wife Beth accompanied me to Raleigh, and after the Press Event, we scoped out the downtown area on foot, settling on a chido mercado ("cool marketplace") style Mexican restaurant (we ended up eating there three times!). Their specialty was an Arroz con Pollo type bowl—the one with shrimp was out of this world—and the restaurant was conveniently adjoined by a full bar. Their hearty Sopa de Pollo was also off-the-charts good, and we dropped in one night for dessert, with the Tres Leches and Horchata providing superb refreshment. On to the show!
Audio Advice Live 2025
Unusually for my experiences with most audio shows, AAL 2025 had an equivalent focus on high-end audio and perfectionist home cinema systems. So instead of the usual "let's see which kilowatt two-channel system can blow past the room next door," it was often a battle between high-end audio systems and the 11.4.0.4 home cinema system in the adjacent room. When I visited the B&W room on Saturday, their rep timed his music playback such that it wasn't being overwhelmed by the Top Gun Maverick demo next door! The show was a bit of a maze, scattered across three lower-level expanses and three upper-level hotel floors, but there were always plenty of blue-shirted Audio Advice employees to point you in the correct direction. And seemingly at every turn of the corner, there was Sue Toscano's smiling face, inquiring how the show was going for you, and helping to keep you on track. Her approach to managing audio shows seems to be that her entire life has been building towards this particular moment in time—you're around her five minutes, and she's like the very best friend your miserable little life has been looking for, forever!
When dealing with the type of equipment you see at this level in high-end audio and perfectionist home cinema systems, it gets increasingly difficult to categorize a single system as best of show. So many are relatively unique, and reach levels of ultimate performance that makes it hard to quantify them as inherently better than anything else, so I'm basically staying away from empirically proclaiming any one system as "best in show." I saw many that impressed me mightily, especially those that fell within my typical arc as a reviewer. It turned out to be nearly impossible for me to get to every room, and as typical for my show coverage, I limited my time to those I'd made prior commitments to, and those that were particularly noteworthy—and those that I had no expectations for, but truly surprised me with their goodness!
Focal Naim
Focal Naim's Wendy Knowles alerted me in advance that their exhibit at AAL 2025 would include a Focal world premiere. Wendy and Chris Shaw hosted the pair of rooms as usual; in the larger of the two, they showed off the new 7.4.0.4 Focal Utopia Cinema system. In home cinema speak, 7.4.0.4 translates into seven ear-level loudspeakers, four subwoofers, zero height channel speakers, and four ceiling-mount speakers. The room featured a full complement of Focal speakers, with amplification from Naim (of course), along with a Sony projector and a 200-inch Stewart video screen. Along with several really dynamic movie clips including Daniel Craig as James Bond, a Dolby Atmos music track from EDM artist Rufus del Soul was also prominently featured. The fifteen-channel sound was incredibly immersive and seriously enjoyable, totally swirling around my head. Chris told us that the artist had actually mixed the Dolby Atmos track into 50 discrete channels, but it had to be folded down to fifteen for this demo—I can't even begin to imagine how involved (not to mention, the expense) setting up a 50-channel Atmos system must be! The Focal Naim Utopia Cinema system stickers in the $150k range; adding the 200-inch Stewart screen, the Sony Projector, and all ancillary equipment takes it up to around $250k. It's an exceptionally entertaining high-end audio/video system that was easily among the most impressive at the entire show.
Focal Naim's smaller room (it wasn't that small!) was reserved for the world premiere of the brand new Diva Mezza Utopia active loudspeakers, which didn't arrive until Saturday morning. The Diva Mezzas are slightly more robust than the standard Divas, weighing in at just over 190 lbs and with slightly more substantial cabinets. The Class AB amplifier complement is more powerful, with 500 watts of total power per side—they're designed to play more effortlessly in larger rooms, which apparently has been a bit of an issue with the baseline Divas. Each loudspeaker's quad of bass drivers has been upgraded to 8-inch woofers vs. the 6.5-inch drivers on the Diva, and the low-bass now reaches down to 24Hz—Chris demoed the bass response with a set of test tones from Focal Naim's app, and the whole room shook during playback of the lowest tones. Each tower is capable of 24-bit, 96kHz playback wirelessly paired to each other, but a supplied proprietary 5m cable increases that capability to 24-bit, 192kHz. The internal power supplies have also been significantly upgraded for the Diva Mezza. The stock finish is now an ivory felt (vs. the grey felt of the standard Divas), but by the end of the year, interchangeable and possibly custom finished panels will also be available. The Diva Mezza Utopia's MSRP is $69k per pair.
Chris and Wendy walked us through the Diva Mezza Utopia's enhanced capabilities, then played a wide range of music that highlighted the upgrades. Another reviewer present in the room asked for a particular track, Radiohead's "The National Anthem" from Kid A. Which he mentioned had emptied every room he'd requested it in up to that point. Chris cranked the volume, and the track played with greater instrumental separation and a more cohesive presentation that was better than I've ever heard it, on any system. I loved the Diva Utopia when I heard it in Tampa in February, and the world premiere of the Diva Mezza Utopia was bigger and better in every way possible!
IsoAcoustics
Jaclyn Inglis handles public relations for IsoAcoustics, and had asked me to please stop by their room at AAL 2025, if for no other reason than to simply say hello. Francois Cauchon of IsoAcoustics was introducing their new Gaia Neo range of isolation products, and he conducted an impressively convincing before/after demonstration. The Gaia Neo isolation footers offer a substantial upgrade compared to their standard line of products, with more seamless height adjustment capabilities and compatibility with a broad range of loudspeaker and equipment weight requirements. Pricing for the Gaia Neo range is still TBD.
Howard Kneller of The Listening Chair and I both arrived in IsoAcoustics' room at the same time, and we both experienced the demonstration. Which featured two identical pairs of JBL Summit Series loudspeakers, one fitted with the Gaia Neo isolators, and one with the stock footers. Both were connected to the outputs of an integrated amp, and an LED light on the equipment rack illuminated green when the Gaia Neo isolators were in the system. As Francois switched between the sets of speakers, the pair of JBLs fitted with the Gaia Neos played music with a more prominent and well-defined mid- and low-bass output. There was nothing subtle about the difference I heard during the demo; it was actually shockingly apparent, and the pair of loudspeakers fitted with the Gaia Neos presented music that was improved in every way compared to the stock footers. This was easily the most impressive affordable upgrade demo I witnessed at the show.
Sets of IsoAcoustics Gaia Neo isolators are potentially on their way for review—more to hopefully come soon here at Positive Feedback.
KLH Audio
Anyone who pays attention to any of my reviews knows that the KLH Model Fives have been my reference now for a couple of years. I'd been a Magneplanar devotee for three and a half decades, and their amazing imaging and the way they seem to disappear in the soundstage has totally entranced me. That is, until the KLH Model Fives arrived on the scene; they're the only traditional box loudspeakers ever to occupy any of my rooms that can simply disappear in the same way that planar magnetics do, with pinpoint imaging to match. And they can play with power handling and dynamics that are beyond the abilities of the Maggies; it only took a few months for them to get banished to the storage closet!
Earlier this year, I was looking at something KLH-related online, and noticed that the search sent me to a Victrola page; to my great surprise, KLH had become part of the Victrola Brand Group! Prior to the start of AAL 2025, I got an email from Jamie Dillon, VP of Marketing with Victrola, asking if I'd be interested in checking out the world premiere of KLH's new flagship loudspeaker, the Model Sevens in Raleigh. Are you freaking kidding me? Of course, I'm all in!
The KLH Model Seven loudspeakers are set to retail at $5998/pair, and are scheduled to ship in September. KLH owner David Kelley came over to Victrola as part of the acquisition, and he retained his position as president of KLH Audio. He virtually gushed while presenting the new model, which has obviously been a labor of love for himself and designer Kerry Geist. The Model Seven is a taller, wider, and (surprisingly) less deep box format than the Model Five, and its narrow profile and wide baffle of the box is designed to eliminate diffraction artifacts. I felt the sound of the Model Seven was ridiculously good, and it presented a scale of image that easily surpassed the already uber-lifelike Model Fives. The Model Sevens featured deeper and more controlled bass, a hyper-realistic stereo image, and a more musically detailed presentation. As I told Dave Kelley at the show, I was completely gobsmacked, and am totally gaga to get a review pair!
Amplification for the system was provided by Lyngdorf; apparently, the Bryston amp they'd shipped to AAL 2025 was damaged and unusable. No worries, Lyngdorf was exhibiting across the hall, and happened to have an available amp on hand to loan to KLH for the show, and it powered the Model Sevens perfectly. Dave Kelley is so passionate about KLH, and about music, sound, and audio in general; it was beyond inspiring to hear his thoughts on the music that played across the Model Sevens. I was definitely drinking it all in; the KLH Model Seven is a speaker design for the ages, and definitely one of—and perhaps the best—I heard at AAL 2025! I'm in the process of working out the details with Jamie Dillon to hopefully get a review scheduled for Positive Feedback!
KEF
Cutting edge British design from KEF—I queried presenter Ben Hagens as to the correct pronunciation, and he clarified for me it was indeed pronounced "Keff." KEF's new XIO (zee-oh) soundbar system (MSRP $2500) features some amazing technology, and can be either placed on a flat surface or mounted on a wall. The XIO's multiple Uni-Q drivers are controlled by gyroscopic sensors that alter each driver's orientation to accommodate surface or wall placement, guaranteeing that the driver elements will be properly oriented to achieve the desired effect. A KC62 powered subwoofer ($1700) was also present in the system; it was so incredibly miniscule, I found it hard to believe that the level of heart-pounding bass I could feel in the room was coming from such a small box!
The system is designed to offer both movies and music with a level of realism one normally wouldn't expect from such a relatively compact soundbar and sub, and I was blown away by the performance of the XIO and KC62. It baffled me that the huge, truly lifelike sound presented by the movies and music videos Ben demoed came from such minuscule boxes. Their ability to be effortlessly integrated into any living room was also truly impressive, and at a fraction of the cost of a full-blown home cinema setup, the sound from this combo was unbelievable. I had zero expectations at AAL 2025 for this room, and walked out of there shaking my head in disbelief!
Klipsch/Onkyo
Sue Toscano and I are working together on a review of the Klipsch Heresy IV loudspeakers for Positive Feedback, so I definitely had to get to this room! Both Klipsch and Onkyo now fall under the umbrella of Premium Audio Company LLC, and the room featured a pair of Klipsch La Scala AL6 loudspeakers (MSRP $15.5k) along with a pair of Forte IVs ($6k/pair). The Sheraton's cavernous Willow Oak room was no problem for the La Scalas, which were triamped with Klipsch's own active crossover ($3500) and a trio of Onkyo Icon amplifiers ($2000 each). An Onkyo Icon processor ($2000) completed the system. The impressive sound of the La Scalas in this setup comes shockingly close to matching that of the flagship K Horns!
The Forte IV's in the new red oak finish ($6k/pair) were also demoed, and were connected to Onkyo's integrated amplifier ($1500). Presenter Marcus Buckler expertly chose musical selections that allowed both the La Scalas and Forte's to shine, and surprisingly, the Forte's impressed me on a level almost on par with what I was hearing from the La Scala/Onkyo Icon triamplified setup. I heard music that not only showed a tremendous scale of sound, but was also emotionally involving. The sound of this room was also among the best I heard at AAL 2025.
On static display was a pair of Heresy IV with their new matching stands; this is the pair that are on their way to me for review on Positive Feedback! The Heresy have a slant riser for use as a floorstander, but I've been hearing great things about them slightly elevated and on stands—stay tuned for that review!
Bowers & Wilkins/Marantz
Lucette Nicoll handles PR for both B&W and Marantz, and she made sure to clue me in that they'd be exhibiting at AAL 2025, including a demo of the ultra limited 801D4 Abbey Road Edition. The 801D4 were powered by Marantz 10 series configurable amplifiers and a Link 10N Reference Network Audio Player/preamplifier. The 10N can be configured as stereo amplifiers, and were used in this installation to bi-amplify the 801D4. Only 140 pairs of the 801D4's were manufactured worldwide; they're sonically the equivalent of B&W's 801D, but have a number of exclusive features that lift them above the ordinary. Including a customized back plate on each loudspeaker, a certificate of authenticity, and most unusually, the owner is offered an all-access experience at Abbey Road Studios. And all that exclusivity comes with a price tag of only $70k!
The demo got off to a delayed start; the cinema system next door (also from B&W and Marantz) was playing segments of Top Gun Maverick or some other movie with massively loud transients, and the two rooms were coordinating breaks in the action such that the listeners in each room could enjoy their respective presentation without being bothered by the SPLs coming from the other. Presenters Kevin Zarow and Michael Sprague offered an interesting commentary on B&W's lofty perch in the pantheon of recorded music; I'm pretty sure they said that 60% of all albums ever recorded were monitored using B&W loudspeakers, which is incredibly impressive! Tracks played included the very first ever recorded on 801s at Abbey Road, the main title from Raiders of Lost Ark. The sound was powerfully immersive for a two channel system, and the Marantz amplifiers powered these beautiful loudspeakers to perfection!
Ascendo Audio/Trinnov/JVC/MADVR
Krissy Rushing Tomlin of Rise Media Strategy had reached out to me in advance of the show to alert me to the Ascendo Audio/Trinnov/JVC/MADVR room at AAL 2025. It would feature a demo designed to display the results of more than ten years of research by Trinnov into the concept of WaveForming. Which allows listeners to experience precisely controlled, clear and even bass response regardless of their seated position in a high-end cinema system. The Ascendo Audio speaker complement featured an 11.13.8 (11 speakers at ear-level, 13 subwoofers, and 8 ceiling-mount speakers) arrangement, with bass well below 10 Hz courtesy of a massive 32-inch subwoofer! I thought the 32-incher was outrageous, but they even have a sub that's 80-inches—I can't even begin to imagine the volumes of low bass emerging from that monster! Audio processing and amplification was supplied by Trinnov, in combination with MADVR video processing, JVC projection, and a Stewart video screen.
I have to admit, the names Ascendo and Trinnov were not on my radar, but I overheard numerous showgoers making remarks along the lines of "OMG! Trinnov and Ascendo—could it possibly get any better?" The combination of Ascendo loudspeakers and subwoofers with Trinnov amps and electronics absolutely shook me to my core (especially that massive 32-incher!); I'm pretty sure every single organ within my body was seriously vibrated by this system. I almost felt the need for an MRI afterwards to confirm I was still in one piece! The ultra-low bass from the seemingly insane complement of subs was truly impressive, whether with music or video sources, and the action sequences from films like Benghazi, Top Gun Maverick, and the Spiderman franchise were easily better than at the Cineplex. My movements throughout the room confirmed for me that the WaveForming technology indeed worked as claimed, with perfectly defined bass regardless of my position. Pricing for the entire system shown was in the $200k range. This cool room provided a truly impressive and immersive audio-visual experience!
Mobile Fidelity
Speaker designer extraordinaire Andrew Jones helmed the Mobile Fidelity room at AAL 2025 that highlighted his new Source Point V10 loudspeakers. The low-slung Source Point 10 Master Edition loudspeakers were also present in the room, but weren't playing at the point I was there; the kit to upgrade the standard Source Point 10 crossover to Master Edition level was also on display. Jones regaled the attentive audience with a thorough discussion of his design philosophy and goals for MoFi's new loudspeaker. He then played a variety of off-the-beaten-path music selections, ranging from Harry Belafonte to Nine Inch Nails that showed off the V10's to great effect. Their MSRP is just shy of $8k; amplification and control was supplied by Quad, and sources included a HiFi Rose server and MoFi table. Expectedly, the sound featured well-controlled bass, near-perfect mid and treble response, and was never less than emotionally engaging! As usual, the room was packed; everyone wanted a chance to hear Andrew Jones' latest loudspeakers, which were unsurprisingly a definite show highlight.
I also sat through Saturday's AAL 2025 Deep Dive Session "Where Measurements and Performance Meet" that also featured Andrew Jones and Randall Messman (the CheapAudioMan). The CheapAudioMan moderated the session, and Andrew Jones went deep into how he correlates measurements into his design process. Lots of background on how the current state-of-the-art measurement equipment and programs evolved, and how his implementation of them helped produce his world-beating speaker designs for the likes of KEF, Infinity, Pioneer, TAD, and MoFi. The session was informative and enjoyable, and actually ran almost 45 minutes beyond its scheduled end—I could listen to Andrew Jones talk for hours on end. The Sheraton's Centennial room hosted the event, and while it had a reasonable number of seats available, people kept pouring in until it was essentially standing room only!
McIntosh
McIntosh had several rooms at AAL 2025, but the one on the 16th floor that featured a purely McIntosh system was the one I chose to check out. It featured entirely McIntosh amplification, source components, and loudspeakers, including the MSA5500 streaming integrated amplifier ($8k MSRP), an MPC1500 power controller ($7k), and the ML1 standmount loudspeakers ($15k). The music choices were not what one typically hears at audio shows, but they showed off the ML1's to great effect. Which played with a purity of tone and visceral realism (the unidentified female vocalist's performance was gripping!) that had me on the edge of my seat. I'd never heard the ML1's before, and I've never been a fan of their look, but they played with a scale of image one wouldn't usually expect from a standmount. And with unbelievably deep bass and a level of realism that really grabbed you—I was totally impressed!
SVS
SVS is more well known for their subwoofers, but they also have a range of loudspeakers as well, including surround setups for home cinema systems. I have an upcoming review of their Ultra Evolution Tower loudspeakers for Positive Feedback, so I wanted to drop in to simply say hello and check out their system at AAL 2025. The room featured a 2-channel/surround setup built around the SVS Ultra Evolution series loudspeakers, including a standmounted pair of the Ultra Evolution bookshelf speakers for the 2-channel part of the demo. They were powered by an integrated amp from Hegel, and an SVS sub was switched in and out to show how low the small speakers would go on their own. While I was initially visually underwhelmed by the standmounts, they were able to cast a shockingly great recreation of realism with any type of music, despite their smallish size. The Ultra Evolution bookshelf speakers produced fairly prodigious bass on their own, and the sub only made its presence known on really demanding passages.
The surround demo employed a Denon multichannel amp, and the system offered sound that was both immersive and dynamic. Hearing both setups in advance of the arrival of the SVS Ultra Evolution Tower loudspeakers offered a thrilling glimpse, and bodes well for what's coming soon to my room in the Low Country!
Audio Advice
Audio Advice is one of the nation's largest sellers and custom installers of high-end home cinema systems. As part of their original entry into the field, they offered home theater chairs that were manufactured by third parties that were rather expensive (around $7k each). While buyers spending upwards of $200k on top-line home cinemas didn't flinch at spending extra for exotic chairs, their relatively exorbitant cost prompted Audio Advice to start building their own, which sold for around $1150 each. The original Revelation home theater chair was a best seller, but over time, it was determined that there was definite room for improvement in the chair's design. AAL 2025 featured the launch of their new Revelation Luxury home theater chair, which is a significant upgrade from the baseline Revelation. The upcharge to $1350 adds features like Shiatsu massage, fully motorized ultra-quiet mechanisms including lumbar support, enhanced wall placement capabilities, enhanced LED lighting, heated seats, USB-C ports, and an enhanced snack and beverage tray with greatly improved functionality.
The Revelation Luxury chairs are available in a variety of left-and right-arm configurations that allow for infinite room setup options. I took the opportunity to take a test rest in the chair, exploring its functionality and especially the massage capability, which was pretty sweet! The Revelation Luxury offered extreme comfort, but I couldn't possibly have one of these in my own room, I'd probably sleep through all my review assignments!
Coastal Source
Coastal Source representative Julie Connelly reached out to me about possibly spending some time with their products at AAL 2025; they manufacture a range of loudspeakers, subwoofers, and integrated lighting systems all designed to withstand the elements and rigors of outdoor living. With me now living near Charleston, SC, temps can range from near-single digits with occasional snowfall to summertime real feels in the triple digits, so durability of the equipment is a real concern. Michael Hench of Coastal Source walked me through their product offerings and testing procedures, where equipment is subjected to temperature and weather extremes in both Key West and Canada. They're confident their equipment can handle any weather thrown at it, and it's all designed from an audiophile perspective!
Michael also explained how their specialized connectors seal out the elements and prevent wiring issues—those are responsible for the vast majority of outdoor audio and lighting equipment failures. Complete Coastal Source systems range from $5k and up, but everything is built to provide trouble-free operation, with some of their equipment carrying lifetime warranties. I'd definitely check out their product offerings, which looked great, sounded phenomenal, and offer nearly infinite options to enhance your outdoor living!
Paradigm/Anthem
Zoltan Balla, the VP of Marketing for MartinLogan, Paradigm, Anthem, and GoldenEar reached out to me about checking out their offerings at AAL 2025. Unfortunately, my time ran short, and I was only able to see and hear the Paradigm Anthem home cinema system, which combined electronics from Anthem, loudspeakers and subs from Paradigm, projection from Epson, and a 135-inch Stewart screen. The 7.4.4 (7 ear-level loudspeakers, 4 subs, 4 ceiling-mount speakers) system rocked the main-level Magnolia I room. While I was there, segments from the WWII movie Midway provided some explosive effects, with crushing transients and consistently subterranean bass. The video quality of the Epson projector and huge Stewart screen was beyond superb, and this was among the best cinema sound at the show. With easily the best price among the big HT setups, retailing for somewhere in the neighborhood of $60k! Considering several of the systems I saw clocked in at more than double (or triple) this price point, seeing (and hearing!) this cinema setup was definitely a show highlight for me!
The sound was powerfully dynamic and totally immersive, and as I moved about the room, the quality of sound and focus never shifted, which is rare for an HT setup. Dan Asghar talked me through all the details; I was especially impressed that at this price point, the Paradigm loudspeakers were all completely manufactured in Canada. I loooved this impressively entertaining room, which also offered superb high-end performance at a more reasonable price point for many cinephiles.
Celebrating Audio Advice Live 2025
Friday evening, at the close of the show, Audio Advice employees, friends, and families; exhibitors, press members, and registered showgoers relocated to the nearby Lincoln Theater for an evening of announcements and celebration. The announcements focused on the various equipment world premieres at the show, and also highlighted Audio Advice's upcoming expansion into a new market, with a location coming soon in Nashville, Tennessee. Local band Sleeping Booty played a mix of high energy rock and classic soul tunes; the 12-piece ensemble rocked the house, and had everyone in attendance up and dancing! It was a truly fun evening; I've seen similar, but lower-key gatherings at other audio shows, but nothing that matched the scale of this event at AAL 2025, which was off-the-charts!
It's a Wrap!
I thoroughly enjoyed Audio Advice Live 2025, but I seriously underestimated my ability to provide more coverage. It is what it is, and if I'm completely honest with myself, it's an impossibility for a single person trying to hit anything other than the show highlights. And there were definite highlights for me, including—but not exclusive to—the KLH Model Seven loudspeakers, the Focal Diva Mezza Utopias, KEF's XIO soundbar system, Andrew Jones MoFi Source Point V10, the Klipsch/Onkyo system, and the Paradigm Anthem home cinema system. I'm sure there were others I didn't (or couldn't) get to, and my apologies to the systems of merit I might have missed. Of course, if I didn't see the system, I have no way of knowing whether it was a highlight (at least for me).
Audio Advice Live 2025 was a blast, and Beth and I thoroughly enjoyed Raleigh—I'm certain this won't be our last time here, and I told Sue I'm definitely coming next year! I'd love to just hang out and check out everything Raleigh has to offer like record stores, breweries, and restaurants. And I'd love to visit Audio Advice's Raleigh store location! As we were getting ready to head out, we stopped and chatted with another Audio Advice team member who asked about our impressions of the show; we told him we were from Charleston, SC, which is a high-end audio wasteland. And without a single store that sells any decent audio equipment. He told us, hey, you never know—this is a growing company, maybe Charleston might be one of our next markets!
Audio Advice
Audio Advice Live
All images provided by Audio Advice and the author
