T.H.E. Lone Star Audiofest 2025 ran the first weekend of May in Round Rock just outside Austin Texas. This eighteenth Lone Star Audiofest marked an important transition for the long running show changing from a volunteer run event to professional management. After the 2024 LSAF talks between LSAF founder Wayne Parham, T.H.E. Enterprises' Emiko E. Carlin, and other stakeholders resulted in the decision to merge LSAF into T.H.E.'s roster of shows including T.H.E. Show SoCal in June and T.H.E. New York International Audio Show in October. As a longtime exhibitor and volunteer your author was invited to be part of the steering committee that evaluated the merger and decision moving the show from Dallas to Austin. Key to the ultimate approval was a commitment by all stakeholders to keep Lone Star Audiofest's friendly vibe and welcoming of boutique handmade craft-based brands while adding the often-requested professional marketing and show management larger exhibitors need. Now with the first T.H.E. Lone Star Audiofest accomplished it can be reported thanks to the efforts of all it lived up to T.H.E.'s acronym as a Total HiFi Experience.
For exhibitors and attendees alike T.H.E. Show's value add to the show was most often experienced when a T.H.E. staff person approached asking "how can I help?" Followed by doing whatever it took to make it happen. As the photo below of T.H.E. Show staff and exhibitor Joe Goswami out enjoying dinner shows Emiko did not use LSAF's status of "small and growing" as an excuse to skimp on staff. Rather a full crew including sales, marketing, brand ambassadors, and IT professionals traveled to Texas and made it happen.
T.H.E. staff and Joe Goswami
CEO and Owner T.H.E. Enterprises, LLC Emiko E. Carlin and your author Norman Tracy
As mentioned, the author of this article is a hifi manufacturer exhibiting at THE LSAF. To steer clear of conflicts of interest this report has no best of show or other rankings of rooms or products. I prefer sports with more clearly defined finish lines. I view HiFi as an art, not a sport and in 2025 the state of that art is high enough one rarely encounters truly bad sounding exhibits. As an experienced exhibitor at HiFi shows I well know Mr. Murphy and his famous law stalk the halls of these shows waiting to FUBAR the most carefully planned exhibit. Far be it from me to trash someone's passion project based on a five-minute audition conducted before that hotel room's 60Hz bass peak was discovered and fixed.
Visiting the rooms at T.H.E. LSAF two dichotomies or contrasts became apparent. First, success in keeping the boutique handmade craft-based brands while expanding exhibits of Hyper-Fi major name systems. Second was strong representation of both systems perfecting traditional analog techniques alongside excellent examples leaning into DSP and software to advance the art. Attendees at this smaller more intimate show enjoyed time to compare across these categories at their leisure.
Now onto the rooms of T.H.E. Lone Star Audiofest, presented in alphabetical order. Do stick around to the end as T, U, and V are outstanding.
Audio Geeks
Audio Geeks (audiogeeks.com) an Austin based retailer took a couple of rooms. Their first featured a system using brands like Cambridge, Fyne, and Sonus Faber in a very high value high performance to cost ratio solution. In inflation adjusted dollars less than the system I took of college in 1973 with performance and features only dreamed of then.
Audio Mirror and Sadurni Acoustics
Audio Mirror (audiomirror.com) and Sadurni Acoustics (sadurniacoustics.com) teamed up to assault the state of the horn speaker and tube amplification arts. This large system featuring Sadurni Acoustics' M-BLACK speaker system and Audio Mirror's ADDICTION PSE power amp mono blocks and WAVE series tube preamp and DAC. In the luxuriously large first floor conference room this system sounded wonderful with holographic image placement and the dynamic snap horns are known for. I found the sound and styling on the Audio Mirror electronics outstanding, as is the quality of the metal work.
Sadurni Acoustics' M-BLACK speaker system
Audio Mirror ADDICTION PSE power amp mono block
Audio Mirror WAVE electronics preamp and DAC.
Brane Audio
Brane Audio (braneaudio.com) based in Austin Texas exemplifies both the music and technology the region is known for. At first glance the Brane X speaker on demo might be dismissed as 'just another Bluetooth speaker.' The Brane staff running the room quickly dispelled that notion both by explaining the unique technology and then by A/B/C demos vs competitors' offerings. As a speaker designer I was impressed by the oval woofer used featuring flat carbon fiber diaphragm, dual voice coils, servo feedback, and a "internal 50 cc/s pump ensures subwoofer excursion symmetry and launches/lands the driver during startup/ shutdown"! Brane X does have Bluetooth and WiFi wireless connectivity along with analog input on 3.5mm jack. Waterproof for outdoor adventures and battery powered with high efficiency allowing 12 hours of play time on a charge. Of course, it has an app for control from smart phones and tablets. The demo against competing products showed the Brane X easily has a couple of octaves deeper and stronger bass response along with clean clear reproduction of the mids and highs.
Brane X clear case sample next to a conventional subwoofer, Brane sub driver in foreground.
Brane X and competitors' setup for demos.
Canvas HiFi
In their second demo room Audio Geeks demonstrated the CANVAS (canvashifi.com) high-end soundbar speaker. Some will object 'high-end' and 'soundbar' is an oxymoron, given the design, build, hardware and software brought together in CANVAS an open mind is called for. Firmly in the Future-Fi camp with streaming and eARC connectivity feeding DSP multi-amp electronics. The DSP engine is powerful enough to implement Theoretica Applied Physics' BACCH 3D. A too short demo showed CANVAS' design, engineering and execution are up to standard on both the Star Wars home theater and music playback demo pieces played. CANVAS would be a great way to get audiophile sound, European design, and smart HDTV ease of use into a space that will not accommodate a traditional stereo rig.
CANVAS Premium soundbar, grill off.
CANVAS Premium soundbar, grill on.
IASCA
A fun add to the traditional stereos T.H.E. Enterprises brought to LSAF is the collaboration with International Auto Sound Challenge Association (IASCA) to showcase high-end car audio systems. Demo sessions and meet-and-greets with top competitors occurred in the hotel's parking lot. The cars and trucks brought to T.H.E. events are in the competition categories that emphasize sound quality, not bass dBs.
Innovo Audio Designs
Yair Raz founder and CEO of Innovo Audio Designs (innovoaudiodesigns.com) was on hand to demonstrate their Luxe T1 speaker system. The Luxe T1 is firmly in the Future-Fi design architecture camp using DSP, quad amping totaling 1,100 watts per speaker and state-of-the-art drivers including eight subwoofers per speaker to achieve their goal of "truly masterful audio performance without the clutter of separate components." Yair used a Cambridge Audio Edge NQ streamer/preamp to demo Innovo's two speakers and a source solution. Also on static display a pair in stunning burl veneers demonstrating Innovo's custom finishes capabilities.
Yair Raz CEO of Innovo Audio Designs and Luxe T1 speaker system.
Joey G's Audio Channel
Joey Goswami (@joeygsaudiochannel3972 on YouTube) spent T.H.E. Lone Star Audiofest weekend in a contest with the Toby room crew as to who is going to have the most fun. His LED light strings and a bit of the Lismore Speyside Single Malt may have tipped the contest his way. Kudos to both rooms keeping the spirit of LSAF combining serious HiFi with big fun alive. We met Joey on Wednesday the unofficial early load-in day. I really enjoyed his enthusiasm, expertise, and positive energy.
Joe Goswami enjoying the JWM Acoustics system with Ellby Miles the HiFi Dog.
Joey drove in from Arizona and setup a killer system. Actually, systems as Joey reconfigured daily including various components he wanted to feature. Among these Chesky Audio LC1 speakers, LAB12 Pre 1 Tube Preamplifier and Orchard Starkrimson Stereo Ultra DMC 2.5 Class D Gan FET Amplifier or Monoblock ArgentPur Class D Gan FET Amplifier (500Wpc @ 4Ω) featuring an Orchard Audio Ultra module, silver wiring, and Mudorf Silver/Gold Capacitor in the output filter. Source was a custom-built Orchard Audio Pecan Pi+ DAC with ArgentPur silver wiring. Bass reinforced and smoothed using four SVS SB-2000 Subwoofers in a distributed bass array. Interconnects and speaker cables were ArgentPur Solid Silver except the Subwoofer Hi Level input Cables which were Straight Wire Octave 3. Great system combining serious gear carefully curated and priced to be obtainable.
JPorter Studios
Jeremy Porter's Austin TX based JPorter Studios (jporterstudios.com) returned to T.H.E. Lone Star Audiofest featuring the Wellington Tower and Waterloo Micro speakers. Between these two speakers Jeremy covered both traditional high-level analog and DSP/software active crossover techniques. The Waterloo Micro representing the conventional system in the LSAF demo system being driven by a Marantz NR1607 receiver. Wellington Tower is crossed over and powered using DSP and 600 watts of built in N-core amplification. Jeremy uses driver types and bass loading technologies that yield the best results for a given design brief. The Waterloo Micro combines ceramic tweeter and midrange with a rear mounted 9" woofer in sealed enclosure. Wellington Tower uses a beryllium tweeter with dual opposed 9" woofers on front and back baffles and mass-loaded transmission line. Both share low diffraction angled enclosures with excellent fit and finish.
Waterloo Micro and Wellington Tower
JPorter Studios also displayed a very compact powered monitor.
Waterloo Micro
JWM Acoustics
Another Austin area company at T.H.E. LSAF is Joshua Miles' JWM Acoustics (jwmacoustics.com) who treated attendees to an exquisitely refined system. Featured gear included JWM's ALYSON AML SE BLACKBURN Edition in black walnut and piano lacquer or ALYSON PRO SE in pecan and piano lacquer as speaker options. Electronics included ABSOLARE Preamplifier Altius, ABSOLARE Passion Integrated Amplifier II Signature, and ABSOLARE Bybee Purifier. Source the Aries Cerat Kassandra II Reference DAC, Bluesound Nano streamer, and HP laptop with HiFi mods. Cables the Echole Omnia II. This is the system Joshua maintains at his studio for prospective clients to audition.
Miles' JWM Acoustics shop is absolutely in the boutique craft artisan category. Joshua splits his time between building speakers and restoring pianos. As this is written he has a 1930 Steinway Model M disassembled with the action being rebuilt by his piano business partner Philip Smith while Josh restores the case using Steinway period correct finishes.
Auditioning JWM Acoustics demo system it was immediately apparent Joshua is constantly adjacent to the sound of real acoustic instruments. This was sound absolutely on the path of extreme musicality and refinement informed and guided by constant exposure to the touchstone of live acoustic music.
Marketplace
T.H.E. Lone Star Audiofest's Marketplace vendor area occupied a large conference room on the first floor among the big systems. For any HiFi enthusiast the outstanding array of vendors offered a candy store array of goodies.
Miller Audio LLC (milleraudiollc.com) displayed a variety of their Dyna-70 amps and auto-bias modules. Dyna-70s were also used in the PureArtFi and Van Zyl Audio rooms powering demo systems for attendees to audition. Bryan Miller has become the go-to source for Dynaco restoration, modification, and new build tube amplifiers. Miller Audio's Dyna-70 takes the original amp's architecture and modernizes it with conversion to 6SN7 tubes, solid-state rectifiers, and power supply uprating. Their Dyna-70 is sold both as kits and as custom-built amplifiers with options for exotic parts and finishes.
Pat and Bryan ready to answer questions on the Dyna-70s.
New build Dyna-70 with copper plating and Mundorf caps.
Wizard Sounds (wizardsoundsaustin.com) is an Austin based used HiFi dealer, repair shop, and studio run by the multi-talented Ryan Mounts. Ryan brought a selection of restored vintage pieces for sale at reasonable prices and to stay productive (and as a bit of a flex?) setup a bench and continued to service gear between talking to attendees.
Bob's Devices (bobsdevices.com) attended with his usual cornucopia of analog playback tools. Goodies included their specialty step-up transformers for MC cartridges, cartridges, accessories, and cables. Attendees could listen on headphones to a VPI table through a changing selection of preamps.
Bob's Devices' Bob Sattin
Longboard Luv another Austin area used dealer had a wide array of used (and some new) gear ranging from McIntosh powerhouse mono blocks stack to vintage all-in-one units. Someone doing a period correct mid-century modern home is going to snap up the pedestal units. The wide one featured a Dual turntable that will sound good and take care of the owner's LPs.
Pilot Radio (pilotradio.com) rebirth continued at T.H.E. Lone Star Audiofest under the guidance of Barak Isidor Epstein the great-grandson of Isidor Goldberg who founded Pilot Radio in 1919. At the show with their Pilot Radio Preamplifier an all-tube unit featuring both MM and MC phono and line inputs.
Pilot Radio's Barak Isidor Epstein
Pyramid Audio (pyramid-audio.com) is another Austin based business bringing decades of experience to servicing many A-list HiFi brands. The test gear and depth of experience in their booth was very impressive. Well beyond the norm was the display of engineered transistors replacement modules Pyramid Audio designs and produces in-house to allow repair of many golden age products based on no longer obtainable transistors.
Audio Foundations (audiofoundations.com) an Austin area dealer rounded out the Marketplace offerings with a tasty selection of gear.
Origin HiFi
Origin HiFi (originhifi.com) is an Austin based dealer who took one of the large first floor meeting rooms and turned it into audiophile fantasy land. Four complete mega-systems greeted T.H.E. Lone Star Audiofest attendees. Any one of the systems Origin setup would count as a special treat, here the treat was multiplied by four. First the Dali Kore statement speakers driven by a full rack of McIntosh with the pair of MC901 1-Channel Dual Mono Amplifiers too big for the rack. Second system was towered over by the Focal Grande Utopia EM Evo powered by Naim's ultimate STATEMENT preamp and power amp. Third system offered the newly introduced Focal Diva Utopia 3-way active wireless speaker. What a unique opportunity to compare the top Focal/Naim top conventional vs active systems. Last and by no way least Origin's fourth system featured Dynaudio Confidence 60 driven by Gryphon electronics and a Moon North Collection 681 Network player/DAC. Helping to fill the massive space REL subwoofers were liberally applied.
PBN Audio and Kimber Kable
PBN Audio and Kimber Kable (pbnaudio.com and kimber.com) teamed up installing another dream system. The M3!5 speaker system anchored the system featuring ribbon tweeter, 12" midrange, and 18" woofer; pro drivers tamed for the home in an amazingly veneered and finished enclosure. All electronics by PBN Audio featuring their perfected J-FET circuits. The new PBN phono stage accommodates both magnetic and optical cartridges, a feature made use of by the PBN Groove Master Vintage Direct P10 Exclusive turntable fitted with both types. Of course, an all Kimber Kable loom of cable connected the system featuring KS6065-Copper/Silver speaker cables, NAKED interconnects and PK10 and PK10-Palladian PowerKords. Peter Noerbaek played the system for us comparing the optical vs MC cartridges using our requested UHQR Steely Dan Aja, the sound was exciting, dynamic, refined, and sublime.
Pi Speakers
π Speakers (pispeakers.com) is LSAF founder Wayne Parham's speaker company selling his excellent horn, reflex, and subwoofer speaker designs. One of the shining times in LSAF history was the early 2000s when the Dallas LSAF hosted speaker design experts Wayne Parham, Dr Earl Geddes, and Duke LeJeune under the same roof each demonstrating their take on high performance HiFi speakers. The concepts of constant-directivity and matched-directivity perfected during that golden age of collaboration and more are represented in the Pi speaker designs. For T.H.E. LSAF 2025 Wayne brought three π mains with three π flanking subs. The 12" pro-sound woofers in the three π does not need subs for extension, rather the three π flanking subs are carefully placed to smooth out room nodes.
The three πs at LSAF were built and finished by Uilleam Audio's Michael Lundy.
The three π and three π sub.
three π subwoofer
Audio Note SET amp and Oppo Universal player source.
In the π speakers room Wayne's wife Kelly Parham is your co-host, her contributions and presence make this the classic LSAF demo room, one where you linger because it is fun. This view also shows how Wayne dealt with fitting the large three π system into the hotel room. The 45-degree toe in is the three π's design listening axis.
Part of the fun hanging out in the π room is Kelly's decor enhancements and the high-res concert videos used as demo material.
PureArtFi and ACG
PureArtFi (pureartfi.com) and Audio Crafters Guild (audiocraftersguild.com) products were presented by Norman Tracy, the author of this show report.
PureArtFi is a partnership. Paul Stover brings decades of experience as a professional cabinet maker supplying custom furniture and architectural mill work to the home builders and owners in the Aspin area of Colorado. Norman contributes the audio engineering skills. PureArtFi's vision is to combine high-end cabinet making and state-of-the-art technology creating music reproduction tools of heirloom quality.
Audio Crafters Guild (ACG) goal is high technology high value Hi-Fi. Featured at LSAF is the ACG Pz3 equipment rack. The Pz3 is precision machined from Panzerholz a very dense heavy high damping composite wood product imported from Germany. In the context of high-end HiFi those material properties present higher contrast of musical details while simultaneously yielding a more relaxed natural sound reproduction.
PureArtFi's FF-1 compact monitor
Introduced at T.H.E. LSAF 2025 is PureArtFi's FF-1 compact monitor and matching stand. The FF-1 features solid hardwoods and dense inert composites as materials for its bench made hand crafted enclosure. The CNC cut, hand finished tweeter waveguide and dovetail joinery in the enclosure are testament to the craftsmanship brought to the design. Technology in the FF-1 features Neo 3 planar ribbon tweeter in a waveguide and Purifi state-of-the-art woofer.
PureArtFi's FF-1 compact monitor and matching stand
ACG Pz3 Panzerholz equipment rack, Miller Audio LLC Dyna-70 Ultimate amp, PS Audio Direct Stream MkI DAC, and media server. This streaming centric system is enhanced with Carbide Audio Base isolators under the media server and DAC.
ACG Pure 70 speaker red and black with birds' eye maple veneer.
Raven Audio
Raven Audio (ravenaudio.com) principals Dave Thomson and James Connell are longtime exhibitors at LSAF, in 2025 back with more of the lush juicy tonally saturated sound they are known for. Demo system speakers alternated between Corvus Reference Monitors (grey MTM) or Raptor (red and black horn) speakers and SVS subwoofers. Raven Audio electronics in use came from their Elite Amps series, analog sourced via Raven turntable and a Mytek DAC for the digits.
Sound Sanctuary Austin
Sound Sanctuary Austin (www.soundsanctuaryaustin.com) setup two amazing systems featuring A-list components. Wilson Audio speakers, Dan D'Agostino and Audio Research amplification along with dCS, Luxman, and Grimm Audio sources. All supported on HRS racks. Marvelously curated examples of the current state-of-the-art HiFi systems for attendees to enjoy.
T.H.E. Film Festival with SVS
T.H.E. Show beginning with T.H.E. Lone Star Audiofest and continuing at T.H.E. Show SoCal has added a film festival for attendees to enjoy. T.H.E.'s stated mission for the festivals is "support filmmakers, content creators, and musicians alike who make their passions into their life's work." SVS (svsound.com) joined as a partner for the festival space providing theater sound with the 17-Ultra R subs and an array of Ultra Evolution Pinnacle towers.
Toby Speakers
Toby Speakers (tobyspeakers.com) founded by Toby Guynn has been in business in Fort Worth Texas since 1968. Flourishing as a regional brand in the days of brick-and-mortar hifi shops it was a highlight of T.H.E. Lone Star Audiofest to learn of the exciting goings on at Toby Speakers circa 2025. Toby Guynn passed away in 2015, fortunately his young protegee True Taylor had doggedly accomplished the feat as a 24-year-old of purchasing the company from his mentor in 2012 allowing Toby to take medical retirement while seeing his company continue.
During an impressive after-hours demo session True shared details of TrueSound – Narwhal Monitor and TrueSound – Narwhal EVO Full Range Hybrid ESL speakers on display. Both models use an all-in-one self-powered architecture and 8" Purifi woofers. Amplification and DSP hardware is from Hypex, with supplemental phase correction (FIR) developed in collaboration with aerospace engineers. The Narwhal Monitor is completed with a Waveguide Beryllium Tweeter from Satori. Narwhal EVO Full Range Hybrid ESL uses an in house developed ESL covering 250hz-20khz. This Toby "Tandem-Drive" dual diaphragm architecture ESL driver allows a 6db efficiency gain over typical ESLs. The ease, low distortion clarity, and impact of the Narwhal EVO Full Range Hybrid ESL playing at concert levels was extremely impressive.
Setup in the suite's bedroom the Toby Speakers EVO ESL Desktop Monitors transfixed everyone who sat down in the sweet spot and became the "you must hear this" talk of the halls during the show. The ESL panels crossover at 80 Hz to a Cube 10 Toby subwoofer. Electronics for the system are MiniDSP Flex Processor into four channels of Hypex amplification.
In place setup and DSP Optimization for all 3 systems is included as True considers this a critical step to really bring them to life.
Uilleam Audio
Michael Lundy is a wood craftsman par excellence operating his shop as Uilleam Audio (uilleamaudio.com). The majority of Uilleam Audio's production is custom speaker builds based on designs from GR Research, CSS, Troels Gravesen, Joseph Crowe, and others whose designs can be purchased or use open-source IP. Custom turntable plinths and record storage cabinets have been added to Uilleam Audio's product offerings.
For his T.H.E. LSAF 2025 demo system Michael brought GR Research NX-Studio Monitors finished in an oak burl with purple heart border inlay and black baffles. These are atop dual 8" servo sub speaker stands sized to work with the NX-Studios. A full PS Audio stack including BHK Signature preamp, Stellar Phono Preamplifier, PerfectWave SACD player, and DirectStream DAC MK2 ran the bi-amped system via PS M1200 mono blocks powering monitors and Rythmik A370XLR3 Direct Servo amps on subwoofers. The second LP system used the Austin Audio Works The Black Swan phono stage. Stable foundation of the system by an Audio Crafters Guild Pz2W Panzerholz wide format rack.
Big audiophile fun in the Uilleam Audio room came from the use of two LP systems for attendees to compare. LPs selected from a custom record storage cabinet could be played on two different LP front ends. The left table an Analog Emporium George Merrill Gem Dandy with Pete Riggle Woody arm and Soundsmith cartridge plus Bob's Devices SUTs. The right table is Uilleam Audio's first custom plinth with Panverholz top and bottom plates and beautifully veneered center of Baltic birch plywood. The plinth mounts a classic Rek-O-Kut idler drive motor unit, Micro Seiki tonearm and Ortofon Black cartridge.
With all that firepower plus reconfiguring the hotel room with full acoustic treatments Michael Lundy presented truly state-of-the-art music reproduction. Great place to settle in, enjoy the music, and discuss a custom speaker, plinth, or LP storage build.
Uilleam Audio custom desktop monitors using GR LGK full range drivers.
Van Zyl Audio
Van Zyl Audio (vanzylaudio.com) founder and chief designer Johan Van Zyl returned to LSAF with the latest version of the Alpine Z-1 Mid-horns and new F-15 subwoofer. Another Miller Audio Dyna-70 effortlessly powered the Z-1s, the F-15 used a dedicated amplifier. Cables were all Silversmith Fidelium for speaker, RCA, and XLR.
Alpine Z-1's 8" front and back loaded full range driver covers 125 to 10k Hz connected direct to the amplifier with no crossover components inline. The back horn and horn loaded AMT super tweeter extend the Z-1's response to cover 125 to 20k Hz with 101 dB/w/m sensitivity. Expertly voiced this augmented full range architecture used in the Z-1 sounds captivating combining transparency, musical tonality, and dynamics.
Bass is always a special treat in Van Zyl Audio demos thanks to Johan Van Zyl's horn expertise. The F-15 Folded Horn Subwoofer introduced at T.H.E. LSAF keeps with Johan's practice of using room boundaries as part of the bass horn. With this technique an enclosure just 3' x 3' x 8" can house a 15" horn loaded subwoofer, resulting in the effortless seeming endless dynamics and low distortion that is the providence of horn loaded bass. Specified for a bandwidth of 42 – 125 Hz, the unit's 105 dB @ 1 watt efficiency is the key to the uniquely powerful and accurate bass the F-15 produces. Do not let the 42 Hz spec fool you, high efficiency creates deep tactile bass only horn loading can provide. Fans of deep accurate bass owe it to themselves to hear a Johan Van Zyl system.
Alpine Z-1
F-15 subwoofer
T.H.E. Lone Star Audiofest for 2025 was a great success. Combining participation by a core of returning LSAF exhibitors joined by a strong variety of Texas and Southwestern based dealers and manufacturers exhibiting for the first time attendees enjoyed a rich variety of systems to audition. T.H.E. Show's professional management and marketing reinvigorated the event. Best of all the welcoming low-key friendly fun first atmosphere of Lone Star Audiofest is retained. Look for T.H.E. Lone Star Audiofest to continue and grow in the years to come.
Images by Norman Tracy, Kelly Parham, and Joe Goswami
