Before 2020 – that seems so long ago now – Audio Shows in big hotels and convention centers were all the rage. Rocky Mountain Audio Fest (RMAF), Long Beach, CEDIA, New York, Florida, Munich, and AXPONA all dotted the landscape and the calendar with events that were an audiophile’s playground. Then this little one-celled creature called SARS Cov-2 came along and loused everything up! Fast forward two years to April 22-24, the “Audio eXPO North America” (AXPONA) has risen like a phoenix, and audiophiles everywhere rejoice… high end audio lives and the world is again a better place!
I had the opportunity to spend a couple of days at the Schaumburg Renaissance Hotel & Convention Center along with my lovely better half (Who also acted as my photographer… ) trolling the hallways, ballrooms, and exhibition halls of AXPONA 2022, while the other guys were working RSD 2022 back at the ranch.
As we checked into the show Friday morning, I was immediately struck by the general attitude of all the other attendees, exhibitors, and almost everybody working the event. Upbeat, hopeful, enjoying themselves – it was refreshing to see so many people together, enjoying common interests and each other’s company again. That fact alone made for a very enjoyable show.
My highlights are below (lotsa pics, too!), and I’ll admit right up front that there’s a few brands I’ll mention that we may not carry, but that’s part of the fun of being an audio nerd; realizing that the high end audio world holds so many things to experience and enjoy. Something new around every corner. So buckle up for the ride ahead!
After collecting our badges and heading for the exhibition hall, I was drawn into one of the small ballrooms on the main level of the hallway to find a pair of the Swiss made Stennheim Reference Three speakers being driven with Wadax Digital and all wired with the upper echelon of Nordost cabling. Right next door was a complete Auralic digital system (we may have to look into this brand!) driving massive “active” ATC SCM-40 monitors that were pounding out some of the most high energy electronica with verve and dynamics, and at the same time distortion free and extended sound I’ve ever heard.
After being away from the ability to hear mega-buck, ultra high-end gear for a couple of years, it was an outstanding start to the fun. This was a big space and the sound was full range, room filling, and excitingly dynamic. It also introduced what I perceived as an interesting trend at this year’s show; while there was plenty of analog and turntables all over the show, it was obvious that high end digital platforms were all the rage. Auralic, Aurender, Lumin, Wadax, Bluesound, and many others were showing up in room after room with tablets and large format phones as controllers in the hands of exhibitors.
The Hi-Res music service Qobuz was one of the shows major sponsors as well (we’ll be testing and investigating this service ourselves in the coming weeks). Nothing is quite like analog, but as technology progresses and digital platforms get better and better, they are finally getting to where some can create beautiful, non-fatiguing listening. Some of those on display and playing in Schaumburg were exceptional.
My first stop of substance was in the main exhibition hall with our friends from SOTA. Rich’s has been a SOTA shop from day one, and I myself have owned three SOTA tables over the years, including the Sapphire that I have today, so to say that I have a bit of a bias for the brand is probably an understatement but any bias I may have is not unfounded. It was wonderful to meet the team from this exceptional turntable company and see what they have cooking. Donna Bodinet and the folks from the Delavan, Wisconsin company were really showing off a lot of goodies!
First, AXPONA saw the announcement of a new SOTA table, the Quasar. The Quasar benefits from a highly damped solid wood plinth, a 1.5 inch thick acrylic platter, Eclipse motor technology including a three phase motor and Condor Power Supply, a brass bearing cup with a Sapphire thrust plate, and a new arm mounting “puck” system that allows a number of different arms to be used, (the table comes standard with an RB303 arm). You can even upgrade with the Road Runner tachometer for only $500.00. This table looks to be a real world-beater and at only $2995 retail, It may be one of the best priced high performance ‘tables on the market. The Quasar should be shipping by July.
SOTA also introduced a slick linear power supply that you can eliminate the wall warts from the Eclipse motor controllers with for only $325. Very nicely constructed, heavy, with great fit n finish… Might snag one of these myself someday when I upgrade my Sapphire to a full Eclipse package! The folks from Wisconsin were also showing off the aircraft grade aluminum sub-chassis they machine. The workmanship that SOTA puts into their products is beyond reproach and with their ongoing support and trade up programs, they are an investment that will last a lifetime… Bravo!
SOTA was also demoing their tables in a suite upstairs with the Nova and the Cosmos spinning through the weekend, driving Modwright Electronics and KEF loudspeakers. Now, if you’ve ever read any of my comments about SOTA before, you’ll know what I’m gonna say – coherence, image, timbre, detail retrieval, plus bottom end extension and slam like no other. SOTA continues to push boundaries and consistently create some of the world finest turntables that have the ability to pull more from the grooves of an LP than most others. The name says it all – State Of The Art.
I also stopped by the Wally Tools booth, manned by the turntable guru of guru’s himself, the son of the late Wally Malewicz, Andrzej who is now running the company. Wally was a master with turntable setup and optimization and I was afforded some time together with his son to tell lots of war stories. It didn’t take me long to realize that I needed to invest in some of his tools. I’m in the process of studying his material and techniques and will be adding the Wallytractor and Wallyskater tools to my arsenal at the shop so that we can continue to improve turntable setup and bring our customers the best analog experience anywhere.
And, speaking of turntables, I was able to spend some time with the one and only Roy Hall of Music Hall Audio. Roy is an icon in this business and I had a great time visiting with him and talking about what’s happening with his products. Oh, and sharing a wee dram of really magnificent Scotch with him, too… medicinal purposes of course! Roy was one of the most affable and enjoyable hosts throughout the weekend, so kudos to him for his hospitality.
I discovered a turntable spinning LP’s in his suite that I got really excited about and that is the new Music Hall “Stealth”. This could be one of the greatest HiFi bargains ever. Direct drive, electronic speed control, auto stop at the end of a side, a beautifully machined plinth, Ortofon 2M Blue cartridge, and a tone arm with built in fine Vertical Tracking Angle (VTA) adjustment.
Direct drive tables are popping up in multiple places at decent prices and experiencing a bit of a renaissance because the motor technology has improved dramatically from the direct drive days of the 70’s & 80’s. The rumble and motor noise has been almost completely eliminated from these newer tables and the Stealth is no exception. Add to that the ability to dial in the VTA with a fine adjustment “tower” on the tonearm is absolutely stunning at this table’s price point.
The system Roy was using (Amped electronics and Aqoustique loudspeakers) was immediate, dynamic, with extended bass and ink black backgrounds that no vintage direct drive could ever achieve. The best part is that the Stealth retails for only $1695.00 complete. An amazing value and on the way to our shop as we speak. If you’re looking to upgrade your vinyl performance, the Stealth just may be your ticket. You’d have to double or triple the price to get anything even subtly better. You owe it to yourself to check this table out.
Our good friends from Rega were doing something a little different at AXPONA. While most companies pull out their big guns, Rega was demoing what could have been one of the most svelte little systems ever. It was their new “System One” complete audio solution. It comes with a Rega P1 Turntable, their new 30 watt Io integrated amp, and the new Kite loudspeakers. Our host Tom McGehee from Rega importer “Sound Organization”, popped on a Carter Sisters album that bloomed out of this little system with incredible detail, midrange richness, pace and timing, and a beautiful image. The entire rig, only $2115.00! All in one box, take it home hook it up and start enjoying what analog is all about. Price to performance ratio of this little system is off the charts. Look to see the Rega System One in our shop by the 2022 holidays.
Jeff Coates from Sumiko showed off the new Pro-Ject X-8 turntable in beautiful piano white gloss finish (it’s also available in piano black gloss and walnut). The X-8 fills the gap between the X-2 and X-9 in the Pro-Ject line and looks to be a serious contender in the crowded world of tables under
3k. It utilizes Pro-Ject’s carbon fiber arm from the X-9 along with a beefed up, machined aluminum platter and electronic speed control. The X-8 should be available this summer, priced around $2499.00 which in typical Pro-Ject fashion represents huge value at the price.
Jeff also showed off a couple of new phono preamplifier’s from Pro-Ject that will feature balanced connection at both the output side AND the input side. From an electrical standpoint, phono cartridges are actually “balanced” by nature; a plus and a minus on each channel and a floating ground. Without diving into the too deeply, what the audio world has -pretty much standardized on is making that balanced connection into a single-ended connection via RCA plugs to connect to a phono preamp. Yes, there’s all kinds of history as well as discussions about all of this, and there just isn’t enough space here to get into it, but the advantage of balanced circuits and cables is that they are usually quieter, can lower the noise floor, and supress EMI and RFI problems in long cable runs.
The cool thing is that Pro-Ject is releasing not one but two new phono preamps that have balanced INPUTS as well as balanced OUTPUTS. You can find a number of examples of the latter, but very few of the former. The new DS3B ($799.00) and S3B ($499.) both have balanced input and output capabilities and are probably going to be the least expensive way on the market to get a really high quality phono stage with these features. Plus, they will be supporting those preamps with the right cables and turntable options to make it all work. Should be really fun to get our hands on some of these and see how they perform; should be exceptional!
Pro-Ject was also showing off a couple of new CD players in their “Box” line of components; the S3 and DS3. Both are half width models with slot loading drive mechanisms and they utilize “True Redbook” player technology so that you get 1;1 bitstreams through the digital domain and utilizes a TI DAC chip for outstanding conversion. It also utilizes an innovative vibration technology via the feet on the chassis being of different varieties. The DS3 retails for $799 and one of its really cool features is the ability to purchase different wood side panels for $129 a set, and they magnetically attach to the unit! You could get two or three different colors and rotate them every day if you want! The S3, at $549 employs much of the same technologies as the DS3, but in a bit leaner version and without the ability to change out the side panels. In either case, if you’re looking for an excellent CD for a smaller space, the DS3 or S3 could be just the ticket.
Stopping into the Hegel suite was one of those refreshing moment along the way. At every show there’s always a room or two that allows you to step out from “show mode” and just listen to music, and those types of rooms speak volumes to the quality and setup of the gear. It’s the kind of room you can return to over and over and just relax and listen.
Our great partners Brad and Eileen from Hegel U.S. were both in attendance as was a gorgeous system making truly beautiful music with the Hegel H390 and Hegel H590 amplifiers at its heart, and the new V10 phono preamp being fed the magic of vinyl from a big Acoustic Signature table.
For those of you that have read some of my previous missives or visited in the shop, you know I’m a huge Hegel fan – for me, they are one of the finest solid state electronics around, and I run an H190 myself in my home system. Their sound is just so pure, detailed, and with a lack of distortion products that allows music to flow from a bottomless pit of black backgrounds that are as quiet as the grave. Yes, a bit more of an investment, but worth it.
For many Hegel owners, these amplifiers are a “last product” in their audio journey! Nothing new at this show, but there should be one or two surprises coming at the Munich HiFi show in May, like a new iteration of the venerated H30 dreadnaught power amp. If it follows their regular trend, it should be stunning.
While NAD is well known as one of the highest performance for the price lines of electronics in all of audio, and their amplifiers especially are truly something special, their Masters series of components takes things to the next level. At the show, NAD was showing off their big M33 as well as the amazingly diminutive M10V2 BluOS enabled integrated amps, driving Dali Oberon
loudspeakers (Both of these models are on demo in our showroom as well). In typical fashion the NAD amps sound powerful, dynamic, but with incredible control and frequency response range. NAD was also showing off their new M23 power amplifier, another entry in the Masters line with 200W/channel into 8 ohms on tap with dynamic capability of up to 520W/channel instantaneous into 4 ohms. Both the M33 and M23 utilize “EigentaktTM” amplification technology from Denmark’s Purifi Audio. This Class D amplifier technology boasts zero noise and non-existent distortion without regard to speaker load, and provides practically ruler flat frequency response. The M23 is bridgeable into monobloc configuration with either another M23 or with an M33, and either combination will give you a whopping 700W into 8 ohms! These Master series components are the type of product that can give the very toney high end brands nightmares!
Now, what’s really fun is when you go to a show and discover something that was truly unexpected. One of the high points of this year’s AXPONA for me was visiting with MoFi electronics. Our rep form MoFi, Lenny M., is one of the best guys around to work with and he’s as fun to be around as they come! MoFi carries a lot of great lines for us, and two of the best are MoFi Electronics, which includes the fantastic MoFi turntables, and Wharfedale loudspeakers. Mofi had three or four different suites set up with all kinds of great gear, but my buddy Lenny had the one that was worth writing home about.
First, sitting atop his demo system was a limited edition, Fender sunburst turntable. These ‘tables were announced last year and were actually produced in the Fender Custom Shop in California and cut from the same wood billets used to build the Fender “P-Bass” guitars, then finished there with an authentic Fender finish. The table is absolutely beautiful in fit & finish an also contains all of the other turntable features like platter, motor, and tonearm of MoFi Ultra deck.
So, the not so good news is that only 3000 of these were to be produced and they were completely sold-out in about 3 days back when they were announced last year, consequently not much chance of scoring one. However, the good news is, some of those orders (a small number) were cancelled due to the long lead times, and if our pal Lenny can lay hands on one, I’ve already spoken for it! So we might get ONE (maybe two…???). If you’re interested in one of the beauties, let us know… IF we can get one, don’t hold your breath.
The other part of Lenny’s set up was with the fantastic Wharfedale Linton 85th Anniversary loudspeaker system. If you don’t already know, this is one of my favorite speaker systems on the planet right now, and at their price they’re also one of the greatest values in all of high end audio, ever.
The Linton’s performance in every respect is just astonishing at $1799.00 with their purpose built stands; I bought the first pair that ever came through our shop and they reside as the front speakers in my home theater system today. Along the way, Lenny kept talking to me about “stacking” the Linton’s. “Try this and you will, not, believe it!”, I kept hearing.
Well, in his suite at AXPONA he had just that. Not one but two sets of the Linton’s, the second pair flipped 180 degrees and reversed side to side, on top of the others. This aligns the tweeters for the best possible image and response. Does it make a difference?
Let me tell you, even though I already own a pair, I was shocked at the sound of these! With the aforementioned MoFi Fender table spinning a Mobile Fidelity “One Step” LP of Stevie Ray Vaughn playing “Tin Pan Alley”, and via a Balanced Audio Integrated driving the Linton stacks, I was absolutely gob-smacked by the sound! I had the privilege of seeing Stevie Ray twice in his lifetime, and I was grinning ear to ear with those memories listening to this system. The image spread wider and deeper, extension of the already great response without any lumps or bumps as you might expect, midrange purity in spades and bass that could shake the room and kick your gut. This rig transformed a great speaker into a “super speaker” and created a sound that rivaled many ultra high-end speakers or came uncomfortably close.
On top of that, when Lenny played a ripped cut of “Sound of Silence” sung by David Draiman from Disturbed, my better half – who is not an audio nerd like yours truly but loves music – was obviously deeply engaged in what she heard. She was asking Lenny who it was so she could figure out how to get a copy. That rarely happens, and the sonics were so good that she had to be able to relive that again. It was such an astounding experience that I immediately ordered more Linton’s upon return to our humble Collinsville digs, and we now have these set up in a stacked config ourselves right now at Rich’s!
The really cool thing is, you can buy a pair of the Linton’s with their stands to get started at $1799.00 and then later, purchase the second pair without the stands for only $1499.00, so it’s a speaker with a built in upgrade path! You owe it to yourself to pay us a visit and give these a serious listen; you will not believe what you hear, as the level of sheer musical enjoyment from the stacked Linton’s is stupefying!
A couple of other MoFi lines we’re investigating are Iso-Tek power components which are a high-end product line that is known for really cleaning up and delivering the purest AC possible to your system without current limiting or causing more problems than they correct like many other power conditioning products; very high quality with outstanding construction and performance.
I also noticed a number of the suites at the show that were playing analog, were using turntables from Dr. Feickert Analogue of Germany. Feickert builds the basic arm setup protractor that I use to set up cartridges in the shop, and their turntables are considered one of the best in the industry. The engineering and manufacturing that goes into them is astounding. They are a serious investment, but their entry level “Volare” table at just under $3200 is a huge value for what you get and especially in comparison to its competition.
Balanced Audio Technology (BAT) builds some of the best and most highly respected, luxury high end tube electronics around, Falcon Loudspeakers have mastered the BBC school of design, especially with the LS3/5A, and both Koetsu and My Sonic Lab are well known for some of the world’s best moving coil cartridges. So, a number of things that we’ll investigate along the way as we always strive to bring our customers the best gear at the best prices.
There’s always so much to see at a show, that you can never really report in-depth on all of it, so here’s a few capsules for you on some of the other goodies we ran across…
Cables: We’re contemplating another cable line to bring onboard to complement our already existing brands of Apature and Supra. I checked a number of them and will look more at Analysis Plus, DH Labs, and Nordost. Feel free to drop me a note if you have a preference; would like to hear what you think!
High End Streaming: Again, lots of this in use as the technologies are getting really good and the content and software is constantly improving as well. Will be looking closely at Auralic hardware, Roon software and devices (I’m already an avid Roon user myself), and Qobuz Hi-Res music service. Yes, we are, and will continue to be your LP and turntable headquarters, and streaming will be a great complement and yet another way to extend your listening pleasure.
Stands & Furniture: Chatted at length with a company call “Butcher Block Acoustics“. Beautiful, handmade, hardwood racks and platforms at very attractive price points. This stuff is not only beautiful but extremely solid and built for isolating components well. Definitely thinking about bringing this line on!
Headphones: We realize that a lot of folks love listening with headphones, and we’ve had a couple of different brands in and out of the shop, but many have trouble competing with the exceptional sound of the Grado headphones which have pretty much become our go-to ‘phones. I spent some time trolling the headphone displays and came across the Audeze display. Audeze consistently gets great reviews and after listening to a pair for a bit I was mightily impressed! We’ll be looking at these much closer.
No show report would be complete without some comment and a few glimpses of the REALLY exotic, ultra high-end, nose bleed priced gear. There are a few things out there in the audio world that make it worth going to a show and seeing it for yourself! Here’s a few of the things that made me go “WOW!” I’m not going to be so pretentious as declare any “best of show” titles , like you normally see, because so many of them are disingenuous, but I will list a few things here that I would certainly think about if I were a brain surgeon, oil sheik, or trust fund baby!
ATC: I have to admit I do have a bit of a soft spot for this brand. In both their larger exhibition room with Auralic front end streaming and the active SCM150’s, as well as a standard suite where a pair of the more entry level SCM40’s were being driven by ATC’s own electronics resided, the sheer musical “rightness” they both conveyed was beyond reproach. No wonder they’re used in lots of monitoring and studio situations, like PMC, they just get it right.
Convergent Audio Technology and Magico: Convergent (C.A.T) has been around for many years and has been recognized time and again for the quality of their tube electronics, especially their SL1 preamplifier which some folks consider the best preamp ever built. The C.A.T system with the SL1 and JL5 Black Path Extreme power amps driving a pair of Magico S5’s was stunning. I could have listened to this system all day… no, I can’t afford it, but … wow!
Stenheim: This speaker line from Switzerland really grabbed my attention. The Stenheim’s are beautifully constructed with cabinets machined from aluminum and have impeccable fit & finish. I was able to hear both their big Reference Ultime Two, and smaller Alumine Three. Both were “knock me over” musical and with dynamics and punch galore. The Stenheim’s employ custom drivers and crossover technology that give them the dynamics and punch of horns, the smooth response of dynamic speakers and the coherence of planars.
Triangle Art: This stuff truly is a work of Art! If there is a “best of show” for looks, Triangle Art wins as far as I’m concerned! The craftsmanship, metal work, machining, materials all combine to create some of the most stunning gear I’ve ever seen, anywhere! But this isn’t just a pretty face with no soul, guts, or musical prowess; no it has all and more in spades! The proof of that comment is that this one of the few rooms I returned to more than once for a listen. On top of all that, Triangle Art’s president Tom Vu was one of the most accommodating and affable hosts at the show. All I can say is, if we ever go way upscale with a brand or two, this would definitely be a contender!
Krell and Estelon: Now, I have to be honest, I’ve never been a big Krell fan as of late, especially since their venerable founder, Dan D’Agostino, parted ways with the company, but with the imposing Estelon Forza’s they were partnering with, I could have a change of heart. The Estelon’s are form Estonia and have quickly become one of the most highly regarded luxury speaker brands in the world, and let me tell you, they are absolutely drop dead gorgeous! The sound here was spectacular; big, full, rich, full of detail and dynamic punch that was palpable. The big Estelons left a mighty impression. Not sure if the speakers brought out the best in the Krell electronics or vice-versa, but this room begged for you to just sit and listen – real goosebumps appeared!
MBL: If you’re familiar at all with MBL, you’re already aware of their radical design. If you’ve never experienced them please do if given the chance. All I can say is their big Radialstrahler loudspeakers driven by top of the line MBL amplification may have been one of if not the most realistic, you are there sounds at the show.
KEF: Again, like the aforementioned Krell, I’ve not been a big fan of KEF speakers in the past, but I heard a number of them being used by a lot of different companies in multiple set ups and I must say, I was quite impressed, especially with their Ref 5 and Ref 3 speakers. Maybe I’ve just never experienced them set up with the right ancillaries before, because they sounded great in multiple systems with dynamics, and bass power and punch I’ve not experienced from them previously. Maybe it’s time for me to reevaluate!
Fidelity Imports: We actually have a relationship with the Fidelity Imports folks through an old friend of mine, Steve Jain, who started the company. They’ve grown into one of the major players importing a number of high value audiophile lines like Cyrus, Q-Acoustics, QED, Opera, Goldring, and Unico. I stopped by for a visit to their suite and heard a system that was just kicking the doors down and people were swarming to hear… all Cyrus electronics and Q-Acoustics speakers. The dynamics and frequency response range from this system was astounding, and it turns out the speaker that was kicking out the jams was their SMALL floor stander.. amazing!
So much more that I could talk about, but I’m sure you’ve had enough! Stop by the shop sometime or drop a line for any more info or if you’d like to chat about any of the above. If you have the opportunity to visit the show next year, I’d encourage you to do so… it is truly an audiophiles dream weekend!
Just one last personal note… One of the greatest things about the world of audio is the relationships and friendships built over time with people of like mind and interests. One of the true highlights of the weekend for me was seeing one of my dearest old friends from my days living in Springfield Illinois, Mr. Parker King and his son Robert. Parker was the owner of King’s Stereo in Springfield and I worked alongside him and learned immeasurably as I did. Over time, we both left Springfield and haven’t seen each other in probably 30 years or so, but we discovered we’d both be at AXPONA. We get together to chat and reminisce while there, and I was overjoyed to see my old mentor again. Audio is so much more than speakers, and wires, and circuits and media… it’s about people, partners, and friendships that are forged around the pursuit of LISTENING TO MUSIC, and creating the emotional bonds through that magical art that never go away. Happy Listening!
… Then it’s time to hop in the car and come see us in person at 131 West Main in Collinsville or online right here! Hit us up via the “Contact Us” section or give us a call. Music matters, and we love nothing more than helping you make it the best it can be in your own home!
