Show Report

Playback Distribution Plays Big at SouthWest Audio Fest 2026

Ken Micallef Jul 28, 2026

At SouthWest Audio Fest 2026, Playback Distribution's Rob Standley talks about the company's latest offerings, including the Dual CS 529 turntable, Advance Paris A-I190 Nova integrated amplifier, and Vienna Acoustics Beethoven Concert Grand Reference speakers in an interview with Ken Micallef that's now posted on our YouTube channel.

The surprising system in the Playback Distribution room at SouthWest Audio Fest 2026 seemed to do it all. It ably handled turntable duties, DSP expansion—the works.

Spinning A Filetta's "Norbo" (from Himalaya, The Rearing of a Chief), the soundstage bloomed large and atmospheric, almost rain forest–dense, casting the music's country-ambient-folk in a creamy, faintly ominous light.

When CEO Rob Standley dialed in the DSP on Dominique Fils-Aimé's "Birds" (from 2018’s Nameless), the bass tightened into a cozy cocoon I didn't want to leave.

But once Fleetwood Mac's 1977 blockbuster Rumours hit the Dual table's platter (via its 2026 cola bottle clear vinyl incarnation), something shifted. A truer sense of live performance, minus the bells and whistles of streaming and DSP, emerged. Imaging snapped into focus, and it was more lifelike and dialed in. The soundstage expanded exponentially, if without the plush internal atmospherics streaming playback had offered.

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Equipment list: Turntable: Dual CS 529, fitted with Ortofon 2M Red cartridge. Digital sources: Advance Paris A-NTC Nova streaming cartridge ($599); Advance Paris A-RTR Nova rotary remote ($379); Advance Paris A-BTC Nova Bluetooth adaptor ($249). Integrated amplifiers: Advance Paris A-I190 Nova ($7999; shown above); Advance Paris A12 APEX ($4999). Speakers: Vienna Acoustics Beethoven Concert Grand Reference speakers, in Piano Black finish ($14,995/pair); Velodyne Acoustics SPL-X 10 subwoofers ($3999/each). Network switch: Silent Angel Bonn N8C ($1599). Power components: Silent Angel Forester F2 linear power supply ($1849); Esprit Volta power supply ($999/each). Interconnects and power cables: Esprit Celesta power cable ($1199/4m); Esprit Celesta power cable ($549/1.5m); Esprit Celesta Ethernet cable ($799/2.2m); Advance Paris speaker cable ($499/3m); Advance Paris subwoofer cable ($229/5m); Advance Paris RCA/phono Cable ($1791/5m). Equipment rack: Quadraspire SV2T, with SV Bronze 30 upgrade ($1200). Acoustic treatments: Vicoustic Cinema Round Premium ($449/set of 4); Vicoustic Multifuser DC4 ($599/4); Vicoustic Super Bass Extreme ($799/pair); Vicoustic Super Bass Extreme Base ($99/each).