Jason Victor Serinus

First, the big news from Pass Labs. As in BIG NEWS. The Pass Labs Xs preamplifier, which was removed from production after the manufacturer of the company's vacuum fluorescent displays discontinued them without advance notice, has found an LED matrix alternative that looks virtually the same and works perfectly. So, expect the return of the Xs preamp in the beginning of 2024.

Mark Conti of Pennsylvania-based MC Audiotech teamed up with Ricky Brown's Hi Fi One and Partners to present the new MC Audiotech TL-12 loudspeaker ($25,000/pair–$29,000/pair depending upon finishes and options). This new two-way loudspeaker features three of MC Audiotech's broadband WBLS-wide band line-source devices on top and, for frequencies below 300Hz, a 12" transmission-line woofer. Specified sensivity is 92dB, nominal impedance 8 ohms, frequency range 28Hz–20kHz, and weight 117lb.

In a brand déjà vu with High End by Oz, Ken Boyce's Cake Audio of San Clemente showed Lansche 5.2 "singing flame" loudspeakers with their plasma tweeter ($55,000/pair in either white or piano black), different Vitus components, and Albedo cabling. Room dimension and acoustics were different, of course, but both exhibitors had to cope with the challenges of air walls and sonic bleedthrough.

To the few trolls who frequently post on this website:

If you think high-end audio is dead, you haven't met designer Nick Tarnofsky (above), a touring guitarist and engineer with an Instagram presence who is in his second year of selling Black Ocean Audio speakers direct. This man is savvy enough to have set up an enigmatic display outside his room—a piece of driftwood with a light on it—to lure people in.