Grimm Audio at AXPONA: Brushstrokes in the Air
It was good to catch up with Eelco Grimm and John-Paul Lizars before sitting down to hear the Grimm Audio LS1c two-way active speaker system with SB1 motion-feedback subwoofer ($38,000–$44,150/pair, depending on finish and tariffs).
Hornucopia: True Source Audio Distribution and G.I.P. Laboratory Go All In
Steve Mishoe of True Source Audio Distribution originally introduced me to Shindo Laboratory and DeVore Fidelity—brands that shaped my listening sensibility and critical framework. His colleague Steve Cohen often assists with system setup and calibration. In fact, he helps with every review I write for Stereophile, fine-tuning gear and speaker placement and acting as a sounding board.
In This Fidelity Imports Room, Audia Flight Amplifiers and Perlisten’s New Sub Came Ready to Rumble
Fidelity Imports’ room 1221 featured electronics from Audia Flight and loudspeakers from Perlisten. Both brands are relatively new to the US market, though Perlisten has gained wider recognition more quickly.
The system consisted of an Audia Flight FLS1 preamplifier ($9999); two FLS8 monoblocks ($23,998/pair); Perlisten S7t SE floorstanding loudspeakers ($23,990/pair); and the new D8is subwoofer (price TBD). QED cables linked it all together.
Jeffrey Catalano’s Show-Stopping System: DaVa Soul, Fuuga, Red Sparrow, Miyajima, TW-Acustic, Alieno, Cessaro, Stein, Codia, Silent Running, Shun Mook, ADD-Powr
High Water Sound’s Jeffrey Catalano could give a master class in room setup. A veteran of hundreds of audio shows, he not only presents exceptional-sounding rooms but also curates adventurous vinyl selections. I invariably leave his room with music titles scribbled in my notebook, like recipes for marvelous dishes.
Low Watts, High Drama: Western HiFi Brings Consonance, Well Tempered Lab, and Dynavector
Mike Stephens of Farmersville, Texas’s Western HiFi presented one of the show’s top five systems at AXPONA. Built from modestly priced gear, it stopped people in their tracks and kept them planted in their seats—including me.
Monoblocks and Megabucks: Goldmund, Marten, and Jorma Go Deep with Rhythm Distribution
Room 1230 featured a collaboration led by Rhythm Distribution and joined by Qobuz, Silent Angel, AudioQuest, Focal Naim America, Vicoustic, and HRS—an all-star cast giving a confident performance.
Pearl Acoustics: Luster at the End of the Hall
“Do you know where the room with Pearl Acoustics Sibelius loudspeakers is?” That question, which greeted Jim Austin and me as we navigated the stairs, grew increasingly common as AXPONA unfolded.
Persistence Pays Off: Audio Research's Best and Sonus faber's Jewels Sound Fabulous with dCS, Clearaudio, DS Audio, Innuos, Kubala-Sosna, and Critical Mass
Persistence Pays Off: Audio Research's Best and Sonus faber's jewels Sound Fabulous with dCS, Clearaudio, DS Audio, Innuos, Kubala-Sosna, and Critical Mass
PS Audio’s Great Reveal: No Music but Plenty of Buzz
The PS Audio room on the ground floor drew a full house for Paul McGowan’s much-publicized “The Great Reveal.” No music was played during the 20-minute presentation, but McGowan, PS Audio’s founder and resident raconteur, easily kept the crowd engaged.