T.H.E. New York International Audio Show 2025

Neil Blanchard Designs offers bespoke DIY speaker kits—purchase the build manual and matching cabinets, each available separately through his website.

"New Life Audio—Good For The Soul" adorned the entrance to Queens, New York, dealer New Life Audio Solutions's room. Owner Shawn Mathew's smiling countenance and gentle personality made me feel welcome.

Aaron Sherrick of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania’s Now Listen Here is an old hand at making show systems sing. He pulled off his magic trick in Jersey as he has at shows far and wide, as well as inside his Harrisburg storefront.

Robert Lighton's custom rig included his prototype turntable with a rosewood armboard and customized 10" Audio Note tonearm with a Miyajima Madake MC cartridge. An Audio Note S9 step-up transformer ($28,000) and M9 phono preamp ($185,000) did the analog business. An Audio Note CD 4.1x ($16,000) made music from shiny silver discs.

Robin Wyatt is a good egg, a mensch, a stand-up guy. Not only does Robin create badass listening rooms and occasionally shower attendees with fine scotch; he's also generous to a fault. Most recently, Robin donated a Miyajima 78 cartridge to The Hot Club of New York, which plays 78s on a restored vintage system. It's a must-hear room if you're in New York's Flatiron District.

Benny Audio's Tomasz Franielczyk and Supreme Acoustic Systems's Hiram Toro were on hand to present one of my favorite rooms of T.H.E. Show. SAS's room 219 was also no slouch.

The first thing to know about T.H.E. New York International Audio Show is that it’s not in New York. The three-day event, Oct 24–Oct 26, 2025, was held at the Hilton Hasbrouck Heights, a New York bedroom community available by train, rental car, or personal vehicle if coming from Manhattan. Your ability to get to the venue was anyone’s guess, as no directions were shown on T.H.E. Show’s website.