Judging by the variety of shows and attendees, I’d name AXPONA 2023 a roaring success—not fairly Munich High End stage, particularly in the way in which of recent product introductions, however approaching it. Almost everybody within the trade was there, together with a bunch of parents (e.g., Cyrill Hammer of Soulution, Gabi Rijnveld of Crystal Cable, Jack Miura of Air Tight, Franc Kuzma of Kuzma Ltd., Roland Gauder of Gauder Akustik, et al.) who don’t usually come to regional U.S. exhibits. But AXPONA has grown past a regional present. It is now the closest factor we’ve got to a CES-level high-end-audio occasion.
Happily, the sound at this 12 months’s AXPONA was, for probably the most half, additionally a hit. Of course, the Schaumburg Renaissance’s small resort rooms and huge convention-center halls had their peculiarities, however at the least the colorations had been constant. Many audio system (not all, by any means) struggled a bit within the higher midrange and the low finish. Very few screamed or boomed at you, as nearly every little thing does in these terrible glass-walled cubicles at Munich’s MOC, however within the Renaissance resort rooms there was a slight tendency to room-induced brightness and lumpy midbass. The enormous conference halls had their very own set of sonic points, chief amongst which was the difficulty many audio system (even many massive audio system) had merely filling these cavernous areas with sound. Without a lot if any room help, the displays might have a tendency towards the anechoic, which is to say that pure tonal heat was generally (not at all times) diminished.
Nonetheless, as I stated, this was largely a good-sounding—in some circumstances, a really good-sounding—present. It was additionally, as I’ve famous, a big present. Which implies that, despite my finest efforts, I undoubtedly missed a number of the demos on the Renaissance’s 11 flooring of resort rooms and conference halls. I in all probability bought pricing and nomenclature mistaken in a couple of circumstances, too. My apologies prematurely to these of us I missed and to these whose names, particulars, and/or value tags I screwed up. (You attempt taking intensive notes on a tiny iPhone keyboard and see how effectively you do.) As I’ve written many instances previously, I’m only one man with a briefcase stuffed with blues, jazz, and classical LPs. So, present some sympathy (as Mick as soon as stated a couple of very totally different character).
I’m going to arrange this report by flooring, beginning on the prime (16), the place Dr. Roland Gauder of Gauder Akustik launched his four-driver, three-way, $149k DARC 200, pushed by an entire suite of Soulution Series 7 electronics and sourced by a Soulution 760 DAC (certainly one of my references) and an unique Yukiseimitsu Audio AP-01 turntable. As it turned out, this room was a pleasant shock, because the DARC 200s weren’t geared up with Accuton ceramic woofers, as has been the case with the Gauder audio system I’ve heard previously, however with aluminum-sandwich ones (the midrange, I imagine, stays ceramic and the tweeter diamond). The attribute ribs of the good-looking chassis have additionally been modified to stable aluminum, with intermediate dampers between every rib. The sonic results of these modifications to drivers and enclosures couldn’t have been extra constructive. Gauders have by no means lacked for element, however in tone coloration they’ve tended towards the lean, cool, antiseptic facet. Not the DARCs! The sound was extraordinarily wealthy, clean, darkish, beautiful, and listenable. And tremendously dynamic. It was only a matter of luck, however this very first room turned out to be a possible candidate for Best of Show.
Next door, AXISS Audio (now beneath Cliff Duffey’s in a position administration) was displaying the five-driver, four-way, $40k Franco Serblin Ktêma floorstander, pushed and sourced by Air Tight fantastic electronics. Brighter, extra current, and extra instant than the Gauder within the midrange and treble, the Ktêma was nonetheless wealthy and full in coloration with distinctive replica of standup bass. My notes learn: “Very rattling good, once more!”
I subsequent visited GTT Audio’s room, the place Bill Parish was displaying the five-driver, four-way, $68k Vivid Audio Giya G2 Series 2s. I’ve heard and preferred numerous iterations of this uniquely formed (to my eye, attractively so) loudspeaker a number of instances, right here and overseas, so I used to be anticipating good issues. What I bought was a mite disappointing. Driven by Audionet electronics and cabled by Kubala-Sosna, the Giya was a bit brighter, thinner, and extra aggressive than the Gauder or the Serblin within the mids and the treble and likewise much less well-defined within the bass (although the audio system had phenomenal influence on “The Great Gate of Kiev”). These room-induced points made the presentation good however not Best of Show-worthy.
Next up had been the multi-driver, five-way, $180k Von Schweikert Ultra 7s, powered by WestminsterLab electronics, sourced by a Lampizator DAC and Aurender server, and cabled by Masterbuilt. Although I haven’t at all times cottoned to the Von Ses’ sound within the enormous ballrooms the place they’re normally proven, this time round, in a small room, I assumed they had been very good. Lovely, full of life (only a contact shiny and aggressive on guitars), and well-balanced, they excelled on Dire Straits and different music.
Børresen Acoustics was displaying its $61k (sure, you learn that proper), stand-mounted 01 Silver Supreme two-way, pushed (in fact) by Aavik electronics and cabled with Ansuz wire. I’ve been a fan of Michael Børresen’s ribbon/cone two-ways since his Raidho days, so I used to be very a lot wanting ahead to listening to his new two-way references with elaborate cryo therapies and inductance-reducing solid-silver pole rings. Alas, the room didn’t serve the 01 in addition to it may need. Oh, the sound was loads good (Michael’s two-ways are at all times particular), however the nearly full absence of low bass and a little bit of graininess and brightness in mids and treble made the presentation much less excellent than it ought to’ve been for 61g’s.
The $160k, two-way Bayz Audio Counterpoint 2.0 omni with carbon-fiber chassis was being pushed by VAC electronics. Though oddly discontinuous within the bass and a little bit shiny on woodwinds, it was, nonetheless, quick and open in all places else, with excellent depth and free-floating photographs. An fascinating loudspeaker.
We now transfer to the 15th flooring, the place the large, five-driver, $250k Göbel Divin Noblesse was being pushed by 4 ARC amps, sourced by Wadax, and cabled by Göbel. A bit shiny on top-octave piano, it was very full within the midband octaves, very current and ahead on brass and winds, glorious on male voice, and a little bit laidback on drums and double bass. (I assumed it might have used subs.) Good however a mite condensed and aggressive on this smaller area, the Goebel was nice to take heed to however not a Best of Show contender.
We come now to certainly one of my favourite loudspeakers, the four-driver, four-way, $91,000 MBL 101E MkII omni, pushed and sourced (as traditional) by MBL’s personal excellent electronics. A number of points in the past, certainly one of my colleagues remarked that (till the present he was then reporting on) he’d by no means heard the MBLs sound good. Well, all I can say is perhaps he ought to seek the advice of an audiologist. This is and has at all times been an ideal loudspeaker. Grainless and pure with surprisingly good bass extension in a smaller room and easily exceptional spaciousness, it sounded very good on “People Get Ready” and different soul, rock, and jazz cuts. Yeah, it was a bit darkish in coloration on this area and a tiny bit shiny within the treble, but it surely was additionally exceedingly beautiful and lifelike. It was the primary speaker I discovered myself tapping my foot to, which says one thing excellent about its PRAT. Another Best of Show contender.
Next up was the powered (by built-in Class D amps), DSP’d, $40k Grimm Audio LS1 two-way with subwoofer. Like nearly every little thing at this present, the Grimm was a little bit shiny within the higher mids. That apart, it was fairly good sounding, with a really good mix with its subwoofer. The soundstage on a Melody Gardot minimize was huge, and the timbre and focus of her voice had been fairly lifelike. While I wouldn’t name the LS1 a Best of Show, it got here shut, which is a primary in my expertise for a powered, DSP’d speaker.
Another outdated favourite of mine, Magico, confirmed its new, three-way, $45k S3 floorstander, pushed by Convergent Audio Technology electronics, sourced by Wadax and an Antipodes Audio streamer, and cabled by Stealth and Veda. Put merely, the S3 was a knockout. It had extraordinarily deep-reaching bass (measurably flat all the way down to 20Hz), which was a shock in these small rooms from 9″ drivers, wealthy tonality prime to backside, very stable imaging, and distinctive element. (It was simply fantastic on male vocals from the Blind Boys of Alabama.) While it didn’t picture outdoors its (aluminum) packing containers and was restricted in depth, it was nonetheless a surefire BOS contender—and one other triumph for Alon and Yair.
On to the 14th flooring, the place one other outdated favourite, Rockport, was displaying its $37k Atria II, pushed by Vinnie Rossi electronics and sourced by MSB (one other of my references). This was a really candy, neutral-sounding transducer—neither overly darkish within the bass and midrange nor megaphonic within the higher mids. Because of its refreshing transparency and freedom from coloration, it was instantly one other of my Best of Show candidates.
We’ll skip the 13th flooring (Marriott did) and transfer on to the 12th, the place I got here throughout a French planar speaker, the $50k Dyptique Refrence, pushed by Audia Flight electronics and sourced by a Michell turntable (with DS Audio cartridge). Nowadays, coming throughout a brand new planar loudspeaker at a commerce present is a rarity (though AXPONA boasted a number of such introductions, certainly one of which, as you will notice, was extraordinary). Though not BOS materials, the Dyptique was nonetheless particular—unusually impartial and sensible. Maybe just a bit skinny in coloration, it was, nonetheless, certainly one of a small handful of audio system vying for “Best Intro.”
Once once more, an outdated favourite, Vandersteen, confirmed its five-driver, three-way $41.7k Kento Carbon floorstander, pushed by an ARC preamp and Vandersteen’s personal amps, and sourced by an ARC DAC 9. As traditional, the Kento made a wealthy beautiful sound. Despite being a little bit lumped up within the bass because of the room, it was nice on trumpet, sax, flute, and trombone.
The two-driver, two-way, $35k Acora Acoustics SRC-1 in a quartz enclosure was pushed by ampsandsound and VAC electronics and sourced by an SW1X DAC and a TW Acustik turntable. Unfortunately, the SRC-1 was very shiny once I got here into the room; to make issues worse, the bass was additionally poorly managed. When I returned on Day Three, these issues had been toned down, although SRC-1 was nonetheless a little bit shiny and spare and poorly outlined within the backside octaves. The speaker was additionally being performed too loud for such a tiny room.
The five-driver (a mixture of ceramic and aluminum cones), three-way $75k Marten Mingus Quintet 2 floorstander was being pushed by Jadis electronics. A bit “ceramic-sounding,” which is to say clear, quick, detailed, and lean, the Mingus had a constant sonic steadiness from prime to backside (no low-end darkness or lumpiness). Overall, it was on the dry facet.
We now transfer to Floor 7, as 8, 9, 10, and 11 had been reserved for visitors. the place the very first thing I got here throughout was the $75k Magico M2, pushed by Constellation electronics and sourced by Aurender. This is a speaker I’ve liked because it was launched, and AXPONA didn’t upset the applecart (to combine metaphors). While not as wealthy in coloration as the outstanding new S3, the M2 is extra delicate and detailed, although nowhere close to as deep-reaching. On Rhiannon Giddens’ “Do Right” and Leonard Cohen’s “Ain’t No Cure For Love,” it sounded extra like a ’stat than the S3 does. A borderline-BOS displaying.
The two-way, three-driver (woofer and concentric mid/tweet) $33.5k TAD ME1 stand-mount was powered and sourced by TAD’s personal electronics and cabled by Wireworld. Though gentle within the decrease octaves, it was in any other case fairly interesting on a Stevie Ray Vaughan minimize.
The $49k Arion Audio Apollo 9 open-baffle line array with built-in sub was a bit one-noteish within the backside octaves however very open and wealthy in coloration on sax, guitar, and different devices. Lively, with good huge staging, its chief weak spot was the sub—not a lot the mix because the extension. Still, this was a pleasant sound.
The undisputed winner of oddest loudspeaker at AXPONA was the $49k Orchestalls KMD 700R—a bizarre, multi-box, cone loudspeaker by which every of the packing containers is individually articulated by way of the arms of a big adjustable stand. The humorous half was that it truly sounded excellent—amazingly coherent contemplating the variety of cones and packing containers in play. Rich, expansive, and full vary with pretty flat and well-defined bass in a tiny room, it was excessive among the many most fascinating intros at this (or any) present.
The five-driver, ribbon-tweetered, quasi-D’Appolito, $70k Raidho TD 3.2, pushed by Burmester electronics, sourced by a Vertere ’desk, and wired by RSX, was excellent on my Fabulous Basso D2D LP, completely very good on Li-Paz’s voice. It could not have been as full and wealthy on piano as the perfect methods, but it surely got here shut. A superior loudspeaker.
The $43.2k Stenheim Alumine 3 SE, powered by Nagra electronics and sourced by Nagra digital and Baer analog confirmed fairly effectively on Leonard Cohen’s “Dance Me To the End Of Love.” Really fairly lovely sounding, the three SE could be very very similar to my reference Stenheim 5 SE, solely not as deep reaching. Even although the underside couple octaves weren’t being reproduced, there have been no different weaknesses I might detect and loads of strengths. Another close-to-Best-of-Show efficiency.
We come now to probably the most pleasant shock of the present—one other full-range planar loudspeaker, this one from Switzerland and Vietnam (yup, it’s inbuilt Vietnam), the $36k Clarisys Minuet. This good-looking, extraordinarily sturdy, and seemingly well-made loudspeaker was being proven in two rooms, the primary the place it was pushed and sourced by Hegel electronics, the second (pictured right here) by Constellation electronics. Its efficiency in each rooms was merely very good—super-depth, super-separation, super-speed, and fairly deep, decently well-defined bass. Above all else, the Clarisys sounded extra like the actual factor within the midband than absolutely anything else at an excellent and aggressive present. Happily, the Minuet can be comparatively straightforward to drive (with a sensitivity of 88dB), in contrast to the Apogee ribbons of outdated, to which it bears a passing resemblance and will actually be partly modeled on. Obviously, the Clarisys is a Best of Show finalist.
Wilson Benesch was displaying its multiway, biocomposite-enclosed, isobaric-woofered, $102k Resolution 3Zero floorstander. Like earlier WBs, the threeZero is impartial in an nearly colorless manner. This is nice for transparency and determination, not so sizzling for timbre. Fast, outlined, and a little bit antiseptic, it is extremely full vary, however convey your scarf and mittens as a result of it is usually very chilly.
My pal Jeff Catalano of High Water Sound provided up a $65k Cessaro Horn Acoustics Opus horn speaker with Opus subs, pushed by unique TWAcustik Raven electronics and sourced by TWAcustik’s attractive Raven LS-3 Copper turntable. This was a horn system that didn’t sound like horns—or, at the least, didn’t have their typical issues. Very a lot of a chunk, very full vary, and really wealthy and pure in timbre—with no cupped arms coloration—the Opuses made Ornette’s plastic sax, Don Cherry’s pocket trumpet, Ed Blackwell’s drumkit, and Charlie Haden’s bass sound “there.” It was additionally nice on Li-Paz’s basso and Rozsnyai’s live performance grand. This terrific horn system was additionally a BOS finalist.
Alta Audio was displaying its five-driver, quasi-D’Appolito $40k Titanium II Hestia floorstander, pushed by Infigo Audio Class A electronics. Neutral in timbre, the Hestia made for a pleasing pay attention.
Magico’s very good M2 made a second look in MSB’s room, the place it was being powered by MSB’s 500 Series amplifiers and sourced by MSB digital (together with its fantastic new Digital Director controller). As within the Constellation room, the M2s confirmed extraordinarily effectively, sounding unusually liquid, nearly light, and three-dimensional with MSB electronics.
Tidal confirmed its $75k Contriva G2—a four-driver, three-and-a-halfway floorstander with black ceramic mid and bass drivers, a diamond tweeter, and Tidal’s Tiradur enclosure. Driven and sourced by Tidal’s personal electronics and wired with Signal Project cables, it made a superb displaying on Rhiannon Giddens’ “Do Right,” reproducing her voice with appreciable delicacy and wonderful timbre. Though a little bit skinny within the bass, it managed to do effectively by Low Cut Connie, too.
Børresen Acoustics additionally confirmed its five-driver, two-and-a-halfway, ribbon/cone, $94k 03 floorstander, pushed by Aavik’s new 880 Class A pre and energy amp. I didn’t know the Scandinavian music that was being performed, however the timbre was darkish and delightful with breathy texture, stable imaging, and delicate decay. Bass went very deep with very good assault and maintain—displaying a lot better linearity and management than previous Raidhos and Børresens. Indeed, this was the very best bass I’ve heard from certainly one of Michael’s massive audio system. That and the attractive naturalness of the mids and treble made the 03 a Best of Show contender.
We come now—and ultimately—to the first-floor rooms, a lot of which had been fairly massive.
First up was Estelon’s attractive, five-driver, $259k Extreme Mk II, with height-adjustabile higher module and a brand new tweeter that may be repositioned electronically for finest section response. Driven and sourced by Vitus electronics and wired with Crystal Cable Da Vinci, the Extreme was seated in an enormous room that didn’t enable it to indicate its finest. Despite a little bit ceramic leanness on voices (like Diana Krall’s), it nonetheless had sufficient physique to make performers nearly seen and was a paragon of openness, with an outstanding disappearing act.
Estelon was additionally displaying its fantastic $58k XB Diamond Mk II three-way, powered and sourced by Soulution Series 5 electronics with wiring and room/tools therapies by Synergistic Research. With dense, attractive tone coloration and fabulous dynamics, this was a Best of Show contender from the primary minimize I listened to. It’s a pity that its huge brother didn’t get the room (and Ted Denny’s room/tools therapies) that the XB loved.
As has usually been the case at exhibits previous, the large, five-driver, three-way, D’Appolito configured, $155k Stenheim Reference Ultime 2, pushed by 4 VTL amps and preamp and cabled by Nordost, was a narrative of two days. On Day One, when it hadn’t but settled in, it was good however not nice on Ornette’s This Is Our Music and Li-Paz’s Fabulous Basso LPs. On the third day, it was a real contender—merely marvelous on Rhiannon Giddens, Sinematic, Doug MacLeod, Hans Theessink, et al. Imaging was very good, tone coloration was wealthy and lifelike, bass was sensational, and the system was audibly clear to miking and engineering. All in all, it was like a jumbo Alumine 5 SE—and, in fact, a Best of Show contender.
The $220k, granite-bodied, multi-driver Acora Acoustics VRC-1 was one other two-day affair. Driven by VAC electronics, the speaker was a mite sedate on Day One on the crisply plucked guitars of Saturday Night in San Francisco. The VRC-1 additionally had restricted soundstage depth, although stage width was glorious. My Fabulous Basso LP was fairly good, although Li-Paz sounded a bit extra like a baritone than a basso, and the bass of Rozsnyai’s piano sounded lumped up. On Day Three, after the audio system had settled in (which should’ve examined the Renaissance Schaumburg’s flooring) and the prime listening seat had been moved a lot nearer to the Acoras, the sound was improved in presence. Soundstage depth was nonetheless restricted, and there was nonetheless a little bit of a hump within the 50–80Hz vary. On the Li-Paz D2D LP, for instance, the piano was a little bit free on the underside and never as wealthy in midband harmonics because it may need been. However, Li-Paz sounded extra like a basso, and the general presentation was fairly lifelike.
Wynn Audio was displaying the $70k Vimberg Tonda D three-way floorstanders, pushed by Karan electronics, sourced by a Kalista CD participant/DAC, and wired with Crystal’s Da Vinci cable. Though a little bit digital sounding general, the Vimberg was additionally extraordinarily clear and impartial, making for a pleasing, if barely analytic pay attention.
The five-driver, D’Appolito-configured, $33.5k Dynaudio Confidence 50 floorstander, pushed by Octave monoblocks and sourced by a Sim Audio 780D DAC, was surprisingly candy, delicate, and pure in timbre on digital. Among the very best inexpensive cone loudspeakers in my bailiwick, the Confidence 50 was terribly pure on voice. Very near a BOS finalist.
Finally, the multi-driver, line-array, $106k Scaena 12s with 4 dipole woofers per facet sounded only a bit dated. The woofers didn’t go very deep (e.g., on the bass and synth of The Black Keys “Shine A Light” from Let’s Rock); nor did they mix seamlessly, barely fudging the mids, decreasing transparency, and darkening tone coloration.
JV’s Best of Show
A tie! Though totally different in sound and expertise, the Clarisys Minuet planar, the MBL 101E MkII omnis, the Magico S3 dynamics, and the Rockport Atria II dynamics all managed the trick of constructing musicians nearly seen—and making music of all kinds a sonic delight. (Note that the Stenheim Reference Ultime 2, the Borresen Acoustics 03, and the Gauder Acoustic DARC 200 had been shut runners-up.)
JV’s Best Introduction
Magico S3.
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