From Fremer: AXPONA 2023 was a world occasion that places the present and eventually America on the world audio stage. The Consumer Electronics Show as soon as was that occasion however excessive efficiency audio is not a significant a part of that present.
Founded in 2009 by then retailer Steve Davis, AXPONA (Audio Expo North America) for a few years was a regional present, the sparsely attended 2011 Atlanta present being an excellent instance. Shows had been additionally held in New York City, Jacksonville, Florida after which in 2013 on the O’Hare Doubletree by Hilton Hotel, at which era JD Events bought the present. The firm’s experience is occasion manufacturing and over time the present grew in measurement, stature and the all encompassing phrase “professionalism”.
Covid crimped AXPONA’s progress and naturally the present was canceled for a number of years. AXPONA 2022 was a return to type, although on a smaller scale than earlier than the pandemic.2023 introduced in a giant manner that AXPONA was again, greater, higher and extra worldwide in scope, with large names from all over the world exhibiting up, together with SME’s Stuart McNeilis, Crystal Cables’ Gabi Reynveld, Cyril Hammer, Dr. Roland Gauder, plus govt and design groups from Accuphase, Air-Tight Technics and Esoteric, amongst others. That was new.
The present ran on flooring 1-7, and 11,12,14,15 and 16 plus on the related conference heart. It was greater than anyone particular person might probably cowl and clearly I missed an important deal. To save time I skipped many rooms I’d usually cease in to say good day, together with Bluebird Distribution the place I’d have run into SME CEO McNeilis.
The Absolute Sound despatched a big contingent they usually coated it in a well-organized trend, assigning to every reviewer, a specific beat. Next 12 months, TrackingAngle will try one thing related however for this 12 months it was simply me and Ken Redmond. Our different writers had been for numerous causes unable to attend.
Looking via the information, and from speaking with different attendees I see I missed, in no explicit order, firms anybody protecting analog wouldn’t need to miss together with phono preamp producer Lejonklou, whose merchandise I’ve reviewed over time, Primaluna, which had a brand new phono preamp on show, I missed Doshi Audio, exhibiting with Joseph Audio—first time I missed that room—and I missed J. Sikora turntables, although I’ve coated their latest tonearm in a Capitol Audio Fest video together with their turntables. I missed complete flooring and so missed seeing some very acquainted faces and a few of their new merchandise.
On the opposite hand, I made a decision to broaden our protection to do extra with digital merchandise together with streaming DACs, and many others. In one room I heard a demo of a quickly to be launched CD participant that the producer was comfortable to check to a stream of the identical materials and sonically, the CD trounced the stream!
Per week earlier than the present I needed to pack up the Esoteric Grandioso T1 turntable, the evaluation of which I’d simply handed in to The Absolute Sound, to ship it off to the present. The directions advocate a minimum of two and ideally three folks to pack up the heavy turntable (the platter alone weights 42 kilos), however I had nobody to assist so I did it alone and managed fairly properly (I like to recommend Pilates to all you kids!).
A number of days later whereas loading up my snow tire wheels, I wrenched my again as I’ve by no means earlier than finished—by no means had again ache—after which one thing I disagreed with ate me, and between the projectile outcomes of that encounter and my again I nearly stayed residence, however glad I didn’t, although conducting a turntable set-up seminar with a wrenched again was no enjoyable, nor was it enjoyable that the turntable’s arm was equally “wrenched” and simply hung in house wherever I put it. Still, I made essentially the most of it and used the event to indicate the total home learn how to diagnose turntable points like those I had that day. I additionally ran a helpful pane dialogue on reissues.
The submit Even MORE Fremer at AXPONA 2023 | Show Report 2/2 appeared first on The Absolute Sound.
