Florida Audio Expo 2024

Just Audio's Lenny Florentine presented two rooms at the show, one jammed with components at all price points (including Luxman, inspiring that company's VP of Sales John Pravel and myself to reminisce about 1970s hi-fi sales), the second with more affordable but no less listenable alternatives. Room 806 offered two systems in one.

System One consisted of three Audiolab components—a 9000CDT CD Transport ($1499), a 9000N Wireless Audio Streaming Player ($3499)—and a 9000A integrated amplifier ($2999), the latter helping a pair of Mission 770 loudspeakers ($5000/pair) push out sound waves.

System Two consisted of a Cyrus Stream XR streaming DAC ($3400) and I9XR integrated amplifier ($4700) and Spendor Classic 2/3 speakers ($6100/pair). A Dual turntable—not sure which one—rounded out the system.

I asked room host Joe Yerardi, also of American Audio & Video, to play System Two, as I own a pair of Spendor BC1s. The sound was a little forward but presented excellent imaging and stellar dynamics that I could air guitar to. Joe played "Way Down Deep" from my current fave singer Jennifer Warnes, from Tidal; the recording was big bottomed and thick in all the right places. Bob James's "Taxi" theme was also rich sounding and nostalgic; this system played most music with a broad soundstage and an easy gait.