AXPONA 2010

Don't even think about the juxtaposition of so-called "modern art" with the kitsch figurines of Nipper and the parrot. Instead gaze upon the Classic Audio T1.3 Reference loudspeakers ($36,500), shown here with Classic's John Wolff. The T1.3 uses two 15" woofers , a TAD compression-loaded tweeter, and the jewel of the design, a 4" compression-loaded midrange dome feeding a Tractrix-flare horn designed by Bruce Edgar. All the drive-units are energized by field-coil magnets rather than permanent magnets. The rest of the system comprised Atma-Sphere MA-60 MUIII monoblocks ($6800), an Atma-Sphere MP-1 preamp ($12,100), Esoteric DU-50 CD player, Kuzma Reference table ($8900), TriPlanar arm ($4850), Van den Hul The Grasshopper cartridge, 59-cent hook-up wire, and my feeble attempts to decipher illegible handwriting. (So much for the "You don't have a sheet listing your products; you do the writing while I listen" approach). Playing the same Mahler as auditioned in the fabulous Koetsu USA room, this system certainly nailed the sound of the cymbals.

...what happens to all those bed frames and mattresses that are removed from hotel suites in order to make room for exhibits? Here' a shot of the Wyndham Riverwalk Hotel mattress mortuary, which ordinarily serves as a convention meeting place. Missing is the mattress from Robert Robinson's Channel D. He chose to retain the mattress to tame highs bouncing from the side wall of the cozy second-floor hotel room.

If the Soundsmith exhibit invariably brings a light show, the EgglestonWorks/Arte Forma Audio room created the opposite effect. All of the horrible energy-saving fluorescents were turned off, leaving the room lit only by what came through the window.

Axpona's marketing director Steve Davis is also a singer and guitarist who performs locally in The Difference/Mumbleypeg, a North Florida-based rock band. Aware of the importance of the live reference, Davis arranged several live "reference" performances throughout the show. As well as The Difference/Mumbleypeg, Axpona showcased the talents of pianist John Yurick, veteran bass guitarist John Atkinson, and Mikhail Levitsky's Levitsky Violin Orchestra. Here's a photo of Davis rehearsing with his band for a performance that was recorded by Mark Waldrep of AIX Records.

In the Audiowood/Glow room, I again made the acquaintance of the diminutive, low-priced amps that were playing across the hall with Sonist speakers. This time, I had the opportunity to hear the story behind them.

One of several low-cost, high quality exhibits at Axpona came from Jaton. Based in Fremont, CA, Jaton sources its speaker components from Germany and other parts of Europe, but assembles them in China. It amps, which include 14 Mundorf caps in the amp proper and four more in the power sector, are assembled in Fremont. Everything is designed by the company's unnamed and extremely secretive CEO, who only began to enter the high-end market a few years ago.