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AXPONA 2024

Philharmonic Audio and Audio by Van Alstine

Rogier van Bakel May 04, 2024

An old Dutch saying holds that "good wine needs no wreath," meaning that real quality sells itself. That probably applies to Philharmonic Audio, too. The Maryland-based speaker manufacturer, led by veteran designer and viola maestro Dennis Murphy, has never put much stock in advertising and marketing.

AXPONA 2024

Innuos with Rockport, Soulution, and Lampizator plus Stromtank, TAOC, and Transparent

Jason Victor Serinus May 04, 2024

Anyone who knows these brands senses the potential for great sound in this room. Great sound in and of itself, however, was not the system’s raison d’être.

AXPONA 2024

Vinnie Rossi with YG Acoustics Innuos, Mola Mola, and Nordost

Jason Victor Serinus May 04, 2024

Excellent, well-controlled bass was one of many strong suits in a room headlined by Vinnie Rossi BRAMA monoblock power amplifiers (gen2 - $59,995/pair) and BRAMA preamplifier (gen2 - $38,995) paired with YG Acoustics Hailey 3 loudspeakers ($63,400/pair).

AXPONA 2024

Groovin' with Stillpoints, Bricasti, Rockport Technologies, Viola Audio, Shunyata

Rogier van Bakel May 04, 2024

Sometimes I wonder what the etiquette is at audio shows. I mean, nobody tells you anything. It’s fair to assume that playing windmill-style air guitar to songs by the Who is generally frowned upon, at least in public, but is it gauche to sway and groove in your chair when the music moves you?

AXPONA 2024

Sadurni Acoustics with Wolf Systems and House of Stereo

Jason Victor Serinus May 04, 2024

Jorge Sadurni, whose impressive horn speakers I first encountered at AXPONA during its pre-Schaumberg years, introduced his Spherical Dual loudspeakers ($4600/pair with integrated stands—see driver in the photo.) Each Spherical Dual contains two high-damped cast-metal modules with 5" cone dynamic drivers.

Integrated Amp Reviews

Octave Audio V70 Class A integrated amplifier

Robert Schryer May 03, 2024

It may be strange to read what I'm about to say in the pages of Stereophile, but it's the cold hard truth so here goes: Audio reviews are inadequate. They don't tell the whole story. They come up short and can even misdirect.

It's not their fault, or at least sometimes it isn't. Even the good ones can't tell you how something will sound to youlet alone make you feel, the ultimate pointin your own room. As helpful as they may be, they can't address the elephant in the listening room: synergy.

In reviewing the Octave Audio V 70 Class A integrated amplifier ($12,000 and up; $15,900 as reviewed), I was reminded of the importance of synergy in our hobby.

Aural Robert

A Verve–Third Man collaboration

Robert Baird May 02, 2024

So, former White Stripe and Third Man label founder Jack White has now moved into jazz? It was a question that intrigued me when I first heard about the partnership between Universal Music and White's Third Man Records, a vinyl reissue series called Verve By Request. Was Universal just a client for Third Man's relatively new LP pressing plant in Detroit, or was this a genuine collaboration? And what the hell does Jack White know about jazz?

AXPONA 2024

Cambridge Audio and Triangle

Rogier van Bakel May 02, 2024

One question the Stereophile team asks in every AXPONA room we cover is, “Is any of the gear new?” The Cambridge Audio team wins a trophy this year—or would if there was a trophy. When I dropped in for a listen on the first day of the show, account manager Joseph Buechel told me that the Class AB CXA81 MkII integrated amplifier ($1199) was making its debut "today, right now."

AXPONA 2024

Von Schweikert and WestminsterLab dance with Lampizator, Sonore, Small Green Computer, MasterBuilt, and more

Jason Victor Serinus May 02, 2024

Damon Von Schweikert, CEO of speaker manufacturer Von Schweikert Audio, did something interesting in the room (1621) he shared with Gary Leeds of WestminsterLab. Faced with a challenging room whose opening to a second inner chamber of similar size all but guaranteed that bass would be a mess, set up two Von Schweikert V-12XS MkII Shockwave subwoofers ($33,000 for two), facing each other.

AXPONA 2024

Yamaha, 70 Years Young, Blends Past and Present

Rogier van Bakel May 02, 2024

At audio shows, we don’t look back much. AXPONA is mostly about what’s new, what’s hot, what’s happening. Yamaha proudly bucked the trend and delved into the past. In two adjoining rooms on the 14th floor, the Japanese brand celebrated its 70th anniversary as a hi-fi company.