Audio Skies Michael Vamos - YG Acoustics, JMF Audio, Ideon at Capital Audiofest 2025
The Listening Room and Fidelity Imports - Diptyque DP-160 Mk.2 at Capital Audiofest 2025
Fidelity Imports Audia Flight and Perlisten System
Fidelity Imports Wilson Benesch and Audia Flight System at Capital Audiofest 2025
J Sikora Aspire, Innuos Stream 3, Aurender N50, Gryphon Antileon Revelation, Command Performance AV
Bella Sound Kalalau Preamplifier: Interview with Mike Vice
BorderPatrol Zola DAC – Gary Dews at Capital Audiofest 2025
Audio Note UK TT3 Reference Turntable Debut at Capital Audiofest 2025
Kevin Hayes of VAC at Capital Audiofest 2025
2WA Group debuts Aequo Ensium at Capital Audiofest 2025
Capital Audiofest 2025 lobby marketplace walk through day one
Lucca Chesky Introduces the LC2 Loudspeaker at Capital Audiofest 2025
Capital Audiofest 2025 Gary Gill interview
Sponsored: Pulsar 121
Acora and VAC together at Capital Audiofest 2025
Scott Walker Audio & Synergistic Research at Capital Audiofest 2025: Atmosphere LogiQ debut
Sponsored: Symphonia
Sponsored: Symphonia Colors

LATEST ADDITIONS

AMG Giro Turntable, DS Audio E1 Optical Phono Cartridge System, Rogue Audio Cronus Magnum III Integrated Amplifier, Magnepan .7 Speakers, Wireworld Cables

On Sunday morning I eased into my rounds with the Musical Surroundings folks: In conjunction with local dealer Sweet Home Audio, they presented a sweet-sounding, straight-up analog setup that featured several products at (relatively) more affordable price points than is sometimes the case.
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Credo Audio EV Reference One Speaker, EMM Labs MTRX/2 Monoblock Amp, DV2 DAC/Pre, Reference Stereo Preamp, and NS1 Streamer, van den Hul Grail SE+ Phono Stage, VPI HW-40 40th Anniversary Turntable, Wolf Audio Alpha 3 SX Audio Server

AudioShield, now the distributor for Credo Audio of Switzerland, partnered with Florida dealer House of Stereo to introduce the Swiss maker’s EV Reference One speaker ($40,000/pair) in a system driven by a full suite of EMM Labs high-end electronics, with EMM’s DV2 integrated DAC with preamp stage and volume control ($30,000) and NS1 streamer ($4500) and Wolf Audio Systems Alpha 3 SX Audio Server ($9895) as digital sources. A van den Hul Grail SE+ phono stage and a VPI HW-40 40th Anniversary turntable served as the analog front end.
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The Uncertainty Principle

Have you ever suspected that the component you bought after diligent research is somehow not "typical"? That its sound seems to bear little resemblance to the descriptions in the reviews you read? Sure, you listened to the unit before purchase, but the one you took out of the box at home—was that the same unit? And if you suspect your new unit's sonic quality is below par, just how do you or your dealer go about proving it?
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Zesto Leto Ultra Preamplifier, Bia 12 Stereo Power Amplifier, and Andros 1.2 Phono Stage, Vimberg Mino Speakers, Merrill Williams REAL 101.3 Turntable, Tri-Planar Tonearm, Benz Micro Gullwing SLR MC Cartridge, Cardas Clear Beyond Cables

Zesto Audio presented the third generation of its Leto preamplifier: an Ultra version that offers a slew of new features, from upgraded all-analog circuit topology and a new 12DW7 tube configuration to the addition of three gain options (3dB, 6dB, 9dB) that can be saved for different input sources. Full remote control capabilities have also been added for on-the-fly adjustments of input, volume, gain, mono, and muting.
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Black Ice Audio Fusion F11 and Fusion F22 Tube Integrated Amplifiers, F360 Tube Preamplifier, Glass FX DSD WiFi, and Fusion DAC Transport

A sub-brand under the Jolida marque, Black Ice Audio used the Florida Audio Expo to introduce the final production models for some new amplification components. (Prior versions seen and heard at previous shows were late-stage prototypes, I was told.) The Black Ice Fusion F11 and F22 integrated amplifiers were shown in striking glass and carbon-fiber chassis with relatively small footprints, which is particularly desirable for the European and Asian markets.
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JA on Loudspeaker Measurements

Author's Note: Although I started accompanying Stereophile's loudspeaker reviews with measurements soon after I joined the magazine in 1986, it wasn't until 1989, when we acquired an Audio Precision System One electronics analyzer and the then-new MLSSA speaker measurement system from DRA Labs, that I developed the standardized data presentation that is still featured in our reviews more than three decades later. In this article from October 1991, I summarize the results from the first two years of using MLSSA to test 69 loudspeakers.—John Atkinson
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Vienna Acoustics Beethoven Baby Grand Reference Speaker, Aesthetix Mimas Integrated Amplifier, Chord Qutest DAC, VPI Super Prime Scout Turntable and Voyager Phono Preamplifier

The two A La Carte Productions rooms at the Florida Audio Expo both featured speakers from Austria's Vienna Acoustics, including the North American debut of the Beethoven Baby Grand Reference ($9498/pair). Said to have been three years in the making, the new model is the younger sibling to the larger and aptly named Beethoven Concert Grand Reference tower; the two models share similar drivers and technologies.
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Volti Audio Special Edition Rival Loudspeaker, BorderPatrol P20 EXD Power Amplifier and DAC SE-i, Innuos Zenith Music Server and Phoenix USB Reclocker, Triode Wire Labs Cables

In celebration of their first 10 years in business, Volti Audio unveiled a newly redesigned version of their Rival SE (Special Edition) speaker ($19,900/pair), seen here in an eye-catchingly exotic bubinga wood veneer (a rosewood option is also available). Although its side-curved form appears quite substantial, the horn-loaded hybrid floorstander can be sonically suitable for larger or smaller spaces. With its horn drivers and a sensitivity spec of 100dB, the Rival SE also makes for an easy to load-perfect for the 300B-powered BorderPatrol P20 EXD amplifier. The three-way Volti also features matching external crossovers that are user-adjustable, and Triode Wire Labs internal wiring.
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Fyne Audio F702 Speakers, Pass Labs INT-60 Integrated Amplifier and XP-17 Phono Stage, Aurender W20SE Music Server, Aqua LaScala MkII DAC, VPI HW-40 40th Anniversary Turntable

Suncoast Audio presented Fyne Audio F702 speakers ($8995/pair) in their US debut. Handmade in Scotland, the two-and-a-half-way floorstander features a concentric point-source tweeter/midrange array with a titanium center that seemed almost hornlike in its appearance and delivery.
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