Studio Electric and Benchmark at AXPONA 2026: The M6X Factor
Rogier van Bakel grapples with his M6 dreams in the Studio Electric room at AXPONA 2026.
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Spin Doctor #36: Musical Fidelity Nu-Vista Vinyl S phono preamp, Sumiko Oriole phono cartridge
I get nervous when I hear that an audio company I like is suddenly under new ownership. Are the new owners planning to carry forward the legacy of the company's founders, or will they try to move things in a different direction?
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Volti Audio at AXPONA 2026
At AXPONA 2026, Ken Micallef speaks with Volti Audio Owner Greg Roberts about the gear shown in the company's room at the show, including Volti Audio Lucera speakers, Mojo Audio Mystique Z and BorderPatrol Audio Zola DACs, and a Cary Audio SLI-80 integrated amplifier.
Remembering Three Dog Night
All "serious" music fans know pop music is kid's stuff: too simple, too accessible, the embodiment of that cringeworthy moniker "disposable." But pop music is also what keeps the lights on in the music business, selling gobs of streams, merchandise, and concert tickets. And hasn't that always been the case?
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PS Audio at AXPONA 2026: The joke was on me
Rogier van Bakel investigates the large PS Audio room at AXPONA 2026, and he has a special, unexpected listening experience while checking out the company's lineup of Aspen speakers.
Axiss Audio, Bel Canto Design, Transrotor, and Franco Serblin at AXPONA 2026
At AXPONA 2026, Ken Micallef speaks with Axiss Audio's Steve Huntley and Bel Canto Design's President Michael McCormick about the gear shown in another one of the Axiss rooms at the show, including a Transrotor Dark Star turntable, Bel Canto Design Black system—which includes the ESC2 system controller and MPS2 monoblock amplifiers—and Franco Serblin Accordo Unica speakers.
YG Acoustics, Moon by Simaudio, and Taiko Audio at AXPONA 2026
Rogier van Bakel reports on the massive system he encountered in the YG Acoustics room at AXPONA 2026—featuring YG's Titan speakers, four Moon by Simaudio's 888 monoblocks, and Taiko Audio's Olympus music server—and how he (and they) had to overcome from-the-hallway demo intrusions.
Fern & Roby at AXPONA 2026
At AXPONA 2026, Ken Micallef speaks with Fern & Roby's Christopher Hildebrand about the gear shown in the company's room at the show, including a Fern & Roby The Archival turntable, Linear Tube Audio ZOTL Ultralinear power amplifier, and Fern & Roby Raven II bookshelf speakers.
PS Audio PMG Signature line preamplifier
I view preamplifiers the way my dog views vacuum cleaners: warily and a bit mystified by their existence. The less-is-more, straight-wire-with-gain approach has always seemed the correct one to me. The preamps I own often sit forlornly in my gear closet until I am in temporary need of their services.
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AudioVision San Francisco Presents The Reference Listening Experience on May 16-17, 2026
The Reference Listening Experience, a two-day event focusing on the latest and greatest hi-fi from around the world, will take place at AudioVision San Francisco next weekend on May 16-17, 2026.