T.H.E. Show SoCal 2025

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A Poor Man's Audio Show Review

Roy Midyett
My local audio dealer told me that neither of the two stereo mags would be reporting from the Costa Mesa audio show, which I attended in June, which is formally called T.H.E. (Total HiFi Experience) Show SoCal, so I thought I would step in and give it a quick-and-dirty review from the perspective of regular Joe Audiophile rather than that of the polished, professional reporters Stereophile usually sends.
T.H.E. Show SoCal 2025

Aaudio Imports

Julie Mullins First Published: Jul 17, 2025
I hadn't come across the distributor Aaudio Imports for a time—I learned they had moved from Colorado, to California—so it was interesting to see what was new in their world. In a rather large room, Laguna 1, the speakers were striking, even unusual looking. They are from AudioNec, a French brand that Aaudio recently began importing.
T.H.E. Show SoCal 2025

Audio Café and Hear This

Julie Mullins First Published: Jun 27, 2025
The large Balboa II room at T.H.E. Show in SoCal demo'd a system designed around a pair of Clarisys Audio Studio Plus speakers ($69,000/pair) driven by two pairs of WestminsterLab Rei monoblock class-A amplifiers ($37,900/pair) run in bridged mode, ahead of which was a WestminsterLab Quest balanced preamplifier ($27,900).
T.H.E. Show SoCal 2025

SVS and Hegel: A Fine Match

Julie Mullins First Published: Jun 19, 2025
SVS is best known for subwoofers, but the company also makes speakers. Demo'd at T.H.E. Show in Costa Mesa were a couple of examples: the SVS Ultra Evolution Pinnacle flagship towers ($2500/each or $5000/pair), which were playing when I visited the room, and a pair of rear-ported Ultra Evolution standmounts ($1200/pair; stands not included), which were set up in a system with the SVS SB-5000 R|Evolution subwoofer ($2000), which debuted at AXPONA.
T.H.E. Show SoCal 2025

Zesto Audio with YG Acoustics, Stillpoints, and Cardas Audio

Julie Mullins First Published: Jun 20, 2025
At T.H.E Show SoCal, tubed equipment didn't seem as prevalent as I've seen at some other shows, but it still had a presence—a very strong presence—in Zesto Audio's demo room 227. The California-based amplification and electronics manufacturer is led by George Counnas, who has also worked as an audio engineer in addition to designing equipment tubed hi-fi equipment, and his wife, Carolyn, who is responsible for Zesto's signature industrial design.
T.H.E. Show SoCal 2025

Common Wave: DeVore Fidelity with an Accuphase Stack

Julie Mullins First Published: Jun 17, 2025
T.H.E. Show in Costa Mesa wasn't large, but there were a few debuts including several in the six rooms presented by Common Wave HiFi. In room 327, the Accuphase C‑57 phono stage ($13,975) was part of a demo setup that also included an Accuphase E‑3000 integrated amplifier ($8950), which was shown on static display at AXPONA but was in use here for the first time in the US. When I was in the room, the class-A Accuphase E‑700 stereo integrated amplifier was in use, driving a pair of DeVore Fidelity Orangutan O/93 speakers ($8950/pair, more for custom finishes available).
T.H.E. Show SoCal 2025

Brane Puts the Boom in Boombox

Julie Mullins First Published: Jun 16, 2025
Although most of the products shown at T.H.E. Show in Costa Mesa lean toward the higher end and specialty markets, some affordable products from next-gen designers were mixed in, too—Chesky Audio's LC1 bookshelf monitor, for one, which has been receiving plenty of buzz. Another noteworthy example of a different sort—an active speaker—is the all-in-one Brane Audio Brane X portable speaker ($499) with a built-in true subwoofer.
T.H.E. Show SoCal 2025

Tiki Time: Desmond's Tiki Tube Amps

Julie Mullins First Published: Jun 12, 2025
T.H.E. Show is enjoyable for many reasons—friendly people, a good vibe, some great-sounding rooms, and new hi-fi gear. There are introductions of new products from known makers and from some showing unexpected things. An example of the latter: L.A.-based Desmond's Tiki Tube Amplifiers, shown on passive display in the Marketplace area. Proprietor Desmond Bowe said these are just intended as examples "to get a conversation started" with the customer.
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