Florida Audio Expo 2025

Gary Lea of Supreme Acoustic Systems graciously allowed me into his room pre-show, because he knows I am a horn-loaded loudspeaker fanatic. After one look at Odeon Audio’s German-made Semper loudspeakers ($49,900/pair), I had to contain myself.

Beautifully crafted in Haltern am See, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, the three-way, 95dB Sempers are made of a mix of plywood and MDF, employing a 1" compression driver with ring radiator for the tweeter firing into a birch horn. A 13cm midrange driver uses a hyperbolic membrane, firing into a 50cm birch spherical wave horn. Finally, a 13" paper woofer delivers low frequencies.

The front end comprised a Gold Note/Innuos DAC and streamer, an Air Tight SUT ($4795), a BennyAudio Odyssey turntable ($44,880), a Western Electric 91-E integrated amplifier ($11,999), an AudioQuest Niagara power conditioner ($5900), and cabling from Cardas.

This system produced a massive stage, evident even in this small hotel room. Rickie Lee Jones’ take on Steely Dan’s “Show Biz Kids” revealed incredibly resolved treble and potent bass. A Stevie Ray Vaughan track was equally compelling, with clearly enunciated guitar strings and tight bass drum. This rig played bass like a pool full of oozing liquid—fast, fat, and fulsome. Even with the impact and resolution, I sensed a dreamlike state of play at work, my mind flowing with the motion of those large, beautiful horns.