At SouthWest Audio Fest 2026, Dave Slagle (at left in thumbnail) of EM/IA (pronounced "emmy-uh") talks about the company's transformers and tube amplifiers, while John Semrad of Semrad Audio (at right) talks about his eye-catching horn-loaded loudspeakers in an interview with Ken Micallef that's now posted on our YouTube channel.
During my first encounter with the Semrad Audio–EM/IA system at SouthWest Audio Fest, it sounded closed-in, dark, and brooding.
But the next day—after the system had the time it needed to settle in—it was a marvel: a superb oasis of sound I could have happily gotten lost in all day.
During that second session, the Semrad Audio–EM/IA system was all about romanticism and punchy dynamics, natural staging, rich and munificent tone, and texture for miles.
Imaging was slightly diffuse, but the stage was as deep, wide, and tall as this SWAF hotel room would allow. Music felt transportive, relaxing, and exciting all at once.
It's hard to describe the Semrad Audio–EM/IA system's sound without invoking its sheer beauty, majesty, and flow. It's a history lesson—a window into all music—and ultimately the kind of presentation I could happily live with until that great tube-and-horn maker in the sky calls me home.
