For me, Volti Audio systems from Greg Roberts have become perennial standouts at audio shows. Their purity, vivid dynamics, and—perhaps most important—their rich, natural tone create an immersive presentation in which all types of music truly swing and sing.

At this year’s AXPONA, Christopher Hildebrand of Fern & Roby introduced a new system that combined striking design with serious analog and digital performance.

Staying up on what's new in music ain't easy these days, in a world short on new record stores and long on websites, social media blather, and celebrity. Asked what he listens to when he's not writing music, fast-talking septuagenarian Ray Mason exudes a teenager's eager urgency.

"I keep my ears open. I've been listening to new stuff by people I have been following for years like Nick Lowe and The Straitjackets, Rodney Crowell, Kathleen Edwards, and Lucinda Williams. And then Craig Finn. I don't own any Hold Steady albums, but I love his last two solo albums. He has a new one coming out that [Adam] Granduciel from War on Drugs produced. And The Beths of course, Expert in a Dying Field. I remember hearing [The dB's] Pete Holsapple raving about that on the web and I went, I've gotta get that album!"

As the former owner of an Aragon 8008 power amplifier, I was curious to see how the company’s products have evolved. I used to admire the amp’s V-shaped heatsinks and felt lucky to own it. It was the second high-end amplifier I bought, and a major upgrade over the bright-sounding Adcom that came before it.

First unveiled in passive display at Munich High End 2024, the new D’Agostino Pendulum Integrated amplifier made its US consumer audio show debut in two places at AXPONA 2025: a hallway setup—where listening was possible only at close range—and in a room sponsored by Innuos.

In two adjacent rooms on the 14th floor of the Renaissance Schaumburg Hotel, Innuos launched its latest Stream1 and Stream3 devices. Conceived as “the gateway to high-performance music,” the Stream series works with the Innuos Sense app. The app’s latest additions include a portal to the IDAGIO classical-music streaming service, Spotify Connect, Qobuz Connect, and more.

Justin Weber of Ampsandsound greeted AXPONA with the world premieres of two products hand-built in his Aliso Viejo, California, factory: the Black Pearl XL SE 300B amplifier and the horn-loaded Sasquatch three-way speakers.