For years, my Stereophile colleagues have laid claim to Zesto Audio’s exhibits; so at this AXPONA, I was glad to cover a room where I could enjoy Zesto’s sparkling tube sound again.

Room 1230 featured a collaboration led by Rhythm Distribution and joined by Qobuz, Silent Angel, AudioQuest, Focal Naim America, Vicoustic, and HRS—an all-star cast giving a confident performance.

Cliff Duffey, TJ Goldby, and Steve Huntley of AXISS Audio aren’t just savvy representatives—they’re passionate advocates for the high-end brands they carry. Their rooms at AXPONA reflected care, from product selection to well-curated playlists that demonstrated a serious grasp of what makes music sound alive.

About a dozen years ago, I found myself sitting across from a disheveled gentleman in a near-empty lounge at LAX Airport as we both waited for a delayed flight. A well-loved leather suitcase stood at his feet. To my amazement, he wore a pair of Stax SR-L700s—full-on electrostatics he powered with an unwieldy amplifier he held on his lap, a power cord snaking to the outlet near his seat. It was absurd. And magnificent. He caught me smiling, smirked, lifted one earcup, and said, "If I'm going to spend another three hours in this godforsaken place, I might as well do it with Coltrane in my skull."

There, in his defiance of convenience, was a truth: Sound matters, enough to haul an electrostatic rig through Terminal 3, to trade portability for transcendence.

Craig Hoffman, co-founder and managing director of Rhythm Distribution, presented a system in Room 1229 built from components sourced across Switzerland, the UK, Sweden, and Japan.

Texas-based Bandwidth Audio brought a suite of handsome, industrial-style, tube-based amplifiers to AXPONA. Consumers can buy direct from the manufacturer.

I signed up to cover several Fidelity Imports rooms at AXPONA, expecting to find components that overdeliver on performance and value. I wasn’t wrong.

I’ve commented on this combination so often—five of these eight brands occupy my music room—that I didn’t linger long in Quintessence Audio’s excellently assembled “Knowledge” room. That didn’t stop me from admiring the contrast between the riveting yellow finish of Wilson Audio’s Chronosonic XVX loudspeakers ($387,000/pair) and the bold black-and-copper livery of Dan D’Agostino Master Audio Systems’ Relentless M800 monoblocks ($195,500/pair). I began to wonder if the lovely blue of my Wilson Alexia Vs is a bit too sedate. When I chose my speakers’ finish I almost opted for the perfect shade of orange—bolder, like the XVX’s yellow—and now I wonder what the past few years might have sounded like had I gone that route.