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Linear Tube Audio, DeVore Fidelity, Spatial Audio, LampizatOr, HoloAudio/KitsunéHiFi, Cardas, Anticables

A consistent player both at shows and in the hi-fi world, Linear Tube Audio's Nicholas Tolson brought smart, sparse rigs to two AXPONA rooms that played great music.

One rig (Room 606) consisted of a Linear Tube Audio MicroZOTL preamplifier (Level 2) ($5750) and ZOTL Ultralinear+ power amplifier ($6800), a LampizaOr Baltic 3 DAC ($6600), and DeVore Fidelity Super Nine loudspeakers ($9990/pair), with cabling by Cardas. Tolson streamed tracks from Roon on an Intel NUC via a Sonore UltraRendu.

As a former owner of The Nines, this system hit all my pleasure points. I was never an…

Harman/Revel & Mark Levinson at AXPONA

In search of beauty and excitement, I struck a lode on the fifth floor, where a pair of just-introduced, double-ported, full-range Revel 328Be speakers ($17,600) played in tandem with a spiffy Mark Levinson front end: the No 5101 streaming SACD player/DAC ($5500), the 5206 preamp ($9000), and the 5302 power amp (also $9000).

The speakers' six 8" woofers, three on each side, performed with great tautness and speed, no overhang. On the other end of the frequency range, the beryllium-dome tweeters (hence the Be in the Revels' model name) carried musical overtones and harmonics with airy, no-…

Harman/JBL at AXPONA

The Germans have a great word to describe things that are insipid and inoffensive: salonfähig ("fit for the parlor"). On that note: How many Patricia Barber tracks can a man take? After two days at AXPONA, I craved some kickass rock 'n' roll. Green Day, Rammstein, Rage Against the Machine; the Rolling Stones or Led Zeppelin would do in a pinch. And fortunately, that's the scene I found in the JBL room. Unapologetic raucous rock emanated from the new 13"-tall JBL L52 bookshelf speakers ($995/pair), powered by a JBL SA750 Class-G streaming integrated amplifier ($3000).

The monitors…

More Magico/Luxman

For two years now, pandemic-related supply-chain issues have racked (but not wrecked) the high-end industry. Things still aren't back to normal, and sometimes planned product launches have to be pushed back. Today, when I visited the room featuring Magico loudpeakers and Luxman electronics—see KM's report here—I found out we'll have to wait just a little longer for the next Magico speaker, but I can't imagine that anyone was disappointed when the company's Peter Mackay brought the M6s ($185,000/pair) to AXPONA. A known quantity they may be—the product was introduced five years ago—but I was…

The Bowers & Wilkins 801 D4 Loudspeakers

When you're a critic, you get paid to quibble, so here's mine: Bowers & Wilkins' iconic 801 D4 speaker ($35,000/pair) is pretty enough in gloss black, but gorgeous in satin walnut. In the company's AXPONA room, I encountered only the black version.

This is the extent of my admittedly not-so-terrible trauma. Get-well cards optional.

The 801 D4s, introduced in late fall 2021, were driven by a couple of Classé Delta monoblocks ($10,995 each) connected to a Classé Delta Pre ($9995). Because it was the final day of the show, mid-afternoon, the atmosphere was maybe a little looser…

Paradigm's Founder 120H loudspeaker & Anthem Electronics

My first surprise of the day came when I squeezed what I thought was Colgate from a red-and-white tube onto my toothbrush. It turned out to be hydrocortisone cream, also from a red-and-white tube.

Mistakes were made. F-bombs were used. Obsessive rinsing and spitting ensued.

After that, I ventured out and got my second surprise, this one considerably more pleasant.

In one of the third-floor Saturday Audio Exchange rooms (SAE is one of Chicagoland's oldest audio stores), I encountered a new flagship Paradigm loudspeaker, the floorstanding Founder 120H ($8499/pair). Driving…

MoFi Distribution, HiFi Rose, Piega, Cardas, IsoTek

As MoFi Distribution is based in the Chicagoland area, it's no surprise they go all out at their hometown AXPONA. They packed the house with exhibits in four rooms featuring plenty of debuts, so I'll divvy my coverage into a couple of parts.

But first, some big news. As the name says, MoFi Distribution distributes products from all over the world, but they also have their own namesake brand: MoFi Electronics. Under that name, they've created turntables in collaboration with Allen Perkins of Spiral Groove, plus a limited edition Fender UltraDeck, phono preamps, etc. The big news?…

Dynaudio, Octave, Brinkmann, and Moon Make Glorious Music

It took until Saturday for the Dynaudio crew to find the right position for the Dynaudio Confidence 60 loudspeakers ($50,000/pair), but once they did, the towering and far-from-lightweight Octave Jubilee Mono SE tube amplifiers ($80,000/pair), paired with Octave's Jubilee preamp ($32,000) with stepped-attenuator volume control, ensured that this system would sing with captivating beauty. The sound of a 24/96 track from Paul Simon's classic Graceland sounded warm and beautiful, with all the soundstage depth, air, and expanse one could hope for. I loved it. The system also used a power…

Aretai 100S loudspeakers with Benchmark DAC3, LA4, and AHB2s

Discovering new products from new companies is one of the best parts about audio shows. As much as we enjoy seeing familiar industry faces and brands, it's also great to meet new ones.

Aretai was founded in 2018 by Janis Irbe, the technical designer, and Edgars Zvirgzdiņ, the product designer, who hail from Latvia. At AXPONA Aretai presented the 100S entry model from their inaugural Contra collection of loudspeakers. That collection, which also includes the 200F floorstander and flagship 350F floorstander, won Irbe a Red Dot Award for Product Design in 2022.

The Aretai 100S stand…

Credo Audio, Audio Shield, EMM, van den Hul, VPI, Wolf

If you're like me, when attending audio shows you have your go-to joints, those rooms where the presentation will be engaging, the conversation interesting, and the good vibes effortless. Consistency frames the visit, like a homecoming where nothing has changed, where friends (and their hi-fis) welcome you. At the risk of sounding like a hawker, Credo Audio Switzerland—at Axpona's Nirvana B ballroom—has become one of my go-to joints.

It's funny, this "welcome home" feeling has nothing to do with cost, though it can be hefty; it's all about musicality, which is all too rare. Some megabuck…