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Listening through a long break-in period
The Verdandes sounded pretty good just as they were set up by the Ø Audio guys, but I could tell they were green and stiff. The bass sounded like the amplifier was working hard to allow the woofers to give it their all. For many days, when my wife and I took the dog for a walk, I left the stereo cranked up with my Bass Test playlist on Qobuz (footnote 4). Slowly, the woofers got looser and quicker.

In December, I had my audio buddies—Father Time (Dave, an old dude who's a drummer), Mike, and Farrukh—over for a listening session. They…

Vinnie Rossi, AudioNostrum, and other key manufacturers will be participating in Vienna Sound Fest 2026, an exclusive international high-end audio event taking place at Tech Gate Vienna from June 4–7, 2026. Vienna Sound Fest is just a 3-minute walk from Austria Center Vienna, the official venue of High End Vienna 2026.

Due to the lack of available space at the main High End Vienna venue this year, Vienna Sound Fest was created to be an additional platform where many different international brands will be able to present their products during the days of the main show.

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At AXPONA 2026, I spoke with Liam Porr of Western Acoustics (shown above), Adam Wexler of Resolution Audio Video, and Garth Powell of AudioQuest (shown below) about all the gear in the room they shared together at the show.

Then I settled in for a listen. The Western/Resolution system played with a grand soundstage for such small speakers with attendant liveliness, spaciousness, and image complexity that left me oddly calm, yet hoping for more.

Description: Two-way, floorstanding, dynamic loudspeaker. Drive units: "Quad Vertex SoundField" horn-loaded tweeter with 3.8" carbon-fiber driver, 15" "ultra-linear long stroke extended range" soft paper cone woofer with five bottom port holes, approximately 3" diameter each; foam port plugs are included. Crossover frequency: 800Hz. Frequency range: 26Hz–20kHz. Impedance: 8 ohms, 9 ohms minimum. Sensitivity: 94dB/W/m.
Dimensions: 45.3" (1150mm) H × 19.7" (500mm) W × 23.3" (593mm) D. Weight: 220.5lb (100kg) each.
Finishes: Piano-gloss walnut veneer, black…

Vinyl playback: Technics SL-1200mkV record player with KAB 3-speed mod, fluid damping and tonearm wiring; Hana SL MK II and LP Gear The Vessel cartridges.
Digital playback: dCS Bartók APEX DAC/streamer.
Preamplifiers: Pro-Ject Phono Box RS2 (phono), Benchmark LA-4 (line).
Power amplifier: Benchmark AHB2.
Loudspeakers: B&W 808.
Accessories: Butcherblock Acoustics equipment rack, SME turntable cable, cables and connectors made by Belden, Canare, Mogami, Switchcraft, ITT-Cannon, Neutrik, etc.—Tom Fine

Description: Two way minimonitor with 4½ " reflex-loaded cone woofer and a ½" dome tweeter. Rated power: 20–75W. Sensitivity: 86dB. Impedance: 8 ohms.
Dimensions: 9½" H × 7¼" W × 8" D. Weight: 7½lb each.
Price: $190/pair (1985); no longer available (2026).
Manufacturer: Wharfedale, West Nyack, NY 10994 (1985). Wharfedale, IAG House, 13/14 Glebe Rd., Huntingdon, PE29 7DL, England, UK. (2026) Tel: +44 (0)1480 452561. Web: wharfedale.co.uk. US distributor: Wharfedale USA. Tel: (312) 738-5025. Web: wharfedaleusa.com

Wadax Director of Sales and Marketing for Brandon Lauer presented the Studio Player Collection at AXPONA 2026. Front and center in this series is the Wadax Studio Player, a high-end, single-box SACD/CD player, DAC, and streamer ($40,800). Released in 2024, the Studio Player is said to have brought technology from the company's high-end Atlantis Reference series (which costs over $250,000) to a more accessible price point.

In addition to the Studio Player itself, the Wadax Studio Player Collection also includes the Studio Clock ($28,500), Studio PSU ($29,800),…

They were spoken by Britisher David Toop (footnote 1), confirmed music-head, someone who has spent his life…