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Fidelity Imports, Michell, Opera Loudspeakers, and Unison Research at AXPONA 2026

At AXPONA 2026, Michell's Jonathan Nye (shown above), Opera Loudspeakers' Bartolomeo Nasta, and Unison Research's Augustino Zemai talk about the gear shown in one of Fidelity Imports' rooms at the show in an interview with Ken Micallef that's now posted on our YouTube channel. (Many of these products were making their respective U.S. debuts, but time constraints prevented a proper room audition.)

Equipment list: Analog sources: Michell Audio Gyro turntable ($8999); Michell Audio Revolv turntable with T8 tonearm ($7198). Phono preamplifier and PSU:…

Marten Mingus Septet Statement Edition loudspeaker

As I prepared this review of the Marten Mingus Septet Statement Edition loudspeaker ($199,000/pair), I asked the Marten people to tell me something about the company and its values. Here's the reply I received via Marten's Martin, Global Sales Manager Martin Dunhoff:

Marten was founded back in 1998, but Leif [Olofsson], our founder and chief engineer, started making speakers long before that. ... He wanted to hear music as it was in real life. ... Leif wanted to make a speaker that accurately reproduced the truth and beauty of natural sound. To achieve these goals, he experimented…

Aurender N50 server/streamer

I was born and raised in Argentina. Ever since I was a kid, I've been fascinated by machines. My mother used to call me "Botones" (Spanish for "Buttons") because I pressed every button and turned every knob I encountered. I was particularly interested in machines that played music, especially my dad's Grundig console, which sounded like a warm breeze in a beautiful sunset. It's hardly surprising that I pursued an education in the sciences.

I was a graduate student in physics at the University of Chicago in the late 1990s and a poor, inquisitive audiophile. I tried to improve my mid-fi…

Aurender N50 server/streamer Specifications

Sidebar 1: Specifications

Description: Three-chassis streamer-server. Server unit: Connections: Ethernet (default) or SFP (optical, optional), USB to connect external storage, galvanically isolated USB audio output. Contains two internal SSD storage bays (storage not supplied). 8.8" color display. Audio unit: Receives audio data from the server unit via a proprietary link and outputs S/PDIF (coax, TosLink), AES3 (both single and dual-wire connections), or a special-purpose audio output module: I2S (default), MSB ProISL (optional), or CH Link HD (optional; available soon). Includes a high-…

High Water Sound, Cessaro Horn Acoustics, Acustica Applicata, and TW Acustic at AXPONA 2026

At AXPONA 2026, High Water Sound's Jeffrey Catalano talks about the gear shown in the company's room at the show in an interview with Ken Micallef that's now posted on our YouTube channel.

Here at AXPONA 2026—as with all High Water Sound systems—there was great depth of stage, holographic imaging, nearly subterranean bass, liquid treble, and searingly rich mids.

Jeffrey Catalano’s choice of music is as big a part of his sound as the rig, playing to the system’s strengths of tube physicality, vinyl realism, and horn speed. Show after show,…

American Sound and Avantgarde Acoustic at AXPONA 2026

At AXPONA 2026, Avantgarde Acoustic's International Sales Manager Jérôme Andre talks about the gear shown in American Sound's room at the show in an interview with Ken Micallef that's now posted on our YouTube channel. (Angie Lisi of American Sound assisted the proceedings off camera.)

Playing Paul Simon's "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover"—originally from his iconic 1975 solo LP, Still Crazy After All These Years, and home to one of drummer Steve Gadd's most iconic performances—on the Avantgarde Acoustic system in American Sound Distribution’s room at AXPONA…

Marten Mingus Septet Statement Edition loudspeaker Specifications

Sidebar 1: Specifications

Description: Four-way loudspeaker with two 10" passive radiators. Drive units: 1" diamond-membrane tweeter; 3" beryllium-membrane upper midrange; 7" ceramic-cone lower midrange; two 8" woofers with aluminum-sandwich diaphragms; two 10" aluminum-sandwich passive radiators. Crossover frequencies (all first-order filters, symmetrical): 200Hz, 800Hz, 6kHz. Frequency response: 23Hz–40kHz ±2dB. Power rating: 300W. Sensitivity: 88dB/2.83V/1m. Nominal impedance: 4 ohms (2.7 ohms minimum). Terminals: WBT Nextgen Biwire. Internal wiring: Jorma Statement. Cabinet: 25–40mm…

Marten Mingus Septet Statement Edition loudspeaker Associated Equipment

Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment

Analog sources: SME Model 35 turntable with Series Vi tonearm; Ortofon Verismo, Lyra Etna λ Lambda phono cartridges.
Digital sources: Innuos ZENith Next-Gen server-streamer; CH Precision C1.2, Imersiv D-1 D/A processors.
Preamplifiers: Pass Laboratories XP-32 (line); Pass Laboratories XP-27 (phono).
Power amplifiers: Goldmund Telos 2800; Gryphon Antileon Revelation; Pass Laboratories XA60.8 monoblocks.
Loudspeakers: Wilson Audio Specialties Alexx V.
Cables: Digital: AudioQuest Carbon, Cinnamon, & Coffee USB; CAD USB; Wireworld…

Aurender N50 server/streamer Associated Equipment

Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment

Digital sources: dCS Rossini APEX DAC with dCS Rossini Master Clock; NUC running Roon; Cambridge CXC CD transport.
Analog sources: SME 20/3 turntable with SME V arm and Tedeska Tielke cartridge; Dynavector XV-1s cartridge; Audio Note UK IO Gold cartridge; Kondo KSL-SFz step-up transformer; Audio Note Kits L3 Signature RIAA phono stage; van den Hul "The Grail" MC phono stage.
Integrated amplifier: Audio Note Kondo Ongaku.
Loudspeaker: Avantgarde Acoustic Duo Mezzo G2.
Cables: Digital: AudioQuest WEL Signature (AES3); AudioQuest Carbon (AES3…

Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2 Bluetooth/Wired Headphones

The first headphones I owned, circa mid-1970s, were made by Pioneer. They jutted out from my ears, with small, paper-cone speakers inside. I was 11. I plugged them into the little no-frills Lafayette integrated amplifier that was the heart of my first stereo system, put a record on the BSR "record-wrecker" changer, dropped the needle, and was transported to my own musical world. It was an early magic sound experience.

"Head-Fi" is a whole different world nowadays than it was back then. The biggest change is Bluetooth, which lets us untether ourselves from our stereo systems. Some…