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I measured one of the Marten Mingus Septet Statement Edition loudspeakers, serial number 25080551A, in Jim Austin's listening room, with the speaker driven by the Gryphon Antileon Revelation amplifier he had in-house for review. I used DRA Labs' MLSSA system and calibrated DPA 4006 and Earthworks QTC-40 microphones with an Earthworks microphone preamplifier to measure the Mingus Septet's farfield frequency behavior. I used the Earthworks QTC-40 mike, which has a small, ¼"-diameter capsule, for the nearfield responses.

At Albany, New York–area dealership Hippo's, Nicholas Shippey has been doing that for almost five years. He, his colleagues, and his customers call him "Audio Curator." He's not a manager exactly, but he plays several key roles at the dealership, including meeting with vendors and helping to decide which brands and products are a…

Richard Vandersteen was in a fine mood at AXPONA 2026, and why not? The Vandersteen system in the next room sang—and when I caught up with him, he was contemplating both his future and his past, smiling. His four children all work for the company, he told me, and he still loves listening to music—preferably with his wife Eneke, who is golden-eared enough to remark that their home stereo sounds "unexciting" when her spouse swaps in class-D amps without telling her.

In the near future, he said excitedly, Vandersteen Audio may develop a statement stereo system without regard to cost…

Room 672 at AXPONA 2026 featured a collaborative exhibit from importer and distributor Bluebird Music that paired Swiss precision with Danish craftsmanship. The system showcased Peak Consult Sonora loudspeakers ($34,900)—two-way floorstanders with leather-covered baffles, solid walnut cabinets, and thick, triple-layered construction.

A rear-mounted passive bass radiator supplements the main driver pair. The tweeter is a 1" Scan-Speak Illuminator soft silk dome; the bass/midrange driver uses an Audio Technology 6" sandwich-molded cone in a diecast magnesium chassis.

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Sound in this Esoteric room at AXPONA 2026 was oceanic, pure, and immersive, yet equally well detailed and resolved.

I requested ZZ Top—my show jones—and the team supplied the little ol' band from…

Description: Over-ear noise-canceling headphones with high-performance DSP with dedicated amplifier/DAC/ADC, true 24-bit audio connection, five-band customizable EQ, Bluetooth 5.3 with aptX Lossless technology, USB-C wired digital and USB-C to 1/8" analog connectivity, active noise cancellation, USB-C charging and audio interface, fast-charging support, Apple Made For iPhone support, Google Fast Pair. Bluetooth codecs: aptX Lossless, aptX Adaptive, aptX HD, aptX Classic, AAC, SBC. Microphones: 4 per earcup. Voice Call Quality Algorithm: ADI PureVoice. Drive units…

Two AXPONA veterans I met who don't know each other told me separately that they considered the system in the DeVore Fidelity room one of the highlights of the 2026 show. So off to room 646 I went.

There, principal John DeVore, as tall as he is friendly, was continuing his long-standing partnership with Nagra. The system was centered around his flagship Orangutan O/Reference four-piece speaker system, which includes the main two-way towers paired with two independent Bassmachine subwoofers. Pony up $99,350, and it's all yours.

The speakers were driven by Nagra…

What about reclocking switches? And what if you only need to connect two units—which could be connected with just a cable? Do reclocking switches offer any advantage?

That is one of several questions I set out to answer by…