Show Report

Audio Video Show 2026, the 28th edition of the hi-fi show in Warsaw, will open in just a few hours, on Friday, October 23, at noon local time. Three intrepid Stereophile contributing editors—Jason Victor Serinus, Ken Micallef, and Ola Björling—are on hand to cover as much of it as (in)humanly possible. Serinus kicks off our Warsaw coverage here.

In the Belgian city of Ghent stands a formidable artifact of military technology: Dulle Griet ("Mad Meg"), a 15th-century cannon that weighs about 12.5 tons. Despite its fearsome appearance, the weapon apparently never fired a shot. But it does lend some historical inspiration to Bombard, a new Belgian loudspeaker company whose first product, the OB1, made its debut at the 2026 Dutch Audio Event. OB1 stands for Open Baffle 1, but if your first thought was of a Star Wars character…same.

If Part 1 of Robert Schryer's Toronto Audiofest 2026 report was any indication, this year's show—which was held on October 16–18, 2026—continued to deliver on its intended promise of collective cheer, great gear, and musical bliss. Here's the second of installment of his three T.O. show reports to further state the case.