Ken Micallef

Audiophile dream team Mike Pranka (Dynavector, Well Tempered Lab, JM Reynaud) and Charlie Schnyder (Stereo Haven) transformed room 624 into a sonic oasis. This well-tuned system made up of meticulously curated equipment delivered precision and nuance.

For sleeping, past convention nights have sometimes been a nightmare, stuck next to the rooms of exhibitors who think "lights out" means "crank it up to 11!" Neighbor TriangleArt was a exception. They silenced their space by 7 pm, and their music was so good, it literally floated through the walls, beckoning me in.

Colin King and Doug K of Gestalt Audio Design of Nashville, Tennessee, presented one of the more unusual looking rigs at AXPONA, complete with a fantastical copper-colored turntable with a steampunk clamp, a pair of bug-eyed loudspeakers each with a field-coil midrange driver, and a master controller that looked like it had been rescued or stolen from a Russian submarine circa 1957.

Balanced Audio Technology’s chief designer Victor Khomenko and BAT rep Steve Shade unveiled new products in conjunction with MoFi Electronics in 334.

In the Innovation room, operated by Joe Corona of Chicago-based dealer Saturday Audio Exchange, two systems played, both featuring new components.

Well Pleased AV’s Mark Sossa corralled me for an early-morning listen session. I'm glad he did.

In the Nirvana C ballroom, Nguyen Phuong of Clarisys Audio USA played his range of Clarisys Audio Panels, of which the smaller Minuet panel had so impressed me at the recent Florida International Audio Expo.