Every show I try to do a group of pictures of turntables that I think of as eye candy. This time Becky suggested I also do one for speakers. So, here’s, a baker’s dozen of loudspeaker eye candy.
Daedalus Apollo Loudspeakers
From Daedalus Audio, these Apollo speakers reminded us of the high-end, Native American inspired furniture we see at galleries in Sedona, AZ, where we have gone on vacation for years. The cabinets are built from hand-selected and renewable hardwoods. New for this speaker this year is a redesigned tweeter from Eton and a proprietary 10” woofer. Aside from being very high on the WAF (Wife Acceptance Factor), these speakers are beautifully musical, and we visited this room several times during the show.
PS Audio AN3 Loudspeakers
AXPONA was the public debut of these speakers, which are a tribute to the late Arnie Nudell, co-founder of Infinity and a mentor to PS Audio‘s Paul McGowan. According to PS Audio’s Bill Leebens, the AN3 has a proprietary and patent-pending Perspective Control that enables the speakers to produce a convincing soundstage regardless of how closely they are positioned to a wall. From what we heard, they are a worthy tribute!
Horning MK.III Loudspeakers
The Horning Eufrodite Elipse MK.III loudspeakers from Horning Hybrid debuted in the U.S. at AXPONA. In Jeffrey Catalano’s High Water Sound listening room, they got quite a workout as Jeff loves to play music. We stopped by late on Sunday for a reasonably-long listen, and enjoyed one of the most musical systems at the show.
Salk Song3 BeAT Loudspeakers
Though small in size, these speakers from Salk can really rock, which makes them great for a smaller listening space. At 88dB sensitivity and 8-ohm impedance, the Song3 BeAT’s don’t require a large amplifier to produce a BIG sound.
Fern & Roby The Ravens
Fern & Roby’s THE RAVENS are wonderful-sounding speakers with great tone and aliveness. THE RAVENS are floor-standing, single-driver loudspeakers. They sell for $9,500 a pair. Read a short post about them a couple of days ago here.
Tri-Art Audio B Series 5 Open Speakers
A different look for sure, but these B Series 5 Open Speakers from Tri-Art Audio were designed to provide impressive bass response without the boom of conventional box speakers.
MBL 101 Es Loudspeakers
Again, not just your average speaker in looks, but the MBL 101 Es Loudspeaker has been around for a while and it’s a sure bet to draw attention at an audio show. There’s a great diagram here on their site that explains the design.
Stiletto 15 Loudspeakers
Vinni Rossi Audio brought a pre-production pair of the American-made STILETTO 15 to AXPONA for its debut. This is a 3-way reference loudspeaker design to deliver a carefully balanced and highly engaging sound.
T&A SOLATAIRE CWT 1000-40 Anniversary Edition Loudspeakers
Lone Star Audio in Texas brought these loudspeakers to AXPONA. The German manufacturer, T&A, spent over three years of development to perfect these speakers in honor of their 40th anniversary. You can read more about this design here.
Pure Audio Project Trio 15 Classic Loudspeakers
These open baffle speakers from Pure Audio Project are garnering plenty of raves from the reviewers. All I can say is that they sounded very good in the listening room.
Destination Audio NiKA Horn Speakers
Destination Audio makes their speakers in Poland and distributes them in the U.S. through Arkamima Audio in Fort Worth, TX. They debuted their Vista horn system at the California Audio Show last summer. The NiKA, which debuted in December, is about a third the cost of the Vista, which makes it around $25K USD.
Avantgarde’s DUO MEZZO XD Loudspeakers
Yes, there were quite a few horned speakers at AXPONA. This pair from Avantgarde Acoustics of Germany was the only one we saw with blue horns. The horns do come in multiple other colors and the cabinets are available in Ebony Wenge (shown here), Tiger Rosewood and Zebrano. While not for everyone, they have a very full range and soundstage.
Volti Rival Loudspeakers
Volti Audio was taking a nostalgic look back with this version of their Rival Loudspeakers, a three-way horn loaded speaker. The new Type II cabinet style allows for a recessed grill which gives them a look similar to earlier models. These 100dB efficient speakers produce a wonderful sound that Volti says contains the same elements that make live music so engaging.
