I’m doing my show awards a little different for AXPONA. this year. The biggest difference is the award categories. With a show as large as AXPONA, Becky and I cannot possibly cover all of the rooms, and I can only give awards to the rooms that I actually spent some time in and reviewed.
Another factor that is always difficult to control is the size of the room, and as we all know, that can make a big difference in the way a system sounds. The award-winning systems were in rooms that varied in size and setup. This made it really subjective for me to know which systems sounded best.
I’m not trying to make excuses, because despite how difficult it is to navigate a show the size of AXPONA, the cream still rises to the top. Congratulations to these winners at the upper-end of the price spectrum!T
The Audio Company – Best Mega System for Those Who Don’t Have To Ask the Price
That’s right, if you have to ask how much this system costs, it probably isn’t for you. If you don’t have a room in your home or space to add on a room that is big enough, then this system also isn’t for you. Still, if you ever get a chance to hear a system of this caliber in a room big enough to let it shine, don’t miss it.
The team at The Audio Company of Marietta, GA are to be congratulated for continuing to bring such incredible mega systems to shows. There is an art to knowing how to match and display components so that they truly show what they can do.
The system included the VAC / Valve Amplification Company‘s Statement Phono Preamplifier, Statement Line Preamplifier, Statement 450iQ and Monoblock Power Amplifiers (4). Von Schweikert Audio supplied their Ultra 11 speakers and Shockwave 4 x 15 subwoofers (2). The analog source was the TechDAS Air Force One turntable.
The digital source came from Esoteric USA with their P1 Grandioso CD Transport, D1 Grandioso Mono DACs (2), N-01 streamer/renderer/DAC, and the G1 Grandioso Clock.
Aurender supplied an N10 music server/streamer. Critical Mass Systems added their Maxxum racks and amp stands. MasterBuilt Audio‘s Ultra cables and interconnects were used throughout.
My only regret with this system was that I didn’t have more time to listen. The sound was simply more like live music than any other system I have ever heard.
High Water Sound – Best Analog System, Speakers Under $100,000
Nearly everything in Jeffrey Catalano’s High Water Sound room this year was a debut product. The speakers were the debut of the Horning Hybrid Systems’ Eufrodite Ellipse MK.III speakers ($28,000). Please notice how far under $100,000 these speakers are. These were the best Horning speakers that I have ever heard, and they were in the same league with some of the best speakers Jeff has ever shown.
The TW-Acustic GT2 turntable with a TW-Acustic 12″ tonearm, and the Horning MK.III speakers were driven by New Audio Frontiers electronics with cables by TEO. Trust me though, this system was simply alive and playing music that sounded real!
Well Pleased Audio Vida – Best Digital System, Speakers Under $100,000
The Well Pleased Audio Vida room has already been recognized for Best Sound by multiple audio publications, so I’m not the only one who was impressed. The big story in was the debut of the Rethm Maarga v2 loudspeakers at only $9,750.
The speakers were being driven by an Audio Hungary Qualiton A20i SE Integrated Amplifier. I reviewed this amp back in the fall of 2017. This little combo costs less than $15,000, and it could complete with every system in the show. When you consider that it was using only a digital source, this is amazing for me to say.
For the old analog-loving Audio Beatnik to be this excited about a system without a turntable, you can bet the digital source was really fine. It was the incredible sounding Aqua Acoustic Quality Formula xHD D/A at $17,000 and the Innuos Zenith MkIII Music Server for $4,250.
The rest of the system consisted of a GigaWatt PC-4 Power Conditioner for $10,000, Diamond Reference Cables from Swisscables and the equipment was sitting on SGR Hifi Racks. To read my review of this room, click here.
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