Welcome back to my coverage of AXPONA 2026

I would like to take a quick moment to thank VERA-FI AUDIO LLC, manufacturer of some of the finest audio products and accessories, including the Vanguard Caldera 10 Active Subwoofer of which I have two, and some truly amazing noise suppression and isolation devices, for sponsoring our coverage of AXPONA 2026 in a gesture of goodwill for the audio community at large as they do not even show at AXPONA.

One of my pet peeves about AXPONA is that at a show dedicated to rare air audio and ostensibly audiophiles, a large portion of the exhibits appear to be more interested in creating a sound that impresses than making music, which meant walking into rooms with sound systems costing several hundred thousands of dollars where they are only playing pop music with electric instruments at concert level volumes rather than acoustical instruments as natural volumes in order to create a larger than life feel. Mind you, I have no issue with listening to one’s music loud, I do a great deal of the time, but it tells me little about the sound quality of the equipment, just that it can play loud. To me, this is the realm of Home Theater and Mid-Fi. Hence, there were a couple of rooms I found myself returning to again and again.

Sound Lab/Linear Tube Audio

The Soundlab/LTA room became my sanctuary; this was where I went anytime the stress of blaring Hip-Hop or Jazz played at stadium levels got too much for me. The sound of the new Sound Lab G4-4C Majestic Electrostatic Loudspeaker ($33,400pr) supported by the Sound Lab SALLIE 12″ Back Wave Attenuator ($3,000 – the weird room treatment panels shown just inside the speakers) was simply sublime and, for my money, stands the most tonally perfect speaker I have ever heard. The wonderful match with the LTA Century Monoblock Amplifiers ($28,000pr) fed by the LTA Balanced Preamplifier Prototype ($TBA), which was sourced from a Grimm MU1 Streamer ($14,400) running through an LTA Aero DAC ($3,950) using Shunyata cables, created a laser-perfect, absolutely natural image, with outstanding musicality, which placed you in the concert hall with the performers. This was the best sound I have ever heard from Sound Lab Loudspeakers. I am more than happy to declare this the best sound of the show, despite being one of the smaller rooms.

MARGULES/Athenamuse/B.A.D.A.S.S.

My other home away from home, and probably the room I spent the most time in, was the B.A.D.A.S.S. (Ball Audio Distribution And System Solutions) room, where this year he was showing an entirely Margules system (Raidho Acoustics was set up in one of the large ballrooms downstairs in the other building) which included the Margules U280 30th Anniversary Special Edition Tube Amplifier ($12,000), the Margules SF220 Tube Preamplifier ($8,000), the Margules MS-01 Music Server/Streamer ($3,500), the Margules TD-25 Turntable & Arm ($6,900), the Margules Phono Stage ($2,500), a pair of the Margules Itermezzo Speakers ($32,000/pr), and a pair of the Margules Centruy Overture Monitor Speakers with Matching Stands ($16,000/pr). Though Margules makes excellent cables themselves, Mr. Ball chose to go with Athenamuse cables throughout, which, given his over 40 years of representing some of the most respected cables in the business, is quite the compliment. To add icing to the cake, off to the side was set up the final production versions of the Margules Planar Headphones ($2,500) and the Margules OTL Tube Headphone Amp/Music Server/Streamer ($4,500). Julian Margules has gone beyond simply studying electronics and acoustics to studying how people perceive and enjoy music both physically and psychologically, developing the concept of Aligned Neuro-Acoustics, which is incorporated into his amplifier designs, as well as his speakers, creating simply amazing sound. One of the secrets behind the epic sound of his speakers, which is not readily visible, is the fact that the cabinets are, in fact, made from concrete.

American Sound/Avantgarde/Air Tight/SME/Rethm/Wadax/Analog Relax/Grimm Audio/Synthesis

Angie Lisi of American Sound always provides one of the most impressive displays at the show with the massive Avantgarde Trios Spherical Horn Loudspeakers driven by Air Tight ATM3211 Reference Mono Power Amplifiers, and Avantgarde Twin Subs driven by Air Tight ATM2211 Monoaural Power Amplifiers, running from an Air Tight ATC-7 Pre Amplifier, sourced from an SME Model 60 Turntable fitted with an Analog Relax EX2000 Phono Cartridge connected through an Air Tight ATH-3S MC Step-Up Transformer to an Air Tight ATE-3011 Reference Phono Equalizer and a Wadax Studio Player Collection SACD Player/Master Clock/DAC. Debuting at the show were the Avantgarde Opus 1 Loudspeaker (which are fully active and were running alone with a Grimm Audio MU2), the Air Tight ATC-6 Preamp & ATE-5 Phono Stage, the Synthesis Embrace Tube Headphone Amp, the Analog Relax EX 700 Cartridge, and the Rethm Active Speaker.

ATC

The big surprise of the show was ATC, who were hosting the U.S. premiere of their new ATC EL50 Active Loudspeaker ($99,999/pr). ATC, known for their wonderful pro-audio active loudspeakers, which are available in consumer models, have jumped into the rare-air audiophile arena with their spectacular EL50, which, despite their size and no visible room treatment, controlled the base in the tiny room fantastically, no small feat, and a testament to the advantages of an active loudspeaker.

ampsandsound

ampsandsound, who has long been one of my favorite amplifier manufacturers, presented a relatively affordable all in-house display (excepting the turntable) with their classic ampsandsound Seneca 2way Horn Loaded Speaker ($15,000) driven by the ampsandsound Stereo 17 Amplifier ($6,000) and ampsandsound Badlands Preamplifier ($12,000) with an ampsandsound DAC4.4 ($14,000) as digital source. Also in the mix was the epic ampsandsound Kenzie Reimagined ($6,000).

That concludes Part 2 of my coverage of AXPONA 2026, I would once again like to thank VERA-FI AUDIO LLC for sponsoring this coverage. Stay tuned for part 3.