AXPONA 2026 Coverage Sponsored by VERA-FI AUDIO LLC Part 5

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 Vera-Fi Audio LLC Main Stream – Master Class Dynamic Parallel AC Line Conditioner a truly amazing noise suppression device, 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.

Neil Blanchard Designs/Geshelli Labs

Neil Blanchard Designs was once again sharing a space with Geshelli Labs, demonstrating assembled versions of their DIY speaker kits. For your listening pleasure was the Neil Blanchard Designs MLTL-4 Mass Loaded Transmission Line Speaker and their soon-to-be-released Neil Blanchard Designs Super Tower, both of which use external crossovers. These were driven by a pair of Geshelli Labs G-BLOK Amplifiers ($1,299.99), Geshelli Labs Giuseppe Preamp ($2,499.99), and a Geshelli Labs TORC DAC ($699.99).

Geshelli Labs

In the Geshelli Labs listening room, they were running a pair of SVS Ultra Evolution Titan Loudspeakers ($1,999.99/ea) with the Geshelli Labs G-BLOK Amplifiers ($1,299.99), Geshelli Labs Giuseppe Preamp ($2,499.99), and a Geshelli Labs TORC DAC ($699.99)

Metaxas & Sins

One of the more stunning experiences at the show was the Metaxas & Sins room with their now famous Metaxas & Sins Tourbillon Reel to Reel Tape Deck ($36,000), and Metaxas & Sins Pram Turntable ($44,000), as well as the ever jaw-dropping Metaxas & Sins Ethereal Electrostatic Headphone Amplifier ($32,000). What was new for the show was their fantastic Metaxas & Sins Emperor Electrostatic Loudspeakers ($150,000), which I was told are modular in case your room can’t accommodate their extreme height. For electronics, they opted for two Soulution 511 Stereo Amplifiers ($59,975/ea) and a Soulution 326 Preamplifier ($36,475), rather than their own Metaxas & Sins Solitaire Amplifier ($41,000), which was on static display, supported by a pair of SVS Subwoofers.

Apos/Matrix Audio/Salad

Apos an online retailer/manufacturer, created by a group of hobbiests who wanted to see their ideas brought to fruition, such as the Apos x Audio-Technica ATH-R70x Refine Headphone ($299), the Apos x Community Gremlin Tube Amp ($120), which was an open chassis, Class A, fully balanced tube headphone amplifier using a matched pair of classic 12AU7 preamp tubes, designed to work in conjunction with the Apos x Geshelli Merlin AKM Desktop DAC ($225). Of note was the Salad Line Compact Tower Speakers ($2,400/pr with matching subwoofers) being sourced from a Salad SA-XC Turntable (TBA) through a pair of WiiM Amp Pro Amplifiers ($379), and a WiiM Ultra Music Streamer ($329).

MADO

Another eye-catching room was MADO (Merryweather Air Disturbing Objects). They were auditioning three of their unique Karlson Waveguide Super Tweeter Loudspeakers, the MADO Stony Open Baffle Waveguide Loudspeaker ($6,999/pr), the MADO Fork Open Baffle Dipole Waveguide Loudspeaker ($7,999/pr), and an unidentified speaker modified with the MADO Kouplers Karlson Waveguide Super Tweeter ($550/pr), sadly, these were the best sounding of the group. The electronics were mostly DIY components except for the ModWright Tube Blu-Ray Player (discontinued), which caught my attention.

Treehaus Audiolab

Always worth a visit is Treehaus Audiolab who were showing their beautiful Treehaus Audiolab Phantom of Luxury Field Coil Loudspeakers ($32,000 plus $4,000 Iconoclast SPTPC internal wiring upgrade) being driven by a Treehaus Audiolab 300B-4 SET Amplifier ($60,000), running off a Treehaus Audiolab LCR Phono Preamplifier ($26,000) with a Treehaus Audiolab Moving Coil Step-Up Transformer Control Center ($4,700), through a Treehaus Audiolab Preamplifier ($24,000), with a Treehaus Audiolab “The Gadget” Oscilloscope VU Meter ($6,500) just for the fun of it.

That concludes Part 5 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 6.