We’ve just attended the 2025 AXPONA audio show in Chicago. We had a team of 5 on site: Adrian Alexander, Grover Neville, Jason Methfessel, Robert Taylor and Tom Martin doing video coverage. The magazine also had a group of reviewers covering the show and their summary will be published in an upcoming issue.
Errata:
DeVore Fidelity Gibbon Super 9: $9900/pr
Pass Labs new preamp is the XSPRE-2, not the XP-22.
Sponsored by: https://www.advanceparis.com/
00:00 AXPONA 2025
02:25 Value for Money
04:12 Innovative Woofers
06:49 Sweetspot
08:57 Integrated Systems
15:50 Refinement
19:20 Vinyl
20:29 Thought Provocation
23:05 Fun
The Absolute Sound’s Review Methodology: https://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/the-absolute-sounds-review-methodology-first-principles/
Theoretica BACCH4Mac Review: https://youtu.be/TxI6wf5TYTU?si=Q9ZB4TufhdpwO0N_
The 6 Major Problems of Audio Believability: https://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/the-six-major-problems-of-audio-believability/
VPE Electrodynamics Woofer Reviews: https://youtu.be/Z9oMKGqtlDI?si=0RsqAaI957iqfHMm
Pass Labs Factory Visit: https://youtu.be/Z685WSlGz0A?si=yXNVH7RutoY3bZp_
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What Is The Absolute Sound?
The Absolute Sound magazine has been a leading publication in high-end audio since 1972. Since the early 2000s, The Absolute Sound has expanded to include web, newsletter, digital magazine, social media, YouTube and Substack platforms. The Absolute Sound platforms have a global audience of over 500,000 audiophiles.
#hifi #audiophile #theabsolutesound
@ruarkaudio @TheoreticaAppliedPhysics @AudioGroupDenmark @PerlistenAudio @PearlAcoustics @DeVOREFIDELITY @lonemountainaudio642 @atcprousa2355 @GrimmAudio @dynaudio @danvillesignal8234 @Devialet @ygacoustics @thevoicethatis @artisanfidelity7648 @audio-ultra @gttaudio @vividaudiochannel @audionet-hifi @Paulmcgowanpsaudio @scottwalkeraudio1 @WilsonBeneschTV @fidelityimports3604 @linkwitzaudio689 @estelon_speakers @audioresearchus
Copyright 2025, Nextscreen LLC, all rights reserved
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24:47
Songer Audio S2x Loudspeaker Field Listen
Songer Audio is the kind of audio company that puts a smile on your face. Songer is a small company devoted to designing and hand-building unusual loudspeakers. The concepts used by designer Ken Songer in some ways harken back to the early days of audio in the ‘30s and ‘50s. But these ideas are off the beaten path for modern designs. And a seven-year-old company making its own main drivers is also not the norm. The aesthetic used by Songer is also different. Now, sometimes different is good. Let’s take a look.
Sponsored by: https://www.theabsolutesound.com/newsletter
The Absolute Sound’s Review Methodology: https://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/the-absolute-sounds-review-methodology-first-principles/
Newsletter: https://www.theabsolutesound.com/newsletter
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theabsolutesound
Substack: https://www.theabsolutesound.substack.com
What Is The Absolute Sound?
The Absolute Sound magazine has been a leading publication in high-end audio since 1972. Since the early 2000s, The Absolute Sound has expanded to include web, newsletter, digital magazine, social media, YouTube and Substack platforms. The Absolute Sound platforms have a global audience of over 500,000 audiophiles.
#hifi #audiophile #theabsolutesound
Copyright 2025, Nextscreen LLC, all rights reserved
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12:28
Best DACs Under $50k Series: Tidal Camira LC Review
Regular viewers (thank you!) will know that we have defined six major issues for audio believability. These are systemic technical issues that have proven hard to address, one of these being ‘the problem of a-musical digital distortion’. We have been reviewing D/A converters in the hope of finding some that deal with the issue effectively. Is the Tidal Camira LC a DAC that breaks through this barrier? Let’s take a look.
Sponsored by: https://www.perlistenaudio.com/products/r210s/
The Absolute Sound’s Review Methodology: https://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/the-absolute-sounds-review-methodology-first-principles/
Newsletter: https://www.theabsolutesound.com/newsletter
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theabsolutesound
Substack: https://www.theabsolutesound.substack.com
What Is The Absolute Sound?
The Absolute Sound magazine has been a leading publication in high-end audio since 1972. Since the early 2000s, The Absolute Sound has expanded to include web, newsletter, digital magazine, social media, YouTube and Substack platforms. The Absolute Sound platforms have a global audience of over 500,000 audiophiles.
#hifi #audiophile #theabsolutesound
Copyright 2025, Nextscreen LLC, all rights reserved
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23:28
Best Wireless Headphones Series: Bang & Olufsen H100 Wireless Review
Newcomer Matt Coykendall reviews the Bang & Olufsen H100 headphones with their versatile but surprisingly high-fidelity sound. How do these stand up in the marketplace of hi-fi headphones? Listen in to find out...
The video is sponsored by: https://chordelectronics.co.uk/mojo-2
Matt's channel: https://www.youtube.com/@UC145VfPR89fEeiwjvQvThaA
The Absolute Sound’s Review Methodology: https://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/the-absolute-sounds-review-methodology-first-principles/
Newsletter: https://www.theabsolutesound.com/newsletter
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theabsolutesound
Substack: https://www.theabsolutesound.substack.com
What Is The Absolute Sound?
The Absolute Sound magazine has been a leading publication in high-end audio since 1972. Since the early 2000s, The Absolute Sound has expanded to include web, newsletter, digital magazine, social media, YouTube and Substack platforms. The Absolute Sound platforms have a global audience of over 500,000 audiophiles.
#hifi #audiophile #theabsolutesound
Copyright 2025, Nextscreen LLC, all rights reserved
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14:36
Blockaudio Class A Monoblock Amplifier Review
I tend to approach amplifier reviews with some trepidation, because I’m afraid the differences between them will be minute. This is almost never the case in reality. With the Block Class A monoblocks, the sound quality was not only easily discerned, it was what I think many audiophiles would want, if cost were no object.
https://www.theabsolutesound.com/newsletter
The Absolute Sound’s Review Methodology: https://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/the-absolute-sounds-review-methodology-first-principles/
Newsletter: https://www.theabsolutesound.com/newsletter
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theabsolutesound
Substack: https://www.theabsolutesound.substack.com
What Is The Absolute Sound?
The Absolute Sound magazine has been a leading publication in high-end audio since 1972. Since the early 2000s, The Absolute Sound has expanded to include web, newsletter, digital magazine, social media, YouTube and Substack platforms. The Absolute Sound platforms have a global audience of over 500,000 audiophiles.
#hifi #audiophile #theabsolutesound
Copyright 2025, Nextscreen LLC, all rights reserved
The Absolute Sound is the world’s preeminent source of expert reviews, features, and commentary on high-performance audio and music. Since 1973, TAS has set the standard for quality audio and music journalism, helping to shape the industry and guiding audio enthusiasts and music lovers to components and recordings that faithfully reproduce the sounds one might hear in a good concert hall.
The Absolute Sound is a monthly print and digital magazine, an online destination for those interested in better sound, and a community of audiophiles and music lovers.
For a Brief History of The Absolute Sound:
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