Axpona 2019 - Best of

Mike

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With a two hour delay at the airport, and many friends having flight cancellations, I have plenty of time to write my report.

At the outset, Axpona 2019 was shaping up to be the largest audio show in America and it didn’t disappoint!

From the wonderful industry reception on the first night to Shelby Lynn’s incredible performance last evening, along with seemingly endless rooms of exhibitors, Axpona 2019 proved to be the biggest yet.

With 9 floors of small exhibit rooms and 1 floor of several large rooms, getting through the near 200 rooms was a real task.

It’s safe to say that not many rooms were having great sound on the first day, but by day two and three, things were in full swing.

I can honestly say there was not one single “best of”, there were several great stand out rooms.

In no particular order:

1. Magico M2’s with MSB Select II DAC and Transport, CH precision amplication. This room just got better and better as the show went on and fully showed the leading edge design of the Magico M series and the most non-digital sounding digital on the planet: MSB. What a wonderful pairing. One which we got to experience again with the MSB Select II and M3’s in another room. I would have preferred an amp with a little more liquidty to the sound. I find the CH still a touch dry, although always beautifully made and staffed by wonderful people.

2. MBL 101e mk2 with NOBLE electronics and Air Force turntable/Gryphon phonostage. Never one to take second fiddle to anyone, the MBL room once again was a standout performer. I have to say, I think this room evoked the most emotions from its listeners. Very engaging and just closing your eyes transforms you to the performance.

3. Gryphon Trident II/Mephisto Stereo and new Ethos CD player/DAC. The Gryphon room was set up with 30 minute demos. Rune Skov back from his short stint at Raidho was at the helm providing a wonderful description of the electronics and the music. Despite excessive noise from adjoining rooms, this room was most impressive. The Trident II’s are semi-active speakers and had the best lower midrange I heard at the show. Hands down, a glorious system.

4. VAC/Von Schwerikert speakers. Finally got to hear this room in all it’s glory during the VAC after hours party on Saturday night. With The Eagles Hotel California spinning on the Air Force One turntable, this room was producing concert level sound and had everyone tapping their toes.

5. Lumin/Vivid Giya G2. Mark Gurvey and the folks from Lumin did a wonderful job with this room. It was clearly the sleeper of the show. The new Lumin amps were doing the duties in bridged mode and had the speakers totally under control and displaying incredible musicality with no faults.

6. Magico M3’s/MSB. Vince from MSB had this tiny room dialed in beautifully. I know this combination very well and was delighted to hear it work so well here in Chicago. Vince played a wonderful selection of music. The Select II DAC and Select Transport were dialed in beautifully and providing music without any edge or fatigue.

7. Avantgarde Duo Mezzo XD. Although I’m a tube man at heart, the Esoteric Grandioso stack was providing the source and amplification duties in this room. Sounding good on the first day, by the third day, this room was sounding splendid, dynamic and live.

8. GT Audioworks planer magnetic speakers. Magnepan has stiff competition. This company based out of New Jersey (I believe) has taken planer magnetic technology to a whole new level. Wonderfully musical and transparent. A true show stopper.

9. Fonica Loudspeakers. Isodynamic loudspeaker technology from Italy. Offering both powered and passive versions at reasonable prices. This speaker had the bass, dynamics and drive with seemingly better dispersion than a Magnepan or typical electrostatic.

10.B&W 802D3’s. I went back to this room several times. On the first day, things were not as dialed in with the subs as you would expect, but by the second day, this room was completely dialed in and sounding awesome - DESPITE a bad room. To get an idea of the true tonality of the speaker, I stood off to the side where the recessed ceiling wasn’t affecting the sound. Quite a dramatic change.

Best new digital product (tie):

Aurender A30. Pictures and specs don’t do it justice. Listening is believing. It’s a winner.

New T+A HV transport and DAC. Taking their digital capabilities to a whole new level. Very smooth and liquid sound.

Best new amplifier:

On looks, the D’Agostino Relentless, but I’m afraid on all three days I didn’t hear great sound from this room. Music selection was likely the culprit. However, on sound alone, the new Lumin AMP. What a sleeper. Terrific musical sound. Liquid and smooth with perfect balance.

Best new Analog:

VPI HW40’s. Pictures don’t do it justice. If this turntable was made by anyone else, it would cost $80,000 or more. Sonically exceptional.

Best new speaker:

Magico M2. Consistently great and the lack of any flat lines (even a rounded top) really helped create the great disappearing act of this speaker. Bass was far better than I expected. It nips at the heels of the M3.

A few honorable mentions/pleasant surprises:

The Audio Net amps were quite good. A nice step away from the old sound.

The new Esoteric P1X/D1X. No AKM or traditional DAC chip in this baby. This produced a sound I had not yet heard from any Esoteric. Much smoother and more liquid. A nice evolution for sure.

The Magico M6’s really impressed me on the first day. It was fabulous. When I sat down and listened to three songs, it was outstanding. Perfect. I went back on Saturday and Sunday, but both times the music being played was for a reviewer in the sweet spot. Solo violin and piano just ain’t my thing. Hopefully next time this wonderful speaker will be shown in a proper showroom it’s worthy of.

Borresen 01/05 - there isn’t much more I can add to what has already been said by others. Seemingly more dynamic and punchy than Raidho’s and definitely playing loud with ease. Bass was excellent, tight and punchy. Like others, the tweeter was just a little hot for my tastes. But let’s chalk it up to the rooms. A little absorption would go a long way.

T+A’s line array/electrostatic tweeter combo speaker was really excellent. It was one speaker I would love to hear in a slightly bigger room.

Constellation with Martin Logan. Irv Gross had this room sounding excellent - even with just the little Constellation Inspiration Stereo 1.0 amp. I’ll keep saying it: sounds like tubes, doesn’t get hot, made in the USA. What’s not to like?

Goebel/CH room. I heard it sounding pretty good on Friday and Saturday. Didn’t get a chance to return on Sunday. It wasn’t the best room to show these big babies (lots of glass).

Vinburg (Tidal) speakers. This room should really be in my top 10. These speakers for $29K are THAT good. Gorgeous to look at and just as beautiful to listen to. Looking forward to hearing them again. RMAF, now Axpona showed their strong potential.

Last but not least, the PS Audio AN3 (??) speakers. These show a lot of promise and they are no where near finished. The fit and finish is very nice and I thanked Paul for letting us have a listen even though they weren’t anywhere near completion.

There are many, like the Jeff Joseph room and the Muraudio Room that were excellent as well.
 
Mike,
Awesome show report!
How did the Vimberg room compare to the sound of the more expensive offering -- the Tidal speakers?
Thanks,
Anshul
 
Mike,
Awesome show report!
How did the Vimberg room compare to the sound of the more expensive offering -- the Tidal speakers?
Thanks,
Anshul

Thank you. I would say “close”. Maybe 80%.


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There were definitely a number of great rooms this year. My favorites follow (in no particular order).

Magico M2, MSB, CH Precision
T&A Reference system
Stenheim Alumine Five, VTL, Nordost
Magico M3, MSB
Wilson, Audio Research, AMG
MBL
Avantgarde, Esoteric
VSA Ultra 11, VAC - The after hours listening was exceptional. Closest thing to live music I have heard.

Biggest surprises: Magico M6, D’Agostino making great sound in a very difficult space. Rethm speakers - unfamiliar with the brand and sound was excellent for under $10k.
 
Mike - great effort and display on the show, your insight is meaningful for a lot of people, thank you


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So Guys, according to your comments in both Axpona 2019 topics, despite the "room" etc, it seems Magico M6 pairs wonderfully with D`Agostino M400? Can anyone please elaborate more about this particular combo - wether heard on Axpona or not :)
 
hey Mike, did the hailey 2.2 sing at this show or was it not there? if so, any thoughts on that compared to m2 or even the raidho tantalum stuff? i know shows arent the best place for this kind of assessment but just wondering if you had any take aways to share
 
hey Mike, did the hailey 2.2 sing at this show or was it not there? if so, any thoughts on that compared to m2 or even the raidho tantalum stuff? i know shows arent the best place for this kind of assessment but just wondering if you had any take aways to share

Heard a few pairs of YG’s. Not sure if any were 2.2.
 
Thanks Mike. So little show coverage on the forums this time. Usually a bunch of shutterbugs with comments in the past. Not so much this year. Nice to get a little feedback.
 
Thanks Mike. So little show coverage on the forums this time. Usually a bunch of shutterbugs with comments in the past. Not so much this year. Nice to get a little feedback.

I noticed that to. I said to Joe. We definitely are the leaders! Great coverage by RITMO and others too!


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Best new amplifier:

On looks, the D’Agostino Relentless, but I’m afraid on all three days I didn’t hear great sound from this room. Music selection was likely the culprit.

Mike,

As a bunch of others have chimed in on this and the pictures thread, thank you very much for your time and work to share your experiences with all of us who were not there. It is truly appreciated.

With respect to the Relentless....your experience is a shame IMHO as my wife and I have heard them at length a couple of times with music we are familiar with and felt (in our humble opinion) that they were absolutely magnificent. Actually, they are currently the best amplifiers that we have heard in our travels easily beating out mighty contenders. In fact, I have heard and read others stating that they are slightly better than Dan's M400s. IMHO they are seriously better than the M400s and a significant achievement in amplification that is in an entirely different class of products. To each his/her own though.

If McGrath from Wilson was driving and spinning his usual, well let me be nice, selections; then maybe it was the music. However, I would expect these amplifiers based on my experience with them to shine regardless of what music you throw at them.

What was it that you didn't like about the sound? I would really be interested in your details to see what I missed when listening to them.

Thanks again for your show report and the time you took to share.
 
Mike,

As a bunch of others have chimed in on this and the pictures thread, thank you very much for your time and work to share your experiences with all of us who were not there. It is truly appreciated.

With respect to the Relentless....your experience is a shame IMHO as my wife and I have heard them at length a couple of times with music we are familiar with and felt (in our humble opinion) that they were absolutely magnificent. Actually, they are currently the best amplifiers that we have heard in our travels easily beating out mighty contenders. In fact, I have heard and read others stating that they are slightly better than Dan's M400s. IMHO they are seriously better than the M400s and a significant achievement in amplification that is in an entirely different class of products. To each his/her own though.

If McGrath from Wilson was driving and spinning his usual, well let me be nice, selections; then maybe it was the music. However, I would expect these amplifiers based on my experience with them to shine regardless of what music you throw at them.

What was it that you didn't like about the sound? I would really be interested in your details to see what I missed when listening to them.

Thanks again for your show report and the time you took to share.

I voted it in my Best New Amp category. I just didn’t hear great music selections the three times I went in. Very soft, simple stuff. Would love to have hear some ripping Eagles or big jazz. I’ll hear them in a different setting soon enough. I know how great Dan’s amps are. I owned them!


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I voted it in my Best New Amp category. I just didn’t hear great music selections the three times I went in. Very soft, simple stuff. Would love to have hear some ripping Eagles or big jazz. I’ll hear them in a different setting soon enough. I know how great Dan’s amps are. I owned them!


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Sorry, I misunderstood as I thought you only liked the cosmetics and were less enthusiastic about the sound. Given my misunderstanding, I was interested in in learning why.
 
Ive seen NUMEROUS reports on various Axpona threads about what a disappointment the Relentless room was so it aint just Mike's opinion. He's actually being very diplomatic about it...unlike some of the other "bashing" comments that are out there.
 
The M2's were one of the highlights of the show for me. Bass was taut and impactful. Great sense of space and the speakers totally disappeared. I thought they sounded better than the M3's (which were also excellent) in a similar sized room with a similar front end. I was in the room twice and both experiences left me impressed. I heard a couple of other Magico rooms at the show, and all were excellent, but this was the standout for a medium to small room size.
 
Ive seen NUMEROUS reports on various Axpona threads about what a disappointment the Relentless room was so it aint just Mike's opinion. He's actually being very diplomatic about it...unlike some of the other "bashing" comments that are out there.

Everyone has different opinions and hears things differently. by Jason Victor Serinus

Given that I had recently gushed over the pairing, at one of Definitive Audio of Seattle's Music Matters events, of Wilson Audio's Alexx speakers ($109,000/pair), Sub Sonic Subwoofers (two, at $37,500/each), and Watch Controllers (two, at $4000/each); D'Agostino Relentless monoblocks ($250,000/pair) and Progression monoblocks ($38,000/pair), plus Momentum phono stage ($28,000); a dCS and Clearaudio front end; and lots and lots of Transparent Reference XL cabling plus an HRS VXR-19213V-80 rack with two M3x base audio stands ($57,960 total), I didn't know if I would hear much of a difference from the AXPONA system put together by Michigan retailer Paragon Sight and Sound. If anything, I expected the level of sonic excellence to drop somewhat, because we were moving from a purpose-built, carefully treated store showroom to a far more challenging convention hall space.

Oh, was I wrong. Although, on the dCS end, the system moved down a small notch by the replacement of the four-stack Vivaldi system with this room's not exactly shabby Vivaldi One ($92,000 with special nickel finish), there were two notable system additions: the brand new D'Agostino Momentum HD Pre Line Stage ($40,000), which I'm in line to review, and the Stromtank 2500 Independent Power Source ($19,500). Together with Clearaudio's Master Innovation Turntable with TT1-M1 tonearm ($54,000) and Goldfinger Statement cartridge ($16,000), this system made music like no other system I've ever heard.

When I entered, Musical Surroundings' Garth Leerer was playing "If I Should Lose You" from jazz ensemble Sphere's LP Flight Path. The bass was solid beyond belief, the control absolute, and the tactile sensation of sticks and brushes touching the skin of a drum positively uncanny. No booming, absolutely no booming, whether from deep drums or double bass. No sense of a separate subwoofer or, on a file of an organ track cued up by Peter McGrath, an iota of strain. None. And the spaciousness was extraordinary.

One more: McGrath's 24/88.2 live recording of a performance of Bernstein's Chichester Psalms, on which the system's ability to separate the sounds of individual voices in a massed choir was beyond compare. I sat in total awe. If I hadn't been covering an audio show, I would have joined the group of people in the first row who had returned to this room for a second day, and were occupying all the best seats for as long as they could. Smart people, with the ability to recognize a system, conceived by brilliant designers, that can make reproduced music sound like the real thing.

 
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