Best of Show Axpona 2023 Show Awards!

[MylesBAstor]

2023 Axpona Show Awards

The Crème de la Crème

1. GTT Audio




2. Quintessence Audio [Wilson ALEXX Vs]




3. High Water Sound




4. Joseph/Doshi Audio/J. Sikora/Cardas Cables




5. Zesto Audio



Honorable Mention

VTL

Product (s) Most Want To Take Home

Phasemation PP-5000 cartridge



MSL Signature Platinum cartridge

Impex 1Step test pressing of Getz/Gilberto

Best New AXPONA 2023 Product Introductions

Zesto Audio Eros 500 monoblock amplifiers

Mola Mola Lupe phonostage

Clarisys Minuet Neo speakers



Magico S3 mk.2 speakers

Esoteric Grandioso T1 Magnedrive turntable

J. Sikora Reference turntable

VPI Avenger Direct Drive turntable




Kuzma Safir 9 tonearm

DS Audio Grand MasterEX cartridge

Phasemation PP-5000 cartridge

Most Surprising Sounding Rooms

American Sound/Avantgarde Uno SD speakers

Audio-Ultra/CH Precision/Magico A1 speakers

Luxman/Magico S5 mk. 2 speakers



Hegel/Clarisys speakers/Shunyata

[Dre_J]

Myles,

Thanks for sharing the three days plus your Best of Show reports.

Much appreciated by many.

Dre

[kcin]

Myles,

Thank you for this.

You picked my best of the show!- GTT Audio with the the VIvid/AudioNet system simply the finest in space, articulation, depth and effortlessness. I spent a few hours there a during the course of the whole show and closed the room on Sunday with David Bowie's Cat People on vinyl.

I should cut and paste my report to my local audio club here and we match on much of my short list.

I agree as well on the Joseph/Doshi and YG/Zesto

I could not be as kind to many others-- that were far more expensive and just hif- fi- I won't list them- perhaps show conditions - perhaps not.

The other "budget" system that was just incredible was the Rockport Atria's with the Vinnie Rossie Integrated ( $38K!) - these speakers were in the Stilpoints/Viola room and just did not gel as well as with the Vinnie Rossi. So- synergy and show luck do have something to do with it.

I could not get my head around the Clarysis- they had great potential but did not sound quite right on image height and had a homogenized nature to them when I was there- which I relate to the room. I am a big panel guy and I will go listen in a better environment soon. I know they will do better for me.

[marty]

Kudos to Myles for this fantastic show report. Not only was the breadth and quality of the photos excellent, but the observations and writing was first rate. (i.e. speakers were "Formula One fast" or my favorite "When you cut one speaker off, does another grow back in its place?"). No surprise coming from Myles. No need for diversity here by reading fragments from different reporters from the same publication when Myles provides "one stop shopping"! Really nice work, great perspective and much appreciated.

[MylesBAstor]

Kudos to Myles for this fantastic show report. Not only was the breadth and quality of the photos excellent, but the observations and writing was first rate. (i.e. speakers were "Formula One fast" or my favorite "When you cut one speaker off, does another grow back in its place?"). No surprise coming from Myles. No need for diversity here by reading fragments from different reporters from the same publication when Myles provides "one stop shopping"! Really nice work, great perspective and much appreciated.

Thank you Marty. Sometimes I think I am getting too old for this! 🤣

Thanks for pointing out the advantage of one person reporting. Never thought of it that way but you are right. Problem is Axpona is too big for one person to cover.

[MylesBAstor]

Myles,

Thank you for this.

You picked my best of the show!- GTT Audio with the the VIvid/AudioNet system simply the finest in space, articulation, depth and effortlessness. I spent a few hours there a during the course of the whole show and closed the room on Sunday with David Bowie's Cat People on vinyl.

I should cut and paste my report to my local audio club here and we match on much of my short list.

I agree as well on the Joseph/Doshi and YG/Zesto

I could not be as kind to many others-- that were far more expensive and just hif- fi- I won't list them- perhaps show conditions - perhaps not.

The other "budget" system that was just incredible was the Rockport Atria's with the Vinnie Rossie Integrated ( $38K!) - these speakers were in the Stilpoints/Viola room and just did not gel as well as with the Vinnie Rossi. So- synergy and show luck do have something to do with it.

I could not get my head around the Clarysis- they had great potential but did not sound quite right on image height and had a homogenized nature to them when I was there- which I relate to the room. I am a big panel guy and I will go listen in a better environment soon. I know they will do better for me.

Sure feel free to share your show report!

I missed the Vinnie Rossi room. I did like the Accustic Arts plus Rockports too.

I am sure the Clarisys sound better at Suncoast Audio. You and I know getting a dipole to work at a show is slim and none. So what they achieved was admirable but won't change image height. A quality it seems that is important to both of us.

[dminches]

Thanks Myles for all the coverage.

I am surprised that the room with the Acora speakers didn’t get any mention. That was my best of the show.

[Musica]

Thanks again, Myles, your depth of coverage, pics, commentary and awards are the best. Now I need to get my Vivid Spirits dialed in to sound as good as reported at the show!

[MylesBAstor]

Thanks again, Myles, your depth of coverage, pics, commentary and awards are the best. Now I need to get my Vivid Spirits dialed in to sound as good as reported at the show!

Glad I provided some inspiration. Can’t tell you exactly what was responsible for the sound-just everything worked worked and fit perfectly together. Guess that’s what makes a great system. But not to denigrate anything in the system but the cartridge and cables definitely contributed to the whole package.

[MylesBAstor]

Thanks Myles for all the coverage.

I am surprised that the room with the Acora speakers didn’t get any mention. That was my best of the show.

The Acoras were good-just thought the others were a bit better as a whole.

[Nevillekapadia]

Thanks Myles. Thoroughly enjoyed reading your reports on the show. Especially as some of us could never make it there, this is the next best thing.

[ack]

Excellent reports all around, Myles! thanks

[MylesBAstor]

Excellent reports all around, Myles! thanks

Thanks Tasos!

[Madfloyd]

Thanks, Myles. Good to hear that GTT's room sounded good. It usually does (from my experience) but I had just read a TAS Valin article that said it didn't...

[MylesBAstor]

Thanks, Myles. Good to hear that GTT's room sounded good. It usually does (from my experience) but I had just read a TAS Valin article that said it didn't...

Well guess JV and I disagreed on a few rooms. Reviewers disagreeing about the sound is nothing new. But it's when they're diametrically opposite that should raise eyebrows.

So many variables happening. I know JV brings his own tunes and gets the primo seat in the room. Another variable is whether listening to digital or analog source. Not to denigrate the sources but clearly one could just be better than the other. The table better than the digital setup or the digital setup is better than the analog setup. I think JV prefers analog like me but he may use both. I stick to analog (tape and LPs).

Yes, there's always the question of when you get to hear the room. I heard the GTT room the last day. I don't when JV dropped by and that can make all the difference in the world. Certainly the VTL and Avantgarde rooms sounded much better on Sunday. Exhibitors bring new cartridges, electronics, speakers, etc. (why I don't know) to the show so need time to break in. Not to mention can work on speaker placement, tuning the room's acoustics, adjust the crosovers, etc.Some manufacturers use the same room year in and year out and are somewhat familiar with the room's sound. For others, it's a totally new room and all the issues that entails. Remember we've had years to play with our rooms; they have one day to set up and then do the best they can.

I understand the old days when they just finished soldering the last connection on the circuit board. But things have changed in the last 50 years--such as the story of how Dan and Rondi D'Agostino drove throw a snowstorm on the East Coast to CES in Vegas to show off their very first Class A amplifier (can't remember whether was KSA-50 or 100 but sure someone here will know).