AXPONA 2017 Show Report -- Audio Expo North America
AXPONA Show Report Part 1 By Steven R. Rochlin

  Scaena speakers make their annual pilgrimage to AXPONA with a multi-driver array and substantial subwoofers. Front-end gear was by PS Audio. If you love big sound without any dynamic constraint then these jewels should be on your short list for audition. The demo system consists of:

PS Audio DirectStream Memory Player $5999
PS Audio DirectStream DAC $5999
PS Audio BHK Signature Preamplifier $5999
PS Audio BHK Signature 300 Power Amplifiers $7499 per mono unit
PS Audio P10 Power Plant Power Regenerators $4999 per unit
Scaena Soho floorstanding speakers $56,000 per pair
Amp stands by Denver's Fin Art Company.

Getting my personal award for being Best Sound At AXPONA 2017 is the VAC / Von Schweikert room featuring their ULTRA 11 large floorstanders ($295,000 per pair) with Shockwave V12 subwoofer ($11,500 each). The equipment listing for the room reads like a who's who with:

Kronos Pro – Turntable – Kronos Audio - $38,000
SCPS-1 – Power Supply – Kronos Audio - $13,500
Black Beauty – Tonearm – Andre Theriault- $8,500
Ultimate 4D – Cartridge – ZYX Audio- $4,400
Rebuilt Technics 1520 – Reel to Reel – J-Corder - $14,000
Ref 3 – Music Server – YFS - $17,500
Golden Gate – Digital Audio Converter – LampizatOr - $20,000
Statement – Phono Stage – VAC - $80,000
Statement – Line Stage – VAC - $75,000
Statement 450 iQ – Monoblock Power Amplifiers – VAC - $120,000/pr.
Ultra Line – Interconnects, Power Cords and Speaker Cables – MasterBuilt Audio
ASC - TubeTrap – Room Conditioning – Acoustic Sciences Corp – $26,000
(IsoThermal TubeTraps 16x4 - $757 ea./ 20x4 - $854 ea.)
Exoteryc – 4-shelf Rack – Artesania Audio - $7,000
Exoteryc – 3+3 tandem Rack – Artesania Audio - $10,000
Exoteryc – Turntable Platform – Artesania Audio - $3,400
Aire Platform – Monoblock Platforms – Artesania Audio - $3,700/ea  

There's more to the Von Schweikert ULTRA 11 speakers than a brief glance would detect. On the rear of these tremendous floorstanders are adjustments to carefully fine-tune them to achieve excellent sound within  virtually any room. They say a picture is worth 1000 words, so i'll just shut up (are reviewers allowed to shut up? ;-) ) as you see the below pics.

Just like i say to my wife and Muse Heather, nice rack! Hey, it's not often an audio guy can use that phase and not get slapped at an audio show. Ok, you can stop drooling on your keyboard or smartphone as the gear used within the Von Schweikert room was some of the industry's very best. In fact we here @ Enjoy the Music.com have reviewed much of it, or soon will be. Kronos turntable, VAC amplification, LampizatOr... In fact there were at least two other reviews i chatted with who also felt this was among the the best sounding rooms at AXPONA 2017. Fast and detailed highs, smooth and realistic midrange, and enough bass for pipe organ lovers and Trap guys.

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