AXPONA 2019 Show Report -- Audio Expo North America
AXPONA 2019 Coverage By Rick Becker -- Part 6

  NAD exhibited their new M10 100 Wpc N-Core streaming integrated amp ($2500) with a large touch screen occupying most of the face of the unit, making it something of a breakthrough design. They had representatives from Roon, MQA and Dirac present each afternoon to answer questions. The audio speakers here were a handsome PSB Imagine T3 floorstander ($7500/pr) that did justice to the new NAD amp. (Room 306)

Elite AV Distribution set up camp in room 312 which was actually a double room with a single entrance. The first room, seen above had this table full of Furutech risers and cables. I couldn't resist the chaotic photo-op. After browsing around a bit, I was about to leave when one of the hosts latched onto me and invited me into their "backroom" where they had an unusual set of speakers, seen below.

From the press sheet, this seems to be the HRT Stage VIII speaker system comprised of four pairs of HRT speakers (8 per side) affixed to a Sound Anchors Pro Series speaker stand with special adapters. Each speaker is supplemented with a REL S/3 powered subwoofer ($2k ea.). The entire speaker system cost: $9798. At the front end was a Kuzma Stabi M turntable ($19k) with their 4Point 14" tonearm ($9k) and their mid-line CAR-20 MC cartridge ($1695). A Plinius Koru solid state phono stage ($3450) fed the Manley Labs Jumbo Shrimp tube line stage ($4k). I head the digital source, a Dell PC feeding a High Resolution Technologies (HRT) Music Streamer HD USB DAC ($500).

The power amp for the speakers was a Plinius SA-201 stereo unit with 200 wpc in Class A (Switchable to Class AB)($6545). (This is not a current model, from what I can tell). Cabling was by Furutech. An interesting item that I didn't notice at the time was a Relaxa 530 magnetic suspension component platform ($1250) under the Manley preamp, which is capable of supporting components up to 65 pounds. This could be a solution for someone who has trouble isolating a turntable from chronic footfall problems. I went into detail about the components here because most of them were not seen elsewhere at the show and this inner room may have been missed by many.

Sweetvinyl presented their new Sugar Cube SC-1 Mini ($1500) vinyl click & pop remover and their new SC-1 Mini/Phono unit ($2k) that does the same thing plus incorporates a mm/mc phono stage with gain and loading adjustment. Both use the newer 2.0 software and are controllable from buttons on the front of the unit, or via iOS or Android apps. Below it in the photo is the new SC-2 which will also record the cleaned up signal and incorporate metadata tagging and track splitting. I've listened to the original version and it works remarkably well. The addition of the ability to record is a great feature for those wishing to archive music digitally, too.

The biggest competition would be from record cleaning machines, particularly the ultrasonic ones, which remove most, if not all of the dirt that causes the clicks and pops as well as other surface contaminants that might otherwise inhibit the best possible reproduction from the LP. Of course, if the groove is physically damaged, Sweetvinyl may be the only way to go. (Room 316)

At this point on the 3rd floor there was a break in the wall of rooms and I could see the snow that had been forecast was beginning to materialize. As a resident of Rochester, NY, I was neither surprised nor fazed, but the floor traffic on Sunday seemed to be lighter than the previous days.

MoFi Distribution put together a first-rate system that I should have paid more attention to. Unfortunately (or not) I was distracted by the lovely Daniela Manger of Manger Audio and paid too much attention to the new Manger full-range driver that runs from 360Hz to 45kHz. While basically a "flat" driver, you can see in the photo the surface of the driver is a lot more complex than that, incorporating their Bending Wave technology. It is supplemented with an 8" carbon fiber bass driver in this new P2 speaker ($18,995 base, $21,995 as shown in Rio Palisander). You can order it in any color in satin or gloss finish, or from a variety of wood veneers. BAT (Balanced Audio Technology) provided amplification, including the phono stage, but the New REX DAC, a tube unit with DSD ($19k) that was listed on the press sheet was not actually on the rack. Presumably the REX DAC made it to the Munich show.

I'm really angry (read: pissed) that I missed noting the new Jelco 12" TK850L knife-edge bearing tonearm with on-the-fly VTA ($2k with armboard) that was reportedly on the Dr. Feickert Analogue Firebird turntable along with an Origin Live Illustrious 12" tonearm ($15k) for both, including the isolated 3-motor drive. Supposedly there was a Little Fwend automatic tonearm lifter ($249) to allow you to get up slowly from your listening chair, too. It is a great little product that will eventually find its way to my Linn Project. Cartridges were a Koetsu Rosewood Signature Platinum MC ($7495) on the Origin Live arm and a My Sonic Lab Eminent EX MC ($4k) on the Jelco. Solidsteel racks and Finite Element footers, along with Cardas Clear Beyond cables and Isotek power cords rounded out this nearly $200k rig.

MoFi Distribution also sponsored then next room, 334, that featured the new MoFi electronics, Quad, Wharfedale as well as more Isotek, Solidsteel and Cardas gear as in the room above. My apologies for missing that one, gentlemen.

That wraps up the 3rd Floor. In Part 7 I'll cover the large rooms on the 2nd and 1st Floors, as well as a brief spin through the Expo Hall before closing time on Sunday.

Stay tuned!

---> Onward to AXPONA 2019 show report by Rick Becker part 7.

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