Third Floor Fantasies Of Hi-Fi Audio Gear
The continuing journey traveling through AXPONA 2025.
Audio Expo North America (AXPONA) 2025 Show Report By Rick Becker 

318  Devialet
Devialet has been flying under my radar in recent years, but presented their most advanced model, the Astra, an all-in-one product that includes a 300 Wpc amplifier. Devialet is the French company that others have been trying to catch up to in the all-in-one category. From their very beginning, they have produced jaw-dropping all-in-one components with contemporary styling that extends high end audio far beyond its typical boundaries.

With Devialet, you need only add speakers and a turntable or CD transport if you wish. An Ethernet connection gives you access to the latest streaming service. Seen here, it was teamed up with YG Acoustics Carmel 3 speakers to make an outstanding minimalist system. If you prefer more elegance, the Astra is available in gold leaf finish.

328  ELAC
Andrew Jones may be long gone from ELAC, but the ball was still rolling here. What I heard here was articulate sound at very reasonable prices. Those were slim ELAC components on the rack with an Innuos Pulsar streamer and an ELAC PR-71S surge protector ($180) reading 116V on the bottom shelf.

The white floorstander Concentro 2.0 S507.2 ($7700) featured an AMT tweeter, a midrange driver with a faceted cone, and a pair of side-firing woofers, packaged in a sleek contemporary cabinet. The speaker comes with three Directivity Control Rings for the midrange that not only conceal the mounting screws of the drivers, but also allow you to tune the speaker to your room and listening distance from the speaker. Note the high-heel footers at the rear that anchor the sloped bottom of the speaker, eliminating a parallel surface with the top of the speaker.

The stand-mounted monitor was from the new Debut 3.0. series, either the DB63 ($499) or the DB53 ($399). Very high value, here.

334  MoFi Distribution, Dr. Feikert Analogue, EMT, Finite Element, HiFi Rose, IsoTek, MoFi Electronics, Music Hall Audio, My Sonic Lab, Piega, Solidsteel MC Group, Spin-Clean, Wharfedale, And X-quisite
The MoFi room was a two-room suite. In one room, the Solidsteel rack held the new HiFi Rose RA280 integrated amp ($3k) with a less edgy, but still uniquely industrial style than the original RA180 ($7k). This should open the door to many new customers. Below it was the silver IsoTek V5 Aquarius ($3k) power conditioner with 81k amperes of instantaneous protection and six outlets, each with its own conditioner. The IsoTek V5 Elektra ($2k) surge protector and power conditioner in dark gray below it provides 67,500 Amperes of instantaneous protection. For those who live in vulnerable areas where surge protection is advised, IsoTek offers a solution that many high end power conditioners forego.

Apparently, the monoblocks powering the Wharfedale speakers do not run terribly hot.

In the upper right corner above was the HiFi Rose RS250A Wireless Network Streamer ($2,695) from this South Korean company. On the upper left is the new Quad 33 preamp with built-in MM/MC phono stage and both balanced and single-ended inputs and outputs. On the lower shelf was the 'matching' Quad 303 stereo amplifier rated at 50 Watts @ 8 Ohms, 70 Watts @ 4 Ohms, or in bridged-mono as used here, 140 Watts @ 8 Ohms, and 170 Watts @ 4 Ohms. Even in stereo mode, it is said to perform wonderfully with their electrostatic speakers. There is also an integrated amplifier, the Quad 3, in this same series. This was very fresh styling from this venerable UK company that has always produced rather compact components. I have no idea what the two identical stacked components in the center of the upper shelf are. The handsome rack itself is a Solidsteel VL Series Modular Vinyl Library Audio Rack ($899) that I had not seen before.

342  REL Acoustics America
In the REL room, I was surprised to see the Acora MRB-1 monitors with the new Audio Research i/70 integrated amp that I had seen weeks earlier at the Montreal Audiofest. With an 8 Ohm impedance, 89dB efficiency, and a frequency range of 35Hz to 25kHz, I've heard these speakers sound quite remarkable in a higher-end system. I can only hope the tariff situation with Canada becomes reasonably resolved.

344  REL Acoustics America
The real action for REL was next door, where a 6-Pack of REL subs was mated with Wilson Audio's SabrinaX speakers. (A new, much more expensive, SabrinaV has since been introduced.) This was all packed into a single sleeping room.

The turntable was not in use, but was very similar to the SOTA Millennia Eclipse ($TBD) on the SOTA website. Apparently, the design is still evolving. The black isolation pods beneath the feet were engraved SOTA, but the silver unit just beneath the table was from Orion. To the right was the Wadax Studio Player Streaming DAC and Disc Player ($39.8k).

The black amps were from Audio Research and included their phono stage, preamp, and stereo power amp. A black Shunyata Everest X power conditioner was to the right of the rack, and a Shunyata Gemini in silver was tucked further to the right on the floor.

My good audio buddy has the original Sabrina speaker, which already had a pretty strong bass, but I was unprepared for what I heard here. The six subs loaded the small room in a way that felt like being up close to the stage at a concert. I could feel the bass with my whole body. While it was very impressive, it was also a small room, so it was not clear how a 6-Pack would translate in a larger room or a house like mine with an open floor plan where the music is not confined to a single rectangular space.

I can say that the subs blended very well with SabrinaX speakers, going even deeper into the room tone of the recorded venue, but the pressurization created by the 6-Pack was an experience unlike what I've experienced in a home setting. Adding a 6-Pack of REL S/510 subs and six decent power cords would cost more than the SabrinaX themselves, but the total package would likely outperform a Wilson speaker of equivalent price. I was most grateful for the experience provided here. It was a rare opportunity.

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