T.H.E. Lone Star Audio Fest 2026 Show Report
High-end audio comes back to Austin.
Lone Star Audio Fest (LSAF) 2026 Audiophile Show Coverage By Paul Schumann

Raven Audio
Raven Audio had a bigger room this year and also had oodles of equipment on display. Playing in the room when I was there were the Corvus Reference Monitors ($12,500), which I reviewed a couple of years ago. They were powered by The Raven Integrated Amplifier ($17,595). The vinyl was playing on a SOTA Escape turntable ($1,900).

The Raven Integrated Amplifier is a special offering from Raven Audio since it utilizes 300B tubes in a push-pull configuration. The sound from this setup was smooth and spacious. I was hoping to hear the impressive-looking Shaman MK2 Monoblock Amplifiers ($69,995) at some point, but they were not hooked up on the couple of times I visited.

Legacy Audio
One of the highlights of LASF 2026 was the presence of Legacy Audio. When you walked into the room, you were greeted by what appeared to be an altar to sound. It started with a black table with candles. Behind it, separated by a velvet rope, stood a pair of Aries XL towers airbrushed in myriad colors. The speakers' finish may not have been my cup of tea, but the effect was striking.

On either side of the vestibule were separate listening rooms. The "big room" had Valors as the main speakers, a pair of Marquis speakers on the outside, Ares XLs on the inside, an IV2 amplifier, and Wavelet II DAC/Preamplifier/Crossovers. The source was an Eversolo DMP-A6 Gen 2 streamer.

The "small" room also had an IV2 amplifier and Wavelet II DAC/Preamplifier/Crossovers, but for speakers, Legacy had Signature SE/XDs on the inside and Focus SE/XDs on the outside. The source was also an Eversolo DMP-A6 Gen 2 streamer.

I listened to both rooms and the sound was very similar: fast, precise, and neutral. I quickly understood why audio engineers love their equipment.

---> Next Page.