The Inaugural Southwest Audio Fest
A new 'must-see' show joins the annual event lineup.
SWAF 2024 Show Report By Greg Weaver

Stemmons Ballroom B – Black Ice Audio

I have long been a big fan of Maryland-based Black Ice Audio, in part because I've known current partner Jerred Dunkerson since shortly after he joined the company in the mid-2000s when it was still known as Jolida, a brand I represented when I was still managing retail audio shops in the 1990s.

Jolida was forced to change its name and redesign all of its circuits after a Chinese company that had been assisting them with the manufacturing process illegally appropriated Jolida's intellectual property and designs, and then began producing Jolida clones. So, in 2017, Black Ice Audio appeared on the scene, with circuits designed by Jim Fosgate with Jerred as the new CEO, and the first Black Ice Audio products became available to the public in 2018. Jaime DeMarco joined Jerred as a partner in 2022, and both men were on hand for this event. And they were both joined and supported by the remarkable loudspeaker lineup from Sean Casey, the founder of Ogden, Utah's Zu Audio.

System details:
Sources and Preamplification
Pure Fidelity Harmony turntable (no more detail was offered) $11,000
Black Ice Audio Fusion 9 MKIII Tube Phono Preamplifier from $899
Black Ice Audio Glass FX Tube DAC/DSD WiFi available from $899
Black Ice Audio Fusion F360 V.2 Tube Preamplifier from $2,699.00 OR
Black Ice Audio Fusion F159 Tube Phono Preamplifier from $1,875

System 1
Black Ice Audio Fusion 85A Integrated Tube Amplifier from $7,999.00 - NEW!
Driving the Zu Audio DW 6 Supremes $4,000/Pair

System 2
Black Ice Audio Glass FX 10H Integrated Tube Amplifier from $799.00
Driving the Zu Audio DWX Supremes $2,000/pair

It is also no secret that I have always been a fan, and supporter, of over-achieving products – at ANY price point, and Black Ice Audio and Zu are two prime examples of such affordability and performance. Because both systems in play here were set up along the curved wall and driven by the same source at the same time, I'm not going to even try to give you any kind of specific audio description of either system, other than to say that what these systems offer for your hard earned dollar are very worthy of your attention. Great people, wonderful gear, producing very engaging sounds, all making for an outstanding combination. Check these cats out.

Cooper Room – JMF Audio, Audio Skies, Scott Walker Audio, And Von Schweikert Audio

I have had the pleasure of working with several of these partners and their brands on numerous occasions, two of whom are responsible for a number of my current reference system components, in particular, the Greek-made Ideon Absolute Digital Suite and Riverside, California's Von Schweikert Audio Ultra 9 loudspeakers. Given all my previous experience with these room partners, even though I had expected this room to sound remarkable, I was quite impressed with what they accomplished here. This would be the room where I hosted my Friday evening after-hours LP session, attended by several followers of my writing and YouTube channel.

System details:
Pear Audio Aras turntable - $14,000 – NEW!
Miyabi Labs Fuuga MC cart - $10,000
JMF Audio PRS 1.5 Preamp - $36,000
JMF Audio 7.2 Dual-mono phono stage - $25,000 - World Premiere
JMF Audio HQS 7001 mono amplifiers - $38,500/each or $77,000/pair

Ideon Absolute Stream Music Server - $24,000
Ideon Absolute Time Signature V Re-Clocker - $24,000
Ideon Absolute DAC Epsilon - $49,500

Von Schweikert Audio Ultra 55's (in Porsche Oslo Blue) - $120,000/pair

Von Schweikert Audio Shockwave Subwoofers V-12XS - $16,500/each
  2 used for active room correction

Artesania Exoteryc - $12,300
Artesania Aire Amp Stands - $4,680/each – 2 used - $9,360

JMF Audio SR8 Speaker cables, 2.5M - $16,000

JMF Audio CM 4 XLR interconnects, 1.5M - $5,000

JMF Audio PC3 power cables, 1.5M - $5,000

Even if you aren't sure if you've even heard of France's JMF Audio, I'll wager you have heard the JMF sound. Given their roots in the Pro Sound world, their electronics are in use in studios worldwide, from Paris to Los Angeles, from Nashville (Masterphonics) to Norway (2L), making it highly unlikely that you haven't heard a recording produced with their products in the production chain.

Ideon Audio, of Greece, has made its presence well-known in the US now and is setting a lot of listeners on their ears, as they offer audiophile-quality DACs across all kinds of accessible price points. I recently published my take on their flagship Absolute series, which is so very excellent, that it has become my digital reference.

As to the turntable, this was the first appearance of Pear Audio's Aras turntable in the US, as well as the world premiere of the JMF Audio 7.2 Dual-mono phono preamplifier. When you consider the magic they created using the Miyabi Labs Fuuga MC cart, you get some sense of just how remarkable this analog front end was.

During my Friday night after-hours LP gig, we heard some remarkable sound, as I shared some great cuts from new remasters from Rhino's High Fidelity series, Atlantic's 75th anniversary series, and Impex records, as well as some original first pressings.

What can I say... this system had it all. From its ability to create a spooky realistic corporal sense of space, both in terms of overall three-dimensionality and wrap-around immersiveness, its effortless, unfettered treble through its textured, vibrant midrange, to the deepest, impactful, powerful, and refined pitch defined bass, the system just kicked ass! I cannot thank these partners properly for allowing me to share my music with listeners on this simply amazing system. This system easily performed among the topmost of the five best-performing systems I heard at this show.

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