It's Showtime Here At SWAF 2025
This year's game plan is to enjoy the music.
Southwest Audio Fest 2025 Show Report By Paul Schumann

One of the treats of SWAF 2025 audiophile show was the opportunity to listen to Lou Hinkley's loudspeakers. The Daedalus Audio room lived up to expectations with a warm, relaxed sound that invited you to sit and listen for a while. The system I enjoyed was comprised of Daedalus Audio Apollo v.2 speakers ($22,900 per pair), Daedalus Audio DiD-SPK speaker isolation devices ($50 each), SS/Brass Spikes ($38 each), VAC Master Line Stage ($30,000), VAC Signature iQ Power Amp ($22,000), LTA Aero DAC ($3,950), and a Innous ZENith Mk3 Network Streamer ($6,299).

The cables were Diamond Series WyWires interconnects ($4,495), Power cords ($2,995), Evolution 2 Speaker Cables ($1,995), and USB cable ($1,699). Power was provided by a WyWires / Daedalus Power Broker AC Distributor ($2,495), and electronics rested upon an Audio Crafters Guild Pzz2W Rack System ($3,598).

When I entered the Audio Research room, I was greeted by a table loaded with brand-new offerings from this most venerable high-end audio company. Some of these are so new that they haven't been officially launched with prices yet. The preamplifier pictured is the LS-2. It has balanced inputs and optional phono and DAC cards (starting at $9950). Next to it is the S1 solid-state amplifier that produces 100 Wpc. At the back of the table was the D80 power amplifier.

This amp is going to be the replacement for the venerable VT80 amp. In front was the I/70 integrated. This is an upgrade from the I/50 because it has an active preamp section and out transformers that are utilized in the Reference 75 SE. The sound was powerful and authoritative when listening to the system with the I/70 in the mix.

Once again, beautiful music was flowing through the Semrad Audio room. The speakers were the Semrad Audio SA196-RFC ($54,000/pair). They were supported by a VanZyl Audio BB-10 horn-loaded subwoofer with a Dayton Audio SPA250DSP amplifier. The turntable was a restored Gerrard 301 with a Semrad Audio plinth. Mounted on it were Sorane TA1L and TA1 tonearms.

The cartridges used were Muthech Hyabusa and a Miyajima Zero Mono. The electronics included an EM/IA Ag MC SUT step-up transformer ($6,000), an EM/IA Ag Phono Corrector phono stage ($33,750), EM/IA Ag Prototype Sonn 6 band tone and volume control (price on request), EM/IA Ag Permaally 50/300B SET amplifiers ($45,125), and Airtight ATM-4 bass amplifier. This system had the same relaxed musical presentation I recalled last year.

Supra HiFi had two rooms at the show. The room that compelled me to sit and listen for a while featured YG Acoustics Hailey speakers ($63,000), a BennyAudio Odyssey turntable ($50,000), a Moonriver 505 phono preamp ($5,999), a Wadax CD / SACD / Streamer ($39,800), an Acoustic Art 5 preamp ($36,900), an Accustic Arts 4 amp ($42,990), MIT speaker cables, interconnects, and power cords ($100,000), a MIT PMC Power Conditioner ($32,349), an Artisania Prestige Rack ($6,500), and an Artisania Aire Amp Stand ($4,680). I parked my butt in that room because of the natural sound and quiet between the notes. This was a very special system.

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