audioXpress Magazine August 2026

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audioXpress Magazine August 2026

audioXpress remains the authority on audio and reproduced sound by connecting manufacturers and distributors with developers, buyers and consultants around the globe! It's readers are the audio product designers, consultants, integrators, DIY enthusiasts, opinion leaders and your best customers. All of them agree that the coverage of trending topics, unique in the audio industry, make audioXpress a must read.

Every month, audioXpress combines the best educational articles on topic such audio electronics, speaker and headphone design, amplifiers (from tube to Class D), acoustics, practical test and measurement, audio engineering praxis, and standards. audioXpress provides inside stories on new audio developments, on R&D Stories, the most complete objective reviews of innovative products and software, and selects some of the best DIY audio projects from worldwide experts.

No Going Back
AI is accelerating our tools and development processes.
Editorial By J. Martins
This should be the Acoustics Focus issue of audioXpress. Back in April this year, it became very clear to us that we would need to continue to follow up on what was happening in other fronts, catch up, and move on. Not that we didn't have enough interesting news in acoustics, but there are articles we wanted to get published that had been waiting for too long—not a nice problem to have. Part of that pressure has to do with the 2026 Audio Engineering Society (AES) Automotive Audio Conference that takes place in Detroit, MI, July 29-31. audioXpress started working on the content related to this important biennial conference earlier on and dedicated its June issue as scheduled to the topic. As this issue is the last one to get distributed before the event, we are pleased to include an important Market Update written by Roger Shively, who is also the Chair of the conference. The 6th AES International Conference on Automotive Audio will take place at the Huntington Place convention center—in the heart of the American automotive industry. And the topics couldn't be more pressing given the recognized dynamics in the automotive industry and how the role of Automotive Audio has evolved over the past five years.
---> No Going Back.

5 Supporting Companies

Features
24 AXPONA 2026 Select Highlights
By Oliver A. Masciarotte
With a record-breaking 12,546 attendees, more than
750 manufacturers, retailers, distributors, and brands
from all over the world, AXPONA 2026 was audio
paradise during three full days. Learn more.

52 Balanced Wiring And Active Ground Loop Isolation
By Ethan Winer
This article explains balanced audio wiring, and
presents two active ground loop isolation circuits that
replace high-quality transformers for much less cost.

56 Revisiting A Comparison Of Musical Characteristics
A Stick Through a Rut or a Chainsaw
By Thomas Perazella
Vinyl records versus digital music files: What are the
differences in musical presentation between the two?
A listening panel was invited to determine which
technology best extracts musical characteristics, not
to identify the source of the music.

60 Designing The Dynaco ST-70 Series 3
Two Strikes And A Home Run
By Dan Fraser
Having created a new version of the Dynaco ST-70
Series 3 amplifier, Dan Fraser's reward is writing this
series of technical articles. This article reviews the
options considered for the input and driver circuitry,
including sourcing power tubes.

Columns
Sound Control
46 Acoustical Planning For Venues
By Richard Honeycutt
Acoustical consultants are crucial in designing venues.
Early involvement in the design process allows for effective
solutions. A proactive approach, as emphasized by Dr. Vern O.
Knudsen, prevents poor acoustical outcomes and ensures
the desired sound quality. This article outlines the stages of
an acoustical consulting project.

8 Market Update
Strategies In A Software-Defined Landscape
By Roger Shively
As automotive audio transitions toward intelligent, fully
integrated software frameworks, the global landscape
is progressing at varying speeds and even in different directions.
Discover how the industry can evolve to software-defined
vehicles in this complex environment.

18 Edge AI Is Not Just About Bigger Models
It Starts With Better Signals
By Casey Ng
With artificial intelligence, product architecture is reshuffled
as multiple stages of signal processing complement each other.
This article offers a practical view of DSPs as a front-end
in smartwatches, TWS AI-agent devices, AR/VR smart
glasses, and IVI.

34 Marenius MICAMP M-32
The Pontifex
By Philipp Paul Klose
The Marenius MICAMP M-32 is a 32-channel microphone amplifier
designed to solve a multitude of problems in far from obvious
applications. Let's explore more about this advanced solution for
recording, automotive development, validation, and measurement.

40 Sonarworks SoundID Reference Virtual Monitoring PRO
With EREF Binaural Microphone
Binaural Room Capture System For Personal Headphone Monitoring
By Philipp Paul Klose
The newest addition to the Sonarworks SoundID Reference family
offers a new way to achieve accurate monitoring with completely
realistic emulation of reference acoustics. What is this
SoundID Reference Virtual Monitoring PRO solution and how
does it work?