Axpona 2014 Noteworthy Rooms for Doug Schroeder

Legacy Audio

A need to retrieve a USB stick with programming for the Legacy processor used with the Whisper, run via Mac Mini took me to Legacy Audio. The Whisper had a more refined and extended presentation than last shows. This was not surprising, given that the cable and cap upgrade which I collaborated on with Bill Dudleston for my set was so efficacious that it has been incorporated into all Whispers now. There were several systems which ran a tad hot on the high end, and this was one of them.

Merrill Audio and Sadurni Acoustics

The Staccato speaker by Sadurni Acoustics drew a lot of attention, driven by Merrill Audio amplification. It also elicited a lot of praise. I’ll stay on the fence about this speaker for the time being. It was on the verge of being too bright – and that with a reel to reel ahead of it. I think I would have liked it better with a juicy set of tube amps, but the Merrill amps were not ruining the system. 

Acoustic Zen

The Acoustic Zen speakers and Triode corporation electronics have been winners, being paired for several shows. I met the euphoric new owner of the show speakers as he was carting them off on Sunday. Good move; these are highly recommendable, and it’s obvious, even though I haven’t reviewed them.

King Sound

King Sound showed the King III electrostatic, which I reviewed for Dagogo, along with Purity Audio components. Cabling was provided by Dana Cables.

Volti Audio

I had the opportunity to attend discuss the Volti Audio room with a friend who owns the Alura speakers, here set up with a much more modest rig than last year’s show, consisting of Quicksilver mono blocks, a Peachtree Nova, Yamaha player and Triode Wire Labs cabling. Though not as gripping as last year, the speakers still sounded well-balanced.

HiFi Imports Room

One of my favorites of the show was the HiFi Imports Room showcasing Weiss Man301 source, Thrax Maximinus DAC, Dionysos Preamp and Spartacus Mono amps. I much preferred the larger Venture Grand Ultimate MkII speakers to other shows where I had heard them previously. The room was sizable and untreated, yet the system was tight in terms of cleanness and expansive in soundstage, nearly on a scale of a large panel.