Best of Show

Contents

It was difficult to narrow it down, so I’ve decided to give the Best of Show award to the top five standout rooms. Each offered something unique that resonated with me, and honestly, I’d be happy to own any of them. Here they are—in no particular order.

Ball Audio Distribution – Margules – Room 734

In a show crowded with heavyweight, six-figure systems, Margules offered something far more rare—tangibility. This wasn’t just about resolution or scale; it was about feeling. I found myself so immersed in the music that I completely forgot to take photos, which, if you know my usual show habits, says everything.

Julian Margules and I had a great conversation about his design approach, which centers on how we experience sound—not just how it measures. In an untreated hotel room, the setup included the Century Overture Monitor Speakers, U280 30th Anniversary Special Edition Tube Amplifiers, SF220 Tube Preamplifier, MS-01 Music Server/Streamer, and the QR2 AC Line Conditioner. Despite the modest space, the system played with coherence, richness, and rhythmic poise.

Lene Marlin’s A Place Nearby revealed a presentation full of breathy nuance, a warm yet detailed midrange, and a dimensional stage that felt remarkably alive. This was one of only two rooms I made sure to revisit. The warmth didn’t come at the expense of precision—transients were crisp, dynamics immediate, and the tonal balance felt wholly natural. The magic lies in Margules’ ANA (Acoustic Neural Alignment) technology, which favors perceptual tuning over technical perfection. The result was a sound that was spacious, emotionally gripping, and—most importantly—deeply human.

Price list

  • 2 x Margules U280 30th Anniversary Special Edition Tube Amplifier – $12,000
  • Margules SF220 Tube Preamplifier – $8,000
  • Margules MS-01 Music Server/Streamer – $3,500
  • Margules Century Overture Monitor Speakers – $16,000
  • Margules QR2 AC Line Conditioner – TBA
  • NEW Margules OTL Tube Headphone Amp / Music Server / Streamer – $4,500
  • NEW Margules Planar Headphones – $2,500

LINKWITZ.audio – Room 1421

This room from AXPONA 2023 still lingers in my memory. Rather than chasing flash or exaggerated dynamics, the system emphasized spatial depth, tonal honesty, and emotional coherence. The LINKWITZ LX521.4MG loudspeakers—open-baffle with an adjustable top section—were paired with LINKWITZ’s own amplification and crossover, a T+A DAC, and a Grimm MU2 streamer. The speakers were set far from all walls, which likely helped them cast such an open and natural stage.

The presentation leaned toward immersion rather than spotlighting. On Hadouk Trio’s Soft Landing, there was a grounded, atmospheric feel—image layering was deep, and instruments hung in space with tactile realism. The room had an easy sense of flow, allowing subtle harmonic information and gentle dynamic shifts to rise without force.

Tonality skewed warm and beautiful. Instrument textures were finely resolved yet smooth. Bass sat naturally in the mix—supportive, punchy, and very precise. Compared to other warm systems like Margules that had more “fun energy,” Linkwitz felt more meditative and coherent, offering one of the most emotionally convincing experiences at the show. Some of the most realistic vocals I’ve ever heard on any system. I would love to get them in for review!

Devore Fidelity – Room 646

One of only two rooms I made a point to revisit at the show. The tonality and timbre here were among the most truthful I’ve heard from any loudspeaker, at any price.

DeVore Fidelity’s gibbon Super Nine loudspeakers ($9,990/pair), driven by the Leben CS-600X integrated amplifier ($8,995) and RS30EQ phono stage ($3,495), brought Fitzwilliam Quartet’s String Quartet No. 2 to life with graceful nuance. From the opening notes, the strings conveyed a silken warmth that drew me into a layered soundscape rich in texture and air. The sound shimmered with clarity, yet retained a natural fluidity and timbre that avoided any analytical glare. Passages emerged with earthy body and rounded detail, while transients like plucks were rendered with focus and soft-edged decay.

Even the quietest sections held onto their spatial integrity, giving each instrument its own air and place within the room. Although I don’t really listen to orchestral music, when something sounds so real…it’s always captivating.

Treehaus Audiolab – Room 1420

One of my favorite rooms when I last visited AXPONA in 2023.

The Treehaus Audiolab’s Phantom of Luxury speakers conjured impressively imaging in the compact demo space, with vocals firmly anchored and neatly integrated from the surrounding instrumentation. Even at a shorter listening distance, the soundstage retained a satisfying breadth and dimensionality, giving the room an airy, almost expansive feel. Instruments and voices emerged with a confident sense of placement, lending the presentation a weighted, immersive quality.

Midrange performance was fluid, drawing out delicate textures while steering clear of anything abrasive. Bass arrived with poise – rich and present without ever overstaying its welcome or clouding the mix. Treble shimmered with an understated brilliance, offering a touch of sparkle that was never distracting or overly exciting. The open-baffle system breathed in a way that felt articulate. The field-coil drivers (produced by Atelier Rullit) responded with speed and grace, tracing dynamic contours with ease and lending transients a soft-edged immediacy.

Altogether, the system walked a fine line – romantic without excess, detailed without demand. Making for such a memorable listening experience at the show. This will definitely be one of my regular favorites.

Fidelity Imports – Opera Loudspeakers – Room 1222

I was a bit surprised that this seemingly unassuming room made it on this list. You really can’t judge a book by its cover.

Fidelity Imports featured the new Unison Research S6 Black Edition integrated amp ($7,000) paired with the Opera Quinta v.2 loudspeakers (just under $7,000/pair). Powered by Gold Lion KT77 tubes delivering 40 watts of Class A, and sourced from an Aurender N150 into the S6’s internal DAC.

I was so busy listening I forgot to note the track, but the system delivered an effortlessly musical presentation. It balanced tonal accuracy, agility, and warmth in a way that felt honest and emotionally engaging. Vocals carried a lifelike presence, and instruments were rendered with natural timbre and clarity. For the price and simplicity of this setup, it was incredibly impressive.