Shows

AXPONA 2025 – Show Report & Awards

Intro

Every year, I’ve made it a point to visit every room at the show – lugging a DSLR and gimbal through hundreds of setups. But heading into my mid-40s, that pace no longer makes sense (especially with this new dad bod). This time, I came with a single goal: to find the most romantic, warm-sounding rooms at the show.

Most listening rooms at the shows lean toward gear that chases technical perfection – clarity, detail, transparency. These rooms tend to (but not always) sound brighter and more “hyped.” I used to be in that camp, believing I could stack on color in a stereo after locking in resolution. But after hearing over a thousand systems, I’ve come to crave something else: tone with soul, a little warmth and bloom, a bit of imperfection that feels human. I’ve concluded that your loudspeaker choice literally sets the tone for any future upgrades in your system.

So I narrowed my search to hotel-room systems—small spaces, minimal treatment, closer to “real-world conditions.” If a room had a lean, cold tone, I moved on. If it felt cozy, colored, and emotionally resonant, I stayed. Turns out, there were more of these rooms this year than I expected – the experience felt more personal this time around.

Might as well call this report AXPONA 2025: The Warm Edition. The usual heavy-hitters delivered as expected—MBL, Triangle Art, and now AXISS Audio’s larger room featuring Gauder Akustik, Soulution, Transrotor, and Telos deserves a spot on that list. But for this roundup, I’ll be (mostly) zeroing in on the more attainable systems. Let’s dive in.

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Jay Luong

Mr. Audio Bacon himself. An open-minded electrical engineer and software developer by trade. I have an obsession with the enjoyment of all things media - specifically in the realm of music and film. So much heart and soul (and money) go into the creation of this artistry. My aim is to find out which products get me closer to what the musicians and directors intended.

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Jay Luong
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