AXPONA 2026 proved once again why it remains one of the most anticipated events in hifi!
We built a system that prioritized transparency, speed, and musical realism, and it looks like our efforts have paid off. As Jonathan Valin of The Absolute Sound noted, “…the bass was extremely good, and resolution, such as the reverberant decay coming off the piano’s sounding board, was outstanding. The system exhibited tremendous dynamic speed and power…”. We’re still waiting for all the show coverage to come in but based on the feedback and responses from attendees as they left Schaumburg F, AXPONA 2026 was a confirmed success!
Of course, none of this would have been possible without the collaboration and expertise of our incredible partners, VTL and Stenheim. Their spectacular components combined with the setup expertise of Stirling Trayle’s Audio System Optimized are a winning combination. AXPONA is always a team effort, and we’re grateful to work alongside such passionate and knowledgeable people.
A highlight of the show was our full schedule of in-room events. Special thanks to Igor Fiorini (VDM High End Records) for his deep dive into the recording process, David Solomon (Qobuz) for an energetic Flash DJ Session, and Abey Fonn (Impex Records) for an engaging listening and storytelling experience.
We also want to thank all of the attendees who visited our room and joined our events, especially our 50th anniversary listening session of David Bowie’s Station to Station, where listeners experienced new depth and detail in this iconic recording.
Beyond the sound and events in Schaumburg F, we’d like to recognize our local and longtime local retailer, Holm Audio. On the 7th floor, Holm Audio featured Nordost in three rooms, including the Nordost demo room (716), expertly run by Jacob Goldwax and Seth Snyder.
And thank you to our friends at Morel, Wattson Audio, Lumin, and Sonner Audio for showcasing their impressive components in systems wired with Nordost!
Morel:
Wattson Audio:
Lumin:
Sonner Audio:
It’s great to see how much collaboration went into making the AXPONA 2026 room such a standout experience. Combining technical expertise with engaging sessions like the Bowie listening event really highlights how sound quality and storytelling can complement each other. I’d be curious to hear which part of the setup attendees found most surprising or memorable.