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Coverage Now Online! Southwest Audio Fest 2026 Show Report
Reference-level hi-fi audio
gear, seminars, & marketplace for audiophiles and music lovers.
Southwest Audio Fest 2026 returns to Dallas from July 23rd through 25th with a sharpened
three-day schedule designed to maximize energy, attendance, and high-end listening opportunities. Organizers have officially dropped the traditional Sunday session in favor of a
Thu-to-Sat format, responding to
longstanding industry feedback about slow final day traffic. The new structure opens Thursday from 2
pm to 8 pm, followed by full days Friday and Saturday from 10 am to 6 pm, creating a more focused and efficient show experience for exhibitors and attendees alike. Hosted at the Sheraton Convention Center in downtown Dallas, the 2026 edition offers expansive demo rooms, proximity to the Arts and Historic Districts, and easy access to restaurants, museums, and cultural attractions. Exhibitors will include major manufacturers, boutique builders, dealers, and independent designers presenting everything from floorstanding loudspeakers and reference turntables to
cutting-edge DACs, streamers, and room treatment solutions.
---> Southwest Audio Fest 2026
Show Report. 
World Premiere Review!
Defining Audio Excellence: Avantgarde Acoustic Colibri C2 Hornspeaker And C18 Subwoofer Review
Experience sonic brilliance — where dreams sometimes do come true.
Review By Paul Schumann
Let's
go back in time a few years ago. It was January 2000, so that's over 25(!) years
ago. The world had survived the
Y2K crisis. Having recently purchased a couple of issues of Sound Practices,
then listening to an amazing DIY system, was starting to catch SET
(Singe-Ended Triode) fever. I was
also following an audio review website that focused quite heavily on SET gear
and high-sensitivity loudspeakers to use with it. That website was, of course, Enjoy the Music.com.
That January back in 2000 our Creative Director, Steven R Rochlin, posted a review of the
then new Avantgarde Acoustic Uno hornspeakers. They had big blue horns and looked unlike any
loudspeaker
I had ever seen. You could tell from Steven's Avantgarde Acoustic Uno review that they were something very
special. After reading it, I had a bad case of audio envy. However, there was
also family with three young children then, so extra funds were diverted to more
noble causes. Realistically, even if I had the funds, the Unos were way too big
for my small living room. But we all have our silly little pipe dreams, don't we?
--->
Avantgarde Acoustic Colibri C2 Hornspeaker And C18 Subwoofer Review.
Novus... Cleans, Protects, And Revitalizes Compact
Discs (CDs)
A great way to fix your scratched up
optical discs.
Review By Steven R. Rochlin
Since you are indeed a music lover,
odds are you have hundreds, maybe even thousands of compact discs in your home.
Over the years maybe a few of them have become dirty with fingerprints, or
worse, have a few scratches. Could have been due to a rare mishap when the disc
fell to the floor, or during that big party when drunk you and the disc
fell to the floor. Regardless, many of us have tried Armor All (shame on you) or
other proclaimed polishes and cleaners. Enter the professionals from NOVUS. Like
Caig Laboratories who
make professional contact cleaners that are used by truly professional
technicians, the NOVUS plastic polish is made by professionals, for
professionals. Sure i have tried "audiophile" solutions like Finyl,
the excellent Optrix and also the mediocre Discwasher solution as well. While
the Discwasher may clean some fingerprints, it is a yawner at best. Finyl
claimed to make the music on your discs sound better.
---> Novus... Cleans, Protects and Revitalizes Compact Discs
(CDs).
 audioXpress'
August 2026 Issue
Editorial: No Going Back
AXPONA 2026 Select Highlights
Balanced Wiring And Active Ground Loop Isolation
Revisiting A Comparison Of Musical Characteristics
Designing The Dynaco ST-70 Series 3
Acoustical Planning For Venues
Strategies In A Software-Defined Landscape
Edge AI Is Not Just About Bigger Models
Marenius MICAMP M-32
Sonarworks SoundID Reference Virtual Monitoring PRO
And Much More!
---> audioXpress August 2026
Issue.
Global Music Industry Launches AI Labeling Program
A coalition of leading music organizations—including IFPI, RIAA, A2IM, WIN, IMPALA, The Grammys, SAG-AFTRA, and the Human Artistry Campaign—announced a new voluntary track-level labeling system to distinguish generative AI use in sound recordings. The initiative introduces two clear categories,
"AI-Generated" and "AI-Assisted," designed to give fans immediate transparency across digital music services worldwide. This marks a significant step in ensuring that listeners know exactly how technology has been used in the creation of the music they enjoy. The move comes as streaming platforms report surging volumes of AI-created music. Deezer revealed that 44% of new tracks delivered to its platform were AI-generated, while Apple Music noted that more than one-third of uploads were fully machine-made. With such rapid growth in AI-driven content, the new labels aim to help audiences differentiate between recordings created entirely by artificial intelligence and those where human artists used AI tools in limited, supportive ways. This distinction is seen as crucial for maintaining clarity in an increasingly complex digital music
landscape.
---> Global Music Industry Launches AI Labeling Program. 
CD Sales Surge Ahead Of Vinyl Says
Luminate's 2026 Midyear Music Report
Luminate's newly released 2026 Midyear Report reveals a surprising and decisive shift in the physical music market: compact discs (CD) are growing dramatically faster than vinyl LPs, marking one of the most unexpected
consumer behavior pivots in recent years. According to the report, U.S. CD sales jumped 16% to 16.3 million units in the first half of 2026, while vinyl—long considered the dominant physical format of the streaming era—managed only 2.4% growth. The report attributes much of the CD surge to the continued strength of collectible and deluxe editions, particularly from
K-Pop artists whose elaborate packaging, photo books, and bonus content have turned CDs into premium fan merchandise. Even when
K-Pop releases are removed from the equation, CD sales still rose 6.7%, underscoring that the
format's momentum extends beyond any single genre. Vinyl remains culturally influential, but its slowing growth suggests that the market may be stabilizing or saturated after years of
double-digit expansion. Rising manufacturing costs, long production lead times, and higher retail prices have made vinyl a more selective purchase for many
listeners.
---> CD Sales Surge Ahead Of Vinyl Says Luminate's 2026 Midyear
Music Report. 
TIDAL Draws A
Line: Streaming Service Ends Royalty Payments For Fully AI-Generated Music
TIDAL has officially become the first major streaming platform to cut off royalties for fully
AI-generated music, marking a decisive shift in how the industry handles synthetic audio content.
With the elimination of the controversial MQA music format, this may be
another step in the right direction for TIDAL. Announced on June 29th, the policy states that tracks identified as 100%
AI-generated will remain streamable but will no longer earn royalties or qualify for
direct-to-fan sales, with enforcement beginning July 15. The company will also introduce a visible
"AI" badge next to any track deemed wholly machine-made, giving listeners clear insight into how the music was created. TIDAL says this transparency is essential as its catalog has been increasingly flooded with
AI-generated submissions from third-party distributors. The platform's leadership emphasized that the move is not
anti-technology but rather a protection of human creativity and artist
livelihoods. Beyond demonetization, TIDAL is taking a hard stance against fraudulent AI content, including songs that impersonate real artists or mislead listeners.
---> TIDAL Draws A Line: Streaming Service Ends Royalty Payments For Fully AI-Generated
Music. 
World Premiere Review!
Merrill Audio Element 116MX Review: High-End Monoblock Power Amplifiers With Exceptional Clarity & Dynamics
Our exclusive In-depth listening tests reveals the 116MX's exceptionally low noise floor, expansive immersive soundscape, and reference-level transparency.
Review By Tom Lyle
In this review, I will describe and sonically examine Merrill
Audio's Element 116MX monoblock power amplifiers. Given the number of Merrill
Audio reviews I have written over the past decade, I suppose some may accuse me
of favoritism. I'm often chosen to review their components simply because I
live close to their factory. As a bonus, they can deliver their products
personally and then help me set them up, rather than simply shipping them to me.
The Element 116MX is Merrill Audio's newest component, and the most powerful
and most pricey amplifier I've reviewed from them. It is a significant upgrade
over their earlier
Element 116 (sans MX), which Dr. Michael Bump reviewed in the summer of 2019
in Enjoy the Music.com. In this very positive review, he remarked that the Element
116 "delivers some of the best amplification anywhere." Merrill Audio claims that the Element 116MX "offers greater
clarity, detail, and dynamic range."
--->
Merrill Audio Element 116MX Review: High-End Monoblock Power Amplifiers With Exceptional Clarity &
Dynamics.
PERFECT8 Cube-S With Sub Review — Reference-Grade Musical High-Fidelity Loudspeakers With Real-World Transparency
A deep dive into PERFECT8's glass-enclosed omnidirectional loudspeaker sound system that delivers endless musical pleasures for both casual and serious listeners.
Review By Dr. Matthew Clott
OK. Let's get the elephant in the room out of the way... Yes, they are glass speakers, and yes, they sound "transparent." OK. Phew. Glad we got that over with! At a high-end audio show in 2015, I met Jonas from Sweden for the first time in a big room on the first floor. All Ypsilon electronics and their The Point speakers. All glass, open baffle design, dual dipole midrange, and a ribbon tweeter, each sitting on a sealed two-driver subwoofer. As the name implied, they were the closest thing to a point source I had ever heard. Tonally spectacular, they threw a massive sound stage forward, backward, sideward, upward, downward, and every other way there is; and absolutely vanished into that big room. I went back time and time again, and decided that I needed to get to know Jonas better and make sure I heard his room at every show I went to. I also remember the speakers were very expensive, so owning them was not going to happen back then; not without a divorce, and although I loved the speakers, I love my wife too much for that
option....
--->
PERFECT8 Cube-S With Sub Review — Reference-Grade Musical High-Fidelity Loudspeakers With Real-World Transparency.
World Premiere Review!
Charney Audio Kit-1 300B Vacuum Tube Amplifier & Maestro XL
Loudspeakers: World-Class 300B SET Power Meets Voxativ Precision To Deliver Extraordinary Musical Realism
A deep-dive listening review of Charney's new 300B amplifier and Maestro XL musical loudspeakers featuring Voxativ AC-2.6 drivers.
Review By Paul Schumann
When I first walked
into the Charney Audio room at Southwest Audio Fest 2025, I was greeted by this
charming song by Victor Wooten. It was being projected into the room by a pair
of Lumica VI loud speakers. Despite being a single-driver design, the Lumica VIs were
pressurizing the room with their enormous rear-loaded horns. I was intrigued.
The room was super busy at the time, so I snapped a few pics, moved on, and made
a note to myself to swing back later. When I came back a couple of days later, "The Loneliest
Monk" was once again playing, which I thought was an odd bit of synchronicity.
I sat and listened to the Lumica VI speakers and was impressed by how they
filled the room with just a pair of Voxativ AC-2.6 drivers. After taking some
notes, I talked to Brian Charney about reviewing a pair of speakers. After
describing my listening room to him, we decided that none of his speakers would
perform their best there.
--->
Charney Audio Kit-1 300B Vacuum Tube Amplifier & Maestro XL Loudspeakers
Review.
Discover more hi-fi reviews and expert articles within our Review Magazine.
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