The AXPONA 2023 Chronicles: Part 2
Fine premium audio gear on the 15th floor.
Audio Expo North America 2023 Show Report By Rick Becker

Magico
Magico hardly needs an introduction. The S3 model in blue shown here was certainly eye-catching, and driven by a pair of CAT (Convergent Audio Technology) monoblocks the music was completely controlled and musical. It was the larger S5 that I heard on Thursday evening before the show began that sounded so good on the 2nd Floor in a much larger room. Being a tube fan, I'd have to say this combination works incredibly well with an inviting sound that makes it easy to emotionally connect with the music. This makes me wonder why they faced the amps together to conceal the faceplates.

Handsome...

...and heavy.

Magico
There was a second room sponsored by Magico, but I'm not sure what was different between them. There was not a lot of literature or component lists at the show overall. Kudos to those who went to the effort.

Audio Ultra
Audio Ultra delivered a delightful system with a pair of white Magico A1 monitors ($9400) driven by a CH Precision system with an Aurender and SOtM front end that was powered by a large Stromtank battery power supply. This room was deceptively modest-looking with the Magico monitors but topped out at almost $318k.

While the CH Precision separates and Audioquest Dragon cables combined to make this a formidable presentation, overall, the room suggests that you can do quite well with a small monitor in a small room. Or dare I suggest even with small monitors combined with subwoofers in a larger room than this one? The Magico A1, which is sourced from China, shares the same high resolution and transparency as its larger siblings. The more dynamics at high volume you require, the more amplifier power you will need, naturally.

I've seen several systems with the German Stromtank now and they've all had exceptionally clean sound, even if the power amps are still connected to the grid. The S 2500 Quantum MkII model used here lists at $27,500.

Serhan Swift, Boulder Amplifiers, Finley Audio, And Les Davis Audio
This next room was a better example of a great small-room rig. Serhan Swift monitors from Sydney, Australia were new to me, but are said to be well-known down under. Yes, that's a Scan-speak Revelator ring radiator tweeter. They sounded very nice driven by a Boulder integrated amp. They also have an active version of the mu2 Mk II with DSP. That's a Solidsteel speaker stand with some very tweaky footers under the spikes.

Small Green Computer and Sonore were also involved in the front end. Cables were by Finley Audio whom I covered more extensively at Capital Audiofest with their unique, re-configurable cable lifters that are something special.

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