Audiophile Insights At AXPONA 2025 Sixth Floor
Exploring next-gen high-end audio technologies.
Audio Expo North America (AXPONA) 2025 Show Report By Rick Becker 

616  Triangle Art
The Triangle Art room here at the AXPONA 2025 audiophile show appeared to be a clone of the last time I saw them at Capital. I love the sound here, not only because it is analog sourced and with tube amplification. Everything from the phono cartridge to the speaker, including the cables, bears their name and is said to be made in the USA.

Small, medium, and large turntables were on display, with the extra-large model shown on the banner. Show specials are often offered on the turntables if you come prepared.

620  Master Artist Audio, Accuphase, Burmester, And Transrotor
I've previously heard Burmester systems in a large room here at AXPONA and in a room not quite as small as this one at the Toronto Audiofest. I was surprised to find that these large speakers sounded good in such a small room. What it lost was the viewing distance and spacing to appreciate the tasteful bling (or elegance, if you prefer) of this outstanding German brand. Note the upper and lower side-firing woofers, and the carpeted platform with vibration-absorbing footers, rather than spiked feet.

On the outside of the main speaker, the wood veneer on the front baffle carries over to the middle insert, while polished metal inserts are applied above and below it. Visually, the Burmester line screams wealth, while the sound portrays an appreciation of fine music. The speaker on the left was from Master Artist Audio, a high-end audiophile gear dealer in Memphis, Tennessee, that sponsored this room and also builds loudspeakers.

The 111 Musiccenter from the Reference Line was the digital source, combining a server, CD player, CD ripper, DAC, and an analog preamplifier. Diana Krall was performing at the time.

Burmester is another brand that makes virtually everything from source to speakers. The turntable here is labeled Burmester, not Transrotor. The record weight caught my attention on two counts. First, the wood piece didn't fit in with the metal aesthetic of the Burmester brand. Secondly, while it looked somewhat like the famous Shun Mook weight, the color of the wood, the angles of the steps, and the density of the wood didn't look right to me. I contacted a friend who forwarded my photo to Bill Ying, of Shun Mook, who replied:

"This is definitely not (a shun mook clamp—RB). Well an odd proportion unit if I must say. Not even ebony, maybe some kind of rosewood."

Bill Ying's primary artisan passed away a few years ago, I'm told. The real Shun Mook clamps, which are said to add a sonic "rightness" to the music that extends throughout the room, are now virtually unobtainable, fetching upwards of $5k. I had an opportunity to listen to a song using one and hold it in my hand at a Canadian show once, but the brevity and excitement of the moment only led me to feel that it provided a warm and relaxing signature to the song. Still, it was one of those special moments in my audiophile journey.

As for the record weight in the Burmester room, it was not for sale that I could tell, nor did it claim to be a Shun Mook design, so it appears to have just been a decoration.

624  Stereo Haven, Dynavector, Jadis, JM Reynaud, And  Well Tempered Lab
Entering the Stereo Haven room was like parachuting back to the real world after the previous room. The equipment was all familiar. I've heard JM Reynaud speakers from France at the Canadian shows on occasion and visited a dealer in western Massachusetts. It is a fine line that deserves more attention.

The Well Tempered Lab Amadeus 254 is an upscale model of one that followed shortly. Note the two layers of plywood and two layers of aluminum. The oversized platter helps keep the speed constant. A Dynavector XV-1 cartridge was in play here.

The list explains the scope of the rig.

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