AXPONA 2025 Part 7: High-End Audio's Fantastic 5th Floor
Great gear reveals and audiophile trends for music lovers.
Audio Expo North America (AXPONA) 2025 Show Report By Rick Becker 

Part 7 Is Dedicated To The Memory Of Robert (Bob) Lietz
Bob Lietz opened The Analog Shop in 1992, in nearby Victor, New York, about the time I discovered high-end audio, and we became friends in the 1990s, bartering furniture for his children's rooms for audio gear. Another passion of Bob's was collecting and reading rare books and first editions. He carried very reputable lines, treated customers fairly, and was a good man. As it says on his website, he wasn't ready, but he went peacefully on April 14, 2025.

A good friend asked me why I keep writing about the AXPONA 2025 high-end audiophile event when the show happened months ago and has been eclipsed by the HIGH END 2025 show in Munich. A lot of other websites have hit the high spots for readers and viewers who see show reports primarily as "news." The print magazines lag because of the lead time necessary for publication and distribution. I received one this past weekend with their coverage of the AXPONA 2025 high-end audiophile showcase in Chicago.

I see my show coverage more as investigative journalism that digs deeper into the show than the top 30 rooms that are highlighted by others. Certainly, I cannot cover each room in the kind of depth they do when they can spend so much more time in each room. But I'm able to provide an overview of the show by hitting almost every room and sharing insights and photos of more of the gear that less affluent audiophiles can afford. By doing so, I can honor the hard work less prominent brands and vendors have done to create their products, not to forget the serious money they've spent to show up for the attendees.

It also happens from time to time that I discover a brand or unique product that everyone else has overlooked. One such instance occurred on the 5th Floor here. I invite you to read on.

502  Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab, REL, SolidStteel, And Hegel Music Systems
Mobile Fidelity has expanded from being a manufacturer of LPs and Super Audio CDs to being an importer (MoFi Distribution) and now includes being a manufacturer of a few products and a direct marketer. Collaborating with Andrew Jones to manufacture speakers has been a huge success for MoFi, and their room draws big crowds. He wasn't there when I invaded as the show opened on Saturday, but I learned there was a new updated version of the PointSource 10 monitor ($3495).

At the Montreal show two weeks earlier, I had the opportunity to hear the new PointSource 888 floorstander ($5k) driven by Hegel Music Systems electronics to very good effect, giving it an Honorable Mention. In a bigger room with a more carefully curated rig, this could be an outstanding loudspeaker.

In the room here, I had my first look at the relatively new REL 99 downward-firing subwoofer. The wood finish and absence of a driver staring at me made it very attractive, yet I've seen it pop up on the used market numerous times, suggesting it might not be as outstanding, performance-wise, as their models with forward-facing drivers. It sure looks like very nice furniture, though.

On the Solidsteel rack was the new MoFi Electronics MasterDeck turntable, a new model, designed by Alan Perkins, and below it was the MasterPhono phono stage designed by Peter Madnick. Neither of these items is on their website yet, and a lot of items are out of stock because of the tariff situation. (Check their website.) Further down was a Marantz Super Audio CD Player. The tube amp on the bottom shelf probably made the speakers sing. Neither the LP nor the CD was being played, and the seats were all full, so I moved on.

On silent display was a new version of the MoFi Fender turntable ($3500) featuring a matte finish. As it happened, I stumbled upon one with a gloss finish in the Expo Hall on Sunday. I like both finishes equally.

512  FiiO
The FiiO room had some surprising products, including this turntable with a platter illuminated from below.

Was this a FiiO monitor with horizontal stripes and a sculpted waveguide for the tweeter? The stand was certainly handsome, too.

Against the long wall was a table full of personal listening devices equipped with headphones. It was still early in the morning, so this room was not yet crowded.

516  Parts Express And Dayton Audio
The rack is holding a Dayton Audio turntable on top and a Dayton HTA100 hybrid amp with tube preamp stage and Class A/B output of 50 Wpc @ 4 Ohms. The amp included a dedicated phono input, USB DAC, and a subwoofer output, plus tone controls for $249! Yikes! Am I taking this hobby too seriously?

The Dayton Audio Opal 1 loudspeakers took honors from Audioholics last year. It's available in gloss black, too. Notice the right speaker is showing the back side with a pair of passive radiators, allowing the speaker to dig down into the low 30Hz range. It is a nominal 8 Ohms with a low of 4.3 Ohms, a very low sensitivity of 78.5dB/W/m, and only $800 on eBay. Yikes! Yikes! Notice the carefully arranged audio screwdrivers with a flat blade on one end and a small Phillips head on the other. These were a giveaway, and I must confess one has found its way into my audio toolkit. Thank you, gentlemen.

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