AXPONA 2025: Inside the 4th-Floor Sonic Playground
Gear, great grooves, and perhaps some juicy gossip too!
Audio Expo North America (AXPONA) 2025 Show Report By Rick Becker

476  QSA Lanedri
QSA Lanedri was another cable demonstration, but it had more to do with the QSA treatment process from QSA fuses than comparing different models in their line. They didn't even demonstrate their higher-priced cables, which are derived from respected existing cable brands such as Iconoclast and Blue Jeans. They used two generic AC power cords, one of which had been subjected to the special QSA  treatment. And yes, there was a significant difference. While I have a lot of experience with Synergistic Research fuses, not QSA fuses, I can easily imagine the magical results of the higher-up lines of QSA Lanedri cables.

Here, one of the presenters was holding a sample of the cables they were comparing. Nothing special, except a bit of the QSA treatment. They make four series of cables. The entry-level Gamma series is like the generic power cord he is holding. The AC cord, Ethernet, and HDMI cables in this series are each $250.

Their higher-end cables are of more complex construction. The white Ultimatum Infinity series includes this power cord, which has rather bulky terminations at each end. The 1.8m power cord is $19.5k. The next series down is $10k, and below that, the price drops to $4.5k. So, aside from the entry-level teasers, this is a pretty expensive cable line.

The Ultimatum Infinity speaker cable features solid copper spades. A 2.5m pair is $24k, and prices drop as you move down through their lines. I would wait to read some reviews before investing, although they offer a 30-day money-back guarantee. Their entry-level power cord sounded promising, and the benefit may scale up along with the price. This could be some major voodoo.

480  Fidelis Distribution, ArgentPur Cables, Falcon Acoustics, Lab12, Pure Fidelity, Oneiros Audio, And Westminster Labs Electronics
This room was a ‘bait and switch' from what was listed in the show program booklet. The real presenters here were New Life Audio from Queens in New York City and Hear This from Newport Beach, CA. The room here was very familiar, and I frequently encountered Damon Von Schweikert in it, but I'm still not clear if Hear This is a retail store or a marketing company. The Folgenhaus bespoke audio furniture they represent looks outstanding on their website, but I've yet to notice it in their room at any show. It is world-class furniture and likely only made to order.

The Von Schweikert VR.thirty floorstanding loudspeaker ($59k) was shown with the Foundation Hybrid Bass System ($tbd). This is a subwoofer system designed to cancel out the bass boom within the room. The Westminster Lab REI cool-running Class A monoblocks ($39.9k) were again driving the VRs, and the matching Quest preamp ($32.9k) was further upstream. A Lumin U2 streamer ($5k) fed a Rockna Wavedream Reference Signature DAC ($26.9k). A PS Audio PowerPlant 20 and PowerPlant 12 ($16k for both) were employed, and $30k worth of MasterBuilt Reference II cables (the house brand of Von Schweikert) strung it all together to produce first-class music. The SolidSteel racks in the room added another $8.9k.

484  Fidelis Distribution, ArgentPur Cables, Falcon Acoustics, Lab12, And Pure Fidelity
Fidelis Distribution presented a pair of Falcon Acoustics classic M30 3-way speakers that fairly screamed "British sound," given the cabinet proportions and short stand mount.

Of interest here was the use of a domed midrange, something not often seen. At $6k, this speaker presented a respectable sound you could listen to all day long. The absence of bling and the gorgeous wood veneer impart a subtle, traditional look, yet suggest old money rather than nouveau riche.

Yet another Pure Fidelity turntable, this time with its power supply hidden under the LP on the shelf below. Further down on the Solidsteel rack was a small Aurender streamer atop a non-oversampling Lab12 DAC with two meters indicating output levels. On the bottom shelf was a Lab12 phono stage with a read-out of "RIAA, MC, 100 Ohm, HiGain, ST(ereo), LoCap" for listeners who like to stay on top of data like that.

On the short rack was a Lab12 integrated amp with a read-out indicating "Audio Source, Phono (2)". Below it was a Lab12 multi-channel power conditioner indicating 119V @ 60.010Hz, 2.39Amps, and 243.3 Watts at the time I clicked my shutter. That's a good voltage reading for a room at a show.

I interrupted Ernie Meunier having his lunch while hosting the room. Ernie is the owner of ArgentPur, whose cables formed the loom for this rig. The classy silver shirt was a gift from his wife, who suggested it was very appropriate, given the silver cables he manufactures. A sample of a braided XLR interconnect was seen around his neck.

ArgentPur has also introduced powerful, but petite, Ag PurGaN-FET Amplifiers, including monoblocks and the DUO stereo, a dual-mono, single-chassis amp. I took a photo of the inside of one at Capital Audiofest last year, and it looked very well constructed. ArgentPur has gone to a direct marketing program that allowed them to lower their prices by a third.

---> Next Page.