Southwest Audio Fest 2026 Part 2: Exceptional Stereo Systems, Luxury Hi-FI Gear, And Blue Note Award Winners
Room-by-room reviews, high-fidelity sound systems, marketplace, and Blue Note Awards from SWAF
2026.
SWAF 2026 Luxury Hi-FI Show Report By Mike Harkins
Blue Note Awards (Drum Roll Please)
The moment you have all been waiting for is here. What I
try to look for at audio shows is good value and performance. Sometimes high
value is elusive since there are many items that sell for much moolah, let's
face it. But I give credit to even high-priced gear that is especially cutting
edge. After all, that's where the value of the future comes from. So here are
a few of the featured rooms and products that I thought deserve Enjoy the
Music Blue Note awards.
Alta Alec SE Powered By ModWright
Instruments
These small-sized tower speakers put out big sound. And
as I mentioned previously, the ModWright KWA300 Power Amplifier (photo below)
is surely overkill for these highly efficient loudspeakers. But it all works
very well, producing one of the best musical sounds at SWAF. This is not
bargain-basement price by any means, but it has high value. The improved Alta
Audio Alec SE priced at $16,000 with premium crossover components is still
very good value. Since they come with IsoAcoustics Gaia Neo isolators
included, there is no need to spend an extra grand on that musical refinement.
And no one can question the sound quality. ModWright gear is well-designed and
beautifully done, although somewhat expensive.
Perfect8, Thrax, And Neotech
I couldn't help but give a nod to the Perfect8 Cube-T loudspeakers powered by Thrax electronics.
Perfect8's design philosophy clearly states that what we are hearing in our listening rooms is, indeed, an illusion. How to transport the listener to the musical space where it all begins is their goal. And, to an amazing degree, they have achieved it. In a system like this, it is impossible to tell where the greatest improvements to that illusion are made. How much does the Thrax turntable with Frank Schröder CB tonearm, the Ortofon cartridge, the Neotech cables, the Thrax amps and even the Perfect8 stand contribute to the palpable musical illusion we witness from our chair in the room? No way to tell exactly, but it came together with authority in that room. Thanks to Jonas and Maria for a nice demo and a fine musical experience.
IsoAcoustics Gaia Neo Isolators
Audiophiles are always looking for tweaks. I saw a
T-shirt at the show stating the one thing an audiophile will never say:
"I'm perfectly happy with my system the way it is." That's why we go
to shows because even if we are happy, there is room for improvement. And
these isolating feet from IsoAcoustics are a reasonably inexpensive way to
improve the sound quality of any set of loudspeakers. I mentioned some of the
improvements, such as easier installation and adjustment, refined side-to-side
vs. front-to-back isolation, etc. But the most important thing to remember is
that they are based on isolation science. Your results may vary, but I don't
think you could go wrong with this tweak. You can spend thousands on
interconnects and power refinement to achieve minimal improvement, but these
do an excellent job without spending that kind of money. If you are not
experiencing electrical noise-related issues, I suggest trying these first.
A Final Note
As usual, SWAF proved to be a wonderful immersion in
some great music regardless of the room. With that in mind, I always like to
bring back a few tunes I can play on my home system, even though it won't be
the same as at the show. But I can still enjoy the music. Right? Here is a
quick review of some of the outstanding and interesting music I heard at SWAF
2026:
High-Performance Audio Reviews
