Southwest Audio Fest 2026 Show Report: The Rooms, Systems, & Moments That Defined This Year's Show
A detailed listening journey through SWAF 2026 festivities' most engaging setups, breakthrough designs, and unforgettable musical experiences.
Southwest Audio Fest 2026 Show Report By Paul Schumann

  There were a lot of big changes in store at the third annual Southwest Audio Fest. The show was held at a new venue, the Sheraton Dallas Hotel; it was at a different time of year, late July, and it utilized a Thursday-Friday-Saturday schedule. Everyone I talked to at the show embraced the changes and was pleased with the results. Gary Gill and Lou Hinkley pulled off an amazing show that portends good things to come.

When I checked in, I noticed May Anwar's excellent and informative Passport To Sound booklet, sponsored by Enjoy the Music.com, was on the table. This publication is to educate young people on high-end audio. It was good to see that by the third day, they were all being enjoyed by many youthful attendees at SWAF 2026.

This year there were so many good rooms to choose from; it was really difficult to narrow it down to just a few Enjoy the Music.com Best Of Southwest Audio Fest 2026 Blue Note Awards. I know, I know, I have such a difficult life! But after multiple listening sessions, I felt confident in my choices.

Dreamscapes AV
Dreamscapes AV had two different setups in their presidential suite. In the front room was a system featuring tube equipment. The front end consisted of a Kronos Audio Turntable and a Mola Mola Tambaqui DAC. The electronics were A-Definition Ember SET 300B monoblocks, a Flow preamp, and a Pulse moving magnet phono stage. The speakers were Areti Contra 200Fs.

The back room featured Benchmark electronics. These included their AHB2 Amplifier, HPA4 Headphone Amplifier and Preamplifier, and the DAC3 B DAC. The system was set up so they could instantaneously switch between Aretai's Contro 200F and Contro 100S speakers. A bonus was that John Sau, the chief engineer of Benchmark, was available to answer questions. No prices were shown for either system.

Aretai speakers were used in both systems in the room. These speakers were very forward and dynamic. These traits were evident in both systems. Paired with the Benchmark, they produced copious amounts of bass and exceptional detail. John Sau switched between the two speakers several times. If there was any drop-off in bass between the floorstanders and the monitors, I couldn't tell. With the A-Definition gear, the sound wasn't as bass-heavy, but a little smoother in the midrange. Dreamscapes AV did a great job of setting up these two rooms.

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