2023 AXPONA Show Report

These look like they MIGHT be good speakers BUT...

for the price you are getting off the shelf components. Not that they are bad components. I use the same brands these folks use in my speakers that I design. It is just for the price I would desire something better and you are still getting your basic rectangular box, probably made with some variation particleboard or laminate. And for crossovers, I'll bet a $1 right now they are using wire wound coils and not continuous wound ribbon coils. The industry dictates that you should never use $50 to $100 components when a $10 one will suffice. That’s a joke guys.  I haven't seen the inside picts yet but I can only hope that they are not using cat5 wire inside the boxes like so many speakers do. These look very much like the speakers I was building in the early 80s. I could be totally wrong and would love for someone to impress me by showing I am totally off on these. Truthfully just looking at the spec sheet, I don't get it and won't be getting them. Also saying that by adding a sub you have a full range speaker, If you have a full range speaker you shouldn't need a sub. That is an oxymoron from the start. I guess if you want a sub for feeling the tactile pulse of mechanically manipulated movie tracks, a sub is OK, but I reuse turn on my sub when listening to MUSIC.

The Mon speakers may be nice but $25k for conventional stand mounts is Waay over priced ,take MBL 120 Loudspeakers  their tweeter and midrange 100% out of the box and their issues but 100% Omni directional even off axis excellent imaging 

and details lost in other Loudspeakers, and opposing long throw 6.5 inch mid- Bass drivers , the best Stand mount speaker I have heard by a sizable amount 

and it’s low 82 db rating very deceiving for you are getting equal output in 360 degrees not just the front ,more like 87 db  my friend plays these with a A 55 wpc Ayon Amp. These are on y short list .with a pr of good subs like the SVS sb 4000 youhave a full range speaker that Dan compete with any at 3x the price .

Earplugs? No need for those. This is the biggest show in the US so if it's your first then yeah you will be overwhelmed.

I’m going for the first time (to any audio show) and will be there bright and early Friday morning. I expect I will be overwhelmed at some point so I will try to map out the big rooms I’ve always been interested first, then hit the more practical ones. Not really caring about affordability as I just want to hear the different setups and speaker designs. Are there rooms rooms loud enough to require earplugs? Not sure if that would be rude but I have some filtered ones I bring to live shows. I also want to go to a couple of the lectures that seem like they could be interesting. I have family nearby I will be visiting as well so the somewhat limited mall area doesn’t bother me much.

I’m heading out from CA for the show again this year.  The only gear on my wish list are Tannoy Cheviot speakers.  Maybe the T&A DAC, too.  I am going to make a week of it and spend time exploring Chicago.  Cool city for sure.

Thanks rick for posting the exhibitor list.  There are several I’d like to see/hear.

I live 30 minutes away, so yeah I’ll be going (first time). Will mostly be looking at streamers, but will wander around to take it in

@willywonka  Yeah, I'll try again next year much earlier as you suggest. Have fun.

Mon Acoustic might be bringing their all new GHOST SILVER MK2 Floorstanding Speakers to the Axpona Show 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbpFnXDH9L0

@noromance Thats why you book the hotels months in advance. I'm staying at the Hyatt and booked the rooms (Refundable) several months ago (At a good price) in anticipation of the show. Schaumburg is a business district and I have been there many times over the years due to Motorola being based there and my business with my job. There is the mall next door but honestly, I'm travel from California (Flying) and am only going to the show, and it will be all day long so I'm not looking for other entertainment,

I went just before COVID and it was enjoyable, until my flight home was canceled due to an 8" snowstorm. Ugly location with nothing to do outside of hotel. Thought about going this year but the greedy hotel wanted $2000+ for 2 nights.

I went to Axpona last year and will be going again this year. I’m looking for speakers and a power amp. Can’t wait to go again.

I went last year.  Once was enough. I have by now purchased my "forever" music system.  Going will only tempt me more.  Attending the Estolon room, the Von Schweikert room, the Tannoy room (Upsacle) and the Legacy room was very enjoyable but I cannot afford any of them or even if I could, I've already purchased expensive Focal speakers.  The arrangement for headphones is a jumble of all manufacturers in one large very noisy room. Hard to demo even with closed back phones.  The Nordost rep ticked me off as he demeaned my lack of a Nordost loom as I only had the Tyr 2 speakers cables. The Hi Fi Rose rep was a snob. Who needs this aggravation?

An Aric Audio Super 300B SET amp with WE 300B tubes will be in room 705. If you like (and can use) low power amps the Super 300B SET is a really nice amp.

I stopped going to these shows as i dont see the point anymore. The only way to evaluate speakers is by listening in a familiar environment. Unfortunately the show organizers didnt realize that before they organized it! 

I also remember some of the more snobbish show exhibitors wouldn't let you play your own music as they feared it would make their speakers sound horrific.