I should start with speakers. This I know. I’d like to establish a new system.

I have been considering Axpona. This is a great idea. I went to CES out west back 20 years ago and it was a learning and rewarding experience.

@vthokie83 

Great recommendation.

toontrader

Axpona really is a great experience, it's audio focused only, and the exhibitor list is a who's who of the speaker world (and integrated amps). You will get months if not years research done in a couple of days.....make sure to be there at least 2 days. I live 30 minutes away, so easy for me to say. Another thing of note, is that many manufacturers and dealers will offer discounts on equipment bought at the show.

Alta Audio, ATC, Linkwitz, B&W, DeVore, Dutch & Dutch, Magico, Martin Logan, Vandersteen, Magnapan, Dynaudio, Estelon, Focal, Fyne Audio, Franco Serblin, Joseph Audio, Legacy, MBL, Rockport, Revel, Pure Audio Project, ProAc, Perlisten, Monitor, TAD, Volti, Yamaha, Wilson Benesch, Vivid......whew. There is not a single speaker manufacturer that I am looking at that will not be there, except maybe Sonus Faber; and they may very well be in a dealer booth

I personally will be spending my time with Volti, Joseph Audio, Yamaha, Pure Audio Project, Fyne, Vivid, Linkwitz, Revel, Franco Serblin, and maybe others if I have time......I'll be there Saturday and Sunday this year.

Best of luck, and hope you can make it

@toontrader

Great idea to attend AXPONA 2025 - both Harbeth and Volti have demo rooms.

When I was searching for my first high-end audio speakers, demoing speakers at audio shows was very helpful. There were a lot of great sounding speakers, but few that deeply resonated with me. After I narrowed my speaker choices, I went to AXPONA 2022 to demo, and ended up purchasing the demo Vimberg Mino D for a great price.

The Volti and Harbeth are sonically very different. I own the 100db highly efficient Volti Rival to explore tube midrange sonics starting flea watt amps I choose this speaker for it’s high efficiency and sonic neutrality- I wanted to hear various tube amp differences. I also heard the excellent sounding Volti Razz at audio shows. They sounded quick and effortless like most horn speakers.

Harbeth is a more musical speaker that matches well with Hegel electronics. Maybe someday I’ll get this great combo for a 3rd system.

Given this opportunity I will likely open up to other options I’m sure. Reading comments on Joseph Audio and Contour speakers have me swerving off my original path. This experience can more clearly narrow down my preferences (or add to the confusion). It’s been a while since I’ve done comparative critical listening. I am looking forward to it.

I use Focal for HT and in-ceiling house speakers in my current home. They have been great in those applications. They may be too analytical for my dedicated long term listening. I suppose I can follow up on that thread too.

I do have a decent understanding of the amp matching opportunities with these very different speakers, but am eager to be enlightened.