AXPONA 2024 - what to do and see?

[charlielaub]

I'm starting this thread to highlight special events and happenings at 2024 AXPONA, which is about 2 months away.

You can find the main AXPONA web page here:

AXPONA - Audio Expo North America

Join music lovers and audiophiles from around the world as they descend upon the nation's largest showcase of manufacturers and retailers ever assembled in one venue only at AXPONA.

axpona.com

I will kick off the thread by bringing attention to a couple of special events that are being held in the "Linkwitz Parlor", suite 1421:
https://linkwitz.store/blog/2024/02/08/axpona-2024/

These will feature presenters from the recording and music industry talking about their work and music. It should be much more interesting than your average speaker demo! Presenters include:
SAT @ 11am: Mastering Engineer Kevin Grey of COHEARENT Records talks about his insights into recording and mastering, with tracks from Kristin Edkins album "Shapes & Sound"
SAT @ 3pm: Chris Connaker from Audiophile Style presents "A Shade of Blue" from Tsuyoshi Yamamoto on the Evosound label.

If there are other special or vendor-specific events that are going on, please add them to this thread to share the info before the show!

Hope to see you there!

 

[Midwest Blade]

Planning a stroll through on the Friday as I can not make it for the weekend. Have not made my list of must see spaces just yet. Looking forward to the show.

 

[Deleted member 71725]

I’m going for all three days, or at least until my ears and aging joints give out. Went last year and once before. I plan to sit in on some of the presentations.

I also plan to bring a ‘10 Bordeaux, an ‘09 Barbaresco, and at least one trip to Wildfire Grill and Sunnyside. Used to live in Schaumburg and always have a warm fuzzy feeling when I come back.

I plan to check out every single vendor and to spend more than 5 minutes auditioning each room - fatigue notwithstanding. SVS will get a mandatory visit just b/c I have several of and love their subs. Nice guys too. Can’t miss an opportunity to say hello to John Siau at Benchmark. Look forward to the Magico (who wouldn’t?) and Dynaudio rooms (can you see me salivating for the Confidence 60?). Ah hell, I love all of it, but will also chuckle at the sheer hubris of a $10k dac, $300k cables and giant Class A’s that sound ‘warm’… anyways…

And I plan on lots of time in the Estelon room. Makes me want to be fabulously rich - the depth of the stage, the resolution, the magical appearance of the artist, the humble Vassilkov - can’t wait. While I plan to spend lots of time in the other flagship rooms and love those too, it’s the Estelons that make me weep with joy and shake my head in amazement.

I have an old friend from the South Side who’s going to meet me there Saturday, but essentially I’m flying solo and will indulge all my senses - music and otherwise - while there.

I hope to see @amirm just so I can thank him for this superb place. Hope to meet other ASR’s too, though I don’t know how. Perhaps there could be an ASR cocktail hour? Seems reasonable and fun to me. Who wants to coordinate?

 

[Anton D]

You sound like the perfect attendee!!

 

[Deleted member 71725]

You sound like the perfect attendee!!

Thanks, I think! LOL! I do love it so… but my buying habits are centered firmly in value/$, so this is an indulgent thing that recalls long lost friends, good times I wish they could be around for, and all the other stuff I love as well. The event checks off lots of pleasure boxes and a bit of reminiscence too. Are you going?

 

[jjaskuna]

I have not announced this yet, but I am exhibiting at AXPONA. So, I am planning to spend AXPONA with myself and hopefully meet you!

I recommend you stop by the Altitude Audio booth in the Ear Gear Experience.

Company: Altitude Audio
Booth: 8024 (Next to Audeze)
Website: Altitude.Audio
Products: [Technology Not Yet Public...Watch for it Next Week]
I'm also giving away several hundred licenses over the weekend.

I'll be introducing a new class and form of audio and hearing technology at AXPONA. One day soon I will introduce the new tech to the community, as it's actually free and I hope experienced ears will test it out. Albeit in an abbreviated form. Maybe next week I'll announce it, but its available already if one cares to look.

We are a small team (2 of us) and hope our novel technology will help address the problems emerging at the cross section of our love of music and audio and our changing hearing as we progress through life. I think it's fascinating and hope you stop by and meet me or the physician that helped me create our novel hearing test. The tech has redefined by expectations of music and the listening experience.

Hope to see you there.
Jeff


Consider completing our hearing test before you arrive at AXPONA, such that you can personalize your listening experience right at our booth. I'll release this shortly before AXPONA.

 

[im_gumby]

Planning a stroll through on the Friday as I can not make it for the weekend. Have not made my list of must see spaces just yet. Looking forward to the show.

I am planning on attending. Not sure which day... Its a short drive from the city.
This will be my first time...

Anyone know which day will be 'best' where there's less foot traffic?
(Sorry to vendors... I know that's not what they want to hear...)

 

[Midwest Blade]

I am planning on attending. Not sure which day... Its a short drive from the city.
This will be my first time...

Anyone know which day will be 'best' where there's less foot traffic?
(Sorry to vendors... I know that's not what they want to hear...)

I have generally gone on the Friday and have arrived right at opening, fewer people then the weekend but it does seem that a few rooms might still be sorting things out.

 

[flysouth]

does the exhibitor list change or is it set ?

 

[spacevector]

I have not announced this yet, but I am exhibiting at AXPONA. So, I am planning to spend AXPONA with myself and hopefully meet you!

I recommend you stop by the Altitude Audio booth in the Ear Gear Experience.

Company: Altitude Audio
Booth: 8024 (Next to Audeze)
Website: Altitude.Audio
Products: [Technology Not Yet Public...Watch for it Next Week]
I'm also giving away several hundred licenses over the weekend.

I'll be introducing a new class and form of audio and hearing technology at AXPONA. One day soon I will introduce the new tech to the community, as it's actually free and I hope experienced ears will test it out. Albeit in an abbreviated form. Maybe next week I'll announce it, but its available already if one cares to look.

We are a small team (2 of us) and hope our novel technology will help address the problems emerging at the cross section of our love of music and audio and our changing hearing as we progress through life. I think it's fascinating and hope you stop by and meet me or the physician that helped me create our novel hearing test. The tech has redefined by expectations of music and the listening experience.

Hope to see you there.
Jeff


Consider completing our hearing test before you arrive at AXPONA, such that you can personalize your listening experience right at our booth. I'll release this shortly before AXPONA.

Can you please describe how the hearing test is performed? I could not find any details on the website.

 

[amirm]

does the exhibitor list change or is it set ?

Maybe a few but by now, most of the list is quite settled.

 

[Wolf]

I'll be there on Saturday with a few others people. I plan on wearing my blue Compact Disc Digital Audio shirt should someone want to recognize me.

 

[flysouth]

Maybe a few but by now, most of the list is quite settled.

Thankss

 

[MarcT]

For me, the big plus for attending AXPONA is that, unlike the recent inaugural Southwest Audio Fest, more of the main stream mid-fi speakers that can be afforded by mere mortals will be demonstrated. SWAF had some great sounding rooms, but most of the speakers carried rather lofty prices. According to the exhibitor list, AXPONA will offer an opportunity to hear the latest models from more companies such as Revel, Paradigm, Dali, Martin Logan, Anthem, Focal, Canton, Sonus Faber, Legacy Audio, Bowers & Wilkins, PSB, Polk,Revel, Paradigm, Sonus Faber, Focal, and more.

Sadly, AXPONA falls on the same weekend as The Masters, which I have to see!

 

[im_gumby]

You do realize that there's this thing called a DVR?

That said... watching golf is overrated. Much more fun playing.

 

[MarcT]

You do realize that there's this thing called a DVR?

That said... watching golf is overrated. Much more fun playing.

Oh, we don't have those in east Texas!

 

[im_gumby]

Yeah, I guess East Texas is a bit backwards in that way... I heard that there's still an active Blockbusters franchise....
(Just kidding...)

To be fair, this will be my first AXPONA and if I didn't live in the city, I wouldn't go.

 

[MarcT]

Yeah, I guess East Texas is a bit backwards in that way... I heard that there's still an active Blockbusters franchise....
(Just kidding...)

To be fair, this will be my first AXPONA and if I didn't live in the city, I wouldn't go.

I actually have two DVRs but I don't really like watching sports events after they're over and I usually already know what the result was.

I think you'll love AXPONA, it's just a pretty incredible display of audio technology. If I were within a few hundred miles, I would definitely go back again but it's 900 mi from me.

 

[TitaniumTroy]

I'm going to be there all three days, my list to hear start with YG Acoustic's fully active speaker's. Magnepan 2.7X's, Volti Audio, Diptque, other various planer or horn speakers. If anyone wants to meet up feel free to IM me.

 

[Wolf]

Since you are in South Bend, you are not far from InDIYana event in Ft Wayne 2 weeks after. Hope you can attend...