Audio Video Show Warsaw 2023 Coverage.

Hey SECRETS readers, we are pleased for the first time, to bring you coverage from Audio Video Warsaw 2023, the second largest AV show in Europe. With over 600 brands spread across 3 different venues (one being a soccer stadium), this promises to be a most excellent exhibition of the latest and greatest in HiFi, Video, and Personal Audio. And since it’s a European show there should be plenty of gear that many on our side of the pond may not have heard of or encountered before. Editor-In-Chief, Carlo Lo Raso will be attending the show from Friday Oct 27 – Sunday Oct 29. We will be posting coverage and insights on both the SECRETS Facebook and Instagram feeds during the course of the show, with the bulk of the report being posted here after the show concludes. Please feel free to check back here often as this page is updated with all the sights and sounds from Audio Video Warsaw 2023! We hope you enjoy it!

As this was SECRETS first time covering Audio Video Warsaw, I thought it best to pick the brains of some longtime attendees of the show to get a better sense of what there was to cover. Industry friends Doug Schneider and Jason Thorpe from Soundstage Network and Lynn and Stuart Smith from HiFi Pig were all beyond helpful in giving advice and insight on how to tackle the whole event and what I should expect while here. So a quick thanks to them for their assistance and camaraderie.

A few things became pretty clear as we were approaching “Zero hour” to show start. The talk about Warsaw being the second-largest audio show next to Munich High End was no joke. The breadth of what there was to cover here was massive. All the big players in audio were here of course but a ton of smaller local companies and DIY enthusiasts were here as well. And lets just say the level of refinement presented by these smaller brands was exceptional. I had no idea there was this level of “HiFi crazy” in Poland and the surrounding Slavic countries and it was refreshing and inspiring to experience. The Poles love their tubes and their vinyl. I don’t think I’ve seen a higher percentage of turntables (or gramophones as they call them here) and tubes at a show as I’ve encountered here. The attendance over the three days of the show was probably the most diverse crowd I’ve seen at any audio show I’ve been at, and while Munich High End is more about companies doing business, Warsaw is all about the consumer. I saw couples and families galore at this show. Plenty of teens and young adults along with women, who didn’t give off the impression that they were here under duress.

The headphone and personal audio section in Warsaw was as big as any CanJam I’ve been to and bigger than what was at Munich. And it was consistently busy with a little something available for everyone. Basically, this show is a hell of a production in a warm and welcoming city and is an event I would love to cover on a regular basis.

Before jumping into the coverage I would like to extend my thanks to Adam Mokrzycki, the show’s organizer, and his team for the invitation to Warsaw and for all the assistance and support while there.

Without further ado, please enjoy this little slice of Audio Video Warsaw 2023.

All the best!

Carlo Lo Raso

Editor-In-Chief.

Day 01 begins by tackling the massive PGE National stadium. One of the 3 show venues with almost 2 floors of exhibitors.

Perlisten

Checked in on our friends from Perlisten in a room sponsored by their Polish distributor Rafko. The S7t Limited Edition speakers were doing their thing and sounding very sweet paired with a complete bank of Nuprime electronics. All cables were supplied by Atlas. They also had a sampling of other fine Perlisten products on display too. It was great to catch up with both Erik and Matias from Perlisten and meet their Polish distributor Rafal.

Horn Acoustic

Horn Acoustic is a small Polish loudspeaker manufacturer that was featuring their modestly sized (for a horn) Ferria two-way passive loudspeaker. Featuring a compression driver and an 8-inch midwoofer, it sounded lively and dynamic matched with the SoulNote A-3 integrated amp and Lampizator. Nice amount of of bass to boot!

Fink Team

Polish Distributor Dwa Kanaly had a room with the Fink Team Borg Episode 2 Loudspeakers and none other than their designer, Karl-Heinz Fink providing support and general good vibes. Electronics were courtesy of Circle Labs, Meitner Audio, Metronome Technology, Acoustic Signature, and SOtM. Cables we courtesy of Tellurium Q. The room sounded excellent and “Resistance was truly Futile.”

Canor Audio/Triangle Electroacoustique

Canor Audio is a Slovakian company that has been around for 30-odd years and they are specialists in producing tube and hybrid audio components. They were sharing a display with Triangle Loudspeakers at the show and brought some beautifully designed and decidedly overbuilt equipment with them. Partners Zdenek Brezovjak and Ivan Bosnovo were particularly excited about their new Virtus A3 integrated amp. Besides being an all-in-one, with 100 watts of power per channel into 8-ohms, the selection interface for, inputs, volume, DAC filters, VU meter display, MM/MC Phono parameters, and more is all integrated into a small touchscreen interface on the main knob. It worked incredibly well and was slick and responsive to the touch.

The Canor CD player and integrated amp that were connected to the Triangle Duetto 40th Anniversary bookshelf speakers sounded absolutely lovely.

Unison Research/Opera Loudspeaker

It was wonderful to catch up with my friends Bartolomeo and Riccardo Nasta from Unison Research and Opera Loudspeakers. Besides all the good stuff Italian men talk about (good food, good wine, our mothers) audio is well up there on the list too, and these gents had a fantastic sounding room. The beautiful Opera Grand Callas loudspeakers were being driven by the equally lovely Simply 845 integrated tube amp. Tunes were being spun from a Unison Research Unico CD Uno disc player. For me, some of the best sound of the show was happening right here.

DALI

Dropping in on our friends at DALi, I caught up with Thomas Knudsen as he was demonstrating the new DALi Epicore 11 loudspeakers. These speakers take the best technologies from the flagship DALi KORE speakers and bring them to something more owners can experience. In the demo, the SACD player (SA10) and turntable (TT15S1 with Sumiko Amethyst cartridge) were courtesy of Marantz and the phono stage and amp were courtesy of their neighbors down the hall, Unison Research. The Unison UPhono+ and the massive Absolute 845 SE. The whole setup sounded so compelling. I could have spent way more time in that room!

BTW, DALi was also announcing the availability of the iO-12 wireless headphones. I can heartily confirm, from the review pair I’ve been traveling with, that these headphones are a huge step up for DALi. Very comfortable and very, very good sounding!

Innuos

Innuos was part of a statement-level room in Warsaw. They we’re running their (you guessed it) Statement music server/streamer, a Pulsar Network music player, and PhoenixNeT audiophile network switch. Keeping excellence company were NAGRA HD Series DAC X, preamp, and monoblock amps along with Rockport Avior II loudspeakers. Really big and sweet-sounding room, with dynamics to spare!

Gato Audio

I’d heard of Danish company Gato Audio in the past but I’d never seen their product in the flesh before now. At Warsaw, Gato had the full spread going on with examples of their integrated amps, poweramps, and a new modular preamp and seperate DAC, all in their distinctive casework and displays. What I didn’t realize was that Gato makes loudspeakers and cables too. All of it sounded fantastic together with sound coming through the 3-way Gato FM-50 floor standers.

PAC

Premium Audio Company had a significant presence through their Polish distributor. Notably Klipsch, Onkyo, and Integra were out in full force at PGE National Stadium. I haven’t been quite as up to speed as others with the current Onkyo and Integra AV offerings, but the Onkyo TX RZ 70 and the Integra DRX 8.4 look like interesting choices if you’re in the market for an AV receiver or pre-pro.

ARCAM

The new Arcam Radia line was being featured at the show, courtesy of distributor Audio Center Poland. Having just been to the launch event in London last month, it was great to see that distributors had actual product in their hands so quickly. In another room a Radia stack consisting of the A25 integrated amp, the ST5 streamer, and the CD5 CD player were powering a pair of compact Classic 3/1 speakers by Spendor. It made for a beautiful sounding compact system that a younger audiophile could start with, and continue to grow with their needs.

Cambridge Audio/Acoustic Energy

Another great system put together by Audio Center Poland consisted of the Cambridge EVO150 integrated amp and EVO CD, CD Player driving a pair of Acoustic Energy E520 loudspeakers. All cables were courtesy of Wireworld. A really appealing sounding and punchy system for not-crazy money.

Sim Audio/Audiovector/REL

If you have a bit more cash in your budget, Audio Center Poland had you covered with a few other nicely coordinated systems at the show. This Moon by Sim Audio, Audiovector and REL combination looked and sounded very pleasing. Made up of the 791 network player/streamer and 761 power amp from Moon’s new North Series. This set also included what is probably the sexiest looking (and feeling) remote control ever made! These were feeding a pair of Audiovector A6 Arrete floor-standing loudspeakers and a pair of REL Carbon Special subwoofers. Cables were provided by Nordost.

Monitor Audio/Chord Electronics

If you really wanted to “blow the budget” ACP was all too happy to oblige you with this statement system anchored by the new Monitor Audio “clothespins”… I mean Hyphns. These were ably tended to by some exquisite looking hardware from Chord Electronics. Namely their Ultima 2 power amp and Ultima PRE 2 for power and control. The digital sourcing was handled by Chord’s Dave DAC, the Hugo M Scaler, the 2GO, the 2YU, and Huei. The analog side of the equation was handled by the lovely Pro-Ject Signature 10 turntable. All cables were courtesy of the Chord Company.

VPI/VTL/Rockport Technologies

It was nice to see American High-End audio ably represented in this system with VPI, VTL, and Rockport Technologies sounding excellent together. Here we had the VPI HW-40 direct drive turntable with a Lyra Etna Lambda MC cartridge. VTL was featuring their TP-6.5 II phono stage, the TL 7.5 III preamp, and dual MB 450 III monoblock power amplifiers. And finally, Rockport contributed the Atria II loudspeakers to complete a truly stellar sounding system.

T+A

Nothing like a full T+A system to make you sit and listen for a good long stretch. The design of their components never fails to impress and the sound is equally special.

SoudSpace Systems/J. Sikora/Doshi

The winner of the “Rube Goldberg” award in the category of audio would have to be given to this very red J. Sikora Reference Line Special Edition turntable with dual tonearms. A beautiful piece of mechanical sculpture located in the SoudSpace Systems (from Germany) room. Keeping that fiery red turntable company were the, very black, were SoundSpace’s Aidoni Loudspeakers. Featuring a huge pro ribbon front tweeter, an AMT rear tweeter, high-end sourced midrange and woofer drivers, an active bass section with DSP bass management, and an onboard 1000-watt (4-ohm) bass amplifier, these babies could (and did) move some serious air. Supporting electronics were from the fine folks at Doshi.

PS Audio

PS Audio had a substantial full system running at the show, driving their big Aspen FR30 loudspeakers to great effect. The last couple of times I had heard these speakers, I thought the sounded just okay. This time, however the room setup was much more favorable and it gave them a chance to really show what they were capable of. Great sound quality and I especially liked this grey color they had going on.

Vincent Audio/Cary Audio/PS Audio/Legacy Audio

An interesting system combination that I ran into at the show was this Vincent Audio, Cary Audio, PS Audio, and Legacy Audio system. That’s a lot of different “Audios” to work with but the system’s overall sound gelled very well together. From Cary we have the DMS-650 Digital music streamer working with a PS Audio AirLens for reclocking and jitter eliminating. From Vincent we have the CD-S7DAC CD Player, the SA-T7MK preamplifier, and dual SP-1700 monoblock amplifiers. All this particular Vincent gear is hybrid tube and solid-state design. PS Audio also provided one of their massive PowerPlants to keep the electricity clean and stable. The speakers were Legacy Audio Expression towers. Again, another solid and appealing system for not crazy money.

Vivid Audio/CH Precision/Mola Mola/Audionet/Technics

I’m not the biggest fan of white speakers in general, but these Pearl White Vivid Audio Giya G2 loudspeakers had me reevaluating that preference. I’ve seen these speakers in a fistful of other colors over the years but this finish was utterly striking to me. Polish distributor Soundsource had these beauties paired with electronics from CH Precision, Mola Mola, Audionet, and a stunning Technics SL-1000R turntable. A statement quality system for sure and it utterly sounded like it. The Giya G2, along with the supporting gear, painted a beautiful sonic picture that just felt alive!

Gryphon Audio/Wilson Audio/Aurender

Gryphon Audio had a relatively modest (by their standards) system at Warsaw. The center point of which was the new Diablo 333 integrated amplifier that the company had introduced in Munich earlier this year. Rune Skov, Gryphon’s Global Sales Director, master of ceremonies and all-around bon-vivant mentioned how response for the 333 has been excellent and Gryphon has already received orders well ahead of projections on the new integrated. The Diablo 333 was joined by the Ethos CD player, and an Aurender N20 streamer. The speakers were the Wilson Audio Sabrina X. I’ve never been one to get particularly dewy-eyed over the sound of Wilson speakers but, credit where credit is due, this whole system sounded balanced, detailed and with a great low end. A fantastic room to be in, with good sound and good company.

SVS

SVS had a notable presence at Warsaw with full home theater setup that was rocking out with some seriously good music and some seriously good bass!

McIntosh

Walking into McIntosh’s room was like walking through a giant amplifier faceplate. Inside was like a display case of all things Mac. A little bit of everything was on static display including the new ML1 MK II loudspeakers. On active demo were two systems. The first was an all Mac setup which included the massive XRT1.1K floor-standing speakers. The other full Mac system was playing through a fine set of Rockport Technologies speakers. I don’t think I have seen so much McIntosh equipment in one room at one time. It was certainly an impressive spectacle.

Soundclub

Polish distributor Soundclub had compiled a room full of very high-end brands. This particular setup featured the Divin Marquis loudspeakers and two Divan Sovereign subwoofers (18” drivers, sealed) from German company Goebel High End. Amplification was courtesy of Boulder’s 20th Anniversary 2100 Series amps. The digital front end was from Wadax and their otherworldly looking Reference DAC, Reference Server, and Reference PSU. For you analog junkies out there, the turntable was the Brinkmann Audio Taurus. Wiring was supplied by Jorma Design cables from Sweden. Just effortless sound coming from this setup.

Luxman/Bowers & Wilkins

Luxman and Bowers & Wilkins were having a party at the stadium with the 801 D4 Signature Series mated to some of Luxman’s finest gear. In particular the C-10x preamplifier, the M-10X power amplifier, D-10X CD player, and NT-07 network transport. Yeah…I could happily live with this system! And that is my favorite finish on the new 801’s. Photos don’t do it justice! Where do I sign?

Audio Group Denmark

The boys at Audio Group Denmark had a couple of tricked-out rooms. In this one, throw in a little magic from some (big) Borrensen speakers, some electronics and power distribution by Aavik and Ansuz, and a turntable one might sell their first born for by Nagra and you have a rather bad-ass looking and sounding system. That still doesn’t answer the question of where Lars Kristensen gets his rather “ahem” unique demo music from! 😉

NAD

Take NADs new Masters M66 preamp with BluOs streaming, top shelf ADC and DAC resources, DIRAC Live with Bass Management, a proper analog volume control and you have the makings of something many audio nuts (namely me) have been pining for. Mate that with the matching M23 stereo power amplifier, a set of PSB Synchrony T800 loudspeakers, with IsoTek power support and AudioQuest cabling, and you have a superb sounding system that can give several of the higher dollar setups around here some serious “agida”.

It was also very cool to see the new NAD C3050 integrated amplifier sitting next to a pristine original sample of it’s inspiration, the 3030. Made me feel all nostalgic about that “New Acoustic Dimension.” Roll the ABBA please!

ELAC

ELAC’s Concentro S509 are a step up from the S507 that our Jim Clements reviewed recently. They sounded positively killer mated with the Hegel H600 Integrated Amp and Viking CD player. Cables by AudioQuest, of course. The finish on those ELACs was gorgeous to boot!

STAX

I’m a huge fan of STAX headphones. I’ve been lucky enough to listen to most of their headphones (or earspeakers as they call them) and while I enjoy them all, for sheer sound quality along with the classic sense of audio nostalgia, the STAX L700 Mk2 hits all the right notes. With a matching tube amp like the SRM-500T seen here, you’ll be treated to some of the best headphone sound for the money. Yes it’ll kind of look like you’re wearing space heaters or cheese graters on your head, but that’s part of the charm!

Paradigm/Anthem

Our friends from Paradigm (via Polish distributor Polpak) had a slightly less conventional but pretty ingenious 2.2 channel setup going in their room. An Anthem AVM90 processor was paired with a matching MCA 225 v2 power amp. Using the AVM90s bass management and ARC Genesis room correction allowed for seamlessly blending a pair of Paradigm Founder 70LCR and a pair of new Defiance XR11 subwoofers. It sounded clean and effortless with a tremendous kick in the pants when called on. An effective reminder that you don’t necessarily need full tower speakers to have it all.

MartinLogan/Anthem

But for those who want towers, Polpak also had the new MartinLogan Motion XT F200 towers in the next room with an Anthem STR preamp and power amp. The range of these speakers and their ability to dig deep is crazy good. I have a review set currently in my home theater and can confirm this. But right here we have a simple yet extremely capable all around system that can deliver any music you throw at it and at proper scale.

Musical Fidelity

This Musical Fidelity Nu-Vista based system with Oracle Delphi turntable and Audio Physic Cardeas speakers both looked and sounded incredible. Full and rich sound that made me want to stay a while.

Making my way to the headphone and personal audio section of the stadium there was a ton of action with brisk flow of people sitting down and sampling everything they could.

Eversolo

There has been a lot of buzz about Eversolo recently and for good reason. This tidy little combo of the DMP-A6 network player and DAC-Z6 DAC are a solid and great sounding headphone system. Tip of the hat to the supplied Fostex headphones to round out the system very nicely.

Spirit Torino

Andrea Ricci and Giordano Zaccini of Spirit Torino were all smiles and in high spirits here at Warsaw. Their table was getting plenty of interest and traffic as attendees were experiencing the brand’s various offerings. Of note was the final version of the open-back planar Centauri headphones which exhibited some minor external and finishing tweaks from when I saw the initial prototypes at CanJAM NYC. I felt they sounded uniformly good with a very appealing tonal balance. A little like what I am used to with the Mistrals but bigger and more enveloping. The other news was the introduction of a new set of IEMs called the Twin Pulse Beryllium. With styling cues taken from the flagship Valkyria headphones, these little bullet-style IEMs look and feel fantastic. Very high quality construction and with dual 10mm Beryllium coated drivers in each unit, they have that full, rich sound quality that Spirit Torino is known for with excellent bass impact and with a clear midrange and treble presentation too. They are some of the best IEMs that I have heard in a long while. Look for a review coming soon!

Ferrum Audio

Local brand Ferrum Audio had a significant presence at the show. Having made big waves with their Hypsos power supply and Oor headphone amplifier, the company recently released a matching DAC called the Wandla. ES9038PRO based and with custom made filters from Ferrum, it is an excellent sounding unit when I sampled it with headphones as part of a listening stack. In another room the Wandla was being used as a DAC/preamp to drive a large Gryphon Audio Antileon Evo power amp mated to a large unidentified pair of speakers.

Noble

It was great to run into Jim Moulton from Noble here at the Warsaw show. He was anxious to have me take a listen to a couple of Noble’s newest releases. The first was their new wireless IEM called the FoKus Prestige. With a beautiful custom wooden body and matching charge case, each IEM has an 8.2mm titanium dynamic driver paired with 2 Knowles Balanced Armature drivers. The FoKus Prestige have a 10 hour battery life with up to four charges available from the case. Both the fit and the sound quality when I tried them out were excellent. US pricing is slated at $599.00.

The other was the new Spartacus IEMs. With their exterior finish that resembles amber, these passive IEM’s use dual bone conduction drivers and 4 Sonian Balanced Armature drivers per ear. Again, the fit was excellent, and the sound was very appealing with a deep bass extension that I seriously felt in my head. US pricing for the Spartacus will be $1800.00 with availability coming in about a month.

xDuoo

Personal audio brand xDuoo had a large ingot-shaped portable DAC/Amp called the XD05PRO. Nothing unusual about another such device except this one has both DAC modules and Opamps that you can swap out. Out of the box the XD05PRO comes with a new ESS ES9039S PRO 8-channel DAC, which is an excellent chip. But the chip is on a user removable module that can be swapped with other DAC modules that can be purchased separately. There is currently an AKM4499EX based module, along with others with Rohm, Cirrus Logic, and an upcoming R2R solution. It also has balanced headphone output, Bluetooth connectivity, and 3-gain settings. That’s a lot of goodness packed into a roughly $800.00 US product.

Warwick Acoustics

Whist tripping the light fantastic amongst the headphones, I snuck a listen to the Warwick Acoustics Bravura electrostatic headphones which never fails to impress.

Feliks Audio

Then I came across the Feliks Audio Envy Tube headphone amp with none other than a pair of Susvara headphones from HIFIMAN. The very same combo that our Editor-Emeritus John Johnson went gaga over in his review. I took a good long listen here and darn it if JJ wasn’t right on point with his listening notes. A big, lush sound out of those 300B tubes.

HEDD

I walked into a room with some startlingly transparent sounding vocals. They were emanating from this tidy little active speaker and subwoofer setup from HEDD. The speakers were the Type 20 Mk2 active monitors mated to two Bass 08 active subwoofers. The digital front end was courtesy of Auralic. The integration seemed especially good here and the speaker’s transparency combined with the subwoofers command of the low end made for an addicting combination!

Focal/Naim

Focal and Naim were in the house with the solid sonic partnership between the Focal Scala Utopia EVO loudspeakers and a full Naim Series 300 system. The sound? “Oh la la!”

Sonus faber/Classe

The new Sonus faber Stradivari G2 were also in “bellla compagnia” (beautiful company) with a full Classe Delta 3 system. While I’ve never met a Sonus faber speaker that I didn’t like, and the new Stradivari are no exception, I still don’t feel that I’ve personally heard these speakers in an environment that has allowed them to really sing yet.

The new Sonus faber Duetto active speakers, on the other hand, I got a chance to hear at the prototype stage earlier this year, and here in Warsaw the production versions are an absolutely killer sounding little pair of speakers. With a flexible set of connectivity and streaming capabilities and an almost stupid level of bass reach for their size. The Duetto should find a lot of favor among those looking for a small, stylish Italian overachiever!

Denon

Walked in on a Denon room which highlighted the big dog AVC-A1H receiver powering an all Polk Audio Legend system along with a pair of Polk HTS Sub 10 subwoofers. A very nice and classy little system and that A1H receiver can deliver the goods. We will have a review coming out on it soon.

But in that same room something completely unexpected caught my attention. Out of the corner of my eye, I spied what seemed to be a Denon turntable. A very nice and brand new Denon turntable. It features a direct drive system, an “S-shaped” tonearm, and a heavy, high quality construction finished with dark ebony wood veneer. There was minimal additional information on this classy looking platter-spinner but it is available in the US for $2,499.00.

Diptyque

And finally we have the room featuring Diptyque’s new DP 140 MK II speakers. The associated equipment was the Aqua Acoustic Formula DAC, LINQ network player, and La Diva CD transport. Riviera supplied the Levante integrated amplifier. All cables were courtesy of Albedo. Everything about the new DP 140 MK II sounded fantastic except for the bass. It was missing compared to other Diptyque speakers I’ve heard at shows in the States and Munich. I’m chalking it up to the setup not being ideal as the speakers were very close to the side walls, among other things. I understand these will also be at Capital Audio Fest so I am looking forward to hearing them again there.

This was the other major venue of the three show locations.

Aretai

Aretai Loudspeakers from Latvia are consistently some of the better sounding speakers I hear at shows. But until Warsaw, I had only heard the smallest Contra 100 bookshelf model. This time (while I did sample the Contra 100 again) I got to experience the step up Contra 200 model. While the 200 has a similar tweeter waveguide as it’s smaller brother, it gains its own dedicated midrange driver, itself inset in a waveguide, and dual 8” bass drivers. Being driven by more modest Electrocompaniet gear, the Contra 200 were definitely more speaker than the smallish demo room could handle and the bass was just concussive. Yet for all that low end, it couldn’t obscure the transparency and polish of the midrange and treble that the Contra 200 naturally excels at. I really want to get a review pair of these in my large studio space and give them some room to breathe! BTW, all cables were courtesy of ViaBlue.

Metaxas & Sins

While I recently got a chance to sample a number of Metaxas & Sins audio objects d’arte via the new US distributor Jeff Garshon and his company Reel Sound Audio, here at Warsaw I got to spend some time with the artist/designer/mad scientist Kostas Metaxas himself. Kostas brought along his latest creation to the show which is an electrostatic headphone amplifier he’s named the Ethereal. But true to the designer’s nature, it “ain’t “ just any old headphone amplifier! Visually the Ethereal is crafted as an almost futurist human torso out of 5-axis CNC’d aluminum. There is what I can only describe as a “cubist Mayan” graphic pattern, cut as openings through the torso and head. The torso section sits confidently on a shapely stand making the whole work about 5’ tall.

Electronically the Ethereal can be configured from the lab to run one of a variety of voltages to suit a particular electrostatic headphone make. For the demo it was set up for the STAX SR-009S (580V). The amplification guts are fully balanced, dual mono channels set inside the core of the torso, with the aluminum body acting as a heat sink. Selection and volume knobs are where you would expect nipples to be, I mean honestly where else would you put them! The openings inside the Ethereal’s head leave room for a number of different expansion possibilities. In the show sample there is a meticulously crafted, fine quality timepiece in the cranium. It looks rather cool. Other options could range from DAC modules, other amplifiers, wireless streaming connectivity, etc.

As an actual electrostatic amplifier, it made the connected STAX headphones sound as open and transparent as I have ever experienced them. There are also plans to have the Ethereal be able to power a set of electrostatic speaker panels that Metaxas & Sins is currently developing along with their own electrostatic headphones too.

The whole thing is right properly bonkers, but I love it! And getting to sit and chat with the designer himself was an absolute treat and pleasure.

Kirmuss Audio

In the Radisson Blu Sobieski hotel, the Gallery area hosted a vinyl and CD marketplace that was doing a brisk business. It was here I ran into the always jovial Charles Kirmuss demonstrating his vinyl cleaning and care system to the inquisitive masses here in Warsaw.

Fezz Audio/Pylon Loudspeaker

Polish tube amp manufacturer Fezz Audio was sharing a display space with fellow Polish brand Pylon Loudspeakers. I was wholly unfamiliar with either of these brands but it was immediately clear that the quality of each of their products was more than just a step above. Fezz had a broad array of tube and hybrid integrated amps, headphone amps, power amps, phono stages, and even some solid state integrateds.

The big announcement for them at the show was a new tube DAC created in partnership with Lampizator. Called the Equinox EVO, it is based on the TI PCM1794 chipset with Lampizator doing the bulk of the circuit design work and Fezz responsible for the heavy lifting on power supply development. There is one 12AU7 vacuum tube that can be seen in all its warm glow under a window in the top lid. A nice design touch allows the owner to slide the window open and swap the stock tube for a different compatible model of their choosing. Tube rolling for your DAC! Fezz has established US distribution so expect to see the Equinox EVO on our shores early next year.

Pylon however is in active search for US distribution, which I hope they find because their speakers, while mostly classy and understated in design, sound exceptionally well rounded and capable and are in the realm of affordability for most. The artfully swept back Diamond 30 MK II speakers sounded very appealing during brief listening session. The more nostalgic looking Jade 20 speakers, according to the folks at Pylon, have a sound that’s meant to appeal to the more hard rock crowd.

BTW, the snazzy looking turntable is from local Warsaw company Muarah Audio. It’s called the MT3 and it’s an eye-catcher! Apparently you can get a matching speed controller and power supply that wirelessly communicates with a matching record clamp so that, when in use, the turntable’s speed is constantly monitored and adjusted to ensure accuracy. Brilliant!

ALPIN-line

Polish rack and stand manufacturer ALPIN-line has some of the coolest and most substantial looking audio stands that I have seen in a while. Gorgeous finishing in what looks like an endless variety of options.

Goldnote/Klipsch/Mastersound

Goldnote was in fine form at Warsaw. It’s turntables, speakers, and electronics shared a room with a pair of Klipsch Jubilees, a restored Technics RTR deck, and some Mastersound tube gear. I must say I don’t think I’ve heard the Jubilees sound quite this good at a show before. It was a winning combination!

Mytek

What can I say about Mytek? At shows Founder Michal Jurewicz has a penchant for mating his high-end, high-tech equipment with the most unexpected of speaker choices. But I can’t deny that the sound coming from the combination of Empire Streamer/DAC, matching Monoblock amps and these unidentified but obviously well-loved FOCAL speakers was good. No, I mean REALLY good.

Avantegarde Acoustic/Kondo

Dipping our toes into the “nosebleed” price bracket of the audio spectrum, this ballroom space was just the right size for these Avantegarde Acoustic Duo GT horn loudspeakers. Controlled and powered by electronics from Kondo, and an Accuphase power supply, they were sourced by a beautiful turntable from Transrotor. The whole shebang lit up the room very nicely with deep soundstage and effortless dynamics.

Tube Amplifier Laboratory

This next room, had to have some of the craziest gear I had ever seen. It was essentially put together by a local hobbyist and wasn’t widely available for sale but the quality of the craftsmanship and the bonkers size if these tubes had me almost speechless. His company is called Tube Amplifier Laboratory. A suitably mad-scientist kind of name!

The camp stove/portable reactor looking components are massive tube amplifiers that each use a pair of rare original Russian GMI-2B tubes. The amps are said to provide 250 watts per channel but as there were no tube cages in place, show goers were warned not to let any wayward fingers get near the bulbs.

The large computer tower looking thing is actually a preamplifier. The bank of capacitors in the thing beats what I’ve seen in some of the largest power amplifiers.

The loudspeakers were DIY but impeccably finished and designed to be extremely efficient. The sound was certainly nice enough to attract me into the room but, honestly, I was more impressed by the sheer audacity of this equipment and that creating it all was just someone’s “hobby”. If this is what passes for DIY audio in Poland, color me impressed!

Joseph Audio

Another show, another great-sounding Joseph Audio room. This is getting to be a habit it seems! Here in Warsaw, Jeff Joseph brought his Pulsar2 Graphene stand mounted speakers and paired them with a J. Sikora Initial Max turntable, Circle Labs amplification, and DAC and phono stages by Lampizator. Cabling was courtesy of Cardas. A beautiful sounding setup in a modestly sized room. Bonus points for the tricked-out speaker stands!

Peak Consult/Extraudio

This room featuring speakers from Denmark’s Peak Consult and electronics by Dutch brand Extraudio drew me in with it’s balanced and inviting sound. While the larger El Diablo speakers were in the room, the smaller Sonora speakers were in use when I stopped by. The Extraudio XP5 MKII preamp uses tubes, while the XP-A1500 MKII power amp is a dual-mono solid state design. The room was sponsored by Polish distributor, Quality Audio.

FLAG Isodynamic Audio Systems

There was definitely some interesting flat panel speaker action happening in Warsaw. Italian company FLAG Isodynamic Audio Systems had a couple of sets of their magneplanar speakers, the taller Flag L and smaller Flag M. The bigger speakers we’re playing when I dropped by and had that wonderful big spacious sound that I expected from this type of dipole speaker. The neat thing is that these speakers are available in either standard passive or active versions with Hypex Ncore amplification and 3 bands of EQ.

For the passive versions in the room power was provided by a massive Marton Opusculum Reference V3.0 amplifier, with analog sourcing via a J. Sikora Initial turntable.

Magnepan

Polish distributor Soundsource had a fantastic sounding pair of Magnepan LRS+ flat panel speakers mated to a Leema Acoustics Neutron preamplifier and Graviton power amp. The room setup was really good as the little Maggie’s sounded huge relative to their physical size, and punched out more bass than I’m used to hearing from them.

Cyrus Audio

Cyrus Audio had a full array of their gear here at Warsaw but the real news was the reveal of their new belt-drive turntable the TTP. Like all Cyrus equipment the turntable’s plinth is made completely out of machined aluminum making it a solid and heavy little beast. The low mass tonearm is sourced from REGA and matches the whole aesthetic of the TTP very nicely. The turntable is also compatible with the Cyrus PSX-R2 power supply upgrade. The speakers in the room were the Audio Physic Avanti.

Atohm/Atoll

From France, Atohm speakers with Atoll electronics always seem to deliver the goods whenever I come across them. The little Atohm GT1 sounded especially good in this room with a surprising powerful delivery. The Metal 311 turntable from Acoustic Solid was also an eye-catcher!

Blackwood

Speaker designer Mario Pavetić from audio company, Blackwood in Croatia brought his Artanis active loudspeakers to Warsaw. The Artanis have integrated Hypex Class D amplification along with digital crossovers, DSP and the provision for Dirac Live via the included MiniDSP external processor as part of the package. It also features a Beryllium tweeter, A midrange driver using Egyptian Papyrus in the cone, and two large pulp cone woofers with the enclosure being vented out of the bottom. The enclosure is mage from CNC machined beech plywood and looked expertly finished.

The Artanis sounded excellent with complete musical control of the room. Imaging was precise with a nice wide soundstage. I’m seeing more and more higher end active speakers out there and, personally, I think it’s a good thing.

Dynaudio

There was something special about the way these Dynaudio Confidence 50 loudspeakers sounded at Warsaw. Top to bottom I just thought they were superb. I’m sure the supporting equipment from Accuphase and Circle Labs had a little something to do with it as well.

Falcon Acoustics

The boys from Falcon Acoustics were in Warsaw and I got a chance to listen to their M40 loudspeakers when I stopped by. With classic looks and a full-bodied yet detailed sound, there is a lot to like about these speakers.

OePhi/Moonriver Audio/Supatrac

OePhi had their Transcendence 2 mini monitor speakers paired with the Reference 404 integrated amplifier and Model 505 phono stage from Moonriver Audio. The turntable was a Technics SL-1210G with a custom Blackbird tonearm from Supatrac.

I think this is the first time I’ve heard a loudspeaker that used the much talked about PuriFi drivers and, weird looking surround aside, these little Transcendence 2 loudspeakers had an incredible transparency about them and the deep bass reach was nothing to sneeze at either. Really impressive little boxes.

I’ve also never seen a non-standard tonearm on a Technics turntable before, but the Supatrac Blackbird seemed to track the LPs that were played very well. The synergy with the Moonriver electronics seemed top notch.

Galeria Audio

Polish distributor Galeria Audio had a room with Kharma loudspeakers, Goldmund player, control, and power electronics, and an interesting new DAC from Aeries Cerat. The new Ithaka DAC and it matching power supply apparently uses 24 NOS Analog Devices R2R chips in parallel along with a couple of small tubes for good measure. It was a crazy looking system but there was no argument that the sound was very, very good.

Estelon/Accuphase

This room with the exotic looking Estelon Forza Anniversary Edition speakers enjoined with a raft of sublime and classically understated Accuphase gear had to qualify as some of the best sound I heard at the show. It was equal parts powerful, transparent, and delicate at the same time. It was completely all encompassing and just drew me in. It was a superlative system, the kind that would temporarily make me consider numerous acts of criminality to own.

Ayon Audio

Another incredible sounding system was in the next room. A full bench of Ayon Audio electronics and a Transrotor turntable were driving a pair of simply gorgeous looking Lumen White loudspeakers (unfortunately I’ve had zero luck identifying the model). The fit and finish on these speakers was insanely beautiful and the sound quality, thankfully matched. I could have spent a ton of time here just listening, regardless if they were plying me with wine or not.

Gauder Akustik/Vitus Audio/DS Audio

Another room sponsored by Polish distributor RCM Audio featured the Gauder Akustik DARK 200 MK2 loudspeakers paired with amplifiers from Vitus Audio, turntables by both Kuzma and Acoustical Systems, and a Master 3 cartridge and phono preamp by DS Audio. This room had a crazy powerful but tight low end kick to it.

Horn Solutions

The last room I saw at the Golden Tulip hotel was in some ways the most audacious. Horn Solutions from Germany specializes in making brand new reproductions of classic horn speaker designs like those from Western Electric and Sato. Here they brought their, very red, Master Series 005 Reference horns mated to a pair of Oktahorns for the bass. Everything was powered by vintage low wattage tube gear. This was a very impressive sounding room, perhaps not my favorite of the show but it clarifies in my mind why horn speaker fans gravitate to these sorts of classic designs. The effortless way that the room was energized with sound is different from other speakers I’ve heard. Very enjoyable and the perfect way to end the show for me.