Held at its traditional venue of the Pullman Hotel, Albert Park, Melbourne, in mid-October 2023, the StereoNET Hi-Fi and AV Show offered audiophiles three whole days of sonic journey and experience. This celebrated national show attracted attendees from across the nation and beyond, including a raft of talented local designers and manufacturers, plus an increasing presence from New Zealand and of course the best international brands.

With a record-setting 210 brands being demonstrated, analogue and digital fans were in luck. Analogue-biased fans could experience top-end turntables from established brands, plus brand-new turntable manufacturers and a vast hall full of vinyl that featured everything from used bargains to collector’s box sets. Digital fans were also catered for with high-performing streamers playing stored or streamed music. And in a change to 2022, many rooms were using Compact Disc players as sources, once again. This is to be expected given the format’s resurgence in popularity, and plummeting disc prices.

Regardless of source preference, the exhibitors constantly tweaked their rooms to squeeze out the most from their systems, and rooms changed sonically over the duration of the show – some more than others. A good perspective is to understand that the rooms and setup itself are challenging, and if it sounded good at the show, it will likely sound even better in your dealer’s space or your own home. So do go out and audition those products which piqued your interest.

Attendance was just shy of last year’s event, and this was by design. The show was exceptionally well attended across all three days, but ensured that all rooms and spaces could still be adequately accessed and auditioned by attendees. Given Friday and Saturday’s hot spring days, we were thankful for that! Sunday’s rain of course reminded us that we were still in Melbourne!

The 2023 show featured many new production-ready products, awaiting shipping. Visitors were generally in high spirits, meandering through the rooms and hallways, often smiling, talking and laughing. This all happened to the constant buzz and excitement – referred to as the “vibe” of the Melbourne show – that happens year after year. So without further ado, let’s revisit the highlights of each exhibition space…

Advance Audio

Advance Audio had the all-new Hegel H600 flagship integrated amplifier playing with KEF R3 Meta speakers, which looked stunning in the Indigo Gloss Special Edition finish and sounded smooth, open and balanced. The H600 boasts over 300W per channel into 8 ohms, but even at sensible volume levels, the control it has over loudspeakers is obvious.

Also on display was the KEF LSX II, a compact wireless speaker combo paired with a single innocuous-looking KEF KC62 subwoofer that had a big, powerful sound. This was out of all proportion to its physical size, and playing loud and clear in the hallway of the first level.

The feature on the ground floor was a gorgeous Lotus Emira mid-engined sportscar, which featured a KEF 10-channel sound system with Uni-Q technology, just in case listening to the engine isn’t enough. This is the first time KEF has partnered with an automotive manufacturer, and the results looked spectacular. Sadly, we couldn’t find the keys to the car to try it out. The Lotus certainly looked like it could capably handle a twisty road, and no doubt the KEF system enhances the driving pleasure even further.

Amber Technology

The brands that Amber Technology distributes were well represented in three large rooms, with static displays of Bluesound, PSB, DALI and JBL products, as well as many showcase items playing. In the Albert room, we heard the large Revel Performa F328Be speakers fed by the Mark Levinson 5805 amplifier. The sound was clear, precise and powerful. Also in the room were the JBL SA550 Class G integrated amplifier and the very tasty JBL TT350 turntable, as well as an assortment of JBL loudspeakers.

The Victoria room was buzzing with the newly released and versatile NAD M66 streaming DAC preamplifier, specially flown into Melbourne for its first Australian showing. It arrived just in time to be demonstrated by Cas Oostvogel, Lenbrook’s International Brand Manager (interview coming soon to our YouTube channel). It was driven by a pair of powerful M66 Master Series amplifiers connected to the almost $80K DALI EPIKOR 11 speakers. They inherited technologies from DALI’s flagship KORE speaker and, together with the electronics, certainly sounded rather epic, full range, dynamic and with a life-size soundstage. They can fill a large room with sound, blasting rock music at high volume levels yet conveying delicate detail, timbre and tone of instruments and vocals. Gilles Brun, the Regional Director for DALI, was at hand, happy to answer questions and conduct demonstrations. 

ASCENDO

Geoffrey Heinzel of ASCENDO Immersive Audio GmbH (interview below) showed just some of the German company’s home cinema product range. This included a rather impressive-looking 32-inch subwoofer, which seems small considering that they also manufacture 50-inch and 80-inch subwoofer versions! Unfortunately, it was only a static display with no products available to be heard (though we’re told to look forward to an extraordinary demonstration at the 2024 show). Geoffrey has vast experience in understanding what it takes to make home theatre rooms sound better than your average commercial cinema, and to have bass extension down to single-digit numbers. This is shown in the unique and high quality products that they produce.

Audacity 

The Audacity expo booth featured brands including Lenco, Silcron, Airpulse, WiiM and TAGA Harmony, making its Australian debut at the show. Hailing from Europe, TAGA Harmony is popular overseas and is now available in Australia with Audacity’s help. The highlight was TAGA Harmony’s flagship CD player, the state-of-the-art TCD-50. But I liked the HTA-1000B hybrid amplifier with its tubes glowing through the front window. Airpulse was showing the A100HD Active monitor speakers with its horn-loaded aluminium ribbon tweeter, which is a feature of all Airpulse speakers. Also at hand was the Lenco LBT-335BA Bluetooth Turntable, with its solid bamboo plinth fitted with the popular Ortofon 2M Red cartridge. Alongside the turntable were the Airpulse A80 active bookshelf speakers with matching bamboo finish. All of the items on show appeared to be well made and represented excellent value for money. The sound quality was great. 

Audio Active

Featuring Anthem electronics and Martin Logan loudspeakers, the Audio Active room was also popular with attendees. Martin Logan compact XT B100 were on rotation, but most of the air time was via the floorstanding pairs of the Motion XT F100 and F200. Anthem integrated and pre/power combo filled out the equipment rack.

Many audio enthusiasts think of Martin Logan as being solely electrostatic loudspeakers, but the Motion XT series are tall, slim timber cabinets housing aluminium coned bass drivers, Kevlar midband driver and a folded motion tweeter sunk inside a subtle waveguide aperture. The XT F200 provided a broad soundstage firing down a challenging room, the bottom end was extended, and instruments and vocals came across effortlessly in the midband.

Audio Heaven

The Audio Heaven room featured the Italian Gold Note PA10 stereo power amplifier, which has a GAN MOSFET output driving Gold Note A6 EVO II floorstanding speakers. The front end was a lovely Zavfino ZV8-X turntable feeding a Gold Note PH10 phono stage into an Allnic Audio L-8500 OTL/OCL (Output Transformer-Less/Output Capacitor-Less) preamplifier, all connected with Zavfino cables. We heard a relaxing and inviting sound, with a slightly warm midrange, full of detail and tonality and with natural-sounding instruments that were not overblown or aggressive. Many patrons to the room agreed and stayed to hear Craig Johnstone spinning vinyl for some time.

Audio Magic

The team at Audio Magic again had a great sounding room that proved popular with attendees. It featured an Aqua Acoustic Quality front end consisting of an Aqua La Diva M2 CD Transport, sending bits to an Aqua Formula DAC and then amplified by the Copland CTA 407 tube integrated amplifier and KUDOS Titan 606 2-way floor standing loudspeakers from the UK. Finite Elemente stands were used. Notes from a piano sounded fully resolved with the reverb, decay and purity intact, and the tonal mix sounded balanced, natural and highly musical. LUMIN network players and Ayre amplification were also at hand, although we didn’t hear them playing. Audio Magic’s room was highly commended by attendees commenting at the ticket desk upon leaving the show.

Audio Marketing

Tim Wallis was spinning vinyl on a Holbo Mk II Airbearing Turntable System with a Kiseki Blue NS moving coil phono cartridge fitted to the linear tracking air-bearing tonearm. Musical Fidelity looked after the amplification with an M6x Vinyl phono preamp feeding the large Musical Fidelity Nu-Vista preamplifier and separate power supply into Nu-Vista PAS two-channel power amplifier with an equally large separate power supply. The stand-mounted Revival Audio ATALANTE 5 loudspeakers were used with Inakustik cabling. The French speaker brand is new to Australia and, from what we heard, appeared to be a bargain for their sound quality. In-room, we heard utter control over the loudspeaker, thanks to the powerful electronics, as it sang with poise, balance and coherence. The midrange was a standout feature, with vocals sounding lovely and rich. 

Audio Note

The Audio Note room created a stir amongst show attendees. The brand has a cult following and is one of only a few that can deliver the entire music chain. The system was set up in the usual Audio Note fashion – Audio Note Field Coil speakers were set into the room corners, driven by an Audio Note Jinro tube amplifier (with 4242 tubes) with a front end consisting of the Audio Note DAC5 Special and CDT5 CD player.

The Field Coil speakers were finished in a gloss olive green veneer and were glistening under the room lighting. The demonstration music selection from this exhibitor is one to seek out for its variety and high quality recordings. The first sonic impression was a smooth and natural sound at the back row behind the seats. The digital front end was impressive, and as usual from Audio Note systems, the sound was warm and inviting. The midband had that approachability to it that you could sit and listen to for days; the bottom end was taut and controlled in the room. The top end exhibited a smoothness, and overall, the room and system produced a delightful sound, as Audio Note manages to do every year.

Audio Visual Revolution

An impressive avenue of honour of English speakers stood guard at the end of the show corridor outside the room they were being played in. Brands such as Mission, Wharfedale, Quad and Audiolab were on offer. Inside was UK audio royalty Peter Comeau (interview here) – he’s the Acoustic Director of IAG, which is the parent company of the above brands. Peter held the room’s attention as attendees listened to music on the new Wharfedale Heritage line, including the compact Denton and the much larger Dovedale. Both are tributes to nineteen seventies models but with full modernisation of drive units, crossovers and cabinets; they’re dressed in a more conservative timber veneer enclosure that mimicks the original speakers. 

Electronics in the room were from Audiolab with the new 9000 series products, specifically the 9000A integrated amplifier (with DAC) and 9000CDT CD player. The Dovedales came to life with any musical genre, especially wide bandwidth high quality recordings. Great bottom end extension meant most recordings had a satisfying bass response that was clean and seamlessly blended with the midrange.

Beyerdynamic

Tucked away from the main headphone area, the Beyerdynamic stand proved very popular as attendees moved between large show environments. The open layout provided good exhibition space for show-goers to touch and listen to over-ear and in-ear models, whilst having reduced background noise to discuss the merits of each model.

Several limited edition headphones were on display, including the ever-popular DT 990 and 880 models – which are available in a range of impedances to match your specific headphone amplifier. For over-ear headphone enthusiasts, the T series, T1 and T3, were present. Super comfortable and spatially impressive, these are known as good value over-ear units.

For those preferring compactness with their in-ear phones, the XELENTO series headphones with wireless or wired option proved popular for those seeking a no-limits in-ear monitor. Matched with show special pricing, the Beyerdynamic stand was popular.

Class A Audio

Exhibiting for the first time, Melbourne-based Class A Audio’s room was popular during the weekend with brands like Audiovector, Vitus Audio, Ayon, GigaWatt, ExtremA and Accuphase, to mention just a few. When we visited the room, an Ayon streamer was feeding the large Accuphase P-7500 stereo power amplifier with Audiovector R3 Arrete floorstanding loudspeakers. 

A wide variety of music was played to demonstrate the system’s capabilities, all sounding big, powerful and clean. Although it was played with some volume, the clarity, detail and subtle changes in timbre and tone were easily heard with violin and piano sounding particularly natural. Dynamics were well controlled and delivered with authority and speed, which made listening impressive and enjoyable. The underrated Audiovector brand deserves more attention locally, and we’re glad to see it being heard by a wider audience, given its popularity throughout Europe. 

Dacman Audio

Dacman represented Hulgich Audio, Denafrips, Kinki Studio and Jays Audio brands at the show, and were debuting the newly released Denafrips Arce Streamer. The Arce may have a weird name, but it sounds great. It was streaming hi-res music via a 5G modem and an assortment of network switches for trouble-free operation. Also spinning CDs was the Jays CDT3-Mk3 CD transport, feeding a Denafrips Terminator Plus DAC. 

Kinki Studio EX-P27 preamplifier and EX-B7 monoblocks provided the amplification to Australian brand Hulgich Audio and its Duke floorstanding loudspeakers. Nick Hulgich was also on hand to discuss the finer points of his designs. Soundwise, listeners heard a clean, highly detailed sound, with speed and immediacy. Bass was well controlled yet extended and natural. It was not fatiguing in any way. Tonally it was well balanced and the soundstage easily filled the room.

DEQX

Attendees to this room were shown a range of new and old products. DEQX products are designed and developed in Australia as the cutting edge in digital signal processing. All were fixated on Kim Ryrie’s explanation of what the DEQX system was designed to do (interview coming soon to our YouTube channel), who captivated his audience with a simple explanation of complex electrical engineering. The new Pre-8 series of processing hardware was on display in its elegant metal casework, and with the streamer section working, but DEQX was using the currently available Gen3 software and hardware platform for the DSP work. We are told that the final production units are almost ready to begin shipping, pending some final bug fixes.

A slim vertical 3-way loudspeaker without a passive crossover speaker system sat on stands with a subwoofer on either side of them. This was being transformed into a fully active time-aligned 4-way system driven by DEQX amplification. The Pre8 is a totally unique product as it features a full preamp with streamer, DAC and a NAS and phono amplifier, as well as the 4th generation DEQX brains. Sonically, the DEQX system had an effortless sound to it. Bass was taut and substantial, and provided a detailed midband with subtle treble without glare, and all this from within a hotel room. We look forward to the finished product based on what has been heard and seen from pre-production samples.

Epiphany Audio

Epiphany Audio had a large display of TAD equipment from Japan, the company being a spin-off from the Pioneer Corporation in 2007. An impressive looking J Sikora Standard Max Turntable and KV12 Max Tonearm fitted with a Murasakino Sumile Cartridge took pride of place on the rack, with a TAD D1000TX Evolution DAC & SACD disc player sharing the source duties. New and launched at the show was the TAD C1000 Evolution preamplifier matched with the TAD M1000 Evolution power amplifier. All cabling was by TAD. 

Both TAD ME1 Micro Evolution One and TAD CE1TX Compact Evolution One standmount speakers shared the responsibility of filling the room with sound. We couldn’t decide which of them we preferred as they both had so much to offer. Most listeners agreed that the sound was excellent, with the coherent source speakers throwing a large detailed soundstage that was holographic. Think cohesion, precision and speed. Unfortunately, Epiphany Audio was only present at the show on Friday and Saturday, leaving some attendees short on the whole TAD experience.

Fundamental Audio

Scandinavian excellence was on show in the Fundamental Audio room with a mix of Raidho and Scansonic loudspeakers. Scansonic showed off the new Q series floorstanding models that, in comparison to the MB series, are even more fluted in shape and deceptively sized. The Q series has moved up to larger bass drivers compared to the MB series, but with a narrow front and flute shape, the speaker’s depth of 500mm is well hidden.

The Raidho system was sonically impressive. An Aurender streamer, and a pair of prized Mark Levinson ML-50 monoblocks fed into one of two new pairs of Raidho floorstanding speakers, the X2T or the very large TD4.8. Both designs presented very good tonal balance and filled the larger room. The bigger TD4.8 offered another level of depth and detail to all recordings put through it. The front end and amplification was very good, but the speakers made you feel like you were walking around artists in the recording studio. This room was another that was highly praised by those as they left the show. Do give Raidho and/or Scansonic a further audition if you get the chance.

Hey Now Hi-Fi

Geoff Haynes from Hey Now Hi-Fi and the flamboyant David Corazza from Sound And Music were at hand to demonstrate several brands, but we heard the simplest of systems, which consisted of a single pair of Dutch & Dutch 8c Studio loudspeakers from the Netherlands. These contain internal DACs, amplifiers (1,000W total), subwoofers and a DSP. The system also comes with room matching and streaming endpoint capabilities out-of-the-box. A 4G modem supplied the internet for streaming, and a laptop was used for controlling the playlist, and that’s it.

Things sounded extremely punchy, dynamic and alive. Although not physically large, bass extension was impressive thanks to the inbuilt sub, and the overall sound was way larger than the package may suggest. Judging by the surprised looks on people’s faces, it was a successful lesson in minimalism. 

HiFi Collective

On show in HiFi Collective rooms was a large collection of brands, including Melco, AVM, Auralic, PlixiR, Heed and more, but they chose to just highlight Zuma, Epos and Fyne Audio.

For modern smart homes, Zuma smart lights are a combination of hi-fi active speakers and a high performance lighting system that replaces existing regular downlights. With wireless technology, its multi-room capabilities will have no trouble filling any home with sound. They looked and sounded impressive. It was great to see and hear Epos loudspeakers again with the ES14N standmount sounding balanced and relaxed, getting out of the way of the music, with neutrality and detail. The larger Fyne Audio F1-8S floorstanders had more presence and grip on the music but were equally engaging to listen to.

Indie Hi-Fi

The Indie Hi-Fi display had several individual headphone systems for users to hear and compare. Our favourite setup consisted of electronics from AGD Productions, the Andante streamer, DAC and preamp and AGD Audion 100W monoblocks to drive headphones. Talk about overkill, we love it! Hugo Sharp admitted that a headphone amp would also have done just as well. It drove Raal Requisite SR-1b open-baffle ribbon headphones, which when we got past the awkward over-the-head design, sounded amazing. The clarity, detail and sense of being in the same room as the performer was palpable. There was also a Holo Audio electronics stack with ZMF Caldera planar magnetic headphones, and new-to-Australia, the Dethonray portable DTR1+ DAP with Tender 1 IEMs. All of which sounded very good. 

iUnlimited

The team at Integrate Unlimited demonstrated that you don’t need a large room to enjoy home theatre, just as they do each year! On show was a 5.2.2 channel sound system with 4,000W of power, Dolby Atmos and projector screen. dARTS Theater speakers and subwoofers were used, and it included a linear sub-array that lined the front corners of the room. We watched a clip from The Greatest Showman movie and were stunned by the clarity of the picture, but even more so by the sound. The female vocalist sounded just as she should, with sensitivity, detail and focus. During the song’s crescendo, the orchestra built tension and scale, and the system conveyed that very well. A different scene from a James Bond movie had bullets ricocheting around the room with impactful hits and gut-punching bass. It was a seamless demonstration, with the overhead channels matching the 360-degree soundstage for an immersive experience. Do contact Integrate Unlimited and visit their showroom to audition their budget- and space-friendly home cinema solutions.

JayVee Technologies

JayVee had two show areas to cover different product lines. The open area stand had many brands on display, including Nakymatone invisible speakers, which are designed to be built into walls and completely disappear, while promoting an impressive 180-degree horizontal and vertical dispersion. Also displayed were a range of ASENDO subwoofers and a visually impressive JVC 8K laser home cinema projector.

The other JayVee room was dedicated to two channels and had a mix of interesting audio hardware. Speakers were from KLH, the award-winning Model Five, a 3-way 10” sealed box that sits on a special short angled stand to throw the sound up to the listener. Quality front ends consisting of a Lumin streamer and Rega P8 turntable fed into a DAC/pre/power combination from a relatively new brand to Australia, SPL audio components. This brand has a retro appeal to its front fascia panels and exhibits a smaller form factor of almost 2/3 chassis width to normal. When combined or stacked alongside each other, the SPL electronics looked great. Another visual plus is that they come in red, which is a welcome change to most hi-fi component colours.

The system was impressively detailed, and the KLH Model Five speakers never sounded stressed even when loaded with electric or double bass notes. Likewise, at the top end, the treble remained in check and controlled across a variety of musical tracks. To seek out more on SPL you can start with the recent SPL Diamond DAC StereoNet review at https://www.stereonet.com/au/reviews/spl-diamond-dac-review .

Krix

Krix utilised this year’s show to debut its brand new LX-7 – the soundbar that’s not so much a soundbar as “a sound experience”! When mated to a Sony 85” TV it neither looked nor sounded out of place. Unlike anything we’ve seen before, it sports left, centre and right channels housed together in one neat but no-compromise package that makes sense in a variety of applications. Simply add a subwoofer and an AV receiver to power it for a powerful, practical and tidy system. 

The LX-7 comes in 75, 85, o 100” lengths and can be customised to suit your particular needs. Don McKenzie from Krix was at hand to demonstrate clips from the movie Ready Player One, which came alive with a dynamic and punchy soundtrack. Car crashes and special effects aside, the vocal dialogue was clear and easy to understand, which is a critical attribute. There was no shortage of volume or dynamic range in the demonstration. StereoNET has recently reviewed the LX-7, and the verdict is already in; read it here…

Lux Audio

Dr Ian Fok from Lux Audio set up a simple and enjoyable room with a single pair of Gershman Acoustic Grand Avante Garde loudspeakers, fed by a Riviera Audio Levante Integrated Amplifier and a Roon NUC with Audio Note DAC. Obvious care was taken with cabling and power distribution, with the results being worthy of the effort. The sound had a very quiet background, enabling fine detail and reverb to be easily heard. The speakers worked well in the room, with surprisingly deep bass extension, coherence and control. Tonal balance was excellent, with the qualities of naturalness, texture, tonality and timbre all present. A very enjoyable demonstration.

M&G Hoskins

With a full list of British hi-fi, show visitors were spoilt with quality product lines from Leema, Creek and Acoustic Energy (AE). The main system had the Leema Elements streamer as a source and Constellation range powering (Tucana II Anniversary edition) the new and highly anticipated Acoustic Energy Corinium floor-standing speakers (review coming soon).

Veteran designer Mike Creek made the trip over from the UK for the show and demonstrated a range of new Creek products, including the 4040 A integrated amplifier and 4040 CD player, both in a ½ rack width chassis with minimal fuss front fascia and in either black or silver finish they looked sleek. The 4040 A is quite a deceptive looking device as it’s fitted with a rated 55W per channel amplifier with an in-built streamer/DAC and optional phono board.

Over several tracks, the Leema sourced and powered Corinium impressed with its great scale. The speaker also went down low with fine control, and possessed a smooth midband and lithe top end. The result of cutting-edge research and development, this speaker’s sound matched its suave exterior. It’s sure to be a popular model, with a number of very positive comments made both at the show exit, and by attendees following up on email post-show to ask what the speakers were and where to buy them!

March Audio

Simplicity was the key to the March Audio room, with the Ukkonen AWG floor standing loudspeakers finished in bright Candy Red driven by a pair of powerful P501 monoblock amplifiers. The combo worked well in the room and didn’t become overloaded. The sound was exciting and impactful, with life-like dynamic expression that made things engaging to listen to. The bass was well sorted with decent depth and extension. The smaller Sointuva WG standmount speakers were in rotation and also sounded wonderfully coherent and appealing. Alan March also had a prototype preamplifier at the show to tease us with, designed to match the power amplifiers, something that has been a popular request. 

Melbourne Audio Club

It was great to see the Melbourne Audio Club represented at this year’s show with their stand. They are on a membership drive and found many willing show attendees to join the second oldest and arguably the best audio club in the world. On their tables were an assortment of curiosities including turntables, valve amplifiers and DIY projects, that were conversation starter pieces, and for some, were flashbacks to simpler audio times. The booth became a popular meeting place for many. Watch our interview with Club President, Laurie Nicholson below.

Mcleans

Stepping into a dark room where music was flowing, LED light strips on the floor guided you to a sonic haven. The Magnepan speakers stood tall and dark on each side of the room, with REL subwoofers sitting (almost quietly) beside them as the music flowed. The subtle blue glow from the Sanders Magtech power amplifier’s front panel sat in contrast to the prominent sound meter indicating the real-time listening level.

The Magnepan MG1.7i panels produced a calming sound overall, one that you could listen to for long periods of time. The REL subwoofers were subtle in intervention but helped the bottom end, which was taut and controlled but well integrated and not overpowering. The speaker’s openness was evident on every track, and the lithe top end was a delight to listen to.

Displaying a sound level meter is an interesting concept; some listeners are fascinated by maximum SPL levels, but in the Mcleans room, it was kept to reasonable levels, and never got to dangerous or unpleasant levels. The darker room was a good concept as it helped people to focus on the sound.

Microphase Audio Design

Designed and built in Australia using custom French Audax drivers, the Microphase Audio Design room exhibited three models, including two standmount speakers. Common design cues run through all three designs, from driver placement and time-alignment to the semi-chic industrial look with raw marine grade birch ply. Powering the speakers was a Perreaux 300iX from New Zealand or an Australian Holton Precision Audio amplifier.

The standmounters, the SAT MK 1 and the new ST MK 3, were each able to fill the demonstration room. Firing across the room instead of down, the additional space between the speaker pairs provided a good sense of space around instruments in a broad soundstage. As expected, the bottom end was limited but not exerted, so there was a naturalness to the sound. 

Moving to the floorstanding TOWER ONE three-way design with narrow front baffle and side-firing woofer, and the soundstage became bigger. The extended frequency response, compared to the standmounters, was evident and a greater sense of scale was put into the music. The standmounters are equally comfortable on a credenza, desk or bookshelf and have an active option if that is what you are seeking.

Minidisc.com.au

For the first time, StereoNET presented the Headzones area – which is dedicated to headphones and portable audio – in conjunction with Sydney’s Minidisc.com.au, and what a welcome move it was. Located opposite the entry area, show attendees were enthralled, and many stepped out of the queue to view, touch and chat with the Minidisc team.

This stand had many captivated listeners looking at new high-capability headphones. Standalone headphones – from IEM to over-ear – were on show, along with headphone amplifiers, electrostatic Stax units and a surprising amount of variations of portable audio players. Talking to a MiniDisc representative, the options for digital audio players had grown and have diversified into those wanting a Wi-Fi or Bluetooth connection for streaming, or to the ultra-solitary devices using only SD cards to play music from. 

Either way, there were numerous brands and options to satisfy someone wanting portable music. One cool option is to have your ear shape 3D scanned via Auricle Digital. This measurement can then be used to have custom-built IEMs tailored to your individual ear canal shape for the optimum fitting earphones. If you are into headphones, this was the place to be.

National AV

When it comes to home theatre on the next level of cost and performance, the National AV 18-seat theatre at the StereoNET show demonstrated what is possible and just how far home cinema has come. Using a Barco Residential Njord CS cinemascope projector with a Screen Innovation woven material screen that was a huge 180” or 4.2m wide, and a madVR Envy Extreme MK2 video processor, the picture was absolutely stunning. The quality, brightness and resolution surpassed many commercial cinemas. 

The sound did not disappoint either, with a full Wisdom Line Source 7.3.6 channel system. Naturally there were multiple dual 15” subwoofers to pressurise the room. The entire system was expertly calibrated to sound uniform and full range. Time in the mini cinema disappeared as scene after scene was played to demonstrate its flexibility and capabilities. The thrills and spills arrived fast and furious with gun blasts and explosions that you could feel throughout your body and dynamics that you couldn’t forget. Yet, it also demonstrated an incredible amount of detail, naturalness and sheer competency. The system conveyed the emotion and drama of movies in a way that I’ve never experienced before.

It should not be underestimated how difficult it is to design and execute cinema demonstrations at this level with mere days to build and tune these systems. We take our hats off to National AV, Home Theatre Engineering, and the myriad of others who assisted. Very well done, indeed!

Nirvana Sound

Melbourne’s Nirvana Sound and their room was a statement in analogue sound, focusing on the Döhmann Audio Helix Two Mk3 turntable, Wilson Benesch A.C.T. 3zero speakers, Sutherland phono preamp, AG Lifter stands, and the Alieno amplifiers from Italy. The latter was so named because it appears to use alien technology; it’s a 300B triode tube amplifier with a massive 250W per side! Sonically it sounded ‘other worldly’ and created quite a stir – not just for the light strips on the casework.

Sonically, the room was quiet and the system well dialled in – taut, crisp and with great timing. Across several tracks, there was impressive clarity, openness and fullness to the sound; it never felt forced, and had the ability to draw you into the system. As usual, Mark Döhmann (YouTube interview coming to our channel soon) provided interesting background information to the system and always to the music he was about to play. There is always a gem to be found in his playlists, and without fail, there will be a track or two that needs to be replayed at home after the show.

OAD Ultrafidelity

OAD Ultrafidelity’s Jon De Sensi was on hand to demonstrate his locally made equipment, which consisted of the OAD Padma preamplifier and Vajra power amplifier driving an alternating Gem and the newly released Bardo dipole loudspeakers. Both designs are open baffled and look sensational. 

Also of note was the vintage Garrard 401 turntable dropped into a newly formed plinth. OAD also showed for the first time a new network streamer which is as yet unnamed. We heard this connected to the new Bardo 3-way dipoles and were suitably impressed with the sound as well as the fit and finish of the products. They threw a large, wide open soundstage with a notable front-to-back sense of space. The speakers disappeared into the room and had a fatigue-free and musical sound that was inviting and thoroughly enjoyable. 

Pitt & Giblin

A favourite room to visit at the show each year, you don’t get much simpler in a hi-fi system then just active speakers and a streamer – and away you go. With both the Superwax Mini active and Livi 10” 2-way on stands, the room was optically dominated by the bronze tweeter waveguides. The Superwax Mini with its 15” woofer and 1” horn-loaded tweeter is wrapped in a beautiful Australian timber veneer over birch ply. Resting on mini legs, or struts, the Superwax Minis were angled upwards to get the tweeter to fire into listeners’ ears. 

Bass and midband were effortless. Attendees requested numerous tracks from all styles of music, and most sat back, enjoying and tapping away with a foot or hand. The simplicity of the Pitt & Giblin active speaker system provides options to music lovers wanting a minimalist, ready-to-go sound system, and its not surprising this relatively young Australian company is enjoying so much success.

Premium Audio Co

With three premium spaces occupied at this year’s show, the team at Premium Audio Co were busy showing off their brands, including Klipsch, Onkyo and Pioneer. In the Active and wireless streaming corner, Klipsch featured three models, The Fives, the Sevens and the Nines, that could all fit onto stands or a bookshelf. The Fives are the smallest, similar in size to a shoe box, and could easily sit on a desk to help you work or play, filling your room with sound. All three wireless models have an umbilical cable to their paired speaker, and accept input from Bluetooth, optical, USB, an analogue line or phono input. Sonically, they all delivered a spacious recorded acoustic.

In the Klipsch Heritage room, a pair of very large horn-loaded speakers dominated the room – the limited edition MCL-905 McLaren. This professional cinema speaker has been released to the public, and is a 2-way design with dual 15” woofers. As you’d expect, it was super efficient and created vast bass energy from a McIntosh 352 integrated tube amplifier. With a rated sensitivity of 105dB and a maximum sound pressure level of 127dB, the music was felt as well as heard, with a physicality that has to be experienced. With only two pairs available locally, we’re told both were sold during the show. Our apologies to those who may have been contemplating a purchase, but it never hurts to enquire with your local dealer!

In the hallway outside the home cinema room was a pyramid of ten Klipsch RP-1400SW subwoofers, an awe-inspiring display to greet you. Inside the so-called ‘Theatre at Home’ cinema, the room was darkened and featured a star ceiling with an incredible Klipsch and Onkyo AV system, complete with a movie projector and screen. We watched selected scenes from Edge of Tomorrow and were immersed in the seamless integration of sight and sound, with the latter especially noteworthy for its impact and power. This concept is unique as it appeals to those who may be renting or want to avoid permanently installing hardware in their homes, yet demand a high-end look, picture and sound. 

Radiance AV

Radiance AV had several brands and product lines on display to try. Meze headphones covered the sonic and expense spectrum with their impressively built and very comfortable on-ear headphones. Chord Electronics products were on show, including the Ultima integrated and the compact chassis Bertti stereo amplifier. These products always look great when stacked next to each other, and whilst futuristic they are still aesthetically cohesive.

A new brand to Australia, Auris Audio, from Serbia, had a range of turntables on display with designs that are both elegant and simple, including the introductory Auris RnR, and then the Blues and Classica models. A line of phono amplifiers, including the Phonio Lite (single box) and Phonio (two box) and headphone tube amplifiers are available. Competitively priced for those starting out or getting further along and higher on their vinyl sonic journey, the Auris units are well worth seeking out.

Record Fair

Always a popular drawcard of the StereoNET Show is the Record Fair, where attendees were treated to a variety of music genres and formats, from LP to singles (45s) and even a smattering of CDs (which we suspect is going to increase for the years to come). A good range of music was available, drawing in the crowds to flick through the LP bins – it took us back to being teenagers at the local music store.

Ever popular, the stall holders were happy to assist buyers in finding a rare treat, box set or replacement album. They provided great advice and were happy to share their knowledge on artists and music styles. This was old-world shopping with real-world discussion on what people love – music. A range of cleaning and protective products for vinyl collectors capped off the offerings.

Serhan and Swift 

On show was the latest creation from Brad Serhan and Morris Swift, the Serhan Swift mu3F, which is a larger floorstanding version of the mu2 MkII bookshelves. Lots of effort went into ensuring that their sonic character was maintained in the floorstander, but with greater bass extension, presence and higher SPLs. We have to admit that the same magic is there and that they sounded unstressed, lean and clean, with a certain precision to the way notes start and stop without overhang. This is indicative of fine design. 

The signal from a Yamaha CD-S2100 SACD Player and Eversolo DMP-A6 Music Streamer was fed into OAD Ultrafidelity’s Padma Pre-amplifier and Vajra Power Amplifier, which certainly helped the sound quality. Piggy by Nine Inch Nails will never be the same for us again! Fellow Australian brand Les Davis Audio, and its viscoelastic layer damping products, were used throughout the system in all manner of creative ways. 

Synergy Audio Visual

This was a popular room at the show with two separate systems on rotation. Walking in and seeing a rack full of McIntosh certainly got us excited, with purposeful-looking MC1.2KW monoblocks sitting on their own Quadraspire racks. An Aurender streamer and Rega’s newly released flagship NAIA turntable enjoyed source duties for the system, fed into a two-box C1200 preamplifier that’s a hybrid of solid state and vacuum tubes. Sonus Faber Homage Cerifino G2 loudspeakers worked their magic in the room, and sounded utterly controlled with a vice-like grip, speed and endless dynamic range. It was spectacular to experience just how at ease the system sounded with any music being played, regardless of the volume.

The second system consisted of an exciting new brand in Australia, Advance Paris. Their streamer, pre and power amplifiers were driving the Andrew Jones-designed MoFi Electronics SourcePoint 8 loudspeakers. Listeners were surprised with just how good the combination sounded with enough room-shaking bass to have visitors asking, “where is the subwoofer?” There was plenty of slam and wallop, yet it imaged very well and conveyed the emotional content of the music. We thought that it represented incredible value. 

Selby Acoustics

Selby Acoustics once again had the hi-fi and AV spectrum covered with three areas, including a hallway showroom. Solidsteel equipment stands piqued the interest of many with their range and flexibility of configuration. Likewise, the variation in shape, pattern and colour of the acoustic diffusers on display made it almost impossible to not like one of them, and to ponder how they could assist at home.

The Falcon room exhibited the Falcon Acoustics licensed reproduction of the famous LS3/5a monitor standmount speakers. Tiny by today’s standards, the midband lucidity was ever-present and exquisite, and the bottom end – although lacking extension – punched when required but could not extend to the lowest octaves. The Falcons were driven by a Vincent SV-700 integrated amplifier and fed by an Eversolo DMP-A6 streamer. The Eversolo range certainly garnered a lot of attention from attendees looking to see a product range that is sonically capable and affordable.

Next door in the AV room, the Anthem amplified solution made you feel like you were in a real cinema. This proved to be a popular location with attendees sitting and then staying put, immersed in the sample footage.

Sound Gallery

Melbourne’s Sound Gallery room proved to be a hit with everyone who visited. There were some big name brands and high ticket items that attracted attention, such as D’Agostino, Linn, Wilson Audio and Nordost. Attendees were lucky to have great brand coverage with international guests and product experts providing interactive demonstration sessions with the audience. Audio education is a key part of hi-fi shows; it’s about knowing how the product that you own, or are thinking of buying, is designed or built and what sets it apart.

Gordon Inch from Linn (interview coming soon to our YouTube channel) in Scotland demonstrated the Linn 360 active loudspeakers (watch our video here) fed from a Linn Selekt DSM network streamer, and explained the product lineup. American Bill McKiegan (interview coming to our YouTube channel soon) from D’Agostino Master Audio Systems demonstrated the Momentum MxV integrated amplifier with Wilson Audio Sasha V loudspeakers. Bjorn Bengtsson (Interview coming soon) of Sweden explained the benefits of the new Nordost BASE AC power distributor along with other Nordost products. A Gryphon Essence pre-power combo was also used at times with Wilson Audio Sasha V loudspeakers (watch our Daryl Wilson interview here).

Linn’s first product was the LP12 Sondek, which is to many audiophiles still the premium turntable. This year’s show was lucky to have the 50th Anniversary Edition Sondek present as a work of art and musical beauty. Gordon Inch, Linn’s Brand Ambassador (interview coming soon to our YouTube channel), was also at the show to highlight its development story.

With a limited edition of 250 units worldwide, The 50th Anniversary Edition aesthetics were subtly updated by Apple design icon Sir Jony Ive. Available in natural or white, the design tweaks are largely under the hood. Sonic improvements come from a new plinth, which is partnered by Linn’s Ekos SE titanium tonearm and flagship Linn Ekstatik MC cartridge. If you are after a limited edition premium turntable with bespoke matching tonearm and cartridge, the Linn LP12 Sondek 50th Anniversary Edition could be for you, but be quick.

The large room was just what the doctor ordered, allowing the various combinations of amplification and speakers to breathe. The bottom end of the Wilson speakers was taut and reinforcing, whilst the subtlety of the source and amplification let the recording detail shine and presented a broad, tall and deep soundstage. The system spoke with great authority and stunning dynamics. The other key attraction for many was the 50th Anniversary Edition of LP12 Sondek – the Porsche 911 of audio products with continuous improvement and sonic enjoyment for thousands of owners around the world.

Stereotech and Audiofix

The Queensland representatives from Stereotech and Audiofix put on a treat for audio enthusiasts, with a mix of Australian-designed and made loudspeakers and beautifully crafted stands (equipment and speaker) driven by English Exposure 3510 integrated amplifier and an Aurender front end. Stereotech is the proud producer of the Dellichord FR6 standmount speakers. A relatively compact and smart design, with a passive radiator at the rear but also with a hidden feature, it’s an isobaric design, with the same mid-bass driver mounted inside the cabinet. Linn made use of this design in the eighties for some of its classic loudspeakers. The timber finish was very impressive on both. Also of note was a range of Stereotech diffusors on the wall to provide controlled room acoustics.

The Dellichord standmounters had a great bottom end for such a small footprint, the midband was smooth and even with a healthy dose of volume, the top end never got out of control or became brittle. This is why you attend a hi-fi show – to find fine sounding, great value products that you could happily live with.

Tivoli Hi-Fi

Melbourne’s iconic Tivoli Hi-Fi and their room had two well-known brands, Electrocompaniet from Norway and Chario loudspeakers from Italy. The former was showing off its new AW 800M monoblock amplifier (2 power amplifiers in one chassis here), an EC4.8Mk II preamplifier and an ECM 1 Mk II DAC/streamer. The classy electronics powered the floorstanding Chario Academy Sovran speakers.

The Chario speakers looked somewhat unconventional in layout, with a mid-woofer positioned above the tweeter sitting atop the subwoofer enclosure. Tall, elegant and built with solid and aged Italian walnut, the exterior oozed class and they looked suave, with a high partner acceptance value.

The Tivoli team chose to offset the listening position to avoid firing straight down the room, by around 15 degrees so that the optimised position could emphasise the bottom-end power of the speakers. Philippe and Erica Luder were on hand to ensure the family-run business was well represented and the system performed properly. It certainly did, as the soundstage was full and sounded good from anywhere in the room. The Electrocompaniet amplifier had immense control, with the speakers knowing who was in charge. Tonality was excellent, as the instruments sounded natural and unforced.

Westan

Westan proved that you don’t need a lot of dedicated space to enjoy good sound. They showed the compact Sonos Ultimate Immersive Set of AV speakers, effectively an Arc Premium Smart Soundbar, Wireless Subwoofer and a pair of very cleverly designed Era 300 Smart wireless Dolby Atmos compatible smart speakers. This set had an amazingly big soundstage when a clip from the movie Dune was being shown. It was powerful and immersive, and the sound seemed to come from all around. The best part is that there is no need to modify your home and have speakers mounted into the ceiling, or spend megabucks as the system is affordable and they are totally portable. That’s the beauty and advantage of Sonos and its popularity is well understood for these reasons. A great demonstration of just what can be done with simple but effective products.

Yamaha

Yamaha showed some new and existing products – the new R-N2000A receiver with an in-built streamer powering the NS-2000A floorstanding speakers. The NS2000A is quite unique as all its drivers – from tweeter to mid to woofer – share the same cone/dome material. Yamaha was looking for a constant sonic driver signature and this was the only way to provide it.

Adjacent components included the NS-5000 speakers and GT-5000 turntable, and for those wanting a more personal experience, the very new and top-of-the-line YH-5000SE headphones with HA-L7A headphone amplifier. The combination proved to be very impressive, with a lovely airy soundstage and well-controlled bass. The vinyl-focused listening session had the NS-2000As filling the room; the bottom end was taut and the midrange smooth. The NS-5000 on the same track and hardware sounded both bigger and deeper, with greater articulation and subtlety when required.

THE VERDICT

It was widely reported that this was “the best and most successful show yet” by both attendees and exhibitors – and naturally we agree! These shows are not about numbers, and attracting as many people through the doors as you can. Rather, as an industry, we love seeing new faces and introducing people to high quality audio and video. Ultimately it is about a quality audience – and this year’s show delivered that in spades. So we thank you sincerely for your attendance and support.

We are pleased to announce confirmed dates for the 2024 StereoNET Australian Hi-Fi & AV Show – October 11th to the 13th, at the traditional Pullman Melbourne Albert Park venue. Tickets will be on sale soon, and rest assured, we’ll be coming back even bigger and aim to build on the entertainment, value, and enjoyment factor each and every year. See you in twelve months’ time!

Read the Attendee’s Show Impressions