AXPONA 2023 Coverage from PTA | AXPONA 2023

Starting this weekend, Part-Time Audiophile will start its AXPONA 2023 coverage in Chicago. If you don’t know what AXPONA is, it’s quietly become the largest high-end audio show in the United States. That’s why, once again, PTA is sending its A-Team to the show: Scot Hull, Marc Phillips, Brian Hunter, Graig Neville and Matthew Partrick. This is the same team that thoroughly covered the 2023 Florida Audio Expo back in February, so expect the same in-depth show reports and features.

What will be the highlights of our AXPONA 2023 coverage? Well, first of all, publisher Scot Hull will be participating in the same “Reviewers on Reviewing” panel as editor-in-chief Marc Phillips did last year. Second, The Occasional Podcast and Audiohead editor-in-chief Brian Hunter will be covering the show in his usual way–podcasts, of course! Marc, of course, will be sneaking from room to room, hoping he doesn’t get noticed so he can hunker down and listen to as many high-end audio systems as possible.

As far as exhibitors go, we’re looking forward to including the following in our AXPONA 2023 coverage:

Acora Acoustics–will we hear those incredible flagship speakers that won Best Sound at FLAX 2023?

Audio Group Denmark–on Thursday night, just before the show, the manufacturers of Aavik, Ansuz and Borresen will have a press conference where they will announce something BIG. We suspect it might have something to do with the company’s fourth brand, Axxess.

ampsandsound–Justin Weber will be debuting his new flagship monoblocks, which has everyone talking already.

Luxman America–we’ll get to sit down and listen to the new flagship turntable from Luxman, the PD-191A. “New flagship turntable from Luxman” sounds like something we wouldn’t miss.

Focal Naim–word is, Focal has a completely new line of speakers they’re introducing at AXPONA.

Garrett Hongo–Garrett will be signing copies of his extraordinary new book, The Perfect Sound.

This list is obviously a lot longer, but the PTA team needs to pack their bags and get on over to the Renaissance Scaumburg ASAP. There will be over 200 rooms on 12 floors of the venue this year!

And don’t forget, our own Scot Hull will be leading a panel discussion on Friday afternoon, “Reviewers on Reviewing” — featuring Robert Harley of TAS, Karl Sigman of Audiophilia, Carlo Lo Raso of Secrets of Home Theater and High Fidelity, and Jim Austin of Stereophile, filling in for Alan Sircom of HiFi+, who had a last-minute change of plans this year.