The 2024 High-End Audio Show season didn’t have an auspicious beginning, at least for me. I suffered a tailbone injury just a few days before the show, so I was a little out of sorts as I wandered from room to room, trying to maintain a veneer of professionalism amidst a fog of painkillers. Then, on the flight from Tampa to Atlanta, I sat next to a very sick toddler who cried and coughed non-stop. Since there was bad weather, there was no service from the flight attendants and no one with any authority was aware of the ongoing hell back in Row 35. A couple of days later, of course, I tested positive for Covid for the very first time, and it was a brutal experience. So when I talk about the Best of Florida 2024, the highlights of the Florida International Audio Expo, I suppose I should just say “I made it out alive” and then be done with it.
Words and Photos by Marc Phillips
But there’s always a question that people in the industry ask me after a show–“How was it?” That means I need to give a report on attendance, atmosphere, lodging and, most importantly, the sound in the rooms. Every exhibit room was crowded, my sleeping room was bigger than the apartment I had in Encino in the ’90s, and I heard a number of rooms with exemplary sound. I therefore give the 2024 Florida International Audio Expo high marks and I have no qualms about picking the Best In Florida without mentioning fistfuls of Advil, loquacious show attendees and my continuing obsession with the Waffle House next door to the venue.
Here are my choices for Best of Florida, 2024 edition.
If $550,000 pairs of speakers or $64,000 power conditioners or $70,000 digital network streamers force you to lament the current state of high-end audio, then you’re probably tired of me going on and on about the products from Audio Group Denmark. But I titled my show report “The Genius of Axxess” for a very good reason. Simply buy an Axxess Forte 1 integrated amplifier/DAC/streamer for $5,500, a pair of Børresen X1 loudspeakers for another $5,500 per pair, throw in extra for Ansuz cables and you’ll still have a system that will surprise your most jaded audio buddies. Axxess is proof of a trickle-down theory that works, which is why I include it on my Best of Florida list.
These two long-time brands are an incredible match, which is one of the reasons why Antal Audio Group distributes these lines together, along with the Soulines turntable. This is an engaging duo with all types of music–I know, because I’m currently reviewing the Magellan Duetto two-way monitors, pictured above, with the Electrocompaniet ECI 6 integrated/DAC/streamer, and now I have new respect for both companies.
I’m not yet sure about the objective sound quality of the Perfect8 Cube speakers because they’re so wildly different from any other two-way bookshelf speaker I’ve heard, but I’ll always make time to listen because they’re just so fun and so different–a recipe for making my Best of Florida list. Most audiophiles are skeptical of speaker with glass enclosures–the debate is currently raging in the comments section of my show report–but every time I hear a speaker with a glass enclosure, it’s superb. And every time I hear the Perfect8 Cubes, I hear a soundstage that is the most exciting thing I’ve heard since watching Tommy in Quintaphonic Sound at the Cinerama Dome back in 1975.
I don’t think a headphone rig has ever made one of my Best of Show lists before. But the Aperio system from Warwick Audio in the UK gave me the intense impression that it’s not going to get any better than this. The world of audiophiles is strictly divided between those who love headphone rigs and those who love two-channel audio systems with loudspeakers, with very minimal overlap. But this two-channel guy was able to easily imagine a life with just this rig and nothing else, which is why it makes my Best of Florida list.
Joseph Audio, Doshi Audio, Cardas, Aurender, Berkeley, J. Sikora
By mentioning the poor manners shown by some show attendees in this room, I may have stolen too much thunder from the success of the actual system. It should be no surprise to knowledgeable audiophiles that I continue to award this group of manufacturers Best of Show awards, because no other exhibitors can create the same consistently high results from room to room, show to show. So shut your pie-holes and experience some of the best hi-fi you’ll ever hear.
Once I sat down in Wynn Wong’s room, I realized I was listening to a tremendous system that would ultimately place high on my Best of Florida list. “Well, of course it is,” I told myself, “This is Vimberg.” I have the highest regard for TIDAL Audio speakers, including the so-called modest Vimberg line, and I’ve never heard a model from this company that didn’t redefine high-end audio for me in one way or another. But kudos goes to Wynn, who represents several great hi-fi products such as Metronome, Entreq and Karan Acoustics. This room sounded fabulous.
As I mentioned in this show report, I’m often disappointed with high-end audio dealer rooms because that dealer is trying to get all of the brands represented in the exhibit room, and that doesn’t always result in synergy. Ozan Turan, who is expanding into the world of distribution, built a streamlined system for FLAX 2028 around the Lansche 5.2 speakers–which sounded so awesome that I begged him for a review pair. I went into FLAX saying that I would not schedule any more reviews for 2024 because the backlog is huge, but I made an exception. So yes, this room was clearly one of my picks for Best in Florida.
I can’t think of a bigger thrill in my audio reviewing career than finally meeting Peter Qvortrup of Audio Note UK, who was fun and entertaining and knowledgeable about so many subjects. But I have to admit his new journey into field coil speakers, shown in Tampa with the AN E SPx Ltd Field Coils, was revelatory. I’ve taken a deep dive into field coil technology after reviewing the Songer Audio S2 field coil loudspeakers, and I’m all set to try out the AN E as soon as I get the chance. Best of all, I think I turned Dr. Vinyl into an Audio Note UK fan, just like me.
Acora Acoustics, VAC, LampizatOr, Cardas
I couldn’t decide between Acora Acoustics and Audio Group Denmark for the Best of Florida Award–both rooms were absolutely stunning. Val Cora deserves extra credit for the new Sunset Fire finish on his VRC-1 flagships, which might be one of the most beautiful finishes I’ve ever seen. But the VRC-1 is more than a pretty face–it’s the current Chocolate Chip Trip champion. And Val pulled off a miracle by providing me with the best CCT yet, because Val is not afraid to crank the volume. I know, there’s more to life than Danny Carey’s drumming, but it was hard for me to just sit there without thinking of this remarkable achievement in solid granite.
Sure, the big Audio Group Denmark system at the 2024 FLAX costs more than two million dollars. Sure, I almost killed a couple of guys in the room for blubbering about Atorvastatin. But my grumpiness about the behavior in this room, as well as in the Jeff Joseph room, is centered around a simple fact–few of us are able to own hi-fi components at this level, and audio shows make these experiences readily accessible to anyone with a few bucks in their pockets. By the time I left this room, I had completely forgotten about high cholesterol and boorish behavior and I realized, quite peacefully, that listening to a system like this is one of the great joys of my life. This Audio Group Denmark room was, without a doubt, the Best of Florida.
See you in AXPONA!
Amen brother. I often have to defend why I would want to attend a show where system reach the million (and now multi-million) marks. The same reason you so eloquently described. Ill never own something like that but I can’t tell you the satisfaction it brings sitting in the prime chair for a few minutes dreaming I do. It is worth it to me.. As to your choice for best of show. I would venture to guess that Acora has the ability to take this coveted spot in almost every show. How they do this is such varying rooms and acoustic challenges is astounding to me. I agree that the finish on Acora’s was immeasurably beautiful. Keep up the great work!