Another AXPONA show is behind us and this year’s was definitely one of the biggest ever on US soil. The big Chicago-based AXPONA 2024 topped out over 10k attendees with over 200 listening rooms for a giant weekend that for some reason never felt overwhelming. The vibe was more often than not one of camaraderie, with a more diverse crowd than your stereotypical “audiophile” we see at most other shows. It felt like a real generic audio event, in the best way possible. That is not to say there weren’t plenty of high-end, high fidelity options to gawk at. There were some new million dollar systems in the Schaumburg convention center that we hadn’t seen before on this side of the pond, and many many great sounding rooms, both in output and quantity.
In Episode 4 of Season 10 on The Occasional Podcast the entire AXPONA 2024 press team from PTA joins the podcast to give all the highlights and best of show from the weekend’s festivities. Marc Phillips, Grover and Graig Neville plus Matthew Partrick and host Brian Hunter break down the huge HiFi gathering with their on-site observations, favorite sounds and more. Recorded live on Saturday, it is really interesting to hear everyone’s take on all the new product releases and unique demos.
The Occasional Podcast recently covered the future of digital and class D with Michal Jurewicz of Mytek, but previous episodes include how tos, tips, tricks and education in all things high fidelity audio from episodes like last week’s Hot Headphones For The Holidays, an Interview With John Devore, Crossover Education with Andrew Jones, 3 things to know about streaming audio, 5 things to consider when buying a tube amplifier, coverage of the HIGHEND Munich 2023, interviews with Steve Guttenberg, how to’s and more from audio’s greatest talents, including Michael Fremer and Pacific Audio Fest 2022 Best of Show, another interesting conversation about the History Of The BBC’s LS3/5a Loudspeaker, A Beginner’s Guide To Tube Amplifiers and A View From The Booth: Reference Systems, Accuracy & Why Audiophiles Love Jazz So Much: including rare interview with the late audio legend engineer Al Schmitt. The finale from season 5 includes the yearly “best of awards” and you can also find episodes covering British HiFi, Subwoofers/Setup/Tips, and the how to: Budgeting From Entry Level To High End. Season 4 highlights include Joseph Audio, Pro-Ject Turntables, and Rob Watts. One can still download this season’s educational show with TOP’s Beginners Primer To High Fidelity Digital Audio alongside the latest on Two-Way Speaker Design. Fan favorite What Is Mastering? What Happens When An Album Is Remastered? is also still available as well. If you are interested in further exploring the analog realm, the Guide To Buying A Turntable (and records) might point you in the right direction.
Options to stream this week’s update with AXPONA 2024, direct from the embed below or subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast platform including iTunes, Android, Google, Deezer, Spotify, iHeartRadio and more.