The HiFi Five Episode 37: Southwest Audio Fest 2026 Show Report

The HiFi Five Episode  37:  Southwest Audio Fest 2026 Show Report

Guests:

Chad Crawley -- audiophile hobbyist

Gary Gill -- founder and organizer of the Southwest Audio Fest and Capital Audio Fest

Matt Philpot -- YouTube channel Everyday Audiophile

Keith Rochelli -- audiophile hobbyist

Joey Veloso -- President of the DFW Audiophile Club

Topics:

Was Southwest Audio Fest better than last year—or did it take a step backward?

Which new components were the biggest surprises… and which failed to impress?

Favorite exhibits?

Best affordable systems?

Can you really judge a six-figure audio system by how it sounds in a hotel room?

Do the most expensive systems actually sound the best at an audio show?

What was the biggest piece of industry gossip or insider information we heard at SWAF?

Transcript

SPEAKER_05 0:03

Welcome to the 37th episode of the High Five Five. Tonight it's actually the High Five Sixth. We have a sixth member, I'm happy to report. Please like this video and subscribe to the channel. A lot of you are watching this, which is wonderful, but you got to subscribe. This is the Southwest Audiofest 2026 Show Report. Our guests tonight, Chad Crowley, Audiophile Hobbyist. Gary Gill, founder and organizer of both Southwest Audiofest and Capital Audio Fest, Matt Philpot, the YouTube channel Everyday Audiophile, and I just learned beer expert. Keith Rochelle, Audiophile Hobbyist, Joey Veloso, Audiophile Hobbyist and President of the DFW Audiophile Club. Welcome, gentlemen.

SPEAKER_01 0:42

Thank you. Thank you.

SPEAKER_05 0:44

Thank you. Gary, let's start with you. How did you feel about the Southwest Audio Fest this year in terms of the venue, in terms of the number of exhibitors, the number of attendees? Was it more attendees this year than last year, or number more greater exhibitors? What was your thoughts, Gary?

SPEAKER_00 1:03

I personally felt that the venue was far superior than the Anatole. And got a lot of feedback already from the media and from our vendors. The vendors, I've already I was on the phone almost all today and yesterday for people wanting their their room and additional rooms. As for the attendance, I think the attendance was similar to what we had before. We're less than 2,000 people, probably around the 1700 to 1800 uh visitor range. But these people uh but I'm told by the vendors that that they had a lot of room, they had sales, they did business, and they said the all the visitors were very uh knowledgeable, educated, and hardcore hobbyists. So in general, I say we we we struck gold here. We've got a we've got a show venue, and we're gonna stick it out. We're already under contract for two more years, so we're gonna stick it out here and we're we're gonna continue to improve and grow at the Sheraton. So I think it was great.

SPEAKER_05 2:10

Now I heard from some exhibitors that the rooms were packed, but I thought on Saturday afternoon, sometimes the hallways were kind of weirdly not busy.

SPEAKER_00 2:19

It was it was weird. I mean, as you know, we changed the the dates for uh the days from Friday, Saturday, Sunday to Thursday, Friday, Saturday. So, I mean, our thought was that we would change now, get rid of the Sunday, since Sunday appears to be a big family day in Texas or in Dallas in particular, and try with Thursday because everybody, every show's had success with Fridays. We figured, hey, why not? Sunday's always slow, move it to Thursday. And I think we were good with that. We were good with a busy, a busy Thursday, a busy Friday, but I thought probably Saturday could have been busier.

SPEAKER_05 3:00

I I don't know why, but now Charles Charles Kermis told me there was a competing record of some big record record sale event somewhere.

SPEAKER_00 3:08

There was, there was, there was. Um, and they're on Sunday. And we've had conversations with them, and we're hoping to bring them into the fold for next year. We also uh communicated with a we'll call them like a home theater-related technology uh trade show called TOLA, and you have to look up their acronym, but uh again, they're home theater and technology based, and we're trying to bring everybody together so that we have one big massive lifestyle trade show. So let's see what happens in the next couple years. Joey, what did you think? How did you feel about this show versus last year?

SPEAKER_01 3:56

Um I wasn't there last two years, but I was there 20 when it first started. Um I thought the show the venue, what I understood was it sounded better, the room sounded better, but the elevator um was a little confusing. That's what I know. As far as the attendance, um I don't know. I think it was it was a little softer than than than than than before. At least that's what I felt. But um, that's that's just my opinion.

SPEAKER_04 4:41

Keith, what did you think?

SPEAKER_02 4:44

Uh compared to the Anatole, um, I think I like the rooms here at the Sheraton better. I think they seem to be larger and better sounding. I think as a as a visitor, I prefer the Anatole as a hotel. Um, I just I think it's a little fresher looking with restaurants and kind of in the design district. But you know, I think uh what impressed me was was overall the kind of the sound quality in the rooms was probably better than most of the uh hotel shows that I've been to over the years. Um as far as attendance, you know, I I think it was about the same as last year. I didn't I didn't notice uh an influx of people this year that was different. I thought it was interesting that Gary chose to do it on a Thursday night, although I couldn't attend that uh versus doing it on Sunday. And you know, I'd love to hear more from him on kind of how that worked and if that's in the plans going forward.

SPEAKER_05 5:37

Chad, what did you think?

SPEAKER_03 5:39

Uh I I thought the rooms were better as far as the sound. I thought one of the nice things about the Anatole is you have that kind of atrium type thing, so it's a little bit more vibrant, you can kind of see the floors below. And uh I think the elevator situation, it was kind of hard. I like to a lot of times take the elevator to top floor and then I'll take the stairs down. You couldn't find the stairs. I end up getting lost, I think, somewhere inside the Sheridan and with my buddy. And so, like some guys like taking me somewhere. So I think that would make a little bit easier. It could be a little bit disjointed at times in that you would end up going and then you're at a dead end of a hallway versus just kind of circular again. I think the room sounded better. I think little things like um, like if you want to go out and grab something to eat, we left one day, went down to Terry Black's just down the street for barbecue, which was awesome. I think I think the amenities are better at the Dallas Sheridan. Uh, I think after show nightlife is a little bit better at the Dallas Sheridan. I personally liked the Thursday thing. I liked how you I liked how you did till 8 p.m. on Thursday. I think it gave the local Dallas people a chance to get there after work because some people were going to work on Friday. So I thought that was very smart. I think it did slow down on Saturday somewhat. Uh, but um, that's kind of my thoughts. I think getting around, maybe making it a little bit easier and just the way the rooms were kind of situated. I I personally I would have loved to seen some of the big time rooms all on one floor. So you could just go from major room to major room to major room and really kind of do some comparative listening. You know, it kind of that that would be my only critique of it.

SPEAKER_00 7:19

Max everything you said.

SPEAKER_07 7:22

Yeah, I'll keep it short. Uh, I agree with Keith Largy. I not only were the rooms a better dimension and better size, but I started seeing more vendors come with room treatment, and I think that made a world of difference in a lot of the rooms that I listened to. Uh as far as uh the elevators, uh, I got many comments that the most visited room was the stairwell. But uh uh I thought Thursday was great. I mean, I thought there was a steady flow of people, and I thought Friday was nice. I wasn't there on Saturday, so no comments on there. Um, but yeah, I mean I heard from multiple vendors that they got people interested in, they got some sales. I mean, I bought a pair of speakers from something that I heard at the show, so cool.

SPEAKER_05 8:07

I uh I personally prefer the Anatel Hotel overall, it just seemed kind of just easier to deal with, but I really appreciated the fact that the uh uh Sheraton Dallas had renovated rooms, the air conditioning worked really, really well, and it was really, really quiet. So that's all I cared about. I mean, that's all I that was my main concern. Right topic number two, what were the most interesting component debuts? Joey.

SPEAKER_01 8:30

Uh, I think decibel. Decibel was the most interesting to me. Um, I I did not expect that. So, so uh for the show, um, my tour guide was Matt. So, had it not been for Matt, I would have probably gotten lost like a ton more times. Because even with him, we still got lost. Um, but he brought me to the decibel room, and I thought that was the most interesting.

SPEAKER_03 9:02

You know it, you're gonna think it's silly. It was the world premiere of the DS Audio Sonic Cleaning Brush. I thought that was kind of cool. It was up in the uh reference analog, and it's this $1,200 brush that it basically the bristles vibrate at like 10,000 vibrations per minute and it pulls up static. I just thought it was a cool little, I've seen it uh advertised, but I've ever I've never really got to fill it and use it. And I I thought it was pretty cool. I mean, it it seems like not a big deal, but at this point, every little thing matters. So I I thought that was enjoyable. I didn't even see that. I missed that somehow. Matt, what what were your favorite debuts?

SPEAKER_07 9:41

Uh yeah, the DS Audio Brush was interesting. Jeff said that was the first one in the US, uh, and he didn't even have any thoughts on it because Thursday was his first day using it. Yes. Um, so I I'll be interested to get that in my room and try it out. That and like Joey said, the the Atlantis Lab speakers in the Decimal Plus room were unbelievable for four grand or something.

SPEAKER_05 10:04

Three, four grand.

SPEAKER_07 10:05

Yeah, three, three or four grand, depending on the model. Some people would say it's criminal how good they were for that money.

SPEAKER_05 10:11

And the funny thing is, at um Atlantis Lab is something Hiram found in France, along with the Neo Sun amplifier that's was matching there. And I sent a bunch of people at the show SoCal to Hiram's room to hear the top-of-the-line uh Atlantis Lab thing, which itself is only like 23 grand. So yeah, I don't know. Hiram kind of found something interesting there. Gary, did you have a favorite debut? I can't say.

SPEAKER_00 10:39

Yeah, I was you gotta be diplomatic. I was pretty busy the whole weekend, so honestly, it that's the worst thing about my job, I guess. If you want to call it a job, is that I really don't have time to to spend in people's rooms. So I I can't answer. Okay, Keith.

SPEAKER_02 10:58

Anything I really have nothing to add on the on the new the new uh gear front. I think uh Matt and Joey said it best. I think the Lannis Lab was a brand that I had never heard of, and um, you know, it's just really nice when you see a room like that well done with uh at at the at that price point.

SPEAKER_05 11:16

I saw one debut. You and I were in Aldo's room, the Estalon Extreme with Vetus. And do you remember he showed us that um Arian Jansen uh active acoustic device?

SPEAKER_02 11:31

That's right. I totally forgot about that actually.

SPEAKER_05 11:34

So so this small demo. Arian is a brilliant engineer, it's some device with three dials on it, and Arian connects it to a conventional subwoofer. He was using a small JL audio, and Aldo did some demo with us, and I think I could hear a difference, and um uh Arian uses his controller to control a conventional subwoofer to achieve a smoother bass response in the room. So he did that little demo, and I I'm never convinced about these demos, but I think I heard in uh a positive difference. Topic number three What's the primary purpose of an audio show these days? Is it sales for the dealers? Of course, the dealers would be happy to have a sale, but when a dealer goes to the show and exhibit or manufacture, what do you think is the primary purpose? Is it sales, branding, just schmoozing with people, validation? Matt, what do you think?

SPEAKER_07 12:23

Oh man, that's a great question. I I'm gonna take it from my side. Where I go to shows so I can hear gear that I could never hope to afford, and to decide what I like, what sounds I do like. Um, I also like the you know, forming the connection with the vendors and the dealers and such. Um, but on the flip side, yeah, I think the audio shows for those dealers is for making a sale. They want to put their best foot forward in that that's tough in a room. If you can make a system sound good in a room, then uh in a hotel room, then I that means it should sound good in your room.

SPEAKER_03 13:01

Ked, what do you think the the exhibitors hope to achieve here? I I think it depends on which show you're talking about. I think if you talk about something like Expona, I think you're talking about manufacturers, distributors. I think that uh this is when people roll out major uh major releases and things like that. But when you go to say a Dallas, I think now you're talking about regional and it's more about dealers. I mean, the DFW Metroplex is one of the biggest MSAs in the country. There's a lot of audiophiles there. And I think that you've got, you know, if you go 300 miles around, there's a lot of dealers that want to get that business. And so it's not just making sales, it's getting their name out there. So when people start thinking about a new set of speakers, they wanna they want to remember maybe where they went in. And it's and it's just in it's just important to get the know the dealer and their skill set. I mean, if a dealer can go into a room, I think Matt said it, if a dealer can go into a hotel room and make it sound good, and you could tell the people that spend some time, if they can do that, then that's the person that I want to kind of do my business with because they can probably make my room sound good too or help me. So I think it depends on the show. If it's a regional show, then I think it's more about dealers. Expona, Vienna, I think it's about manufacturers and distributors rolling out massive products. I don't think that's about dealers.

SPEAKER_05 14:23

So Gary, what if what do your clients, your exhibitors, say they're trying to achieve at the shows?

SPEAKER_00 14:28

Well, I I agree with what everybody said. Uh, you know, the we have some people that are manufacturers, they're looking for a representative, they're looking for a dealer. Then there's dealers that are looking for exposure. I think everybody there is looking for uh partner and and exposure for their brand. And I think the Dallas venue was a great place to do that. There's also all these different everybody's there for a different reason. And I see that let's say that um you know we had a couple different manufacturers that came in and they had no, they had no exposure in the Dallas region except for maybe a sale or two. Therefore, they take the chance to come in and set up, and then hopefully they'll get the exposure and get a retailer or a representative to bring them into the region. Um, I'm all I think also we were looking for, as I said, we're trying to go lifestyle, we're trying to bring in people that are integrators, we're trying to get into other industries. Um, home theater. I mean, you saw that we started to do home theater and uh Dreamscapes, even though he's from upstate New York and he does work in Southern California, you know, he's trying to get in here in the Southwest region. And I think as there's a lot of construction, there's a lot of home building in the Dallas Fort Worth area, we want to bring them in. And there's a lot, a lot of cross-pollination in manufacturers who do home theater and also do uh two-channel. So everybody's there for a different reason, and we're trying to do it for we're trying to be that that meeting place for everyone.

SPEAKER_05 16:06

Keith, the dealers and people you know, what do you think they're going to the shows for?

SPEAKER_02 16:11

Well, I think uh I go just to have a good time and see friends and kind of audiophile family candidly. I think it really depends from a consumer perspective where you are kind of in your audiophile hobby. If you're you know just starting out, I think it's a the best place to just go here. Like if I need a pair of speakers to someone who started out in a hobby, I always suggest to go to a show because you just can't hear that much in one setting anywhere else, and it's a great place to go. Um, I think for you know, I think I'm less inclined to believe that there's tons of sales for dealers and exhibitors at these types of shows, uh, the smaller ones in particular. Um, so I don't know on the return on investment, for example, but I do think it is good for the brand names to get out there and to be in the local the local market. So, for example, uh the DFW Audiophile Club is talking about all these rooms behind the scenes and where to go. So that's getting exposure by definition to to people in our group, and I think it's a great thing that we have here.

SPEAKER_05 17:14

Joey, you run a big club out there. What are your thoughts as to what the exhibitors are trying to achieve?

SPEAKER_01 17:19

I I think uh exposure. For sure. Um I I think exposure more than sales. I I think the the show is big enough that it, you know, it it can command the uh uh the aspect for exposure. Um I think if it was smaller, then you'd be kind of looking at sales, but I I think the feel on this one is more exposure.

SPEAKER_05 17:42

Chad, are there too many audio shows in the US today?

SPEAKER_03 17:47

Not for me. I you know, but uh are there too many audio shows that's when then driving distance for Chad? No, there's not. And and I'm not gonna go to Pacific, probably. At some point I'll go to Axbona when you know you have enough time to really dedicate, but like Florida Capitol, I mean, I think it'd be cool to go out there and maybe I will, but these this is a big country, you know. It's there's you need these regional shows all over the country. So I I I don't think that if there was too many audio shows, Gary wouldn't be signing up for two more years at the Dallas Show. He wouldn't be showing up and there wouldn't be 1700 people, you know. If there was if if there was too many high-end speakers, too many expensive speakers, they wouldn't be making expensive speakers because people wouldn't be buying them. So dollars talk and feet talk, and people went and and and they showed up and bought tickets. So no, there's not.

SPEAKER_05 18:41

Matt, what do you think? Too many shows or all good?

SPEAKER_07 18:45

Uh, I don't think it's too many shows. Uh, if anything, the Southwest Audio Fest has shown us that there's still a market for maybe an extra show, but I don't know where that is. Um, I'm excited to see where it goes in the next few years. I wish I could make it to Expona and the others as well. Um, maybe when the kids are out of college.

SPEAKER_05 19:06

Keith, what do you think?

SPEAKER_02 19:09

Well, I'm happy to disagree with all my panelists tonight, apparently. I think there's way too many shows. Uh, I think that they should consolidate the show circuit into three or four shows. They would be bigger, they would have more people, and I think it would be easier for manufacturers and exhibitors um and less travel. And I think that, you know, I'm not saying this particular show is off the board or whatever. I'm just saying, you know, there's gotta be 10 shows in the country now, just in the US, without including Vienna, and I think it's too many.

SPEAKER_05 19:38

Gary, I have a feeling you're gonna say not too many shows. What do you say?

SPEAKER_00 19:43

Yeah, I think you're right. But I but I also see that every every show has its own temperament. Every show, every show has a different organizer, and they treat their shows differently. I mean, X Bona is a well-run, uh well-run organization, and they just got purchased by somebody else, which it's a true trade show. Capital Audio Fest. Uh, many people say it's their favorite show. And then you go, you know, Florida, I'm not sure what's happening with them, and then the show, they have their own temperament also. Um, so you pick and choose. But what I also hear from vendors are that they are selective, also. They can't go, you know, we'll say VAC doesn't go to every show. They'd love to, but they have to be selective. Every manufacturer has to be selective, they have budgets, they can't just pick up and go to every show. So, and and then you try to go to the top regions where you get the best bang for the buck. But I'm good with I'm not doing any more shows, I'm just doing two Southwest and Capital. Joey, what do you think?

SPEAKER_05 20:49

Too many shows or not?

SPEAKER_01 20:51

I I think it depends on uh the perspective. So I think for the consumer, probably not, but I think for the dealers or distributors, it might be tight, you know, like um to do that many shows if you participate in that many shows, that's a lot for the year. That that's my opinion. But it's nice to have uh a good number of shows too, because then, like, for example, us in Dallas, we can actually go to a show whereby, you know, a few years ago we didn't have a show, so we don't have to go to Exponer to hear things.

SPEAKER_05 21:32

And the correct answer is Keith is correct, there are too many shows. Next topic. Is it fair to judge a component based on a hotel room? Gary, what do you think?

SPEAKER_00 21:42

Wow. I I go to the hotel rooms when I have the time, and I I don't think it's the final answer, but I see if there's potential or not. And then I like to go to that retailer or whoever to get a more intimate feel. But uh it gives me the potential, but not the final answer. Matt?

SPEAKER_07 22:06

I I think Gary hit it on the head right there. Um the the show gives you a general direction of how something is gonna sound, and the dealer or maybe another person in the DFW Audio File Club, if they have it, that tells you how it will sound.

SPEAKER_01 22:22

Kelly. Um I think I don't think you can judge it. I think someone said it best before that if it's a positive experience, it's likely gonna be a positive experience. But if it's a negative experience, it doesn't, it doesn't, it's not a null and void. Um because it's it's very difficult. Um if you if you sit in one row versus another, for example, yeah, the the the tone changes. And not only not only that, but even the chair height is particularly sensitive as well. A lot of the shows they use a general chair, you know, like your general banquet chair. But technically, if you measure the height of the seat, it's a little bit taller than your lounge chair would be. So that alone affects a significant amount of um the texture or the tone or the nuance. So uh my answer would be if it's positive, it's likely gonna be good. If it's negative, you still can't rule it.

SPEAKER_04 23:21

I totally agree. Chad, what do you think?

SPEAKER_03 23:24

Well, I I think I kind of go back, I think when you as far as the hotel rooms, everybody has the same power essentially, and things like that. I think the shows show off dealers who are setting these rooms up more so than the speakers and the systems. Uh I'll give you a good example. The presidential suites, which were rooms where you would walk in and it's a big wide room, and then you turn right, and there was like a room and then a little dining room and a bedroom. I saw people address that room different ways. And I thought by far, the people that the TV was on these wooden slats, the regular, and there was guys and gals that put that those speakers, used that as their front wall, and those slats almost acted like diffusers, and they created better sound than if you would have walked in the room. Some used the wide wall as you went in, okay. But those slats gave really improved transparency and depth. They were diffusers essentially. So when you I think bad sound doesn't mean it's a bad speaker, I mean there's a lot of other things going on, but a lot of times you're judging the dealers even more so than the speakers themselves, because there's some guys and gals that really are good at setting that stuff up, and that again, it goes back to that's the people I want to do business with.

SPEAKER_05 24:38

Do the best sound before we get to our favorite systems, do the oh I Keith, what did you think? Is it fair to judge your component base on a hotel room?

SPEAKER_02 24:46

You know, I would just add to what the group says and said that when I judge sound in hotel rooms, I just start like I really don't judge the bass. Like I think it's really hard to judge bass in these rooms. Um, they're not ideal for that. So I just kind of forget that and focus on other parts of the sound, like tonality and things like that, that I think I can judge. I think the second thing is we all know that dealers and distributors and exhibitors who've actually brought gear that's not been broken in before the show. And I think that's a mistake. Like, and I think that's so, yeah, I think if you broke it, if you brought in gear that wasn't broken in, it doesn't sound great. That's your fault. So I think there is some blame to go around someone, uh and this happens more frequently than not, unfortunately. So um, so I I think there is some blame to go around for bad sound, um, you know, related to that. But I think uh I think I would echo that if you get truly exceptional sound in a hotel room, you've got a you've got a pretty good dealer who knows how to set up the speaker, right?

SPEAKER_05 25:43

Topic number six, before I get to our favorite exhibits, in general, do the best sounding systems tend to be the more expensive ones? Gary, what do you think?

SPEAKER_00 25:52

I would say no. I would say no, because a lot of it has to do with the setup, it has to do with uh you know just the way people position their their gear, their speakers, their sound, the room treatments, etc. And you know, this is the first year in this in this venue, and people haven't quite figured it out yet. They've done their best, but as I said, when you listen to the product the first time, if there's potential, you need to go back again. Matt, what do you think?

SPEAKER_07 26:21

Uh yeah, I I agree. Um, I just forgot the question for a sec. The best sounding systems tend to be the more expensive ones. No, no, I don't think so. I, you know, going back on all the previous questions, this kind of leads back to it's dependent on how good the dealer or the vendor sets up the room. Um, there were less expensive rooms that sounded great, and there were great rooms. I mean, expensive rooms like Jeff's room, the reference analog on floor 11, that sounded amazing. Um it's all to do with the person's ear and and how they use that room to their advantage.

SPEAKER_04 26:56

Keith, do you agree?

SPEAKER_02 26:59

Uh yeah, I think the best rooms honestly have speakers that are appropriate sized for those rooms. Right. And I don't think cost is part of that equation. I think too often than not we see huge speakers stuffed into small rooms that don't sound good. Like, yes, I've heard sound labs in small hotel rooms, not a good sound. And you know, so I think some of it's on the on the on the distributor or dealer to to do that.

SPEAKER_05 27:22

Ked, any contrary thought?

SPEAKER_03 27:25

Uh yeah, I I disagree. I think that usually the best sound tends to be the most expensive, and and here's why. I mean, this there's science behind it. Uh cabinet design, the expense of of designing some of these cabinets. I don't think that they're necessarily, I shouldn't say they have the best sound. I think that your more expensive systems have the higher ceiling for potential sound. I think if you set an expensive system up, a really good system, that's you know, I'm not saying just they just put a big price on it. They tend to have the biggest highest ceiling as far as potential. But they also are the ones that are at the most risk. I mean, by far they're they're at the most risk. If if you've got a half million dollar system or a million-dollar system and it doesn't sound that good, then that's the biggest risk. But I I I still think there's cabinet design and all these other things, it costs a lot of money to design these things and test them.

SPEAKER_01 28:16

So I just think um critical threshold. I think there's a critical threshold in which beyond it, it becomes uh especially in a show setting, difficult. Um but um I think that setup is and and room proportion is probably more important, but there is something to cost. There there has to be, you know. Um, so I I think there is that. Um, so I agree with um with uh Chad. Uh but there's a critical point, I believe, which it kind of the the numbers jump just doesn't translate, um, at least in in a show setting. You you can't expect to set up a system of that caliber that curated in a room, you know, in in a day or two days. It's just doesn't happen. It it takes months or years, so you're you're not gonna get there. Right.

SPEAKER_05 29:16

Topic seven, the fun part I've been waiting for. Your favorite exhibits. Keith, what were your favorite exhibits?

SPEAKER_02 29:23

Um, I'll throw out one. I thought that the avant-garde room, um, which I think was vibrant hi-fi with airtight 211s was a really nice sound. Um Todd Benix is a really good setup guy uh for avant-garde. He's probably the best setup guy in the United States, and he did it once again. I think he used Unos this year, which is appropriately sized for those hotel rooms, and I thought it really sounded nice. And I think the airtight, the airtight gear uh kind of takes a lot of the avant-garde. If there's any if any folks thought that horns are harsh and things like that, I think the avant gar the uh the airtights are really good match for. Gary.

SPEAKER_05 30:02

I can't answer that. You know that. I can't enough time to go listening around. Okay. Matt, what are your favorites? Uh, do you want one or multiple? Uh, whatever you got for us.

SPEAKER_07 30:16

Big one for me.

SPEAKER_05 30:16

Big one for me.

SPEAKER_07 30:18

Yeah, okay. So, in my favorites would be uh reference analog on floor 11. I really enjoyed it, especially when he started playing the lacquers. That was just a great experience. Uh, vibrant hi-fi. I always love the way that Todd sets up his speakers. Uh, and then I was really happy.

SPEAKER_05 30:36

Wait, the first one you referenced, what were what were the speakers in AMP or what was it?

SPEAKER_07 30:39

So he was uh Rockport Orion's with the boulder and um audio research pre. Uh it was I mean it's pretty standard for what he brings, but the I think it was a new turntable that he brought this year, uh, and it was awesome. I mean it was it was great. Uh and then the mod right room with their Alta audio speakers, I think was a league ahead of where it was last year. I thought it was a great sounding room.

SPEAKER_04 31:07

Matt, your favorite rooms. Joey, your favorite rooms.

SPEAKER_01 31:15

Um I think uh Zeloton and uh Rockport for me. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 31:25

And Chad? Um well I'd say I I'll go down three, two, one. I'll go like this. I kind of decided. I think my uh coming in for me at third was the Bella Sound Room. I thought that it was phenomenal. I had YG acoustics, I think the Sonya 3.2, it was a DAC, it was a Lampizator, maybe the Golden Gate. And uh I thought that room had such great tonal balance. I thought that um it, you know, that the upper end was so nice. I think it had a soft dome tweeter, and I think those kind of help with that upper end, they just sound so nice and smooth, but I thought the bellow sound room was phenomenal, and it was phenomenal last year. This goes back to the dealers, they had, I think, panels last year and with all that gear, and but I thought that the uh the belly sound was awesome. Number two for me was the Zeloton and the Stella Box. I thought it was unbelievably dynamic. Um, I thought great mid-range. Uh only only critique maybe because he does like to set that up on the wide wall, which can be smart. It it kind of if you're in the front row, it's kind of like headphones, you can't get any imaging. So you really in that room, you needed to go to the back row, or I guess turn your chair around and face the back wall. But um the that that room I thought that it had well-defined base. I thought uh he, you know, he was doing a turntable read turntable, and again had the Stella Vox. Um, I thought it, I thought that was a great room. And then my number one was the reference analog. They had Rockport Orion's, uh, they had Boulder 2160 Stereoamp, a Boulder 2108 phono arc, uh audio research ref 20. They had a Domin Turntable, which was phenomenal. Um, and then uh the Nordost Odin cable. So this wasn't some just run-of-the-mill room. This was uh, but I but again, I go back to the setup of that room. That was the front wall of that room had those slats, and I will say this I've been to other audio shows. That wasn't just audio show, that's one of the best depth of sound stage I've ever heard out of speakers in my life. I felt like it was on the I felt like it was back in that back room. And for me, when you have depth is the gateway to the sounds I like, it's it's the gateway to layering dimension, it's the gateway to transparency. So I thought that that room, the tonality, it's probably one of the best I've ever heard in a room. So those would be my three. Again, not none of them are cheap. So it goes back to what I said. Does the more expensive ones tend to have the best sound? I guess my top three says yes.

SPEAKER_05 34:04

A disclosure, I did not get to every room, and these are in no particular order. I too very much like the Rockport room, that Doman Helix turntable. I just love the Doman Helix turntable setup. Um, I think, and a lot of people said this, there were just some naturally good acoustics going on in that section of that room where they set up the system. So I think that's related to what you're saying about the depth, uh, Chad. I think that was just a room just had naturally good acoustics. That was one of my favorites. I did like the, I don't often don't love the solid state on Estalon Extreme, but I thought Aldo's room sounded the best I've ever heard, the Estalon Extremes with Vetus and with Arian's uh Sonaris tape machine. And um, I did like the uh von Schweckert audio. I think they were Ultra Sevens. Keith, I think Keith thinks they were ultra sevens with the VAC and also another Sonoris machine. And I did like the classic audio, John Wolf, uh Ralph Carson's Atmosphere Electronics, Greg Brown's United Home Audio Tape Machine. I like that as well. And just uh not the room, but I love me some rel six pack that Scott Walker's favor. Keith totally disagreed. Keith would have turned the pulled the plug on the six pack, but I love me some woofage, so I I like RHEL six packs and woofage like that. Topic eight, affordable systems, Keith.

SPEAKER_02 35:22

Affordable systems, I think the the one that resonated with me was the the previously mentioned Decibel Plus Room and the Atlantis Lab speakers. Um, you know, they're high sensitivity. I think they're 906 dBs. Um, they're set up really well. There's a cavern-like sound stage, really nice tonality, dynamics, and um and candidly, I don't listen to a lot as many of the affordable sound systems as I probably should, because I'm typically more interested in in some of the larger systems at the show. Um, but I really thought that was enjoyable sound. And for a speaker that's $4,000, it says a lot.

SPEAKER_05 35:59

Matt, what was your favorite affordable system?

SPEAKER_07 36:02

Uh yeah, the Decibel Plus room. That's actually the pair of speakers that I bought was the big brother that the stand mounts. I I love that room so much. Um that was it was the biggest surprise for me and the affordable system that I love the most.

SPEAKER_03 36:18

Ken. Um, man, it's kind of weird to say affordable, but what's affordable nowadays? Um I I thought the room for the price, the room that that punched way above its weight for the price for me was the uh Vienna acoustic speakers. I thought they were phenomenal. They had advanced Paris uh an integrated amp that had a DAC. I thought they were dynamic. I thought they had great uh uh balanced sound. Um I thought they did a great job. They had a he had a uh oh gosh, what's the the subs? The Vela Vela oh gosh, Vela they're they're they're the old subs that's like started subs. Vela, yeah, yeah. I wish you would I kind of wish you would have just unplugged that and and let them kind of stand on their own in that size of the room. But I thought if some that those those speakers at 15k, again, that's not cheap, but I thought they sounded better than a lot of other, you know, 40,000 speakers.

SPEAKER_05 37:19

Joey, did you have an affordable favorite?

SPEAKER_01 37:22

Uh decibel for sure.

SPEAKER_05 37:24

Yeah, all right. And uh Gary, did you walk around enough to hear anything that was cheap that you liked? I didn't. I plead the fifth. I can't. I don't know. Fair enough. Uh affordable for me, affordable for me. That decibel plus thing was like a clean sweep for us, basically. We all like four, you can do a lot worse for four grand than those speakers. There's no doubt about that. My other favorite affordable room was unsurprisingly, Magnapan 20.7s. I mean, I just it was with a I didn't know what it was. It was like some kind of really all-in-one Hegel integrated. I think it was a a DAC thing in there, maybe even included the it seemed like a really like there was I only saw one box in front of us. So that one box might have been the whole thing, the amplifier, the integrated, the the um DAC, the streamer, whatever. But look, I've always been a planer person. I've always liked magna pens. I've always thought magna pens are just amazing values for what you're getting. When you buy a magna pen, you're basically able to reallocate a lot of your budget to other things. So, you know, I thought that was a I thought that was a great room. Topic nine any notables, notable disappointments. Start with Chad.

SPEAKER_03 38:30

Um well, I'll say a few things. Um, I I think one thing I learned about this show is don't don't form an opinion because you hear something on Thursday. You you need to go back. Uh, the first on Thursday, I listened to the Estalons and I was like, these just don't sound as good as last year. I went back on Friday and I thought they sounded a ton better. I thought that they were really good. So don't don't just give up on a room because on the first day it didn't sound that great. But I guess the disappointing one for me, and Ron will disagree with me. Um I also will say the Magico S5s, I thought they sounded real good. And again, you can't judge a room at a hotel, the base. Something was going on, it was just a little bit smeared, and they had those big ref 32s. It it almost it almost sounded like there, you know, you you put those in and you can get out of out of phase with subs like those. And and it just sounded it sounded like something was out of phase. But for me, the room that kind of disappointed me because at first I was expecting a lot was the Von Schweigert room with a VAC. I I it didn't resonate with me. Kind of it just didn't it didn't interest me. Uh I listen, I had a great listening position and it just kind of just thin across the board for me. I went off to the side and did some off-axis listening, and I it just it disappointed me, to be honest with you.

SPEAKER_05 39:51

Gary, I'm gonna skip you since I'm sure you don't want to say anything negative about anything.

SPEAKER_00 39:56

I I was disappointed in personally, I was hoping that we'd have more visitors. So I you know, we're we're gonna we're gonna put more effort into that. And I think right now, since we're still young at a as a show, it's a chicken and egg scenario. You know, the more vendors you have usually brings in more visitors, and the more visitors you you have, you hope more vendors come in. So that's my disappointing part. Did you feel we had you had more visitors this year or last year? I felt it was probably flat. I mean, if anything, there were slightly more last year. But I think it was pretty much flat. And were there more exhibitors this year or more exhibitors last year? Um, I think there were a few more last year. But uh, you know, this year, as as you know, we changed venues, we changed dates, there's a lot of changes. So I hope people, I hope we catch up next year. Uh, we're gonna be around the same date uh as this year. So I hope now we've got people already signing up again for next year. So I hope we can keep keep that momentum and keep growing. Keith, any notable disappointment you heard?

SPEAKER_02 41:06

Yeah, um, you know, I would echo the comment on the Magico and MBL room that the subs were way overpowering, and I was in the sweet spot. I I thought it really covered up the music and really looked sounded like there are two subs in the room. Um, so that one was a little bit underwhelming for me. I think the other one that had subs also um close to that was the sauna's favor Macintosh room, which historically is a is a really warm musical combination, and I just didn't feel that it was warm and musical. Um, although I thought the rails six packs were were mighty impressive. And since I've said a couple of disappointing or underwhelming rooms, I thought I'd also mentioned the biggest surprise for me, um, which I've really never heard um this brand sound particularly great, was I thought the Bermistor room sounded really nice. It was very pure, it was very organic. It's not the most dynamic sound, but is one that I thought was really uh listenable, very transparent, but it had kind of a purity of sound that I had not heard before by the brand. So that one really surprised me. And yeah, that's why we go to shows, right?

SPEAKER_05 42:13

Joey, anything that uh you didn't care for that you want to tell us?

SPEAKER_01 42:17

Um that's that's tough. Um it's tough because um you'd have to be truly in the sweet spot uh to be able to even remotely judge, my opinion. Um and and it's difficult. Um, so I I don't think I can say. Um okay. Matt?

SPEAKER_07 42:43

Uh yeah, I only had one room that was a surprise, a disappointing surprise for me, and that was the Pure Audio Project Quartet 15 room. Um for some reason, when I would listen to it, there was some weird phasiness going on, and the whole soundstage went off to the side. Um, I didn't get a chance to make it back to that room. Uh, I would have if I was there the third day. Um, but for me, because I've heard them outside of that room and they sound great, not those speakers, but different speakers. Um, so that was the that was the only surprise, really, for me.

SPEAKER_05 43:17

Uh one thing I just did not get at all. Uh the Lennard room with the three speakers, it was very, very cool how you could can turn the knob and listen to the speaker closer to you, turn the knob again, listen to the mid pair, and turn the knob again, listen to the biggest far pair. But with the larger speakers, I just didn't care for the sound. It just sounded like kind of like sound out of boxes. So I'm sorry, but I I I found the Lenard underwhelming. Topic 10. Any interesting with the discussion? Any particular intel you heard that you can tell us? Anybody? Um discussion with the designer? Oh, designer. Okay.

SPEAKER_07 43:57

Um, the Sharana Audio Room. I thought it was really interesting that Pavon, the designer there, um, he showed off new Class D monoblocks, and I guess it's his own custom Class D design. Um I didn't get to get into the weeds and the details with him, but I thought it was a nice sounding room. He was running some SOC monitors, um, and it was just interesting that he instead of going for an off-the-shelf Class D and designing his own output buffer, is it's entirely his own design.

SPEAKER_03 44:28

Anyone else? I heard I heard something this isn't inside Intel, but I I found this interesting. Was uh when I'd gone up to the 11th floor, um I talked to one of the representatives from Rockport. And um how many Ron, how many, how many Rockport Orion how long do you think it takes to make a Rockport Orion speaker?

SPEAKER_05 44:51

I don't know. Um I know It takes one month.

SPEAKER_03 44:54

It takes one month. They can make 12 a year. That kind of blew my mind.

SPEAKER_05 44:59

Um I was gonna say slow. I just didn't know how that slowed.

SPEAKER_03 45:03

And and uh I I thought that was I thought that was interesting. I was, you know, we got in our mind, we think of sometimes speakers like cars, you know, they're producing one a day. And but I thought that was that was kind of interesting to So how many man hours is that approximately? You know, I don't know. Uh they can do links a lot faster, but it's still not that fast. And then of course Lyra's will take, you know, they may produce I I think it was probably maybe eight Lyras a year, maybe or six, six or eight Lyras a year. Um with that. But you know, the the they actually maybe maybe maybe Lyra's were 12 as well. You'd think that they'd be faster with Orions, but it has to do with the way that they have to do the casting on the Orions and they're doing all the damn stiff and all of those things. So, but uh it you know, there's still there's still an art form to this, you know, they're still you know hands-on. Um so that that to me that was an interesting thing when I talked to uh one of the industry people.

SPEAKER_05 46:06

John Zimmer.

SPEAKER_03 46:07

John Zimmer, yes.

SPEAKER_05 46:09

Uh I would assume Lyra's take even longer. I don't know, but I would assume so.

SPEAKER_03 46:12

They they don't, they don't that they they're about the same as the Ryan's are the most difficult one, apparently, and it's just the way the shape and the way they have to lay them down. He he was talking about it, that they're about the same as a Lyra.

SPEAKER_05 46:25

Interesting. Music segment. Any uh music suggestions for us tonight?

SPEAKER_03 46:30

Uh let me see here. If anybody went into uh the Stella Box, I'm sorry, yeah, the Stella Box Zeloton Room. Uh he was playing this and I heard it last year and I ended up getting it. It's the Oscar Klein. Uh and it's really good. He's a handpicker and he does um just uh oh gosh, what was it he did? Uh House of the Rising Sun on this is phenomenal. Uh Gideon likes to be proud because he said he found this, and he said it's you know it's that's about the only one, so I had to flex with him and say, I have that, I have that, I have that. The Oscar Klein is really good. Uh it's it's called Interchord. You it's hard to find. Um, but man, you talk about if you have a good system, any of this Oscar Klein sounds really good. And then as far as jazz, this is uh uh this is an this was just released recently. I think the three blind mice reissues have been phenomenal. And this is called Moon Ray, it's a new uh three blind mice release. Uh this is phenomenal. It's close mic, so it's up out in front of you if you like that. And uh and then the last thing that's just been reissued that sounds great from analog productions is the muddy waters uh brass and blues. It's this this sounds really good. So those are all I got for tonight.

SPEAKER_05 47:55

Terrific. Any other music recommendations? Alrighty. Any final thoughts?

SPEAKER_03 48:03

Um, I I'd like to ask, I'd like to ask Gary something. Um so you know, people talk about summer in Dallas. I don't think the heat matters because you know sometimes Dallas is hot like eight months of the year. And um and I don't think that heat the heat was an issue. I think competing with summer vacations can be an issue.

unknown 48:24

Right.

SPEAKER_03 48:25

And and I wondered, have you I I just like you to talk to us about have you ever thought about doing different dates? Is it a competition thing with Capital? Is it a competition thing with with Axona? If you were, if you had your way, how would where would you move it if you had to move it to a different date, so as you're not competing with summer vacations? Um where would be your sweet spot for Southwest? You know, they used to have Rocky Mountain Audio Fest, somebody mentioned in the comments in the fall, but that would compete with Capitol. Uh, where would be your sweet spot if you could move it anywhere?

SPEAKER_00 48:58

It definitely has to be a cooler month. Um, but you know, we lost our venue, we lost the Anatole, so we it sent us scrambling. Uh, and for us to have a show uh a year after the last year, we had to go and uh we we luckily we locked in with the Sheraton, but we were locked in in a warm month in July. So we're locked in again next year. We got two years, and the third year we're feeling it out. But you know, somebody said that in Dallas it doesn't really matter about the temperature because so think of it like like a winter somewhere else. People want to be inside, and in in Dallas during the summer, a lot of people want to be inside, they want to be inside during the during the summer, the hot months. You may not want to be on the golf course on a 110-degree day, but hey, are you gonna go into an audio show? Possibly so, but you're right, we have to be a certain amount of time away from you know the other major shows. Uh, and typically vendors need about 30 days between shows for freight. You know, we use uh primarily use Rusty Griffin, and it takes, even though he he takes everything in and out of the hotel in a couple days, it has to be freighted to it the next location, or he stockpiles it in a warehouse until that system goes to another show. So you got to be at least 30 days before Exponent or 30 days before Capital Audio Fest. And so right now we're we we kind of have to pick and choose right now where we can be. I mean, I'd love to move it to September, I'd love to do that, but uh we're gonna the rates go up in Dallas. The rates go up in the hotels in the cooler months during the summer. It's probably $50 to almost $100 a day cheaper for the sleeping rooms. Uh so but when you get into the cooler weather, uh that's when more people have uh large events, they they gobble up the meeting rooms, uh, and they take up all that space. And during the summer, it was available to us. So that's why we're here now. But I'd love to be as we before we were in March. I thought that was a good spot, but we lost the Anatole. We were right between Florida and and uh Expona. So we're we're still feeling it out, and I and I appreciate your comments, and I'd want to hear some more feedback as to if summer is a viable event. The record show you talked about, uh, he says his busiest record days are in the heat of the summer. People want to come inside. He had he says he usually has a thousand to two thousand people in his record show in one day, and that was in Dallas on Saturday. So, was that a distraction for the Southwest Audio Fest? I don't know. If we bring them together, will that combine efforts? Will it grow the show? I don't know. I would love to be in a cooler temperature, but if for now we're kind of locked in.

SPEAKER_03 52:11

Gary, I went to that vinyl show actually, and the guy that was running that vinyl record uh sale, they they were actually hyping up Southwest Audio Fest there. They were telling people at that show, he was excited about it. He was, I mean, he was telling as many people they had some little signs over there talking about the show. So uh, you know, I think you know there's some interest there.

SPEAKER_00 52:33

Yeah, the problem is that that was on Saturday, which was our our last day. We did share a lot of information. We and they were really gracious and and sharing our info. So we were hoping that we would cross-pollinate and we'd be able to send people their way and vice versa. So we hope that we're gonna be we're working on trying to get into the same venue, and and you know, uh the Sheraton is a massive venue. If we can work that out, that'd be great. Go ahead. Oh, sorry. Uh you know, I mentioned the other trade show, the Tola, uh, which is a technology home theater-based trade show. You know, if we can start putting these people together, I also talked to an um a car audio guy. Uh, so we're talking to three different types of trade shows that if we can combine forces, that would be a real contender. So we'll see what happens. Sorry.

SPEAKER_05 53:33

No, it's good. Apropos of your discussion about the logistics, one reason I feel there are too many shows generally is because it is an exhausting. I talk to dealers and distributors, it's an exhausting gauntlet. However, many shows there are in the US, Keith said 10, but then you've got the option for dealers and manufacturers to do all the shows outside the US. I know from, I mean, Gary Leeds tells me all the the distributors I know, it's just an absolutely exhausting gauntlet. So in that sense, dealers, manufacturers, distributors absolutely can only select from us, have to select a subset of shows. There's no way everybody can do everything.

SPEAKER_00 54:09

And to add into that, uh, the cost of a room at any trade show is just a uh a part of the overall expense. I mean, they have to they have to have a place to sleep, they have to pay their employees, they have freight, they have advertising, promotions, all this stuff. You know, the the cost of the room is man less than maybe 20 to 25 percent of their overall cost. So it adds up. And to do multiple shows, you know, that's that's a huge advertising expense or promotional expense.

SPEAKER_03 54:40

Well, Gary, I I've you know, my friend actually told me car audio is the gateway drug to the high-end two-channel stereo. So, you know, he goes there and says, Honey, I went to buy some car speakers and I came back with a two-channel stereo system.

SPEAKER_00 54:53

So and and if and if you walk across that skywalk, if you went across the skywalk to the other side of Ollis Street, it's massive. You can pull tractor trailers in there. So the the Sheridan has that ability to expand vertically, and we were only in the center tower. There's two more towers. You can go across the street and up two other towers, so it's a massive hotel.

SPEAKER_05 55:18

Gentlemen, this has been wonderful. Thanks to each of you. I want to have a special thank you to Joey. I want everybody to know Joey just drove 15 hours straight. Joey's the president of DFW Audio Club 15 hours straight to make it to the show. So, Joey, thank you very, very much, especially. Get some sleep, man. You deserve it.

SPEAKER_01 55:37

Yes. Can I uh make a comment?

SPEAKER_05 55:39

Of course.

SPEAKER_01 55:40

Uh, I just want to say hi to Gary. I didn't see you this year. Um, I didn't make it out. I saw you you were busy, so I didn't want to bother you. But uh the um there there might be something to the uh to the schedule, July. Um I I noticed that the they always send out like a subgroup trying to feel out how many people in the club are going, and I noticed that the number was a little bit less than the inauguration, and the club has grown about 20%. And I noticed that the number was less by about 20%. What do you attribute that to? I don't know because we had a gathering the month prior, or maybe like three weeks prior, and I don't know if it was fatigue from that. Um, but that gathering, the number of members interested in that gathering was more than the numbers that I was able to gather for Southwest.

SPEAKER_00 56:42

Um last year we had a conflict with spring break, and I had no idea that that was a factor, and that was in March. So, and so we're always trying to find out what is the optimal time. So, I I mean I appreciate your comments and definitely send me feedback. We want to learn and we want to make it uh worth everybody's while.

SPEAKER_05 57:08

Alrighty, gentlemen, this has been great. Thank you so much. Next high five five is August 12. Please like the video and subscribe to the channel. Bye bye, everybody. Thank you.

SPEAKER_07 57:19

See ya.

SPEAKER_00 57:21

Bye bye.