The Sydney Central Hotel has been the home, for a number of years now, to the Australian Hi-Fi Show. It’s a great location. A short hop from Central Station and a skip from Sydney’s new $20-million “concrete playground”, the haven of international cuisine now known as ‘Hay Street Market at Paddy’s’. Across the road, you’re in Chinatown, where its red gate invites the sampling of its own wonders. I have to admit that having attended Hi-Fi shows for over 30 years, this is the best location for after-hours activity (with an honourable mention going to CES’s Vegas strip). That aside, after all this time, I still get a buzz when I hit the show floors. I guess audio runs through my veins. Yes, my name is Edgar, and I’m an audio addict…
Reliving the Dream
In addition to the deep pleasure of seeing and hearing great hi-fi, I always enjoy the interaction with the rich characters in the industry’s Novela and, of course, encountering seasoned and upcoming audio enthusiasts. This year I met up with numerous members from ASoN (the Audiophile Society of NSW, of which I was President for around a year) which was established in the 1990s and has now evolved into the Sydney Audio Club (SAC). On a personal level, ASoN significantly contributed to important chapters of my own audio journey. It offered the opportunity to network and make friendships with like-minded individuals. Plus, thanks to member generosity, I experienced remarkable music systems and got to hear products from legendary brands like Audio Research, Mark Levinson, McIntosh Laboratory, Gryphon Audio, Krell, Sonus faber, Wilson Audio and many, many more. Oh, and the music discoveries… Harry Belafonte’s iconic Live at Carnegie Hall, Béla Fleck & The Flecktones’ wondrous Live At The Quick, Doug McLeod’s engaging blues albums, and so much more.
Then, at the show on late Friday afternoon, another encounter took me back in time when I walked into Dana Electro Acoustics’ exhibit where I was greeted by company founder and designer Goran Velimirovic. My very first professional review for Srajan Ebaen at 6moons back in 2003 was on the 108:dB [act:eve] loudspeakers from Dana Digital (that was the company’s name back then). The URS-108, a reinvented version of that speaker, was on show. It was gratifying to hear from Verimilovic’s associate that, after all this time, he noted me as being the first reviewer to highlight deep technical aspects of the crossover design not previously mentioned. Verimilovic’s warm welcome made for a great start to the show. And man, that Dana rakija! Short shots to warm the soul…
Recollections aside, let’s be here now. This year’s show featured big exhibits from Avation, Synergy Audio, Leica Australia, March Audio (for part of the show, read reasons below), Wavetrain/BenQ, Westan/Premium Sound, Yamaha Australia, while in the mix was a contingent of mid to small room exhibitors up on Level 9.
So, enjoy the gallery of audio wonders below. And as far as my next show adventure… I’ll be back here very soon. That will be from Munchen!
… Edgar Kramer
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Synergy Audio
In the Elizabeth Bay Room, the hero system comprised of Rega Research Naia Turntable (review here), matching phono stage, Aurender N30SA Reference Music Server, Audio Research DAC 9 converter, Audio Research Reference 6 SE Preamplifier and Reference 330M Monoblock Amplifiers (review here) driving Sonus faber Il Cremonese EX3ME loudspeakers with support from a sixpack of REL Acoustics’ Reference subwoofers. Electronics sat on Quadraspire racks and cables were by Chord Company. Secondary systems offered Sugden Audio Class-A amplification. After a period of settling in through Friday afternoon, the system sounded quite magnificent both in terms of refinement, tonal complexity and sheer power. Talk about low frequency depth… Secondary systems featured Sugden Audio, Rega Research, McIntosh Laboratory and more.
Yamaha Music Australia
The Lavender Bay Room housed a collaboration between Yamaha and Sturmans Audio Visual where the NS-2000A floorstanders and the powerful, yet diminutive, NS-800A standmount speakers were showcased. Amplification was via the company’s highly regarded R-N2000A streaming integrated amplifier. Eye-catching Yamaha instruments were spread around the room’s perimeter, while to one side, a row of R-N2000A amplifiers featured acrylic top panels proudly showing the beautifully built interior circuitry. Amazingly, as it must have been a Helluva on effort logistically, a Yamaha grand served as a beautiful ‘usher’ into the room, a reminder of the company’s rich musical heritage. Upstairs on Level 9, Yamaha debuted two new immaculately finished headphones to fill out the space below the flagship YH-5000SE cans in the YH-4000 open-backed and the YHC-3000 sealed headphones mated to the delicious HA-L7A headphone amplifier. A three-or-four track audition on each model convinced me that these new models will fly off the sales floor.
https://au.yamaha.com/en/products/audio_visual/index.html
Avation
Up on Level 1, I popped into Avation’s exhibit where I was greeted by giant snails… umm, no, but the gastropod was one of the many aesthetic inspirations that led Laurence Dickie to design the striking Vivid Audio Gia G1 Spirit loudspeakers. Complementing the stunning speakers were electronics from Lumin Music, Bricasti and PS Audio monoblocks.
March Audio
Changing it up from last year, March Audio once again exhibited in a large room which presented a couple of difficult to surmount challenges. For starters, the room’s dimensions weren’t quite appropriate for showcasing the new Kuoro speakers (supported by March Audio P801 monos SMSL SUX DAC), a small floorstander with all-Purifi drivers (including, I’m told, the hard to source new aluminium tweeter). According to designer Alan March, and mirroring my own observations, the speakers just weren’t able to project enough low-end oomph in the large space. Plus, there was the Wavetrain/BenQ’s huge home cinema system next door pounding the walls with multi-sub waves. This led to a move to a spare room up on Level 9 where the more appropriately-sized space was more conducive to high performance sound.
Secret Chord Analogue
The first exhibit you hit when you land on Level 9 is Secret Chord Analogue’s. In fact, they had two rooms, with the first showing videos of the Record Restore cleaning process which was, by all accounts, a very convincing demonstration (restorer applied juxtaposed with restored vinyl). Also offered were product samples and information on Amp Camp, where attendees at the Blue Mountains facility can build their own amplifier at the World Heritage locale (accommodation can be arranged). The second room showed a sample of electronics (which are also offered as DYI at Amp Camp), including the Elekit TU-8888 amplifier and Confluence Décor single driver open baffle loudspeaker designs.
https://secretchordanalogue.au/
Audio Marketing
In conjunction with Len Wallis Audio, Audio Marketing presented an arrestingly beautiful system dressed in luminous white and translucency. The Musical Fidelity M8xTT turntable, a vision in silver and acrylic, provided tunes via Musical Fidelity’s new M8x Vinyl phono stage and BPC power conditioning. The cruncher were the Triangle Capella speakers. These little active/wireless wonders had so much in the way of dynamics and bass extension I had to get confirmation from the exhibitor there were no hidden subwoofers in play. Small floorstanders, you’re on notice. Only vinyl in da house here via Reference LP collection. Quite possibly, the most surprisingly impressive sound of the show.
Microphase Audio Design
Jean-Marie Lière’s Microphase Audio Design has been a staple for the last few Australian shows. On show was a variety of the company’s designs including the SAT MK3 standmounts as well as the relatively new, and very impressive, Tower 3 and Tower 4 floorstanders. A short listen confirmed the usual MAD strengths of detail, resolution, and dynamic expression but with a reinforcement in the low frequencies and a filling-out of the lower midrange. In addition to CD and vinyl playback, Lière spun a variety of tape recordings – including his own – via his modified Stellavox machine. Holton Precision Audio and Quad were used for amplification.
https://www.microphaseaudiodesign.com/
Masimo Consumer
There was a spread of three rooms employed to showcase the wide range of products the Masimo Consumer conglomerate distributes in this country. The top-tier room saw the delectable Bowers & Wilkins 805 D4 standmounts augmented with a pair of the company’s DB3D subwoofers. The electronics were the latest Marantz high-end flagship 10 Series products including the SACD 10 disc player, LINK 10n streaming preamplifier and the Model 10 integrated amplifier (review here). Analogue playback was provided by Denon’s upmarket DP-3000NE turntable. As always, delectable sound here, with very good subwoofer integration.
Alongside this treasure trove, the second room saw a system comprising all-Denon electronics driving Polk speakers. We had Denon’s DNP-2000E Network player, DCD-1700NE CD/SACD player and PMA-3000NE integrated amplifier. The Polk speakers were the over-performing R700 floorstanders from the company’s Reserve series.
The final frontier was in the third room where the absolutely beautiful Marantz Grand Horizon wireless speakers were filling the room with sweet tunes when I walked in (also there on display was Horizon, the Grand’s smaller sibling,). That a single unit can provide so much in terms of features and, more importantly performance, from such a beautiful design is a true testament to the technologies and engineering of the Marantz designers.
https://www.masimo.com/consumer-audio/
Audio Magic/Krispy Audio
Audio Magic showed a system comprising Copland CTA407 integrated amplifier, Lumin streamer and Bergmann Audio Magne/Thor turntable and tonearm sources, Ayre Acoustics phono stage and CD player, and aqua acoustic quality DAC. All was tied with Vermouth Audio cables. For the first day, the room runner exhibited the ever-so-musical Harbeth HL Compact C7ES-3 XD2 loudspeakers. On my next visit, I heard the equally impressive Kudos Audio Titan 505, presenting an alternate viewpoint to the music.
https://www.audiomagic.com.au/
Hey Now Hi-Fi
This upmarket system was expertly curated by Geoff Haynes proprietor of HeyNow Hi-Fi. That it sounded superb slapped the icing on the pavlova. Analogue playback was handled by the exceptional Döhmann Audio Helix TWO Mk3 (fine-tuned by Mark Busby ‘The Turntable Whisperer’ and Hayne’s colleague) mated to the excellent, and rather unusual, Supatrac tonearm and a Sutherland phono stage. Digital source was by Meitner Audio, while amplification came from the stunning Air Tight valve integrated. Loudspeakers were the astounding Fischer & Fischer SN/SL 470 in rock-hard, low resonance natural slate. A very musical and engaging sound in this room which showcased the synergy bewteen the electronics and the high-resolution, neutral loudspeaker system.
https://www.heynowhifi.com.au/
Serhan Swift
Serhan Swift showed the latest creation in the mμ3F small floorstander. As per every time I’ve heard the company’s offerings (across a number of generations) I found the performance here belied the speakers’ stature. I’m talking big bass and dynamics coupled to a sense of musical engagement which lives up the Serhan Swift tradition. Electronics were from Boulder’s relatively new 866 integrated amplifier coupled to an upmarket Yamaha CD player. A minimalist system which belied its cost and simplicity.
Richter
Richter displayed a speaker trio comprising the Merlin S6plus standmount, the Wizard S6plus small floorstander and the mid-sized floorstander Dragon S7 SE. While they may look straightforward, there are clever inherent subtleties and proprietary driver technologies engineered (by Dr Martin Gosnell) to produce excellent sound belying the very affordable price points. Oh, and Richter has been producing affordable loudspeakers in Australia for 35 years.
Magenta Audio
Simplicity is often the best way to approach things. Yes, even more so in audio. In Magenta Audio’s room, as you enter, all you see is a pair of speakers. The Dutch & Dutch 8c active loudspeakers… and yeah, with those, that’s all you need for impressive and immersive sound. It helps that the 8c’s in-built versatility includes room correction, all the required onboard amplification, high-resolution digital-to-analogue conversion, a powerful DSP engine, and as much air-pulsing driver grouping you can squeeze into a large standmount cabinet. As per my past listening experiences with the 8c, dynamics and detail were outstanding.
Dana Electro Acoustics
A nostalgic reacquaintance as I mentioned in my intro. The company had two rooms, with the large speakers being the current version of the 108:dB [act:eve] I reviewed way back then. Now, they’re called the URS-108 (Ultimate Reference Sound) and they’re still active based on valve amplification technology.
New components were shown in the second exhibit, where the OMNI loudspeakers were mated to Dana’s KinkieWire Class-A amplifiers (one 15 watts and the other 25 watts Class-A). Two new Class-A/B amplifiers were also on show. In both setups, the company employed its own isolation and cable solutions.
SpectraFlora
Fresh from my review (read here), the Celata 88 speakers were being given a work out again at the show. The distinctive speakers were teamed with a pair of Supratek monoblocks, a labour of love from Aussie legend Mick Malloney’s stable. An Audio Research Reference series preamplifier guided the signal to the amps while an Oppo CD player/streamer provided the tunes. Music selection, at least while I was there a couple of times through the show, was excellent and didn’t stray into the usual audio show clichés. Some of the many qualities I heard in my room were on display here too.
Maxmedia
Tucked away at the extreme end of the 9th floor was the Maxmedia exhibit. Almost missed it. There, the company showed Piega and Pylon Audio speakers supported by Fezz Audio Olympia valve amplification and an Innuos streamer. Cables were Viablue. Despite the restrictions of the small room, when I walked in the mid-sized floorstanders from Poland’s Pylon Audio were sounding well controlled and rather musical. Cameron Keating is an old hand at getting the best from the brands he has represented for some time now.
Pantheone
This was the biggest surprise of the show. An Australian brand I had never heard of until that day at the event. Looking like an Alien hatching pod (an egg-like Ovomorph), the Pantheone I wireless speaker were shown in black and white varieties. The aesthetically unique speakers feature onboard amplification, dual subwoofers, a claimed 360 degree sound projection, built-in Alexia control and more. The innovative Pantheone I are a promising new player in the upmarket wireless speaker space.
https://www.pantheoneaudio.com/
The splendid Focal Diva Utopia wireless loudspeakers shown here in-situ at SoundStage! Australia HQ.
Westan & Premium Sound
I left these beauties as the final excerpt of my report for a deliberate reason. Focal’s new high-end Diva Utopia wireless loudspeakers juxtaposed the simplicity of a simple setup, in terms of component count, with a loudspeaker system concealing internal complexity and sophisticated engineering. The sizable Watsons Bay Room was easily filled with the massive sound produced by these wireless wonders. The reason I hinted at above? It’s fitting that only a few hours after the show’s closing, on Monday morning, these elegant speakers were express hand delivered to SoundStage! Australia’s Blue Mountains HQ by Westan’s Gareth Weller and Premium Sound’s Rob Bergervoet. Standby for the full review of Diva Utopia to come soon.
Conclusion
The Level 9 exhibits rounded out with a listening station in the Sennheiser room while another exhibit and auditioning post was held at the Level 1, this one by Beyerdynamic. Also on that level, but only on Sunday, Phantom Records held its market day with a wide selection of genres on venerable vinyl.
… Edgar Kramer
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Australian Hi-Fi Show Sydney 2025
Friday April 4 to Sunday April 6 2025
Sydney Central Hotel
Haymarket
Sydney 2000