⌈ AUDIO VIDEO SHOW IS ONE of the world's most important dedicated to devices for home sound reproduction. Its first edition took place in 1997. From the beginning, ADAM MOKRZYCKI was responsible for its organization. After two years absence, it returned for the 24th time. ⌋

OR YEARS the International Book Fair in Krakow was for me a kind of a preludium to the Audio Video Show in Warsaw. They are peers, gathering enthusiasts and positive freaks, deeply involved in their passions. They differ only in the place where they are held - the Krakow fair is held in the EXPO Kraków halls, and the AVS in hotels and at the PGE National Stadium. However, due to the pandemic, there was one more change.

Until the 23rd edition in 2019, both events went at the same pace. In 2021, when there was still no show in Warsaw, the 24th edition of the Krakow fairs took place. Until now, the book fairs were held a week or two before the audio show. This time, the organizer of the Audio Video Show, ADAM MOKRZYCKI SERVICES, moved the AVS two weeks earlier, so it was held on the same weekend as the book fairs. Fortunately, the latter started on Thursday, a day earlier than the event in Warsaw. So I spent this day with books.

Taking the bus number 578 to 9 Galicyjska Street, where the Expo Krakow halls are located, I was wondering what to expect. I meant mainly the number of visitors, because I checked the program earlier on the Internet. And it was rich, much larger than the year before and resembled what I remembered from the years before the pandemic. But the plans of the organizers are one thing, and the interest of visitors is another. In fact, no one had any idea what it would look like. It could have been a brilliant success or a complete flop.

⸜ The organizer of the AVS 2022 offered Ukrainian manufacturers a free place to exhibit. Due to the war in this country, only two brands responded, including Sound Design Atelier – on the photo.

As it turned out, Thursday was very friendly for book lovers. A large but not overwhelming number of reading enthusiasts, mainly students were there, and therefore an access to book stands was quite easy. As it turned out, it was the last such day. Bartek, my son, who went there on Saturday, said it was a "massacre". The number of people willing to visit the fair, to get the autograph of the beloved writer, was huge. Not as big as before the pandemic (75,000 vs 45,000), but still substantial. And, importantly, a large proportion of them were young people.

And one more thing - Ukrainian literature was presented during the fair. At the stands you could meet writers, for example Bohdan Kołomijczuk, who by some miracle received a pass and came straight from the front line to Krakow.

It just so happened that this year Absolutely on Music: Conversations with Seiji Ozawa by HARUKI MURAKAMI was released (originally published in 2011). Sitting on the Krakow-Warsaw train, I read:

OZAWA: You know, maybe it will offend you, but I’ve never liked people obsessed with albums. I mean the ones who have a lot of money, top audio system and buy a lot of albums. (…)
MURAKAMI: Most rich people are quite busy.
OZAWA: But when I talk to you I admire the fact, that you are listening to music in such an engaged way. (…) [You have a lot of albums] but you are not a typical ‘maniac’.
(…)
And (…) I thought to myself that I don’t want our conversations to feed any sort of mania. I’d rather have them interested not maniacs but readers who truly love music (pages 87, 89).

As it turned out, these were prophetic words, because the Audio Video Show A.D. 2022, apart from fanatics, gathered a lot of people who really love music. And it was also a huge success. While the large number of visitors to the event on Friday should give you something to think about, no one expected what happened on the next two days. I don't remember such huge crowds. We don't know the total numbers just yet, but I believe that there were more of us than in previous years. Or maybe it just seemed that way because we haven't seen each other for a long time? Never mind - the important thing is that the organizer could be relieved and celebrate the A.D. 2022 as a success.

This year's report from the event we decided to divide it into several shorter ones, which we published successively on our news pages → HIGHFIDELITYNEWS.pl. We wanted to share our experiences with you faster and make it easier to find what interests you the most. In the article you are reading, you will find them combined into one. We present our contribution to AVS 2022 separately, and we also provided a list of the best-sounding systems in our opinion. And finally, we would like to point out the products that, in our opinion, sounded the best.

˻ 1 ˺ „HIGH FIDELITY” AT AUDIO VIDEO SHOW 2022

▌ STATEMENT in High Fidelity

AS STATED MID-OCTOBER BY DIRK SOMMER, editor-in-chief of the HIFISTATEMENT.net, with this edition of the award we are slowly returning to the right rhythm, after the Covid period.

Let me remind you that the international STATEMENT in High Fidelity award is awarded twice a year, jointly by HIFISTATEMENT.net and "High Fidelity", in two editions: German and Polish. The first of them takes place during the High End Show in Munich (in May), and the second during the Audio Video Show in Warsaw (in October). Two products are awarded each time (more → HERE). This time the statuettes were awarded to the Raidho X1t loudspeakers and the Crystal Cable Art Series da Vinci cables.

⸜ Gabi van der Kley-Rynveld (in the middle), Dirk Sommer (on the left) and Wojciech Pacuła

The award ceremony for Crystal Cable went according to plan. We took advantage of your presence at the workshop organized by "High Fidelity" together with Dirk Sommer and the Audio Analogue Association, and at 5 pm it was handed over to Gabi van der Kley-Rynveld, the head of Crystal Cable. Together with Wiktor de Leeuw, the manager of the Siltech and Crystal factory, we had the pleasure of raising glasses on this occasion on the same evening.

▌ Workshops: TAPE vs LP

THE AWARD GIVEAWAY OPENED A WORKSHOP devoted to analog tape. We hosted the meeting together with Birgit and Dirk, who recorded the DEPHAAZ’ Garage Pompeuse album. This is a completely analog recording, made directly on two tracks, without limiters and compressors, and we listened to a copy of its "master" tape. The plan was to compare different copies of the "master" tape: 15 IPS (36 cm/s) tape, 7.5 IPS tape, LP and DSD files. A comparison of tapes with different speeds showed how much we lose by going from 15 to 7.5 IPS. And it was no small difference. If I heard correctly, in the second audition everything became less selective. Maybe a bit softer, and for some people more pleasant, but less resolving.

⸜ MICHAEL VORBAU with DEPHAAZ Garage Pompeuse tapes, on large and small reels

The comparison of the 30 IPS tape and the LP was even different. When I asked you which version you liked better, most chose the tape, but a lot of them opted for the sound of the black record. This was surprising because it was a copy, not the original. As the participants of the meeting said, it was mainly about the fact that the LP sounded softer, more pleasant. One of the participants even said that he could listen to the tape only once, that is, one title at a time, and he could spend all evening with LPs.

Probably similar motives guided the listeners during the next comparison. It was the premiere of a solution that Dirk Sommer together with one of the companies had been working on for some time - a cryogenic treatment of an LP record. We know this process from cables. It's about freezing the cables to -180 °C and slowly warming them up. Thanks to this procedure, the crystal structure of the metal is better-ordered, so that the signal encounters less obstacles. Dirk has long argued that similar results should be obtained by cooling the vinyl, as this tidies up the composition of the material and the edges of the information grooves become smoother.

First of all - the effect of processing was perfectly audible. I don't think there was a person in the room who wouldn't notice the differences between the two LPs. The difference, if I heard correctly from where I was sitting, was even greater than at different tape speeds. Secondly, you mostly voted for the unprocessed disc. Which was quite a surprise. The argumentation was similar to the tape, i.e. you chose a comfortable, pleasant sound. For me personally, both the tape and the "cryogenized" LP version were closer to the "truth". I understand, however, that audio is about both the truth and listening comfort, hence the choices. And it's up to us, the listeners, to choose what suits us best.

The last point of the meeting was to compare the tape and the DSD files made from it. And here, once again, entropy made itself felt - the Ayon Audio player, from which the files were to be played, did not "see" the flash drive on which Dirk Sommer brought them. So this time we had to let it go, but I promise you that we will make such comparisons during the next Show.

⸜ TAPE vs LP workshop participants

The tapes were auditioned on a Studer tape recorder brought to us by MICHAEL VORBAU, director of the "Tape" department of the ANALOGUE AUDIO ASSOCIATION, a German organization associating companies related to analog sound reproduction. Michael immediately after the workshop shared with me an observation that was new to both of us - for him because he didn't know it looked like this, and for me because I didn't know it could look any different. Let me explain.

The point is that you were very much involved in the meeting, in the conversation with me, and you clearly enjoyed yourselves. As our guest said, in Germany it is impossible. Visitors to workshops and demonstrations sit there silently, muttering something under their breath, and it seems as if they don't really care about it all. Then they criticize everything. The enthusiasm for music that you have shown means that the Analogue Audio Association will officially be present at the exhibition next year, in its own room. It will be an opportunity for us all to meet again.

A gentle reminder: the meeting was recorded by Artur Reich and after editing it will be released on AUDIO VIDEO SUMMIT chanel.

▌ Workshop: DIGITAL IN THE WORLD OF VINYL

LATE SATURDAY AFTERNOON we met in the Fezz Audio and Pylon Audio room. And it was another great experience - much more intimate, but probably even more exciting. I flooded you with information about the next digital sound recording formats, but the music allowed me, I hope, to "decompress" what I was saying.

⸜ A system with Muarah turntable, Fezz amplification, and Pylon Audio speakers

And I shared with you examples of digital recordings on LPs, starting from 1971 and the Denon system, through 1977 and Soundstream, then Mitsubishi ProDigi, Sony DASH, 3M Digital Mastering System (late 1970s and 1980s), Alesis ADAT (1990s), up to DAWs, i.e. modern computer sound recording systems. My goal was to show you how good recordings made using older digital techniques can be and to draw your attention to the problems that the latest techniques bring. I hope I succeeded…

The comparison we made would suggest I did. It's about the moment when I played you a demo disc of the 3M Digital Mastering System (A Comparison in Sound. Digital vs Analog Recording, 3M Company, S80-1515, 1978). On each of the two sides there are two tracks - one recorded on the top M-79 mastering tape recorder of this company (2 tracks, 15 IPS), but an analog one, and the other, on a digital tape recorder. No one, including me, knew which was which. I was relieved that you pointed to the "digital" version as the better one. Perhaps my efforts were not in vain.

Of course, I did not mean that digital is better than analog, but that it is just a tool and that digital recording has advantages that analog does not have, and vice versa. Anyway, they are reconciled with the DSD recording, which was shown by the last album we listened to during this meeting, Tribute to Cole Porter by The Bassface Swing Trio (Stockfisch Records SFR 357.8056.1, 2008).

⸜ The participants of the DIGITAL IN THE WORLD OF VINYL workshop

This meeting was the first stop in the "tour" that we are preparing together with MUARAH AUDIO, FEZZ AUDIO, and PYLON AUDIO on the occasion of the 18th anniversary of our magazine. Pylon prepared a special version of the Jade 20 HF Edition loudspeakers, which premiered at the show. The next stops will be announced soon - please follow the social medias of all three companies, which may be joined by one more.

▌ Miłość & Lester Bowie Live in Gdynia

A BIG EVENT DURING THIS YEAR'S show was also the official premiere of the album by the band Miłość and Lester Bowie entitled. Live in Gdynia. This is a premiere material - it has never been released before. Adam says that from over 1.5 hours of recordings, he chose just over 40 minutes. Although the material was recorded "from the console" straight to the digital DAT tape (16/48), it was processed in an analog domain by the tireless Adam Czerwiński and was released on 180g vinyl by his label AC RECORDS .

The patron of the album is "High Fidelity" - you will find our logo on it. The music was recorded during Gdynia Summer Jazz Days on February 8th 1996. On June 2nd this year, the multi-track tape was mixed on an analog mixing console and mastered on an analog tape recorder by Piotr Łukaszewski at Custom 34 Studio.

⸜ ADAM CZERWIŃSKI with the Miłość & Lester Bowie Live in Gdynia album

The album was released in two versions, 400 copies on clear vinyl (no. 001-400) and 600 copies on black vinyl (no. 401-1000). I have secured a transparent version for you as well as a Test Press. Please follow the "High Fidelity News" pages, review is coming soon.

▌ „High Fidelity” covers

As every year, this time we asked the companies whose products were on the covers of our magazine to present them during the show. The project was prepared by Piksel Studio, which also takes care of "High Fidelity" itself. We hope you liked them and that you enjoyed your time in the rooms where they were located.

⸜ MASSIMILIANO MAGRI, the man behind Grandinote, with the HF cover presenting Supremo amplifier

I will not be original when I say that it was thanks to you that these meetings were so pleasant. Afterwards, we could discuss, exchange experiences, and sometimes just shake hands. And this is what drives my work, this is the greatest reward for me. So thank you to all of you who took the time to meet us. I promise that next year we will prepare even more presentations and workshops.

˻ 2 ˺ THE MOST INTERESTING PRESENTATIONS

THE LINE BETWEEN "THE BEST" presentations from "the most interesting ones" is fluid. Sometimes it was difficult to decide to which category a given product or system should be assigned. In the end, we decided to compromise, because most of the ultra high-end systems gathered at PGE Narodowy did not sound up to their capabilities. On the other hand, the sound of some of them was amazing, and yet we know that it is possible to achieve the fullness of their sound only in specially adapted rooms. Hence their presence in the "most interesting" section.

Before we get into specifics, I'd like to draw your attention to the CH Precision brand. This Swiss specialist has finally found a Polish distributor and you will be able to hear their products also in Poland. This is great news, because it is one of the most interesting manufacturers of SACD players and amplifiers.

▌ Polish invasion 1.

THE THING THAT THE guests from abroad pointed out was the unprecedented presence of Polish manufacturers. And not only those small, actually garage ones, but also those already well-known around the world. And indeed - I have never seen so many good Polish brands at the show. Among them there are suppliers of cabinets and drivers for many well-known brands - Pylon Audio and STX - as well as strictly high-end manufacturers. They make loudspeakers, amplifiers, anti-vibration products, cables, audio file players - there is actually a whole audio ecosystem.

⸜ Janusz Sikora with his new tonearm, J. Sikora KV Max

However, I would like to start not with the most expensive product at the show, but with something that made "Polish audio" and "Polish high-end" well-known in the entire industry - the J. Sikora company. You probably know that both the company's top turntable and its unique tonearm were very highly rated by the American magazine "Stereophile", which placed them in the "A+" and "A" categories, respectively. ie the top ones. As Janusz Sikora, the owner and designer, told me, once, when I was testing the Reference model for the first time, I proved to have a good hearing, pointing to it as one of the best on the market (review → HERE). "You have your share in it, he went on, too." It was nice to hear…

But to the point - at the show the new tonearm KV12 Max was revealed, a development version of the KV12 model (review → HERE). The bearings have been replaced with zirconia ones, but the new design of the arm’s tube is more important feature. It is clearly thinner and lighter - it weighs half as much as the previous model. This was achieved thanks to the use of a new foam inside it. You will read tonearm’s test in "High Fidelity" in December.

⸜ Paweł Skulimowski, the owner and designer of Franc Audio Accessories next to his Alu Master rack from the Reference Line

Another interesting product that looked simply great was the Alu Master anti-vibration rack from Franc Audio Accessories. It was shown in a hard-to-achieve finish, but is normally offered in a standard finish. However, as Paweł told me, anything can be done on request... The rack is made of aluminum profiles, and the shelves are finished with a carbon fiber braided mat. Oh, by the way - Paweł also designed all his tattoos. I would like to add that the "High Fidelity" will soon test new, large Franc Audio Accessories anti-vibration feet.

The new version of his Oscar turntable, the Mk III, was presented by Wojciech Samołyk, the owner of the Tentogra company. The turntable looks great, especially in the blue color shown at the exhibition (I know it's one of its shades, but I don't know which one...). It even matched the color of his shoes. The Oscar Mk III is actually a new design, with improved bearing, controls, touch screen, azimuth setting function and build-in battery. It turns out that there were big problems with exporting turntables with a separate battery. However, since it is now build-in - there is no problem with it, as Wojtek said. Expect a test in "High Fidelity" soon, and the previous one can be found → HERE.

Attention should also be paid to the new design of Fezz Audio products. I have to say that I like it very much and I can feel the hand of a good designer in it. Although the individual elements have been known in audio, their combination in the products of this company is fresh and really successful. Maciek Lachowski, co-owner of Fezz Audio, mentioned to me that they had a choice of making completely new products in the old design, new products in the new design, or leave proven designs, but in new enclosures. They chose the latter, because - as he added - they did not want to disappoint people who already believed in the company and who liked this particular sound. The price of Polish devices is shockingly low for many people from abroad, and the quality of workmanship is equally shockingly high. And that’s great!

⸜ New face of Unitra – retro style

As industry magazines reported, "one of the most respected Polish brands of the communist era will return to the market thanks to Michał Kiciński, one of the co-founders of CD Projekt." He bought it from the previous owner, the Gdynia distributor K-Consult, who in 2014 bought it from Unitra S.A. What K-Consult came up with couldn't work. The business model of the revived brand was based on Chinese products, to with only logos added in Poland.

This time, as Daniel Kostrzewa, vice-president for sales and marketing of Unitra, told "Puls Biznesu", it will be different. The production of devices and loudspeakers is to take place in Poland. At the show, on a static demo, turntables, an amplifier, a CD player and loudspeakers were shown. Most importantly - they are supposed to represent a retro style, which is so popular nowadays.

And one more thing - Unitra’s stand was adjacent to the furniture of another Polish cult brand - Paged. Their tables, stools and other furniture looked just perfect.

▌ Super-loudspeakers

A separate group of super interesting presentations were systems with ultra-expensive loudspeakers as their stars. This is an interesting trend, after all, not agreed between distributors - they have tried to present the best a given company had to offer. It was a huge logistical undertaking, a big expense and a problem with mastering the acoustics of rooms unprepared for such giants. But it was worth it.

⸜ Wilson Audio XVX loudspeakers

The presentation of the Wilson Audio XVX speakers was probably the most awaited one. They played in the system for over PLN 4 million and they sounded great. They were accompanied by the Gryphon APEX amplifiers, the Commander preamplifier and the Kaliope digital-to-analog converter. The digital signal was provided by the Taiko Extreme file transport.

The next one was the presentation of the Marten Coltrane Momento 2 loudspeakers. Maciek Chodorowski, the Polish distributor of Marten, said that getting these giants in was a real challenge and it was only possible because the boxes they came in had wheels. The loudspeakers played in a system with electronics from the Canadian company Tenor Audio - power amplifier, line and phono preamplifiers, from the 20th Anniversary series. The speakers cost over PLN 1.5 million and weigh 200 kg.

Blumenhoffer Gioia XXL are loudspeakers for tube lovers. They sounded great - fast, accurate, with a large volume. Also, they are not cheap and you have to prepare over a million zlotys for a pair. The loudspeakers use a powerful 16" woofer and compression drivers in the horns above. The Audio System company had to make an effort to place them in this room. The system was complemented by electronics from the Greek company Ypsilon Audio. Interestingly, I also heard opinions according to which it was the worst sound of the show. But that's the beauty of events like this one...

⸜ Mark Levinson ML-50 amplifiers with JBL Everest DD 67000 speakers

The presentation of the Mark Levinson ML-50 power amplifiers and the JBL Everest DD 67000 loudspeakers was also fantastic. The ML-50 monaural power amplifier features Pure Path topology, a glass top panel, internal lighting and design elements inspired by famous amplifiers from the brand's 50-year history. This model is limited to only 100 pairs worldwide.

The amplifiers were accompanied by JBL Everest DD 67000 loudspeakers, a three-way loudspeaker system equipped with a woofer section with two 15″ drivers that have diaphragms made of a three-layer pure cellulose laminate above and below the compacted foam. Mids and highs are reproduced by a compression horn driver made of pure beryllium. The second pure beryllium dome, but with a diameter of 1" is responsible for the ultra-high frequency band reaching to 60 kHz, well above the threshold of human hearing.

The British company Fyne Audio followed in the footsteps of Tannoy, from which its engineers came, and prepared loudspeakers in the vintage style. The fantastic Ten model shown in the photo was driven by powerful Musical Fidelity Nu-Vista amplifiers and a preamplifier from the same series, and the source was an MF turntable equipped with an Ortofon Verismo cartridge. The Vintage Ten has all the audio features found in the larger Vintage models, including a 250mm IsoFlare driver with FyneFlute suspension, a downward firing BassTrax port system, and handcrafted Deep Cryogenically Treated crossovers.

Who knows, maybe even more visitors stopped by the room where the Bowers & Wilkins 800 D4 loudspeakers were shown. And these sounded really addictive. Maybe there was too much direct sound in it, but the acoustic conditions were not the best. What's more, these great designs were paired with an affordable system consisting of a Luxman integrated amplifier and a Clearaudio turntable. Still, it sounded really nice, which is a plus not only for the loudspeakers, but also for the electronics.

⸜ Monitor Audio Platinum 300 3G Loudspeakers

And last but not least, Monitor Audio Platinum 3G loudspeakers. Ah, how great they looked! I'd seen their photos before, but live they were much more interesting. In their design, the experience gained with the "Concept 50" studio loudspeakers, shown in Munich on the occasion of the company's 50th anniversary, was used. Their Polish premiere took place in Warsaw. The system was completed by Cambridge Audio electronics, with Edge W power amplifiers and Edge NQ preamplifier/file player. I mention the MA loudspeakers not only because they looked and sounded great, but also because they cost really little compared to the competition.

▌ Polish invasion 2.

Finally, I would like to return to Polish producers again, naming four of them: Ancient Audio, Audio Phonique, Pracownia Amplifiers Tube and Ferrum.

Jarek Waszczyszyn from Ancient Audio is slowly returning to the high-end, also in the digital dimension. At the Show you could see and listen to not only the D/A converter, but also the new CD transport. It is based on the CD-Pro 8 mechanism used by Ethos, the top CD from Gryphon (test → HERE).

⸜ Audio Phonique Classic INT150D & Classic One

Although in the next room there were powerful Audio Phonique Singularity loudspeakers, driven by the top electronics from the Statement series (system costing around 300,000 Euro), my attention was caught by the seemingly inconspicuous, but perfectly sounding "mini" system . It consisted of the Classic INT150D integrated amplifier and the Classic One loudspeakers.

A complete surprise for me was the sight of the Chimera preamplifier from the Polish company from Wyszków, Pracownia Wzmacniaczy Lampowych. It was placed between the loudspeakers and could have been mistaken for a very large power amplifier, for example from VTL. And this is "only" a preamplifier though... The company believes that the power supply is one of the most important elements of the device. In the tube Chimera we find capacitors with a total capacity of 160,000 μF. Let's add that the device was perfectly made. Oh, and one more thing - the active ATC loudspeakers were placed on stands designed by PWL.

⸜ Marcin Hamerla with “project 062” by Ferrum, next to a “High Fidelity” cover

And finally, a novelty highly anticipated in a large part of the world, I'm not joking, namely a new, top-of-the-line digital-to-analog converter from Ferrum. This Polish manufacturer is mainly known for its power supplies, but this year's EISA award for the OOR headphone amplifier seems to change this situation. Marcin Hamerla, the head of the company, who showed me and explained the design of the "project 062" said that it contained everything they had learned so far ("project 62", because although the device already has a new name, it is in the process of being registered ). The DAC is to be premiered in "High Fidelity" and it will be a world premiere.

In this way, we end the review of the most interesting products that caught our eyes this time. As you can see, there is no upper limit to the price madness. Fortunately, there are still many producers who have kept their heads straight and came up with something that people like me could use. This is the future of audio. And yet, it is the top systems that attract visitors most. And, ultimately, they are the most interesting ones.

˻ 3 ˺ THE BEST PRESENTATIONS

In the editorial for the current November issue of "High Fidelity", I tried to convince you to change your perspective. The point was not to complain about the crowds during audio exhibitions, not to complain about the - usually - bad sound but rather to treat this type of event as a rock concert. Using such approach, it is no longer about literal listening and auditioning, but about the emotional reception of events, about their being a part of community. Only then will the audio shows make sense.

⸜ Closer Acoustics Ogy speakers, one of the best looking presentations at the AVS 2022; the sound was pretty good too

I know of no better confirmation of this approach than trying to choose the best-sounding devices and systems. For years I have been pointing out that the choice is absolutely subjective and depends on so many elements that it is even anecdotal. Often it was enough to enter a given room when some poor music was playing, or when there were a lot of people in it, to say: "it sounds bad".

From my perspective, the unfriendly aspect of the listening sessions was the lack of lighting. I do not know where this comes from, what is the origin of such approach, but surprisingly many exhibitors did not try to display their products properly. These places were, for me, claustrophobic and unpleasant. I have to admit that I was automatically less inclined to such a presentation. I was trying to act professionally, and yet something deep inside said: "No!" And there are many such "details" that constituted the assessment of the sound during the audio exhibition.

On the other hand, when something "sounded well", you could be sure that it was not a coincidence. That is why we decide every year to point out the systems that impressed us the most. So it is also this time. We present you the Best Sound by High Fidelity ⸜ Audio Video Show 2022 awards.

→ Innuos ⸜ dCS ⸜ Gryphon ⸜ Artesania Audio

Innuos is a brand founded on the initiative of Mr. Nuno Vitorino, who in 2009 started LIV Technology Connected. Three years later it changed to Simply Connected, and in 2015 to Innuos. Since then, he has been slowly and persistently building his position on the global audio market. The Statement system shown in Warsaw is its top product, and a really great one at that. Let us remind you that in 2017 we tested its ZENITH MKII STD file transport.

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→ XACT ⸜ APL ⸜ YG Acoustics ⸜ SPEC

The file transport on the November cover of "High Fidelity" is the work of Marcin Ostapowicz (test → HERE). This in itself is a guarantee of something special. However, if we add that it is the result of several years of experience and planning, it turns out that we are talking about something unique, even for JPLAY, of which XACT is a part.

At the Show we had a unique opportunity to hear Marcin's entire listening system, one he uses to test all JPLAY and JCAT products, composed of YG Acoustics Hailey 2.2 loudspeakers (review version 1.2 → HERE https://highfidelity.pl/@main-872&lang=en ), SPEC RPA-MG1000 monoblocks (review → HERE) and the APL DSD-MR SE digital-to-analog converter. It just so happens that we tested all these components.

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→ Falcon Acoustics ⸜ BAT ⸜ MoFi Electronics

In 2014 Falcon Acoustics presented their version of the legendary LS3/5a loudspeakers. This company then started the production of identical, as in 1975, B110 and KEF T27 drivers, and the same 15-ohm crossover (more → HERE). In October this year, the company showed its latest design - large, floor-standing loudspeakers M50. They played incredibly nice in Warsaw. Listening to them was sort of a relieve after listening to the "audiophile" sound in most rooms, which was confirmed in an interview with me by MARCIN OLEŚ, half of the Oleś Brothers duo. The system also included BAT electronics and a MoFi Electronics turntable.

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→ Cube Audio ⸜ Tektron ⸜ Audiomica ⸜ Alpin-Line

The Jazzon loudspeakers are the latest design of the Polish company Cube Audio. They are based on a 10" wideband driver, also produced by Cube Audio. In Warsaw they played with the Tektron TK 211 amplifier and the LampizatOr D/A converter, also of Polish production. The system was complemented by Polish companies Audiomica (cables) and Alpin-Line (rack).

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→ Manron

I also spent a nice time in the Manron room. Listening to the Lambda 120 loudspeakers and the PP20I amplifier, I could sit back and listen with pleasure to what the speakers had to present. It was a big, good sound, without frills, which was highly enjoyable. Noteworthy is the advanced technological process needed to build both the loudspeakers and amplifiers of this company.

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→ MUZGAudio ⸜ AudioPhase ⸜ Charles Martin Loudspeakers

These Polish brands should be known to "High Fidelity" readers. In Warsaw they joined forces and it was a good combination. There is never enough recommendation of domestic companies, and in this case it is an unconditional recommendation. Perfect MUZGAudio D/Aconverters, DAC-1t and DAC-1s, great AudioPhase cables, all with old Meridian amps and great looking Charles Martin Loudspeakers. The MUZGAudio linear power supply for the Lumin file player also attracted attention.

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→ Popori Acoustics Kft. ⸜ 72 Audio

I'm not a fan of electrostatic speakers, but in this room, with full range loudspeakers from the Hungarian company Popori Acoustics Kft., the sound was delightful. First of all, it had a perfectly balanced frequency response, but it was equally important that it offered the right mass. The top two-way WR1 model worked with 72 Audio electronics.

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→ Divine Acoustics ⸜ Idhos ⸜ Tentogra ⸜ Spinor Audio

The Divine Acoustics BELLATRIX speakers are fantasticly made and sound great. The sound source in the system was the Tentogra WoWo turntable, which we recently tested, and the amplification was provided by the Idhos electronics of Mr. Wojciech Głowiński. The system was complemented by cables from the Łódź-based company Spinor Audio. Just like Divine Acoustics, it was its debut at AVS. The cables are made of 5N silver conductors, subjected to re-crystallization. The amplifiers were placed on the Divine Acoustics Gravity platforms, and all devices on its Keppler anti-vibration feet.

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→ Estelon ⸜ Accuphase ⸜ Transrotor ⸜ Crystal Cable

It was one of the best presentations of the year involving expensive loudspeakers. In previous years, the Estonian company Estelon’s speakers were presented with electronics from other brands, and in Warsaw I saw it for the first time with Accuphase devices. And it was a good match. The sound had a great scale and was absolutely smooth. On the one hand, it fulfilled the audiophile "canon", but on the other it was simply very nice and natural. The photo shows the top Extreme model (photo Roman Nowak).

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→ Horch House

This completely unprepared room "sounded" exceptionally juicy. And this is thanks to the tapes of Horch House, which offers copies of "master" tapes. At the show we could listen to, for example, recordings from Saturday Night in San Francisco. As it turns out, there are two "master" tapes - one was used by Impex Records for their releases, and the other was brought to Warsaw by the owner of Horch House.

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→ Trenner & Friedl ⸜ WestminsterLab ⸜ Well Tempered Lab ⸜ Lumin

It was one of the best looking rooms at the AVS 2022, although it was achieved in very simple way. And it was also one of the better sounding presentations. The Phi loudspeakers were developed for the company's 25th anniversary and feature a single full-range driver. They were driven by WestminsterLab electronics (review → HERE), with WestminsterLab cables and two sources: Well Tempered Lab turntable and Lumin file players, T3 and P1 (reviews → HERE and → HERE).

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→ Soyaton ⸜ Audioform ⸜ J. Sikora ⸜ Abyssound ⸜ Unicorn Audio

Soyaton is a brand owned by Julek Soja, offering high-end cabling. At the show, they were used in all rooms with J. Sikora's turntables, because tonearms of this company feature Soyaton wiring. The new Audioform loudspeakers fared great in this listening session. Let's add that Soyaton presented power cables at the show for the first time. It was another Polish room that proved that Polish audio went on offense.

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→ Pylon Audio ⸜ Fezz ⸜ Muarah

There is something special about the synergy between Pylon and Fezz - every year in their room the sound is at least good. This year, the Jade 20 speakers in the High Fidelity version and the new design of the amplifiers attracted, as usual, many listeners. It was here that I had the pleasure meeting you during workshops devoted to digital sound recordings released on LPs. The turntable from another Polish company, Muarah, helped in this task, which completed the whole setup nicely.

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→ Mytek Audio ⸜ Wilson Audio

Mytek Audio finally showed its top products: the Emperor Streamer DAC file player and the Emperor monoblocks. The player works with a modified Roon and is supposed to be the center of the entire audio system. On the other hand amplifiers work in class D, but based on GenFET transistors. Developed for photovoltaic, they are much faster than FETs, and thus - as Michał Jurewicz, the owner of Mytek said - eliminate the weaknesses of this technology. The system was complemented by Wilson Audio loudspeakers.

▌ Summary

I didn't plan it, but almost all of the systems we awarded are composed of Polish products or some Polish components are a part of them. This regularity could already be seen in the previous part of the article, in which we described the most important and interesting presentations of this year's exhibition: Polish audio is experiencing a real renaissance. Unlike the previous ones, which were largely chaotic and amateurish, this time it is supported by innovative technologies, self-developed solutions and very good technical facilities. Previously, we lacked it, which is why it was difficult to break through into the crowded world audio circuit.

The J. Sikora, Ferrum, JPLAY/JCAT, Ancient Audio, GigaWatt, Pylon Audio, Fezz Audio, LampizatOr and other brands, known all over the world and appreciated by the world's most important industry titles, are the avant-garde, with more manufacturers, more brands and more products following. And their name is Legion :) This is something to be proud of!

See you next year! ■