T.H.E. Show 2022 – Coverage Sponsored by Underwood HiFi Part 1

Welcome our multi-part in-depth coverage of The Home Entertainment Show 2022 once again thanks to our good friend Walter Liederman of Underwood HiFi, https://www.underwoodhifi.com/ , the best place to find high-end audio at affordable prices, for his magnanimous support in sponsoring our show coverage. As T.H.E. Show caters to the Personal Audio community as well as the two-channel loudspeaker community, we will be running these reports on both Headphone.Guru and HiFiAudio.Guru simultaneously.

T.H.E. Show has been the premier High-End audio show since its inception in the early ‘90s but with the passing of Richard Beers and the subsequent COVID pandemic, T.H.E. Show went on hiatus for a couple of years, but true to form, last year T.H.E. Show 2021 was the first HiFi show to return to operation though for obvious reasons in a greatly reduced form. Back again for a second year T.H.E. Show was bigger and better this time around and even saw the return of Headphonium and I would like to thank Maurice Jung and the gang for doing such a wonderful job.

The Home Entertainment Show 2022

T.H.E. Industry Happy Hour

The Home Entertainment Show 2022

The first event of T.H.E. Show 2021 was T.H.E. Industry Happy Hour presented by our friends at Enjoy The Music.com which provided food and refreshments for all of the hard-working exhibitors as well as the press.

Headphonium

The Home Entertainment Show 2022

My first visit was to Headphonium which contained the odd mix of two Personal Audio manufacturers, three Personal Audio retailers, a Radio Program, and a booth manned by a Personal Audio magazine offering up a selection of Personal Audio components for attendees to sample.

ampsandsound

The Home Entertainment Show 2022
ampsandsound 6V6 based Headphone Amplifier, Core Power Technologies A/V Equi=Core 600 Power Conditioner, Core Power Technologies Valiant Gold Power Cord

Justin Webber and Alan Lin of Headphones.com attended the ampsandsound table where Justin was debuting his new 6V6-based amplifier (TBA). He pointed out that since the 6V6 was an exceedingly popular tube that is often overlooked and rarely used in modern amplifiers, there is a large inventory of great-sounding old tubes still available. When asked what was new, Justin was quick to point out that in reality, all of his amps are new in that he is constantly upgrading them as new opportunities arise with the goal of making the best amplifier he can, but rarely publicizes the changes and only makes a point of it when he is inspired to make a completely new offering. That being said, he was also showing his epic HK Citation-inspired ampsandsound Nautilus Amplifier ($9,200) with the Rosson Audio Design RAD-0 Custom Headphone ($2,999) and using a Core Power Technologies A/V Equi=Core 600 Power Conditioner ($1,295) with Core Power Technologies Valiant Gold Power Cords ($399) for AC and the ampsandsound RCA to RCA Stereo Single Ended With Input Transformers – Step Up 1:2 ($500) on the input side, needless to say, the sound was awesome. Alan was showing off the Headphones.Com branded ampsandsound Forge Desktop Headphone Tube Amplifier ($2,899) and the Headphones.Com branded ampsandsound LeeLoo Desktop Headphone Tube Amplifier ($2,899)

The Home Entertainment Show 2022
ampsandsound Nautilus Amplifier
The Home Entertainment Show 2022
Rosson Audio Design RAD-0 Custom Headphone
The Home Entertainment Show 2022
ampsandsound RCA to RCA Stereo Single Ended With Input Transformers – Step Up 1:2
The Home Entertainment Show 2022
AUDEZE LCD-X Planar Magnetic Headphones
ampsandsound Kenzie Ovation Rev 2 Headphone Amplifier, Core Power Technologies Valiant Gold Power Cord
ampsandsound Kenzie Ovation Rev 2 Headphone Amplifier, Core Power Technologies Valiant Gold Power Cord
The Home Entertainment Show 2022
Sennheiser HD 800 S Headphones
The Home Entertainment Show 2022
ampsandsound Bigger Ben Rev 2 Headphone Amplifier, Core Power Technologies Valiant Gold Power Cord
The Home Entertainment Show 2022
Headphones.Com branded ampsandsound Forge Desktop Headphone Tube Amplifier
The Home Entertainment Show 2022
Headphones.Com branded ampsandsound LeeLoo Desktop Headphone Tube Amplifier

Black Circle Radio

The Home Entertainment Show 2022

Black Circle Radio is an online radio program by DJ Mitch Anderson (who also produces the ecoustics podcasts) that is entirely produced using vinyl records as all musical source material. He had a booth set up with a couple of microphones and two listening stations and was there simply to interact with the attendees and answer questions.

The Home Entertainment Show 2022
RME ADI-2 DAC FS Ultra-fidelity PCM/DSD 768 kHz DA Converter, RME Fireface UC 36-Channel high-speed USB 2.0 Audio Interface
The Home Entertainment Show 2022
AUDEZE LCD-X Planar Magnetic Headphones
The Home Entertainment Show 2022
HiFiMan HE-R9 Closed Backed Planar Magnetic Headphones

Beach HiFi

The Home Entertainment Show 2022

Beach HiFi is a Long Beach based retailer part of a rising pack of dealers breaking away from the fold and embracing the growing field of Personal Audio. As such, they had a fairly large selection of their wares on display including an exciting new system from iFi Audio designed specifically for the Meze Audio 99 Classic Headphones, which includes the iFi Audio ZEN DAC Signature V2, iFi Audio ZEN CAN Signature MZ99, and iFi Audio 4.4mm Cable ($598 for all three). As to the brands they carry, for Headphones they have Focal, Audeze, and Meze; in the IEM segment Meze, Moondrop, and Audeze; and for Electronics iFi, Topping, Moondrop, and Soncoz.

The Home Entertainment Show 2022
iFi Audio xDSD Gryphon Portable DAC/Headphone Amplifier
The Home Entertainment Show 2022
iFi  Audio iDSD Diablo Portable DAC/Headphone Amplifier
The Home Entertainment Show 2022
Focal Celestee Closed Backed Headphones
The Home Entertainment Show 2022
Focal Clear MG Open Backed Headphone
The Home Entertainment Show 2022
iFi Audio Zen DAC V2 DAC/Headphone Amplifier
The Home Entertainment Show 2022
iFi Audio ZEN DAC Signature V2, iFi Audio ZEN CAN Signature MZ99
The Home Entertainment Show 2022
Meze Audio 99 Classic Headphones
The Home Entertainment Show 2022
Meze Audio 99 Neo Headphones
The Home Entertainment Show 2022
Meze Audio Liric Headphones
The Home Entertainment Show 2022
Moondrop Starfield IEM
The Home Entertainment Show 2022
Moondrop S8 IEM
The Home Entertainment Show 2022
Meze Audio Advar IEM
The Home Entertainment Show 2022
Moondrop MoonRiver 2 DAC/Headphone Amplifier
The Home Entertainment Show 2022
Moondrop CHU IEM
The Home Entertainment Show 2022
Moondrop Aria IEM
The Home Entertainment Show 2022
Moondrop Variations IEM
The Home Entertainment Show 2022
Topping DX5 DAC/Headphone Amplifier
The Home Entertainment Show 2022
AUDEZE LCD-2 Planar Magnetic Headphones
The Home Entertainment Show 2022
Soncoz SGA1 DAC/Headphone Amplifier, Soncoz SGD1 DAC/Headphone Amplifier
The Home Entertainment Show 2022
AUDEZE LCD-5 Planar Magnetic Headphones

Auribus Acoustics

The Home Entertainment Show 2022

Auribus Acoustics is a new headphone manufacturer that first showed up at last year’s T.H.E. Show with a functioning prototype for their Everest Headphone ($685). This year they are still in the prototype stage, but a lot closer to their production model. Despite appearances, this is a dynamic driver headphone that offers a lot of bang for the buck, we expect to see great things from them in the near future.

The Home Entertainment Show 2022
Auribus Acoustics Everest Headphone

Ultimate Ears Professional

The Home Entertainment Show 2022

Ultimate Ears Professional was on hand with their full line of Custom In-Ear Monitors to tantalize the public. On display, they had three examples of their custom finishes, while demos of their UE 5 PRO ($499), UE 6 PRO ($699), UE 7 PRO ($899), UE 11 PRO ($1,199), UE RR ($999), UE 18+ PRO ($1,499), and UE Live ($2,199) were sequestered aside for attendee’s listening pleasure.

The Home Entertainment Show 2022
The Home Entertainment Show 2022
The Home Entertainment Show 2022

ecoustics

The Home Entertainment Show 2022

Internet magazine ecoustics played host to Headphonium with their staff of writers manning a table replete with Personal Audio products, including the largest selection of In-line USB DACs I have ever seen. Highlighted among their collection were a Schiit Ragnarok ($1,499), a Geshelli Labs JNOG (J2) DAC ($249.99) / Geshelli Labs ERISH2 (E2) Headphone Amplifier ($219.99), and the new Questyle M15 In-Line USB DAC ($249).

The Home Entertainment Show 2022
The Home Entertainment Show 2022
The Home Entertainment Show 2022
The Home Entertainment Show 2022
The Home Entertainment Show 2022
The Home Entertainment Show 2022
The Home Entertainment Show 2022
The Home Entertainment Show 2022
The Home Entertainment Show 2022

Awedyo Audio

The Home Entertainment Show 2022

Awedyo Audio, an audio store in Whittier, California dedicated to Personal Audio who import their product direct from China, had a small table in Headphonium and three tables in the Marketplace displaying their extensive catalog of DACs, Headphone Amps, and IEMs. Of particular interest was their xDuoo line of tube amps starting with the humble xDuoo MT-601Class A Tube Hybrid Headphone Amplifier ($89), all the up to their xDuoo Flagship TA-30 DAC/Tube Headphone Amplifier ($729) which features Tube Rectification as well as Tube Amplification, PCM 32-bit/768kHz & DSD512 decoding, and Bluetooth 5.0. Hidden amongst their plethora of IEMs were a pair of Mum/Widing Chan $4,499 IEMs, I believe these to be the most expensive IEMs I have seen to date.

The Home Entertainment Show 2022
xDuoo MT-604 Balanced Tube Headphone Amplifier, xDuoo MU-605 Bluetooth DAC
The Home Entertainment Show 2022
xDuoo TA-10R DAC/Tube Headphone Amplifier
The Home Entertainment Show 2022
Dethonray Prelude DTR1+ DAP
The Home Entertainment Show 2022
Dethonray Honey H1 USB DAC/Headphone Amplifier
The Home Entertainment Show 2022
xDuoo TA-26 Tube Headphone Amplifier
The Home Entertainment Show 2022
xDuoo TA-20 Balanced Tube Headphone Amplifier, xDuoo XQ-100 Bluetooth DAC
The Home Entertainment Show 2022
xDuoo Flagship TA-30 DAC/Tube Headphone Amplifier
The Home Entertainment Show 2022
xDuoo MT-602 Class A Tube Hybrid Headphone Amplifier, xDuoo MT-601 Class A Tube Hybrid Headphone Amplifier, xDuoo MU-601 USB DAC
The Home Entertainment Show 2022
xDuoo MU-603 Tube DAC, xDuoo MT-603 Tube Preamplifier
The Home Entertainment Show 2022
AKG K701 Reference Class Premium Headphones
The Home Entertainment Show 2022
xDuoo XD05 Bal Portable HiFi Balanced DAC/Headphone Amplifier, xDuoo XP-2 Pro Headphone Amplifier
The Home Entertainment Show 2022
beyerdynamic T1 (2nd Gen) Audiophile Tesla Hi-Fi Headphones
The Home Entertainment Show 2022
xDuoo X10T II Turntable Player (Music Server), xDuoo X2S DAP
The Home Entertainment Show 2022
xDuoo XA-10 Balanced DAC/Amp
The Home Entertainment Show 2022
Sennheiser HD 600 Headphones
The Home Entertainment Show 2022
 Dethonray Prelude DTR1+ DAP, TRI TK-2 DAP
The Home Entertainment Show 2022
Audio-Technica ATH-ADX5000 Headphones
The Home Entertainment Show 2022
Tinhifi T1 PLUS IEMs
The Home Entertainment Show 2022
NS audio ns0 IEMs
The Home Entertainment Show 2022
Mum/Widing Chan IEMs
The Home Entertainment Show 2022
Tinhifi T1 Plus IEM
The Home Entertainment Show 2022
Kinera Imperial Skuld IEM
The Home Entertainment Show 2022
KB EAR INK IEM
The Home Entertainment Show 2022
Kinera Imperial NoRn HIFI IEM
The Home Entertainment Show 2022
Ksearphone Bell-Ti Metal IEM
 Ksearphone Bell-White IEM, Ksearphone Bell-LB-S HiFi IEM
Ksearphone Bell-blue HiFi IEM

Victory Melody/Sonic Scientific/Whizzer

The Home Entertainment Show 2022

Though clearly part of the Awedyo Audio lineup Victory Melody, Sonic Scientific, and Whizzer were set up on a separate table across the aisle from Awedyo Audio’s Marketplace tables. Apparent focus was on Sonic Scientific and the various headphone amplifiers based on their Sonic Scientific Oracle-02 OpAmp.

The Home Entertainment Show 2022
Victory Melody VM-V44 IEM
The Home Entertainment Show 2022
Sonic Scientific Bluetooth DAC
The Home Entertainment Show 2022
The Home Entertainment Show 2022
The Home Entertainment Show 2022
 Sonic Scientific Headphone Amplifier
The Home Entertainment Show 2022
Sonic Scientific Headphone Amplifier
The Home Entertainment Show 2022
Sonic Scientific Portable DAC/Headphone Amplifier, Sonic Scientific QuickSilver USB Noise Filter
The Home Entertainment Show 2022
Sonic Scientific Portable DAC/Headphone Amplifier, Sonic Scientific QuickSilver USB Noise Filter
The Home Entertainment Show 2022
Sonic Scientific QuickSilver USB Noise Filter
The Home Entertainment Show 2022
TRI Starlight 4 Electrostatic IEM
The Home Entertainment Show 2022
TRI StarShine IEM
The Home Entertainment Show 2022
TRI Meteor IEM

Hidizs

The Home Entertainment Show 2022

Also set up in the Marketplace was Hidizs, manufacturer of a wide variety of portable audio products including their Hidizs AP80 PRO-X Portable Balanced Lossless MQA Music Player ($199) and Hidizs Mermaid MS4 HiFi In-Ear Monitor Earphones ($269).

The Home Entertainment Show 2022
Hidizs AP80 PRO-X Portable Balanced Lossless MQA Music Player
The Home Entertainment Show 2022
Hidizs Mermaid MS4 HiFi In-Ear Monitor Earphones
The Home Entertainment Show 2022
 Hidizs Mermaid MS2 Hybrid Dual Driver In-Ear Monitor Earphones
The Home Entertainment Show 2022
The Home Entertainment Show 2022
Hidizs DH80S Portable Balanced DAC/Headphone Amplifier
The Home Entertainment Show 2022
Hidizs S9 PRO Balanced & Single-Ended Mini HiFi DAC/Headphone Amplifier
The Home Entertainment Show 2022
Hidizs S3 PRO Ultra Portable Hi-Res DAC Dongle

The Marketplace

The Home Entertainment Show 2022

Filling out the Marketplace was the usual mix of Software vendors including AIX Records and a couple of unique accessories.

The Home Entertainment Show 2022
The Home Entertainment Show 2022
The Home Entertainment Show 2022

CSP

The Home Entertainment Show 2022

CSP (CableSupportPlate) fits the bill of unique, though one can’t but acknowledge the practicality of their product.

The Home Entertainment Show 2022

Kirmuss Audio

The Home Entertainment Show 2022

Kirmuss Audio’s KA-RC-1Ultrasonic Record Restoration System ($1,290) is part of a new breed of Ultrasonic Record Cleaners that have been cropping up at HiFi shows. Given the fragility of vinyl, I’ll remain skeptical until more data has come in.

The Home Entertainment Show 2022
Kirmuss Audio KA-RC-1Ultrasonic Record Restoration System
The Home Entertainment Show 2022
Kirmuss Audio KA-RC-1Ultrasonic Record Restoration System

That concludes Part 1 of my coverage of The Home Entertainment Show 2022 once again thanks to our good friend Walter Liederman of Underwood HiFi, https://www.underwoodhifi.com/. Part 2 will appear next week after I return from CanJam Chicago 2022 as will our initial coverage of that show.

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is New-750-x-750-GIF-Audio-gd.gif

Share this entry

Gary Alan Barker

Gary Alan Barker is a writer who has been a member of the Audio Industry since 1978, having acted as technical writer for several high-end audio companies, and been an electronics hobbyist since 1960. He has also been a musician and writer since the mid 1960s.

0
REPLY

Want to join discussion?

Feel free to contribute!