T.H.E. Show SoCal 2025

Once again, it was time for The Home Entertainment Show or T.H.E. Show SoCal 2025. Unfortunately we don’t have a sponsor for T.H.E. Show, but in years past Maurice would provide me a room so I would cover the show, but last year there was a change in management and a room was not offered to me so I had not planned on attending, but at the last minute, Bruce Ball of Ball Audio Distribution And System Solutions (B.A.D.A.S.S. HiFi) distributor of Margules and Raidho who had decided not to show this year wanted to walk the show so he offered me a room hence I ended up covering the show. Though the show was a bit smaller than last year, the manufacturers I spoke to said they had a great show. Also, like AXPONA 2025, there was an IASCA Competition, but unlike AXPONA, it was not centralized in one place, and little attention was drawn to it, and as it is mostly an aural experience, it was not really practical for me to cover it.

RockOnAV

Headphonium this year was pretty much dominated by RockOnAV, a local dealer who represents most of the usual suspects, including Focal, HIFIMAN, MEZE Audio, and Woo Audio. What caught my interest was Danny of Raal|Requisite, who was introducing a pair of prototypes from Allnic Audio, the Allnic Audio D-15000 OTL/OCL DAC (TBA) and the Allnic Audio HPA15000 OTL/OCL Heaphone Amplifier (TBA) featuring Output Transformerless and Capacitorless Tube designs to run his RAAL 1995 Magna Dual Ribbon Driver Headphones ($6,270) and RAAL 1995 Immanis Triple Ribbon Driver Headphones ($9,460).

Desmond’s Tiki Tube Amps

The Market Place was split over two ballrooms one upstairs which housed KirmussAudio and Bob’s Devices (Which were covered Here) as well as four Vinyl Record retailers and one downstairs which housed about six vendors including standout Desmond’s Tiki Tube Amps custom curator of unique tube amps (starting at $25,000) and speakers which are built to spec.

American Recorder Technologies

American Recorder Technologies is a manufacturer and retailer of accessories for Audio, Video, and Photography.

Common Wave Hi-Fi

Common Wave Hi-Fi with eight rooms pretty much took up the entire third floor and the systems that captured me were the Mola Mola room which boasted a Muse 1C Friction Drive Turntable in Karelian Birch with a Reed 3P 12″ Ebony Cryb AG-4n Tonearm ($25,569) running through a Mola Mola Makua Preamplifier (w/phono stage $15,200) to a Mola Mola Perca Stereo Amplifier ($9,850) to drive a pair of Harbeth M30.3 XD2 Loudspeakers ($6,190) with a Mola MolaTambaqui DAC ($13,500) serving as digital source, and a J.Sikora Initial Max Turntable with 9″ KV9 VTA Kevlar Tonearm and Linear PSU ($17,495) and Grimm MU2 Network Streamer/DAC/Preamp (8TB-$18,130) connected to an AirTight ATC – 5s Preamplifier ($15,975) and AirTight ATM-2+ Power Amplifier9 ($24,975) driving Acora SRC-1 Loudspeakers ($34,995), both system wired with Shunyata Research Cables.

And finally, a Thales Reference Turntable ($50,000) coupled with a Thales Magnifier Phonostage ($50,000) along with a Grimm MU1 Media Player/Streamer (8TB-$13,130) paired with an Accuphase DP770 MDSD SA-CD Player ($26,575), Accuphase C2900 Precision Preamplifier ($25,575), and Accuphase A-300 Monoblock Amplifiers ($25,575/ea) driving Piega Coax 611 Loudspeakers ($19,995) and Piega Coax 411 Loudspeakers ($9,995) with Isotek power conditioning and cables.

Wells Audio

Jeff Wells was showing his Wells Audio Cipher II DAC ($8,000 level I) with his Wells Audio Commander II Preamp ($4,000 level I) and Wells Audio Innamorata III amplifier ($8,500 level I) driving Evolution Acoustics Model One Loudspeakers ($3,780) with a Innuos Zenith MK3 Music Server ($3,649) and a Wells Audio Looking Glass II Power Conditioner ($3,000 level I).

Forté Distribution

A quick visit to our friend Lily from Forté Distribution revealed a room that could have easily been included in Headphonium with an extensive display of personal audio products, including Shanling, Xduoo (there was a Xduoo table in Headphonium that I assumed was part of RockOnAV but may have in fact been Forté Distribution), Apos, Eversolo, Luxsin Audio, and Fosi Audio. For headphones, I noted Dan Clark Audio, SIVGA, and, of course, the Shanling HW600 Planar Headphones ($1099) that I first encountered at CanJam NYC 2025. In an adjacent room, they were demonstrating Angel City Audio Seraphim Loudspeakers ($24,999/pr) with an Eversolo AMP-F10 Amplifier ($2,480), Eversolo DMP-A10 Music Server/DAC/Preamp, and an ONIX SACD Transport ($2,499), with XLO and Stillpoints cabling and accessories. There was also a beautiful Melody P2688 Stereo Tube Preamplifier ($9,299) on display.

Zesto Audio/Stillpoints/Cardas Audio/YG Acoustics

Zesto Audio makes one of the more interesting looking tube amps, which of course also deliver great sound, at T.H.E. Show SoCal 2025, they paired up with Stillpoints, Cardas Audio, and YG Acoustics. The system consisted of a Zesto Audio Athena DAC Vacuum Tube Digital to Analog Converter ($15,000), a Zesto Audio Andros Deluxe II Vacuum Tube Phono Stage ($8,300), a Dr. Feickert Analogue Blackbird Turntable with linear power supply ($9,900), a Tri-Planar VII-U2 Classic 9.8″ Tonearm, a Benz Micro Gullwing MC Cartridge, YG Acoustics Summit Speakers ($29,000/pr), a Zesto Audio Leto Ultra II Vacuum Tube Preamp, Zesto Audio Eros 500 Select Monoblocks Class A Vacuum Tube Amplifiers ($35,000/pr) with Stillpoints isolation and Cardas Audio Clear Beyond Cabling.

Akustika Eterna

Akustika Eterna offered up an interesting table of display cased components and a pair of custom made bespoke horn loaded speakers to show off their three chassis Akustika Eterna LUCET 801A/AD1 Single Ended Triode Amplifier ($215,000) and Akustika Eterna (Volume)³ LUMEN Preamplifier ($80,500) using Akustika Eterna Silver DNA Level 3 Interconnect Cables with a TW Acustic Raven LS-3 Turntable ($25,000), TW Acustic Raven 10.5 Tonearm ($6,500), and TW Acustic RPS-100 Phono Stage ($25,000) fitted with a Steinmusic Aventurin 6 Cartridge ($6,500). For digital source, they had a Grimm Audio MU1 Music Server ($12,500) and Lampizator Golden Gate 3 300 B Output Stage DAC ($24,000).

The Audio Association

The most impressive of the big ballrooms was The Audio Association which featured a towering pair of Evolution Acoustics SYSTEM 3 Loudspeakers ($129,800) driven by a Soulution 717 Amplifier ($109,975) and soulution 757 deemphasis preamplifier ($84,975) which was fronted by a Wave Kinetics NVS Reference Turntable – Jonathan Tinn Memorial Edition (one of a kind, price not listed) with a Tosca LE Tonearm ($34,000) and DS Audio Master3 Optical Cartridge ($15,000) running through a DS Audio TB-100 Tube Phono Equalizer ($20,000), along with a Grimm Audio MU2 Streamer/DAC/Preamp ($17,800).

Final Audio

My favorite speaker of the show was the Final Audio Model 35 Reference Electrostatic Loudspeaker ($23,000/pr) once we got him to turn off the subwoofers, though I would like to hear them with a little higher end electronics, the system was mostly set up as a home theatre system using their Final Audio Model 15 Reference Electrostatic Loudspeakers as rear channels with their Final Model 3 ESL Loudspeakers, a Final Model 3 ESL Center Channel Speaker, and Final Model 1 ESL Dolby Atmos Height Speakers filling out the system.

Scott Walker Audio

Scott Walker Audio was demonstrating the unique looking Estelon X Diamond Signature ($125,000/pr) with Vitus Audio SM-103 MkII Mono Amplifiers ($81,000/pr), a Vitus Audio SL-103 MkII Preamplifier ($42,500), Vitus Audio SD-025 MkII DAC-Streamer ($32,000), a Taiko Audio SGM Extreme Music Server ($30,000), and a SonoruS Audio ATR10 mkII ($35,000) placed on a NEO Highend racks and using Crystal Cable throughout.

Chesky Audio

Lucca Chesky, son of David Chesky of Chesky Records who was on hand, has come up with his own speaker design in the Chesky Audio LC1 ($498/ea) which he paired up with a Wells Audio Gruve DAC ($800 level I), Wells Audio Commander II Preamp ($4,000 level I) and Wells Audio Innamorata III amplifier ($8,500 level I) and a Wells Audio Looking Glass II Power Conditioner ($3,000) for one of the better sounding rooms.

Grimm Audio

Grimm Audio showcased their Grimm Audio LS IC Active Loudspeakers ($40,000) sourced through a Grimm Audio MU1 Music Player ($12,500).

Alma Audio

One room I was sure to not miss was Alma Audio who although they scalled down to only one room this year still had my second favorite speaker of the show available for a listen the Boenicke W8 SE Loudspeakers ($10,240/pr)  the Nagra Classic Amp ($19,500), Nagra Classic Preamp ($19,500) with Nagra Classic PSU ($16,900), Nagra Classic II DAC ($18,500), Innuos Statement Music Server with Optional Next-Gen Power Supply ($18,900), and a beautiful LUPHONIC H2 Turntable (TBA) making it’s U.S. premier, all connected to an IsoTek EVO3 Mosaic Genesis Line Conditioners ($11,995), the sound was as wonderful as I remember.