With Sydney’s HIFI2020 Show cancelled and, as we go to press, doubt regarding any events still scheduled in 2020, we should enjoy the the few shows that did take place before the Great Lockdown descended on us all. With thanks to our EISA colleagues in the Czech Republic, Serbia and Greece, here are highlights from the Audio Video Show Praha (Prague) at the end of February, and the recent Hxos Eikona Show in Athens.
▲ All Harman here, with Revel floorstanding speakers on the end of Mark Levinson’s No. 585.5 integrated amplifier and No. 519 audio player, which combines streaming with CD player, digital audio input and Bluetooth. ◀ More Czech wonders from Sroll, with the company’s Muse DAC, Epigram integrated amplifier and 14-driver omnidirectional Sound Garden speakers.
showing the art deco Evolution ▲ The Czech Republic’s own RD Acoustic one full-range driver and a 15-inch model and the smaller Euphoria with and RG’s own monoblocs. woofer, driven by a PrimaLuna preamp
▲ The speaker design here is the 1.7m-high
Estelon Forza, from Estonia, while the electronics are from Canada’s
EMM Labs, with the NS1 streamer, TX2 SACD transport and 11000W MTRX2 monobloc amplifiers.
Dan D’Agostino’s Momentum ▲ The dCS Bartok DAC streamer feeds driving the Kharma Elegance HD preamplifier and S250 stereo amp,
Bullet Proof Laminate’ cabinets. dB-11S speakers with their ‘Kharma
▶ The Athens show wasn’t all weird and wacky; among the more conventional delights was this system with Wilson Audio Sasha DAWs driven by Burmester 911 monoblocs, with a front-end of Clearaudio Innovation turntable equipped with two arms, including the TT 2 with Goldfinger Statement cartridge. The digital front end came from dCS.
▶ The impressive fully active Talos speaker from Greece’s AKu Audio, with four drivers including a rear-firing 12-incher, together with six amplification channels and an active DSP filter which intelligently dampens the reverse driver output in combination with the geometry of the internal structures.
▲ Guest of honour at the Athens show was Kostas Metaxas with his unique creations: the official debut of the T-RX portable tape recorder (right), the dual-arm Perambulator turntable, the Ikarus integrated amplifier (above left), and the Marquis ‘skull’ headphone amplifier. With all this design craziness, we love that these units played through an exceedingly traditional pair of Graham Audio BBC LS 5/9 speakers.
the Prague show. Unsurprisingly ▲ A full system from Germany’s MBL at on show, but rather the Radial the company’s ‘Corona’ range was not
N31 CD player/DAC, and up top range’s 111 F speakers, the N51 amplifier, tonearm and Jo No.5 cartridge. an EAT Forte S turntable with F-Note
woodworking skills, and Maple ▲ The Czech Republic is home to great was showing this retro Woodaudio is a 70-year-old local company which an integrated 200W soundbar. AV bureau at the Prague show, with
by local distributor Perfect ▲ One of several systems shown in Prague turntable with Accuphase Sound Group, here using an Avid Ingenium from Scotland’s Fyne Audio. electronics and the flagship F1-12 speakers
KR Audio’s Kronzilla integrated ▲ Now that’s a valve! Czech company
T1610 triode tubes. amplifier equipped with a pair of impressive