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APRIL 11-13, 2025
Schaumburg Convention Center | Chicago, IL

AXPONA 2023 ANNOUNCES LIVE CONCERT AND MUST-ATTEND SEMINAR SCHEDULE

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12th Annual AXPONA will feature All-Star Musicians, Industry Experts, and Guest Appearances

SCHAUMBURG, IL (February 13, 2023) — AXPONA (Audio Expo North America) returns to the Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center and Hotel April 14-16, 2023 with three jam-packed days of incredible sound, technology, seminars, live music and the very latest products in the industry.

AXPONA attendees year after year look forward to the live concert series on Friday and Saturday evenings. This year, AXPONA will welcome Anne Bisson, Canadian Jazz Singer-Songwriter who will be taking the stage to close the first day of AXPONA, bringing with her her beautiful voice, bold arrangements and a taste of the ’70s. Her ebullient personality and charisma, along with the unsurpassed high-fidelity quality of her recordings, have captivated an ever-growing public. For her 6th album in 10 years, Anne called upon the talent and services of two ‘Giants of Jazz’: on drums, Joe LaBarbera, who has worked notably with Bill Evans and Chuck Mangione, and on acoustic bass, Darek Oleszkiewcz, who has worked with, among many others, Brad Mehldau and Sid Jacobs. It’s a can’t miss live performance!

AXPONA will also feature a full Seminar schedule with guest speakers including industry experts, media personalities and manufacturers on the latest audio themes and trends. This year’s must-attend Seminars include:

Reissues & Remastering: What’s Involved?
Friday, April 14, 2023, 10:30-11:30AM

Bringing out a reissue of a record may seem straightforward, but from the legal wrangling over rights and royalties, through the technical challenges of working with less than perfect —or completely missing!— masters, improving the original without destroying its character, through the challenges of pressing and packaging, it’s a long and winding road.

This seminar features leaders in the field who have revitalized the world of LPs and brought back old favorites as well as obscure and unrecognized gems. They’ll describe the processes involved and the highs and lows of reviving old recordings.

Moderator: Michael Fremer, Editor-in-Chief, TrackingAngle.com, Senior Editor, The Absolute Sound
Panelists:
Chad Kassem, Owner, Acoustic Sounds
Shane Buettner, Owner, Intervention Records
Julia Miller, President/CEO, Delmark Records
Abey Fonn, Founder, Impex Records, Senior Product and Business Development, Elusive Disc and AudioFonn

Reviewers on Reviewing
Friday, April 14, 2023, 1-2PM

Audio Reviews!  We rely on them, not only for entertainment, but to assist in purchasing decisions, and to learn about what’s new. At their best, audio reviews can do even more: they can provoke us to examine our own personal audio experiences by comparing them to those of the reviewer’s. Over time, reviewer-reader relationships can become quite intimate: morphing into powerful tools that assist us with refining our understanding while developing our own personal audio aesthetic.

Fortunately, reviewers are all different. Their personalities, methods, and viewpoints, are as personal as their fingerprint. As readers we naturally connect with some more than others.

This seminar will provide an opportunity for a range of audio reviewers to explain a little about who they are as people, how they do their job, and what they wish consumers knew.

Moderator: Scot Hull, Publisher, Part-Time Audiophile, The Occasional Podcast
Panelists:
Robert Harley, Editor-in-Chief, The Absolute Sound
Alan Sircom, Editor, Hi-Fi +
Carlo LoRaso, Editor-in-Chief, Secrets of Home Theater and High Fidelity
Karl Sigman, Managing Editor, Audiophilia

Stereo Survivors: Meet the Heads of Iconic High-End Audio Companies
Friday, April 14, 2023, 2:15-3:15PM

Join us for a unique session with the leaders of four of the audio industry’s most-interesting  and enduring companies. They’ll discuss how they got into audio, the founding of their companies, and the challenges of manufacturing high performance audio equipment in today’s economic environment.

Moderator: Myles B. Astor, Senior Editor, Positive-Feedback and Founder, audionirvana.org
Panelists:
Paul McGowan, Founder and CEO, PS Audio
Udo Besser, Owner and General Manager, AVM (Audio Video Manufaktur)
Kevin Hayes, President, VAC (Valve Amplification Company)
Roy Hall, President for Life, Music Hall

Where to Begin? Starting in Audio Without Breaking the Bank or Losing Your Mind
Saturday, April 15, 2023, 10:30-11:30AM

Buying audio equipment can be a confusing and intimidating experience. Audio veteran Bes Nievera will discuss how developing priorities and recognizing personal preferences can lead to selecting gear without drama—well, less drama, anyway.

Speaker: Besflores Nievera Jr., Brand Ambassador, Music Direct

Streaming Made Straightforward
Saturday, April 15, 2023, 11:45AM-12:45PM

Streaming has changed the way we listen to music, discover new music, develop playlists, and interact with the community of music lovers. Our experts will clarify how to set up streaming, discuss the options available, and help minimize the confusion and anxiety associated with a new, new thing.

Speakers:
David Solomon, Chief Hi Res Music Evangelist, Qobuz
Rob Darling, Director of Strategy, Third Party Partnerships, Roon Labs

Michael Fremer’s Internationally Renowned Turntable Set-up Seminar
Saturday, April 15, 2023, 1:15–2:15 PM

In this one hour hands-on seminar you will learn how to correctly set-up a turntable, install a cartridge and optimize its performance. A question and answer period follows, time permitting.

Speaker: Michael Fremer, Editor-in-Chief, TrackingAngle.com, Senior Editor, The Absolute Sound

Speaker Design: Outside and Inside the Box
Saturday, April 15, 2023, 2:30-3:30PM

Here’s a rare opportunity to learn from leading speaker designers how they began, their differing design philosophies, and what they view as the most-exciting developments in the field. They’ll discuss the tricky balance of science and art that speaker design requires.

Moderator: Bill Leebens, Content Chair, AXPONA, CEO, LM&M. LLC
Panelists:
Andrew Jones, Chief Loudspeaker Designer, MoFi Electronics
Steven Norber, Owner/Designer, Prana Fidelity
Chris Brunhaver, Senior Speaker Design Engineer, PS Audio
Richard Vandersteen, Founder, CEO, Vandersteen Audio

For more information about AXPONA and its full Concert and Seminar line-up, please visit www.axpona.com.

ABOUT
AXPONA (Audio Expo North America) is North America’s largest event for audiophiles, manufacturers of high-end audio equipment, musicians and music lovers. The three-day experience features 190 high fidelity listening rooms, providing guests the enviable opportunity to experience the newest technology in high-end consumer audio products. Attendees are encouraged to go from room to room and sit, listen and compare the various systems. The Expo Hall and Ear Gear Experience play host to thousands of products and accessories from cables to headphones to LPs and SACDs.  Beyond the exhibits, AXPONA includes live musical performances and educational seminars with industry experts and demonstrations.

AXPONA, NORTH AMERICA’S LARGEST HIGH-END AUDIO EXPO, RETURNS APRIL 14-16, 2023 TO THE CHICAGO AREA

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190 Listening Rooms, Top Hi-Fi Audio Brands, Thousands of Products and Gear, Educational Seminars and Live Musical Performances

SCHAUMBURG, IL (January 11, 2023) – – The 12th annual AXPONA (Audio Expo North America) will return April 14-16 to the Renaissance Schaumburg Hotel & Convention Center offering three jam-packed days of incredible sounds, technology, seminars, networking and the newest products in the industry. AXPONA is the largest high-end audio show in North America, which caters to dealers, distributors and manufacturers, as well as music-loving consumers that can test, touch and experience all that AXPONA has to offer: 190 Listening Rooms, an Expo Hall featuring the ever-popular Record Fair and Master Class Theater, dedicated Ear Gear Experience featuring thousands of headphone gear, robust Seminar schedule, and Live Music nightly.

“After a successful 2022 in-person event, we are excited to once again converge in Chicago to bring together our exhibitors, partners, and attendees from around the globe,” said Liz Smith, AXPONA’s Show Director. “AXPONA is the place to experience the most cutting-edge listening products from the most innovative and celebrated companies in the world.”

SHOW FEATURES:

The Exhibit Hall, which is home to the Record Fair, will showcase a vast array of turntables, cables, accessories, racks and stands, tonearms, cartridges and new and vintage Vinyl. Top manufacturers exhibiting this year will include SOTA Turntables, Pro-Ject, Acoustic Sounds, Audio-Technica, Zavalinka Records, Emotiva, and Iconoclast Cables.

The Ear Gear Experience will be located in one of the convention center’s large ballrooms to enhance the listening experience for personal audio. Everything from open-back, closed-back, in-ear headphones and accessories, cables and players that go into a personal audio rig will be on display at the Ear Gear Experience.  Leading global brands and manufacturers such as Audeze, ZMF Headphones, Sennheiser, Astell & Kern, Mytek, Cardas Audio, and more will debut new products and have dedicated booths.

Sit, relax and surround yourself with the best in high-end audio equipment and gear by visiting AXPONA’s 190 Listening Rooms. Attendees are encouraged to experience listening rooms by listening and comparing the superbly designed, high performance systems and components from some of the world’s most prestigious manufacturers. In all, more than 500 global manufacturers, retailers and brands will gather at AXPONA, including MBL, PS Audio, Linn Products, DALI, Focal Naim America, Harman International, Magico, Pass Labs, T + A North America and Bermester, all of whom will showcase the newest high-end products and services to attendees.

AXPONA 2023 will also feature Live Concerts nightly. Visit www.axpona.com to learn more about this year’s performers, which will be announced shortly.

Open to the public, AXPONA offers a variety of ticket options for attendees.

TICKETS:

1 Day – $25 online, $30 onsite
2 Day – $40 online, $60 onsite
3 Day – $50 online, $90 onsite
Student Pass – $10

All general admission tickets grant access to the exhibits including Listening Rooms and Exhibit Hall, as well as educational seminars, live music, and special events.

AXPONA opens Friday, April 14 10am-6pm; Saturday, April 15 10am-6pm; and Sunday, April 16 10am-4pm.

For more information on ticketing and ticketing options, please visit www.axpona.com/register.asp

ABOUT

AXPONA (Audio Expo North America) is North America’s largest event for audiophiles, manufacturers of high-end audio equipment, musicians and music lovers. The three-day experience features 190 high fidelity listening rooms, providing guests the enviable opportunity to experience the newest technology in high-end consumer audio products. Attendees are encouraged to go from room to room and sit, listen and compare the various systems. The Expo Hall and Ear Gear Experience play host to thousands of products and accessories from cables to headphones to LPs and SACDs.  Beyond the exhibits, AXPONA includes live musical performances and educational seminars with industry experts and demonstrations.

For more information including updates on AXPONA’s exhibitors and schedule, visit axpona.com call 203-307-2697.

AXPONA 2022 REPORTS RAVE REVIEWS FROM EXHIBITORS, PARTNERS AND ATTENDEES

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More than 7,500 Attendees and 500 Companies at the 11th Annual AXPONA

Schaumburg, IL (May 3, 2022) – – AXPONA (Audio Expo North America) welcomed 7,596 attendees to the Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center and Hotel, April 22-24, 2022, marking its first in- person event in three years. AXPONA offered music lovers, audiophiles, and seasoned audio enthusiasts three jam-packed days of incredible sound, technology, seminars, live music and the very latest products in the industry.

One of the show’s biggest draws, attendees had the opportunity to experience the very best in sound in 140 Listening Rooms by top manufacturers and dealers in the industry. In all, more than 500 manufacturers and retailers exhibited at AXPONA and boasted rave reviews.

“As in life, sometimes the best things are worth waiting for. So was the case for the 2022 AXPONA Show. As an exhibitor, we experienced a larger turnout than expected, spoke with eager Audio hobbyists finally unleashed from Covid’s tight grip, caught up with dozens of industry friends, and enthusiastically confirmed that we wouldn’t want to give our life’s work to any other industry.”

-John Bevier, The Sound Organisation

The Exhibit Hall, which is home to the Record Fair, showcased a vast array of turntables, cables, accessories, racks and stands, tonearms, cartridges and new and vintage Vinyl, as well as car audio for the first time.

“AXPONA was a great success! The timing was perfect to coincide with the launch of our soundbar, Devialet Dione. Participation was fantastic and well beyond expectations. The attendees overwhelmingly saw the value in the products we were presenting. I really couldn’t ask for much more!”

-John Mahoney, Devialet

The Ear Gear Experience was in its new home, one of the convention center’s large ballrooms to enhance the listening experience for personal audio. Everything from open-back, closed-back, in-ear headphones and accessories, cables and players that go into a personal audio rig were on display in the Ear Gear Experience.

“AXPONA 2022 was a great show. People were focused on making purchasing decisions and we had higher traffic than we expected. The new headphone area was also much nicer this year. And everyone was happy to be back.”

-Mark Schneider, Linear Tube Audio

AXPONA attendees enjoyed an all-star line-up for its weekend live concert series including Chicago bluesman, Toronzo Cannon, who performed Friday night and singing legend, Lori Lieberman who took the stage Saturday night to a full crowd. AXPONA also featured a full seminar schedule with guest speakers including industry professionals and media personalities on the latest audio themes and trends.

“After a three-year hiatus, we were thrilled to celebrate AXPONA in person and there was incredible energy felt by all attendees and exhibitors throughout the entire weekend,” said Liz Smith, AXPONA’s Show Director. “It was great to see and experience the very best in audio live and we look forward to an even bigger AXPONA next year.”

AXPONA 2023 returns April 14-16, 2023.

For more information about the event, please visit axpona.com.

 

ABOUT
AXPONA (Audio Expo North America) is North America’s largest event for audiophiles, manufacturers of high-end audio equipment, musicians and music lovers. The three-day experience features 140 high fidelity listening rooms, providing guests the enviable opportunity to experience the newest technology in high-end consumer audio products. Attendees are encouraged to go from room to room and sit, listen and compare the various systems. The Expo Hall and Ear Gear Experience play host to thousands of products and accessories from cables to headphones to LPs and SACDs. Beyond the exhibits, AXPONA includes live musical performances and educational seminars with industry experts and demonstrations.