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Our director, Alan Timmerman, travelled to the Melbourne Hi-Fi Show to explore the latest developments in the Australian high-end audio market. The show was a resounding success, with strong attendance and long queues for many of the demonstration rooms. With leading international and local brands on display, the breadth of equipment was impressive. Below are some of the standout rooms and key observations from the event.

Sonic Purity – Apertura Adamante & Audionet

Sonic Purity presented the Apertura Adamante speakers (shown above) paired with Audionet electronics. What set this room apart was the careful attention to acoustic treatment—a critical factor in hotel environments where most rooms are too small for large floorstanders. The system was sourced via a Thales turntable, producing a refined and engaging presentation. Personally, I would have liked to see a digital front-end option as well, as digital playback is increasingly my preference. Overall, the sound was excellent—slightly on the bright side, but undeniably clean and articulate.

Purasound – Alsyvox with Aries Cerat & Pink Faun

The Purasound room delivered one of the most memorable listening experiences of the show. The system featured Alsyvox ribbon planar speakers, powered by a complete Aries Cerat amplification chain and fronted by a Pink Faun music server. While planar ribbon speakers have never traditionally been my preference, the Alsyvox were an exception. They produced a sound that was immense yet natural, with timbre accuracy, breathtaking bass extension, and remarkable delicacy when required. This system combined scale with subtlety and easily placed the Alsyvox in my top ten speakers ever heard.

Honourable Mentions

Angelic Sounds – Line Magnetic & Focal

For the first time, a Focal demo truly impressed me. Typically, I find their voicing mid-bass heavy and lacking nuance, but in this setup—with Line Magnetic electronics—the speakers sounded more balanced and cohesive, delivering a musical and engaging performance.

Audio Nirvana – Wilson Discovery 3ZERO, M21 DAC & Halcro Amps

A refreshing room with excellent music selections. The Wilson Discovery 3ZERO monitors, paired with the M21 DAC and Halcro amplification, were compact yet powerful. They easily became my favourite small-form monitors of the show.

Final Observations

One notable absence was JBL’s larger loudspeakers. At previous shows, the JBL 4367 stood out as a star attraction. Similarly, I still remember the impact of the ATC SCM150 ASLT, showcased years ago by Sonic Purity, which remains a benchmark in large active loudspeakers.

Closing Thoughts

The Melbourne Hi-Fi Show once again highlighted the strength and diversity of the Australian audio scene. From rooms with meticulous acoustic treatment to surprising product revelations, the show offered a wealth of inspiration for audiophiles.

For us at Xecutive Audio, it was a valuable opportunity to engage with the latest innovations, reconnect with colleagues, and evaluate products that continue to push the boundaries of sound reproduction.