Axpona 2024 Favorite Rooms: Joseph Audio | Doshi Audio | Cardas Audio…

Some people know how to get great sound at a hifi show regardless of room gremlins and Jeff Joseph of Joseph Audio is one such hifi show setup pro.

For Axpona 2024 Jeff paired up with Doshi Audio (again) who brought their Evolution Monoblocks that pump out “At least 160W RMS into a 5 ohm load” from a quad of KT150s driving the new flagship Joseph Audio Pearl Graphene Ultra loudspeakers.

When I first arrived, Nick Doshi was playing a recording of a small jazz ensemble recorded the previous night in this very room and the sound was crisp, rich, and alive filling the large Nirvana A (ball) room with sweet music energy.

Next up was vinyl played on the lovely J.Sikora 15th Anniversary Standard Max Supreme turntable/KV12 tonearm mounted with the Aidas Mammoth Gold “Tusk” Limited Edition cartridge, so-called because the body is made with the ivory from 21,000 year old Siberian wooly mammoth tusks. That said, there was nothing wooly about the sound of this stunning system that offered grace, body, tone and texture that brought music to life in captivating fashion. Bravo!

Cables typically don’t get the love they deserve—the Rodney Dangerfield of hifi gear—but without ’em there’d be no music. And contrary to self-doubting hifi ascetics, cables can and often do make a difference and the fine folks from Cardas Audio are among my favorites to run into at hifi shows.

System Details:

Joseph Audio Pearl Graphene Ultra Speakers: $51,999
Doshi Audio EVOLUTION Monoblocks: $45,995
Doshi Audio EVOLUTION Preamp: $21,995
Doshi Audio EVOLUTION Custom Stage: from $35,995
J.Sikora Standard MAX 15th Anniversary Turntable: $38,500
J.Sikora KVMAX 12” Tonearm: $14,500
Berkeley Audio Design Alpha DAC Reference 3: $28,000
Berkeley Audio Design Alpha USB 2.0: $2,495
Cardas Audio Clear Beyond Cables: Varies
Aurender N30SA 8T Server: $25,000
Aidas Gold Mammoth Tusk Limited Addition Cartridge: $10,450
HRS EXR Rack (4) Shelf & E1 23” x 23” Platform: $10,265
HRS SXRC-2123-1V: $4,195
HRS M3X2-2123: $4,895