If a Martian, stick with me, attended a hifi show for the first time and reported back to the mother ship, they might conclude that we, as a planet, have but a few songs.
Back in reality, although I admit even that seems a stretch these days, there’s a tendency to play a short list of safe tracks at hifi shows. By short, I mean compared to the near infinite number of tracks in existence.
I suppose the thinking goes that playing other music is the equivalent of asking people to attend a party with strangers as opposed to old high school friends, running the risk of potentially uncomfortable interactions that go beyond reminiscing.
AudioQuest has decided to offer a helping hand. A helping hand in the form of a 101-track strong Qobuz playlist of recommended show tunes described as follows:
Much of the music commonly heard at hi-fi shows might rightly be considered safe or predictable, and for good reason — hi-fi shows require significant resources and investments, hotel rooms are compromised listening environments, and everyone wants their system to sound its best — but we also know that truly great music and the most memorable musical experiences are rarely safe or predictable.
So with this playlist, created and shared by Michael Lavorgna (Twittering Machines), AudioQuest, and our exhibiting partners at AXPONA 2025, we hope to introduce you to something that becomes a new obsession or reconnect you with something old that has never sounded so good.
Hopefully, there will be some surprises in here — but nothing too unsettling.
My contribution is 5 tracks that are guaranteed, by me, to make your ears smile and dance. I’ll let you guess which 5 are mine because that’s not the point.
The even better news is you can take in the entire AudioQuest Axpona 2025 Qobuz Playlist enchilada from the comfort of your most comfortable place.
Enjoy!