DALLAS (PTA) — Everything I thoroughly enjoy about audio shows seldom has to do with audio. As for the Lone Star Audio Fest 2019 in Dallas,Texas, it proved itself to be one of the more rambunctious of America’s hi-fi events. The Lone Star Audio Fest pulled-off great sound, and an equally great party atmosphere.
From sunrise-to-sunset — and often those dark hours in between — this festival of sound is equal parts “High-End Audio Show” and “a Drinking Community with a Hi-Fi problem.” Invigorating and inspiring, it is was people of the Lone Star Audio Fest that won me over.
Lots of great sounding rooms were happening at this show, and the competition between them was fierce. Yes, it was still one really laid-back and fun show, but the bragging rights over who had the best sound remained. All rooms at LSAF 2019 were taking this whole “sounding good thing” as seriously as they were taking their beer selections.
The Participants
Linked below are the participants we covered at the Lone Star Audio Fest of 2019. Each room had it’s own something special to contribute to the metaphorical hi-fi soup. That alone made it so very hard to consider any one room better than the another, so I decided not to. Thus, they ALL earn my vote as best-of-show winners. #participationtrophy #zeroconebreakup
Raven Audio: Electronics, Loudspeakers & Cables
DALLAS (PTA) — Raven Audio is on a roll this year with their new loudspeakers and electronics. Even though this is the “biggest little audio show in Texas” […]
Uilleam Audio
DALLAS (PTA) — Mike Lundy of Uilleam Audio is essentially a woodworking maven, who has mastered wood finishing and speaker cabinet building. Mr. Lundy builds proven […]
GR Research, Dodd Audio
DALLAS (PTA) — Danny Richie of GR Research had the largest room at the Lone Star Audio Fest. Mr. Richie’s NX-Treme loudspeakers, and triple servo woofer stacks in […]
Audio Crafters Guild
DALLAS (PTA) — Audio Crafters Guild (website coming soon) of Tulsa Oklahoma brought to Lone Star Audio Fest one of the classiest sounding loudspeakers at the show. The […]
High Fidelity Cables, Magnetic Innovations
DALLAS (PTA) — When you sit in front of your stereo system, do you think about the number of magnets working inside of it? The Story Magnetism controls the musical […]
Steven Solazzo’s Stereo Clarity
DALLAS (PTA) — Steven Solazzo is running double-duty at Lone Star Audio Fest, as he is not only the owner and exhibitor of Stereo Clarity, he also serves crucial role […]
Usher, Norma, ModWright, WireWorld, AudioThesis
DALLAS (PTA) — Derek Skipworth of AudioThesis couldn’t be slowed down at Lone Star Audio Fest. Showing with three rooms, his Usher Audio and Norma Audio based system […]
Sonner Audio, Norma Audio, Northstar Design, Nordost, AudioThesis
DALLAS (PTA) — Gunawan ‘Gunny’ Surya, in partnership with Derek Skipworth’s AudioThesis, assembled one of the most impressive showings at Lone Star Audio Fest, […]
Pi Speakers, A History of The Show
DALLAS (PTA) — Based on the horn-loaded studio monitors of yore, Wayne Parham’s company Pi Speakers take that traditional voicing and liven it up, along with the […]
New Speaker from JWM Acoustics
DALLAS (PTA) — JWM Acoustics, along with some of their regular show-going cohorts, demonstrated the newest iteration of JWM’s award winning ALYSON loudspeaker at […]
BlowTorch Audio Werks, Russ Gates
DALLAS (PTA) — Blowtorch Audio Werks founder and chief designer Russ Gates is showing one of the most impressive loudspeakers at the show. Completed only a dozen hours […]
Audio Thesis, Auralic, Norma, Rosso Fiorentino, Star Sound Technologies, Wireworld
DALLAS (PTA) — Derek “Skip” Skipworth of Audio Thesis was showing Norma Audio electronics, Rosso Fiorentino loudspeakers, and Star Sound Technologies […]
Volti Audio, Raven Audio
DALLAS (PTA) — Volti Audio is paired this year with Raven Audio electronics, and for the first time I’ve really had the chance to sit down with Volti Audio founder […]
Selah Audio, D-Sonic
DALLAS (AH) — I traveled over a thousand miles to Dallas, Texas just to see and hear Selah Audio loudspeakers, when I’ve known […]
Tekton Design, Raven Audio
DALLAS (AH) — For three days and nights in Dallas, Texas, the recently updated Tekton Design Enzo XL tower loudspeakers did their best […]
Manzanita Audio Solutions, Ming Da
DALLAS (AH) — I’ve been covering a lot of open-baffle speakers at audio shows these days, and many of them are more recent […]
Supra HiFi, Vivid, Mola-Mola, Aurender, Analysis Plus
DALLAS (AH) — The Lone Star Audio Fest is a lot about enjoying yourself, be it exhibitor or attendee, and getting a chance to see your fellow hi-fi designers and builders. […]
Like those schools that give everyone “participation awards” rather than citing excellence. The Lake Wobegone syndrome where everyone is above average. Just saying that’s a very unsatisfying wrap-up. Some excel and they deserve to be acknowledged.