Each year I attend the AXPONA audio show in Chicago. The Renaissance hotel in Schaumburg Illinois hosts the three-day event. In 2026, there were over 11,000 attendees and over 750 brands on display. Within the hotel are over 220 listening rooms spanning 16 floors. On the main level there are large rooms with big systems and a marketplace selling gear, records, and many other fun items. This year I flew into O’Hare Saturday morning with my good friend Rob who is currently building an audiophile system.
It’s good to go with another enthusiast, especially one with different tastes. Rob and I agree on rooms 50% of the time and differ on the rest. He doesn’t care for horn speakers and I favor them. At the conclusion of each day, we have interesting, sometimes loud, debates on what we saw and heard.
The $940,000 System That Redefined What I Thought was Possible
During my four decades as an audiophile I haven’t experienced anything that sounded as good as the Scott Walker Audio room at AXPONA in 2026. As Pink Floyd’s The Wall filled a 1,400-square-foot room, it became clear I wasn’t listening to just another impressive hi-fi system – it was the most convincing musical experience I’ve ever had.
The owner, Scott Walker, ran the room how I wish other exhibitors would. He let the music do the talking without interruptions. In most rooms there are whispered conversations distracting from the demonstration. I assume the audience were too captivated by the sonics to speak.
Sound
The system played around 90 dB – loud enough to highlight the system’s dynamics and impact. “Hey You” starts quietly with an acoustic guitar gently filling the room. Quiet passages of songs are a good opportunity to listen for a system’s noise floor or in audiophile terminology, a black background. Other than the guitars, the system was dead silent providing that desirable dark background. Then at about the 1:20 mark, when the drums entered, the hair on my arms literally stood up. I could hear and visualize every strike of the drum kit as it occupied the lower center of the soundstage between the speakers. It didn’t feel like I was listening to a recording on a stereo system. More like watching a drummer perform live.
The drum had just the right amount of impact and weight, yet they never sounded boomy or overwhelmed the rest of the band. Everything was perfectly balanced as required for realism.
Rob and I listened through a few more tracks, occasionally glancing at each other during the dramatic musical passages. We didn’t speak. We didn’t need to.
The vocals floated effortlessly above and slightly in front of the drum kit, suspended in three-dimensional space. Every time Roger Waters or Divid Gilmour sang from their own space on the soundstage, our jaws dropped a little farther. Their voices were so smooth and emotionally convincing that when “Comfortably Numb” played, I found myself unexpectedly wiping away tears.
I have heard impressive systems before. This was different. This system disappeared, leaving only the music.
The Scott Walker Audio System
- Estelon Forza Speakers – seven feet tall with an hour-glass-shaped enclosure: $214,000
- Vitus Signature Series SM-103 MK.II monoblock amplifiers: $85,000 per pair
- Vitus SL-103 preamplifier: $44,600
- Vitus Signature DAC: $44,625
- Innuos Statement Streamer: $30,000
- Sonorus Audio ATR10 MKII reel-to-reel tape deck: $35,000
- Crystal Cable Art Series speaker cable: $95,000 per six-foot pair
- Crystal Cable Interconnect (4): $144,000
- Crystal Cable Power Cables (6): $61,500
- Stromtank Battery Power Conditioner: $63,000
- NEO High-End Audio Racks: $ 35,000
- Ekustik Innovative Acoustic Treatment: $12,200
Volti Audio: My Favorite Affordable System
Greg Roberts built Volti Audio out of his passion for high sensitivity horn loudspeakers. Volti Audio speakers are hand-built in Baxter Tennessee and sold directly to customers. In 2025, they sold approximately 55 pairs of loudspeakers and continue to grow with the help of his weekly YouTube videos where his transparency is clear.
Volti Audio currently sells four different models. The Lucera was being demonstrated at this year’s AXPONA show. The Lucera features a 15” high-sensitivity, high-power woofer in ported enclosure. The midrange sits in a large format horn with two-inch throat and wide dispersion profile. The neodymium tweeter also sits in a wide dispersion horn. The speaker has a sensitivity of 97dB. The 110-pound enclosure is 40” tall by 18” wide by 14” deep.
The rest of Greg’s AXPONA system consisted of a Cary Audio SLI-80 tube integrated amplifier, WiiM music streamer enhanced with an external power supply from Teddy Pardo, Mojo Audio’s Mystique Z DAC, two SVS 3000 Micro Revolution subwoofers, and Triode Wire Labs for cables. The cost for the entire system was a very reasonable $25,800.
I’ve always been attracted to the sound of a horn speaker. To me, they bring you closer to a live event than conventional speakers. They are also most suitable when my mood calls for hard rock or heavy metal. Another advantage of horn speakers is high-sensitivity, meaning at one-watt they are rated at 100dB compared to 90db on conventional speakers. It still needs to be well designed using high-quality parts.
The Lucera is hand-built using one-inch Baltic birch plywood and internally braced with the same wood and polyurethane glue, stronger than typical wood glue, they are built to last. There are too many veneers to go through so you should be able to find one to your liking.
Sound
As soon as you open the hotel room door into Volti Audio’s room, you can tell something is different. You don’t need to be seated to hear the dynamic output. By dynamic I mean every instrument is lifelike and big sounding and the Lucera’s captured the big dynamic swings of the music.
I asked to hear “Iron Man” by Black Sabbath and wasn’t rejected. With horn speakers, especially big ones like in the Volti room, I expect to hear the force the song was intended for. The initial bells frightened me because they had a realistic tone and played at about 95-100 decibels. Took me back to the first Ozzfest in New Jersey. The Lucera’s played with ease, or effortless. Ozzy’s raspy voice was dead center and never became fatiguing. Small speakers cannot do what I was hearing from the Luceras. Lesser systems fall apart at this listening level with this song.
The Lucera’s are one of those speakers that make me want to listen. I avoid playing heavy metal loud in my system because either the speakers lose control and sound congested or my wife tells me to grow up.
After hearing this room, I added Volti Audio to my wish list. The Lucera’s cost $15,000 and are beyond my reach right now. Volti Audio sells their entry speaker, the Razz, for $8,500 and within reach if I sell some of my gear.
Why Every Music Lover Should Attend an Audio Show
There are high-end audio shows throughout the country, and I encourage every music lover – not just audiophiles – to attend at least one. Visit the rooms that interest you, step inside, and take a seat. One of our pet peeves is there are too many attendees that linger timidly in the doorway. Walk in, find a chair, and immerse yourself. Not every room sounds good so don’t get discouraged, move on.
Don’t be shy, ask to hear the song you want. Have a few backup songs in case your request gets denied. I’ve seen it happen when the request is outlandish. Some songs sound terrible on any system. Most exhibitors’ stream music, so your selection is likely available. You may have to sit through a few unfamiliar jazz or chamber music tracks first, but that’s part of the experience.
For smaller systems I ask to hear “Riders on the Storm” by The Doors. I’m looking for atmosphere, imaging, that 1970’s tone, and an overall good experience. When I enter a room with bigger speakers, I ask to hear “Iron Man” from Black Sabbath. If a system can reproduce the weight, power, and drive of that recording while controlled, it’s usually doing something special.
Just remember to remain calm and be considerate of everyone else in the room. In November I’ll be at the Capital Audiofest in Rockville Maryland. This show is smaller than AXPONA and a bit more relaxed. AXPONA is the largest show in the country. Both are bangers.
Our recommendations reflect our personal experience with the equipment reviewed and should be considered alongside your own listening preferences and room acoustics. We encourage readers to audition audio equipment whenever possible. Great sound is personal, and the best component is the one that brings you closer to your music.
