AXPONA 2026

As always, AXPONA showcased plenty of high-end audio, but not to the exclusion of many comparatively more affordable systems. For one example, it was good to see a couple of Dual turntables on display at AXPONA 2026. In this case, I found them in Room 1429, where a Dual CS 529 table was the focal point of one of the active demo systems presented at the show by American Audio & Video (as seen below).

The Dual CS 529 is a fully automatic turntable ($1,299, black; $1,399, walnut veneer) that comes standard with an Ortofon 2M Red cartridge. But in this room’s setup, the CS 529 table’s tonearm had a Goldring E3 cartridge attached instead. I first saw this particular Dual turntable at the High End Munich show in 2024 when it was on the brink of release — but was only on static display at the time. (You can read that story here, which posted on June 17, 2024.)

For additional convenience, there’s a control app for Dual’s automatic turntables; versions for both Android and iOS are available. It operates via a separate transport for Bluetooth connectivity and uses a different codec than the one deployed for playback.

Amplifying the Ortofon cart’s signal was a Violectric PPA V790 phono preamp ($6,240) that’s packed full of adjustments to suit even the tweakiest vinyl fans — and yes, that’s a compliment! Said adjustments include gain (including a clipping indicator), MC cartridge impedance, MM capacitance, three EQ curves (RIAA, Columbia, NAB), and a subsonic filter option.

The PPA V790 might be relatively spartan in its appearance, but it’s a fully balanced (end-to-end) design that’s handmade in Germany and, according to AAV’s Mark Wilder, deploys “high-grade” components inside. It’s equipped with a half-dozen inputs: three balanced XLR, and three unbalanced RCA.

A quick listen to Manu Dibango’s “Big Blow,” the first track on Side A of his 1976 Island LP Afrovision, through the floorstanding Spendor speakers yielded pretty detailed imaging of his saxophone coupled with remarkable rhythmic consistency throughout the cut’s funky grooves. Noteworthy in its category (and even beyond it), this AAV system was no slouch.

On static display in this room was a second Dual table — the Dual CS 618Q ($1,599, walnut veneer; $1,499 in black, without walnut veneer) that offers automatic tonearm lift and return. This model ships standard with an Ortofon 2M Blue cartridge installed. These Dual tables share the same tonearm geometry to allow other cartridges to be used as well, which can be a basic upgrade path.

American Audio & Video’s second demo, in Room 1433, showed a Goldring GR3 turntable ($1,689 with Goldring’s E3 cartridge as standard; $1,800 as demo’ed) with a built-in phono stage and a Goldring E4 MM cartridge — an upgrade option — on the end of its tonearm. Of course, users can choose whatever cartridge they prefer.

The GR3 is a belt-driven design that uses a phenolic resin platter. Burson Audio, an Australian maker, supplied the amplification in this setup, which included a Burson Conductor Voyager multi-featured preamp with DAC ($3,799) feeding into a pair of Timekeeper Voyager monoblocks ($4,999 each). The AAV team alternated playback between two pairs of speakers from Q Acoustics — two Concept 300 standmounts ($6,399/pair; stands $2,339/pair), and two 5040 floorstanding speakers ($2,599/pair); the latter are available in oak, rosewood, white, and black.

Go here for Julie Mullins’ report on a couple of Monarch Systems demo setups that included an SME Model 8 turntable and Loricraft Audio PRC6i professional record cleaning machine; this story first posted on April 20, 2026.

Go here for Julie Mullins’ report on the analog gear she encountered in some exhibit rooms that were put together in tandem by Technics and Nagaoka; this story first posted on April 15, 2026.

Go here for AP editor Mike Mettler’s report on an Acoustic Sounds listening session that deployed a Döhmann Helix One Mk III turntable, in addition to other high-end gear from Wilson Benesch, Supatrac, DS Audio, Audio Research, and Wilson Audio; this story first posted on April 14, 2026

Also go here for our sister site Stereophile’s in-depth AXPONA 2026 coverage, which often includes video interviews with key manufacturer reps, product engineers, and equipment designers who were at the show.