AXPONA 2026

In my prior AXPONA 2026 report on SOTA, we saw several turntables with wooden plinths. In Room 1604 at the show, I came across another turntable from a different maker that also favors wood for its aesthetic and acoustic properties: a Well Tempered Lab Versalex turntable ($2,150) with a plinth made of “Baltic” plywood in multiple layers, topped with a natural walnut veneer.

The plywood is materially reported to offer stability while bringing a “natural resonance that results in a natural EQ,” according to the company. An acrylic platter mostly covered with a cork platter mat (as seen below) outfitted the rig.

The Versalex drive system uses an ultra-thin belt — with a diameter of 0.004in — made of polyester filament that necessitates a knot. But fear not — a purposely designed motor pulley apparently accommodates the knot just fine, according to Well Tempered engineer William (Bill) H. Firebaugh.

Firebaugh also designed his own torque servo controller for the small DC motor the drive system deploys. Its motor system is decoupled and surrounded by “a ring of isolation material.” These implementations assist in minimizing wow and flutter specs, as measured.

The Versalex table’s LTD tonearm is a damped design that — instead of a traditional bearing — deploys a golf ball partially suspended in silicone fluid to enable variable damping, Well Tempered claims.

Why a golf ball? Because they’re made with precision — and were found to be well-suited for this application! Azimuth can be adjusted, but the headshell is fixed.

PureAudioProject presented their instantly recognizable open-baffle speakers in this fine-sounding setup. This time, the system’s focal point was a pair of the company’s new Duet15 Coax speakers ($7,250) with, yes, a coaxial driver handling treble and midrange frequencies.

A Pass Labs INT-60 integrated amp ($10,350) drove the speakers and received input signals from the latest version of the classic Dynavector P75 MM/MC phono stage, the Mk4.1 iteration ($980) that was well-matched to its MC cartridge, a Dynavector 20X-2A ($1,450). Silversmith Audio Fidelium cables — which embody thin, flat, and wide designs — connected the components.

Cueing up the first couple of cuts on Jacob Wendt’s October 2024 Silver Street LP (Hayden) that I had in tow, the jazz ensemble came to life in vivid images with air and room to breathe between them. There was a satisfying combination of each instrument being separate and distinct within the soundstage, yet hearing them blend and overlay naturally in unison sections — such as Harry Ostrander’s trumpet and Jimmy Emerzian’s tenor sax early on in “New Groove” (Side 1, Track 2) — before shifting into solos. Treble remained smooth through the trumpet’s upper registers. Brass tones didn’t get overly or unpleasantly, well, brassy. I was struck by the silent background from which they emerged in pretty convincing 3-D forms.

An easy, unforced naturalism remained the main theme during this Well Tempered Lab/Dynavector listening session. Upon leaving Room 1604, my only regret was not checking out a track with deeper bass.

Go here for Julie Mullins’ report on SOTA’s many cool offerings at AXPONA 2026, including their flagship Onyx turntable; Quasar, Comet, Escape, and Moonbeam turntables; Pyxi phono stage; and more. This story first posted on April 28, 2026.

Go here for Ken Micallef’s video interview with Sierra Sound co-founder Michael Fajen and Aesthetix sales and marketing specialist Brent Hefley about the gear shown in the Sierra Sound room, which including the AMG Viella turntable with 12JT Turbo tonearm, Sorane SA-1.2 tonearm, and Aesthetix Rhea Signature phono stage — plus, we get an exclusive visit to “The Tonearm Garden”; this story first posted on April 27, 2026.

Go here for Julie Mullins’ report on a pair of American Audio & Video demo rooms at AXPONA 2026, with one of their systems featuring a Dual CS 529 turntable and Violectric PPA-V790 phono preamp, and the other featuring a Goldring GR3 turntable; this story first posted on April 23, 2026.

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.