Hello and welcome to Part 7 of Julie Mullins’ AXPONA 2025 show report. In this installment, Mullins checks out the latest and greatest offerings from VDM Records, Grand Prix Audio, VTL, Pure Fidelity, Lab12, and Nordost. . .

We lost a true hero the other day. Mike Peters, frontman of the iconoclast Welsh alt-rockers The Alarm, passed away at age 66 on April 29, 2025, in Dyserth, Wales, following a three-decades-long battle with cancer. In a previously unpublished interview conducted in 2024, AP editor Mike Mettler and Peters discuss his favorite record shops he went to while growing up in Wales, the importance of understanding sleeve notes, and why early Alarm records were quieter on vinyl than they should have been. . .

Welcome to Part 6 of Julie Mullins’ AXPONA 2025 show report series. In this installment, Mullins visits one of AXISS Audio’s rooms featuring cool new gear from AirTight and Reed. . .

Hello and welcome to a new week, and to Part 5 of Julie Mullins’ AXPONA 2025 show report series. In this installment, Mullins heads into the Treehaus Audiolab room to check out the SME Model 12 MKII turntable along with some classic, old-school tube gear. . .

By now you’ve probably heard the news that Elton John has paired up with Americana crossover phenomenon Brandi Carlile on their fine new Top 10 LP Who Believes in Angels?, which was released by Rocket/EMI on April 4, 2025. Given all the advance hype, we suspect some of you fence-sitters are probably wondering how the album actually sounds on vinyl, so read Mark Smotroff’s review to see how it holds up to repeated spins. . .

Welcome to Part 4 of Julie Mullins’ AXPONA 2025 show report series. This time around, Julie spends time in Monarch Systems Distribution’s Room 434 and checks out setups comprised of the SME Synergy full-package system featuring the company’s MK2 turntable, Chario Academy Serendipity loudspeakers, B.audio amplification, and more. . .

Our in-depth AXPONA 2025 coverage continues! In today’s installment, AP’s chief product reviewer Ken Micallef shares video footage of as many turntables that he could get on camera at the big show — plus some new tonearms and cartridges, to boot — including cool new offerings from the likes of Well Tempered Lab, TriangleArt, TW Acustic, Vertere, AVM, and many, many more. . .

Hello and welcome to the third installment of Julie Mullins’ AXPONA 2025 show report series. In this edition, Mullins visits with Wilson Benesch to see what’s up with their new Prime Meridian turntable system. . .

In Part 2 of our AXPONA 2025 show report series, Julie Mullins checks in with EveAnna Manley to get the scoop on Manley’s new Precision line and phono preamp. . .