Warsaw Audio Video Show 2025 Was the Best Yet

more to see and hear, big crowds, young and varied demographic

This year's just ended Warsaw Audio Video show was by far the best yet—at least among the dozen or so I've attended. The crowds at all 3 venues were large, enthusiastic and skewed young to middle-aged, with many girls and women attending—and not necessarily stringing along with their husbands. When I did spot couples, they were sitting together, listening and commenting to one another. This was refreshing!

This year at the sports stadium, show organizers added a new, large section where premium brands including Marten Audio, Göbel High End, Wadax, Boulder, Ypsilon, Karma, Soulution and others exhibited in large spaces that produced very good sound.

Though the adjacent Göbel and Marten exhibits were separated by only a cloth curtain, the resulting cacophony was avoided as the two groups chose to shift hourly. While it meant that each exhibitor lost half the available time, quality sound made up for quantity.

The top photo shows the brand new J. Sikora Aspire turntable, the Polish company's least expensive turntable, costing circa $11,000 as shown. Vinyl and CD sellers were busy throughout the show and the selection was huge. Prices were reasonable if not positively pre-Discogs low.

I heard some of the best sound I've ever heard at an audio show and that included in the small Sobieski Radisson Blue hotel rooms. I encountered Eelco Grimm in one room and he thanked me and especially John Jay Jay French for his Grimm Audio PW1 Phono Preamp review.

My biggest gripe was that despite the large vinyl seller turnout and enthusiastic people picking through the bins, more turntables than not were on static display instead of being played. It was an opportunity lost to give people a taste of the vinyl listening experience.

Complete video coverage coming ASAP.

Comments

2025-10-27 08:22:21 PM

cracking resonance wrote:

I saw this at the HIFI-TAGE 2025 in Darmstadt Germany, too. Massive exhibition of all Pro-Ject, Mr. Lichtenegger, Helmut Thiele were there with their creations, amongst Clearaudio, Rega, Technics, GoldNote, … even Lichteneggers old Platine Verdier placed as a buyable product (typical for him), while no fabrication exists. They didn‘t even bother to deploy Turntables in the Audio-Presentation Chains, aside from one un-used Platine (another one) and a Cyrus Turntable in the Fyne, Cyrus, Unison Room, that last one, yes that was played a lot and the room was full mostly. As it was entertaining to many - not me - the sound wasn‘t good, neither the jokes and automotive comparison by the presenter, at least vinyl was in constant rotation. Instead I opted to learn from Helmut Thiele about the new prototype Turntable „Ludwig“ he created for Westend Audio, double idler drive mechanism, wow, with his Arm mounted. A great person to talk to and exchange thoughts about the architecture. A must present - item and once available - a must test! Idlers are back!