Audio Video News

Listen up music lovers and audio enthusiasts: The Audio Expo North America, more commonly known by the acronym AXPONA, opens Friday, April 14 at the Renaissance Schaumburg Hotel & Convention Center in the Chicago suburb of Schaumburg, IL.

Hailed as the largest annual gathering of audio enthusiasts, music lovers, audio dealers, manufacturers, and distributors in North America, the 2023 event is expected to attract more than 7,500 attendees and will host a record 500 exhibitors, including many of the most popular brands in audio, who will be demonstrating their latest gear in 200 listening rooms spread across 10 floors.

A quick sampling of exhibitors reveals Anthem, Astell & Kern, Audeze, AudioQuest, Audio-Technica, Bowers & Wilkins, Cambridge Audio, Definitive Technology, Denon, ELAC, Emotiva, Focal, GoldenEar, Harman, KLH, Klipsch, Luxman, Magnepan, Marantz, MartinLogan, McIntosh, Monitor Audio, NAD, Paradigm, Polk Audio, PSB Speakers, Qobuz, Roon Labs, Sennheiser, SVS, Technics, Trinnov, VPI, Wharfedale, Yamaha, and a multitude of smaller high-end audio brands. Click here for the full list of exhibitors.

In addition for the chance to meet with audio luminaries and product designers while kicking back and listening to some of the best examples of home audio, AXPONA 2023 will feature an Expo Hall/Record Fair where 50 exhibitors will showcase turntables, desktop speakers, vinyl records, and a host of accessories, including cables, racks and stands, tonearms, and cartridges.

Personal audio will receive its own spotlight with an entire ballroom dedicated to the Ear Gear Experience where all types of headphones, earphones, and accessories will be demonstrated and on display.

A compelling lineup of seminars will also be on tap throughout the weekend, including “Reissues & Remastering: What’s Involved,” “Subwoofer 101,” “Reviewers on Reviewing,” “Noise and Vibration from an Audiophile Perspective,” “Streaming Made Straightforward,” “The 7 Alignment Targets for Analog Optimization,” “DACs, DSP & ‘Digital’ Audio,” and sessions devoted to turntable set-up, starting out in audio, and speaker design, the latter featuring noted designer Andrew Jones, Richard Vandersteen, and others. Click here for the complete seminar lineup.

The party begins with live music every evening after the show closes. This year’s featured artists include Canadian jazz singer-songwriter Anne Bisson, who will perform Friday evening, and singer-songwriter Amber Rubarth, who will perform Saturday evening. Rubarth has toured around the world, opening shows for Emmylou Harris, Kenny Loggins, Richie Havens, Dr. Ralph Stanley, and Jason Mraz.

Show hours are 10 a.m. - 6p.m. on Friday, April 14 and Saturday, April 15 and 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. on Sunday, April 16. Tickets can be purchased at a substantial discount through Thursday, April 13. Pricing is $25 for one-day pass, $40 for a two-day pass, and $50 for a three-day pass. If you wait and buy on-site, prices jump to $30, $60, and $90, respectively. A one-day Student Pass for students aged 15-25 (ID required) is also available for $10. Three-day Trade Pass tickets are available for $55 in advance or $95 at the show.

A limited number of three-day Gold Passes are offered in advance of the show for $130. Holders of the pass receive a collector’s badge, official AXPONA T-shirt, a reusable AXPONA water bottle, access to the AXPONA Gold Lounge with VIP check-in, Coat Check for coats and event purchases, refreshments, and free Wi-Fi access. Gold Pass holders also gain access to the Gold Hospitality Suite in the Hotel Tower and are invited to a Happy Hour with wine and beer from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.

Visit axpona.com to register for the expo and buy tickets.

For more details on AXPONA 2023, visit axpona.com. Watch for our AXPONA new product preview.