James Larson

1 week ago | audioholics.com | James Larson

North America’s largest hi-fi audio show, AXPONA (an acronym which stands for Audio Expo North America) opened 2025’s show on a chilly Friday morning in mid-April in Schaumburg, IL, an upscale northwestern suburb of Chicago. As it had been for the last few years, the venue was the Renaissance Schaumburg Hotel & Convention Center, a large facility, but despite the building’s size, it was still a crowded event.

1 month ago | audioholics.com | James Larson

Our past encounters with Sigberg Audio products had left us deeply impressed by their engineering expertise as was seen in our reviews of the SBS.1 active speaker and 10D subwoofer. It wasn’t just their craftsmanship and performance that impressed us but also their adherence to sensible design concepts that doesn’t really resemble anything else on the market despite how rational these approaches are.

1 month ago | audioholics.com | James Larson

I have always enjoyed DALI’s speakers on the occasions that I have heard them, whether it be their very affordable offerings or their ultra high-end KORE speakers. DALI has been around for about 40 years, so they have learned a thing or two about designing a loudspeaker, and it’s no wonder that they are so enjoyable. However, I haven’t ever had the chance to review a traditional loudspeaker by them.

2 months ago | audioholics.com | James Larson

The Arendal Sound new 1528 Monitor 8s are among the largest and most powerful standmount speakers available. However, size and power don’t necessarily equate to quality. Having reviewed many of Arendal’s loudspeakers in the past, I suspected that they weren't simply aiming to create a home theater powerhouse but rather a speaker that would excel in every aspect.

Jan 20, 2025 | audioholics.com | James Larson

Most of the attention that Yamaha gets as a home audio brand these days seems to be in their electronics products such as receivers and soundbars where they are always a part of the conversation, but I don’t hear as much about their hi-fi loudspeakers. However, I have always liked what I have heard from their speakers at audio trade shows, so in order to get more exposure, I asked if they would send me something.