[Vinnie R.]

All,

I'm back from Chicago - AXPONA 2019 was another home-run show! 

This year I teamed up with Triode Wire Labs cables in Room 488, and the 'mystery speakers' shown this year were a pair of the upcoming Vinnie Rossi Stiletto 15's [pre-production prototypes were used]:

http://www.vinnierossi.com/stiletto-15/

Here are some of my cell phone pics of our demo room:



















The response to our system from show attendees and members of the press was outstanding, and Triode Pete and I were extremely pleased with the sound in our room (with a wide variety of demo tracks)! 

I can go on and on at length about the sonic attributes of this system (I do consider it my best sounding demo room to date!), but I'll instead begin posting feedback from show attendees and the press as it becomes available.  This was the largest Axpona in terms of the number of exhibitors, so as you can imagine, the press had a hard time covering all the rooms in detail with only 3 days.  Show attendee turn-out was very good, except for on Sunday, which ended up being a snowy day in Chicago.  Many flights back home were cancelled due to the weather!  But those who did make it in on Sunday to listen were treated to more comfortable demo conditions.

I want to thank EVERYONE who visited our room to listen and make music requests.   It was a high-energy crowd, and as usual, many attendees stayed in our room for a while and returned a few more times during the show!   

Thank you 

Vinnie

[Vinnie R.]

During my drive yesterday, I received an email from The Computer Audiophile (Chris Connaker, who has since changed the name of his website to Audiophile Style) with this link to his Top 3 AXPONA 2019 BEST OF SHOW rooms:

https://audiophilestyle.com/ca/audio-shows/axpona-2019-best-of-show-r791/

My top three rooms at this year's show all featured systems that paired with the room exceptionally well and were setup by the exhibitors with care and precision. I congratulate those involved in putting the rooms together for doing it right.


Listening to this system was so pleasurable. I requested several songs as show-goers came and went. I felt the need to stay and listen. It was so relaxing and effortless. One of my go-to tracks this year was Don't Take Your one From Me off go John Coltrane's album Standard Coltrane. The sound was almost ethereal as Coltrane's sax oozed from the left channel and Jimmy Cobb's drum kit and Red Garland's piano sprinkled around the right. As one person left the room he said something to the effect of, great song selection. I take zero credit for this man's enjoyment. It was all Coltrane and Rossi.

Vinnie played a Natalie Merchant track for me and I immediately got goosebumps. The richness in her voice came through this system, in a terrible sonic environment, wonderfully. Half-way through the track I had to let Vinnie know this was something special.

I asked Vinnie to put on the track Xanny from Billie Eilish's new album released in March of this year. This track has mix of what I'll call somewhat traditional bass and electronic bass. In most room at the show this track exposed the horrible room modes and bass humps. Through Vinnie's system the bass was big and tight, but without any trade show boom. Vinnie explained that this was a product of the open baffle 15" woofer design of the Stiletto loudspeaker. Based on this experience, and knowing many people around the world have rooms that can easily be overloaded with bass due to small size, I think the Stiletto speakers offer a very compelling value proposition.

Nice work Vinnie.   

I want to extend my sincere gratitude to Chris for spending time deeply listening to our system, and for reporting it on Audiophile Style!

Getting on someone's "Best of Show" list is very flattering and rewarding to see - and an awesome way to start out this show coverage thread! 

Also in thread linked to above:

Agree the Vinnie Rossi room was great, enveloping, generous – if I were starting out and had the necessary in my pocket, and weren't a twitchy audiophile, that would be perfect. The Dynaudio Confidence 20s were something too, glad to have heard them. I became increasingly disaffected by vast boxes and cables like invasive pythons (not to mention monster loudspeakers playing small-group female vocal jazz, thwack, twang, brush), and the VR room was the antidote.

https://audiophilestyle.com/forums/topic/56191-article-axpona-2019-best-of-show/?tab=comments#comment-949660

Thank you, john!

Vinnie

[Vinnie R.]

These were posts from my previous "axpona 2019 - getting started" thread that I quickly threw up during set-up day:

I got to hear Vinnie’s room at Axpona today. A great sounding room!

Hey Vinnie,  While I was unable to attend due to last minute business, two of my friends who's ear I trust were able to and told me you had one of the top rooms at show and the new speakers rocked-it and are a blow away!

Congratulations!!

Wow,nice review from chris@ audiophilestyle.com (computer audiophile)
Congrats vinnie,wish I was there to hear it myself...

Sounddog, joneill, and decur - thank you!

Vinnie

[Folsom]

There's so much Danish design screaming from those speakers I almost wouldn't know you're Italian! I'm sure they sounded nice.

[Vinnie R.]

There's so much Danish design screaming from those speakers I almost wouldn't know you're Italian! I'm sure they sounded nice.

LOL

[Vinnie R.]

Ron Brenay of New Record Day is back on Youtube and posted some Axpona 2019 room coverage on his channel:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jiMG5gmqyo

Artist: Sarah Jarosz
Song: Come On Up To The House (Tom Waits cover)



Great to see you there, Ron - and thank you! 

Vinnie

[Vinnie R.]

Must See Rooms, Day Three | AXPONA 2019

ROOM #488 — Vinnie Rossi, Triode Wire Labs

Absolutely shocking! Vinnie Rossi debuts a new open-baffle speaker that does so well to tell you the truth, each recording carries with it only the studio’s personality. It gets out of the way, imparting nothing of itself, and delivers stunning detail from top to bottom. For a first foray into loudspeakers, Vinnie certainly has come in like a seasoned pro. More to come on these new speakers very soon.

A big thank you to Eric and the Part Time Audiophile team!

https://parttimeaudiophile.com/2019/04/14/axpona-2019-must-see-rooms-sunday-day-three/

Vinnie

[Vinnie R.]

The Stiletto 15 Emerges – Vinnie Rossi Launches A Loudspeaker! – AXPONA 2019

https://audio-head.com/the-stiletto-15-emerges-vinnie-rossi-launches-a-loudspeaker-axpona-2019/

Eric was also doing coverage for Audio Head and snapped more system pics in the link above.

About the Stiletto 15 loudspeaker: it is 3-way reference loudspeaker design that aims to balance the articulate and dynamic bass response of an open baffle woofer with the remarkable clarity and imaging of a separate, sealed-box midrange and tweeter. And not to spoil the demonstration story, the new Vinnie Rossi did this very well.

And in the comments section that followed, I spotted this by a show attendee:

One of the most impressive speakers in the entire show

 

As Eric mentions, what I brought to AXPONA was only a prototype pair, so it looks a bit raw.  There are a handful of refinements to the design that are in the works for the production version.  For example:

- Flush mounting of the 3 drivers and the rear plates
- Adjustable height spike feet
- Refinements to the magnet grills and the coupling between the sealed midrange/tweeter 'mini monitor' enclosure
and the lower woofer base. 

I was very pleased to be able to demo this first iteration just in time for AXPONA, and to get the sound that I was really looking
for in a rather small demo room (and I've been trying for a few years to get a larger room, but those who had the larger rooms
the years before still have first dibs on them  )

Vinnie

[DB]

It was a nasty day outside but very nice inside. This room was one of three that produced musical joy for me. The other two were the Goldmund room and the Cube Audio setup with their Nenuphar speakers and Pass/First Watt amplification. So, to this ear, Vinnie's products are moving into rarified territory....

[Vinnie R.]

It was a nasty day outside but very nice inside. This room was one of three that produced musical joy for me. The other two were the Goldmund room and the Cube Audio setup with their Nenuphar speakers and Pass/First Watt amplification. So, to this ear, Vinnie's products are moving into rarified territory....

Thanks for visting our demo room and posting about it here, DB.  Musical joy is what it is all about! 

---

The show coverage continues...



Axpona 2019: Some of My Favorite Things, with Aaron Sherrick

https://twitteringmachines.com/axpona-2019-some-of-my-favorite-things-with-aaron-sherrick/


[Photo Credit: Aaron Sherrick / TwitteringMachines.com]

The design is striking and, unlike most box speakers, could comfortably fit into the décor of a real-world living space.

The resulting sound was lovely—smooth, detailed, expansive soundstage, and bass that felt just right. Vinnie credits the open-baffle design for how nicely the 15” woofer coupled to the relatively small hotel room.

I also credit the Triode Wire Labs interconnects, speaker cables, and power cables used for the L2 components - everything worked together seamlessly from top to bottom. 

Thank you to Aaron Sherrick of Twittering Machines for visiting our demo room and posting about it in his "favorites" report!

Vinnie

[Triode Pete]

I also credit the Triode Wire Labs interconnects, speaker cables, and power cables used for the L2 components - everything worked together seamlessly from top to bottom. 


Vinnie

Thanks, Vinnie! Your room sounded great as always (and even better this time around!!!) I'm glad I could contribute to the sound quality & listening experience! BTW, your L2 Signature Fully-Loaded Preamp is absolutely killer! I enjoy it each & every day! It's a "No Brainer" that it received the EXTREMELY RARE "Lunar Eclipse" Award from Srajan Ebaen from 6Moons!!!

Cheers,
Pete

[Vinnie R.]

Thanks, Vinnie! Your room sounded great as always (and even better this time around!!!) I'm glad I could contribute to the sound quality & listening experience! BTW, your L2 Signature Fully-Loaded Preamp is absolutely killer! I enjoy it each & every day! It's a "No Brainer" that it received the EXTREMELY RARE "Lunar Eclipse" Award from Srajan Ebaen from 6Moons!!!

Hey Pete,

Glad you are enjoying your L2 Preamp with L2 Dac and L2 Phonostage - they are all my best designs by far!  The L2 review in 6moons covers a lot of detail (11 pages) about the design and how it competes with some higher priced competition - I really couldn't be happier! 

Looking forward to teaming up at more audio shows this year! 

Thanks again,

Vinnie

[Vinnie R.]

The Occasional Podcast - TOP 5 ROOMS AT AXPONA 2019



https://parttimeaudiophile.com/2019/04/24/axpona-2019-highlights/

Starts at about 15:40 into the podcast (and another shout-out at around 33:15)

Thank you to Marc, Eric, Brian, Lee, and Scot of the Part Time Audiophile / The Occasional team!  x4!

Vinnie

[Vinnie R.]

AXPONA 2019: Vinnie Rossi Debuts the Stiletto 15 Loudspeakers

https://theaudiobeatnik.com/axpona-2019-vinnie-rossi-debuts-the-stiletto-15-loudspeakers/

Listening to the Stiletto 15 loudspeakers later that night, they impressed me with their ability to get out of the way so I could concentrate on the performance. They delivered beautiful music from the top-end to deep bass. And the bass was very deep but natural. The Stiletto 15 loudspeakers imaged like a great mini-monitor and disappeared like one as well.

The rest of the system was the Vinnie Rossi L2 Preamplifier and L2 Monoblock amplifier. Cables were by Triode Wire Labs.

Congratulations, Vinnie on your first speaker! It’s hard to imagine how you can up the ante without them becoming much more expensive. 

Thank you, Jack Roberts, for giving the Stiletto 15 prototypes a good audition!

Soon I'll be posting a more refined look for the production version of the speaker - and I do plan to up the ante a bit more!

Vinnie

[Tave5]

Vinnis room was one of the first rooms i was excited to hit and went back the last day and still had other rooms i wanted to check out but i just couldnt drag myself out of the chair. Vinni had some recordings made by Tony Miniasian that are exceptionally well recorded but what struck me ....as im way to particular on the quality of a recording was how good everything sounded thru his gear. Vince has done the best job ive heard from a speaker that integrates an open baffle bottom end as it was deep and musical and had the quality of coming out of a musicians instrument or amplifier. Also, i have heard components where there is a tube preamp and solid state amp where the goal is getting best of both worlds but ive never heard it as well done and as Rossis DHT preamp with his solid state amps. It was by definitely my favorite room at Axpona 2019.

[Vinnie R.]

Hi Tave5,

It was by definitely my favorite room at Axpona 2019.

Welcome to the Audiocircle and the VR forum - and thank you for visiting at Axpona and posting! 
Those Tonian Labs recordings (16/44) sure make you realize how much potential redbook CD has.

Glad you enjoyed it! 

Vinnie

[Vinnie R.]

More love for our demo room at Axpona from attendees!



(Thank you, Bill!)

And a link to Part Time Audiophile coverage with lots of pics!

https://parttimeaudiophile.com/2019/04/28/vinnie-rossi-triode-wire-labs-stillpoints-axpona-2019/

Thank you once again, Eric and the PTA Team! 

And as you might have seen here, I'm not finished yet:

https://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=163648.0

What I had at AXPONA was a prototype.  The production Stiletto is going to look (and sound) even better. 

More updates coming soon,

Vinnie

[Vinnie R.]

Just when I thought the AXPONA coverage was pretty much over, I was just made aware of this show award:

https://audiobacon.net/2019/05/07/axpona-2019-the-awards/2/

"Best of the New"

AXPONA 2019’s new and shiny debuts. These were some of the eye-catching products at the show.

Vinnie Rossi and Triode Wire Labs are back at it again...

The Stiletto 15 sounds as impressive as it looks. Its footprint and design also allow them to be placed in smaller rooms for near-field listening. Vinnie mentioned he’ll be refining the Stiletto 15 in the upcoming months – so it’ll be interesting to hear what he’ll come up with.

Thanks again, Jay!   

Vinnie

[Vinnie R.]

https://theaudiobeatnik.com/axpona-2019-debuts-of-distinction-2/

AXPONA 2019 - Debuts of Distinction

This was Vinnie Rossi‘s first time up to bat designing a loudspeaker, and I’d say he hit a home run. Listening to the Stiletto 15 loudspeakers, they impressed me with their ability to get out of the way so that I could concentrate on the performance. They delivered beautiful music from the top-end to deep bass. And the bass was very deep but natural. The Stiletto 15 loudspeakers imaged like a great mini-monitor and disappeared like one as well.

Thanks again to Jack and Becky Roberts of The Audio Beatnik!

 

[Vinnie R.]

https://parttimeaudiophile.com/2019/05/08/marcs-wrap-up-axpona-2019/

Best Sound of Show

There was a room back in Chicago that spoke to me. It said, “Here is your system, the one that was made specifically for you and your audio tastes. It offers tons of features and flexibility, it looks great, and it has the sound you’ve always loved, a mix between the refinement of British hi-fi and a dynamic range...

I sat in Vinnie’s room for a while and I simple couldn’t think of anything else I wanted in a system. The Stilettos were still in prototype form, but I’m not sure what else can be improved. I can’t wait to hear them again.

&

https://parttimeaudiophile.com/2019/05/08/erics-best-of-show-axpona-2019/

Most Intriguing Product: Vinnie Rossi Stiletto Loudspeaker

It delivers stunning levels of detail from top to bottom. For a first foray into loudspeakers, Vinnie certainly has come in like a seasoned professional.

More work is scheduled to refine the new speaker both sonically and aesthetically, which bodes well for anyone who was impressed like I was at the show.

Many thanks again to both Mark and Eric, and more work is indeed taking place on the Stiletto 15 design.  I posted this pic earlier today in the Stiletto 15 Preliminary Discussion thread:  https://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=163648.0



It's not quite finished yet, but the above render shows the new direction of the Stiletto enclosure design.
The rear will also look much cleaner than the prototype showed at Axpona.

Just wait until you see (and listen!) to the finished version!

Vinnie