Welcome!
Have been to Axpona a couple of times. Axpona is a big show. First year tried to cover it all but the quicky stops were all but pointless. Next year limited to 20+ rooms, but missed stuff that wasn't announced ahead of time. Like all shows Fridays suffer from hit or miss setups (don't understand why it has to be that way). Saturdays are extremely busy. Sundays find vendors ready to pack up early but finally have decent setups by then. Only the most expensive gear typically gets played. Even if you get to hear what you want there are too many variables (room, power, associated gear, etc.) to make informed decisions. So I use shows only to veto gear and talk with the people behind the design.
After nearly 50 years at this, I've settled into buying gear from trusted manufacturers, those with deep resources (in house manufacturing not just parts assembly, long histories, and a wealth of R&D). My last few purchases have included NAD, PS Audio, JBL, and Dynaudio.
