TAA Taipei Hi End HiFi Show 2026 Report Part 2

JOIN GYULA FOR THE SECOND HALF OF HIS TAA TAIPEI HI END HIFI SHOW 2026 REPORT

TAA Taipei Hi End HiFi Show 2026 Report Part 2 from HiFi PiG’s Gyula, who’s based in Taiwan’s capital.

By now you will have read the TAA Taipei Hi End HiFi Show 2026 Report Part 1, if not click on the link to read it now.

Please note, all content and photos are the copyright of HiFi PiG Magazine/Big Pig Media LLP and must not be copied or reproduced in any way without the prior, written consent of the editor.

Room 934: 瑩聲國際 JADEX AUDIO | PMC, Canor, Nottingham Analogue & Cyrus

Jadex Audio brought a truly commanding presence to Room 934, running a heavy-hitting reference system alongside a smartly curated secondary setup. The undeniable anchor of the room was a pair of towering PMC Fenestria floorstanders, instantly recognisable by their distinctive central “nest” which mechanically isolates the mid and high-frequency drivers from the main cabinet’s vibrational energy.

Providing the muscle was a formidable suite of Slovakian tube engineering from Canor Audio, featuring their flagship Hyperion P1 and a pair of massive monoblocks occupying the floor space. However, the true showstopper for my own analogue sensibilities was perched proudly at the top of the rack: a beautiful Nottingham Analogue Studio Space 294 turntable, equipped with the heavy HD kit. Fitted with a boutique Analog Relax EX500 MC cartridge and tracing the grooves of a classic Jennifer Warnes LP, the Nottingham deck delivered the sort of liquid, effortless analogue musicality that simply forces you to stop taking notes and just listen. The background blackness of the system was equally impressive, aided by an Entreq Olympus Hero grounding box, an Inakustik AC-4500 power conditioner, and thick Inakustik Reference LS-2404 AIR speaker cables keeping the signal pristine.

Over on the adjacent room, the secondary rig proved that PMC’s studio DNA scales down brilliantly. Their new Prophecy 1 standmount monitors were paired with Cyrus new 80 superintegrated amplifier, offering a tight, agile, and engaging presentation for smaller spaces. Supported by static displays of Volumio streaming gear and Canor’s solid-state Virtus line, Jadex Audio delivered a complete room that catered just as effectively to no-holds-barred reference audio as it did to practical, high-performance listening.

Room 935: 可韻 COS ENGINEERING | COS, YG Acoustics & Aesthetix

Taiwanese digital specialist COS Engineering took their usual disciplined, methodical approach in Room 935, pairing their front-end digital ecosystem with Aesthetix Atlas Eclipse amplification and a pair of YG Acoustics Ascent floorstanders.

The spotlight was squarely on COS’s latest digital infrastructure, headlined by their versatile D10 DAC/preamp and flanked by two dedicated utility additions: the S10 audiophile network switch and the LPS1 linear power supply. The S10 switch is a particularly clever bit of engineering, featuring physical toggles to individually disable unused copper ports and a “stealth mode” to defeat status LEDs—all aimed at stripping out high-frequency network noise at the ethernet stage. Powered by the clean DC reserves of the LPS1 and backed by Aesthetix, the system produced an effortlessly quiet, jet-black background with razor-sharp transient precision, serving as a quietly confident showcase of Taiwan’s rising pedigree in high-end digital architecture.

Room 936: 雷爾斯 LALS | LALS & MYST[J] Audio Design

Taiwanese horn specialist LALS brought their signature effortless dynamics, pairing their substantial birch-ply floorstanding horns with their own PureAmp 170 III integrated amplifier and an Eversolo streaming transport. The setup delivered that unmistakable high-efficiency magic, immediate transient speed and room-filling scale, without ever falling into the aggressive, “shouty” traps that often plague lesser horn designs. The entire rig was smartly supported by domestic vibration control experts MYST[J] Audio Design, whose modular racks, carbon-fiber isolation platforms, and heavy-duty cable elevators shared the static display tables, while they were also shown in multiple rooms around the show.

Room 933: 天樂 DIVINI AUDIO DESIGN | Divini Audio

Divini Audio Design presented a striking, top-to-bottom ecosystem in Room 933, anchored by their Reference 18 floorstanders. Featuring elegantly sloped wooden cabinets clearly designed with phase and time-alignment in mind, they were driven by Divini’s own AP-215S stereo power amplifier, with digital source duties handled by a dCS Lina DAC. Pushing a formidable 300 watts into 8 ohms, the power amplifier is an absolute visual standout, especially when you notice the lovely attention to detail: its deep, horizontally finned metal chassis side panels perfectly matched the grooved support pillars of the equipment stand it rested upon.

What truly tied the presentation together was the meticulous attention to infrastructure. The entire system was wired with Divini’s own heavy-duty cables. A particular highlight was their flagship PT-Z cable family, which sported a wonderfully tuned-down, high-end aesthetic—unobtrusive yet undeniably refined.

Rooms 937 & 938: 博韻 RE SOUND AUDIO | Stenheim, Mola Mola, Bayz Audio & Pilium

Re Sound Audio occupied a connected double suite, setting up two distinctly high-end systems that showcased wildly different design philosophies side-by-side.

In Room 937, Swiss metallic precision met Dutch engineering finesse. A pair of Stenheim Alumine floorstanders in all-aluminium enclosures was driven by Mola Mola’s preamplifier paired with their new Osetra power amplifiers. Sourced by a 432 EVO Reference music server and backed by a GigaWatt PC-8 power conditioner, the rig turned out an effortlessly fast, uncolored, and detailed performance with razor-sharp transient accuracy.

Over in Room 938, the focus shifted to sheer acoustic and visual drama. Bayz Audio’s radical, carbon-fibre omnidirectional towers commanded the space, driven by a massive pair of Pilium Hercules mono power amplifiers anchored on the floor. Sourced by a Fidelizer network server, this system projected a vast, holographic soundstage where vocal tracks shone with remarkable liquidity, texture, and natural weight.

Room 931: 神韻 CHARMING AUDIO | DeVore Fidelity, Yuki Precision & Phasemation

Charming Audio brought a genuine treat to Room 931, marking the first time I have seen DeVore Fidelity given a proper showcase in Taiwan. Commanding the main setup was DeVore’s iconic Orangutan O/96 floorstanders, instantly recognisable by their wide-baffle cabinet design, horn-loaded silk dome tweeters, and signature purple woofer cones.

Driving these high-sensitivity American cabinets was an absolute dream-team stack of Japanese analogue royalty. Analogue duties were handled by Yuki Precision’s ultra-engineered AP-01 turntable, equipped with Phasemation PP-2000 MC cartridge, feeding into Phasemation’s multi-chassis EA-1200 tube phono stage and SA-1500 valve amplification.

The synergy here was nothing short of intoxicating. The Orangutan’s effortless, organic midband tone married seamlessly with the whisper-quiet background, timing, and delicate detail retrieval of the Japanese front-end.

Rooms 939 & 940: 東億 DONG-YI AUDIO | Cary Audio & Audio Physic

Dong-Yi Audio also featured in two rooms, both built around the highly-respected American tube electronics from Cary Audio.

Spanning a double-room footprint, this exhibit made a strong case for slowing down and actually listening. The first room paired Acoustic Energy’s AE1 40th Anniversary standmounts and flagship Corinium floorstanders with a CAD-300SEI integrated amplifier running upgraded Emission Labs 300B tubes, fed by a DMS-650 network player.

Next door leaned into serious high-end muscle, mating iconic CAD-211FE monoblocks and an SLP-05 preamplifier with a DMS-800 digital source to drive the sleek Audio Physics Codex floorstanders. The music selection throughout both spaces was well-curated and genuinely engaging, offering a lush, liquid, and wonderfully expansive presentation that effortlessly commanded an extended sit-down.

My only minor quarrel was purely cosmetic: those intensely blinding blue LEDs on the front panels tend to pull focus, somewhat ruining the otherwise gorgeous amber glow of the tubes. Still, from a purely sonic standpoint, it was an effortlessly enjoyable stop.

Room 942: 谷津 DA&T ELECTRONICS | DA&T, Vestlyd

Shifting gears to a radically different architectural philosophy, this local specialist carved out a distinct niche by tackling the immersive spatial audio frontier without sacrificing core stereo credibility. Anchoring the main listening zone were heavy-hitting Vestlyd Type V12C coaxial speakers, driven alongside a flexible ecosystem featuring the versatile Q-17N digital integrated amplifier—which can operate in a pure “Digital Direct Power Amplifier” mode with zero dB attenuation—alongside the M-8p and M-8da control architecture, while compact Xi-51 active monitors handled surround duties. Rather than boxing listeners into a rigid two-channel corner, this modular ecosystem provides a remarkably smart upgrade path. Enthusiasts can seamlessly scale from a pure stereo setup to a full immersive configuration by integrating extra channels and amplifiers as their needs evolve, offering a pragmatic bridge between traditional purist values and modern multi-channel ambitions.

Room 943: 傑富 JEFFU INTERNATIONAL | dCS, Magico, Soulution & Taiko Audio

Stepping into this room felt less like visiting an audio demo and more like touring a high-security vault, housing what was undoubtedly one of the most eye-wateringly expensive systems at the entire show. Itemized pricing on display revealed a cumulative tally hovering around a staggering 23 million NTD—translating to roughly $720,000 USD at current exchange rates.

The heavy-hitting lineup read like a masterclass in uncompromised ultra-high-end engineering. Digital front-end duties were handled by a full dCS Vivaldi stack (Apex DAC, Upsampler Plus, and Master Clock) fed by a multi-box Taiko Audio Extreme digital ecosystem comprising the Extreme Server, Router, Switch, and DC Distributor. Amplification was entrusted to Soulution’s flagship 727 preamplifier and monolithic 717 power amplifier, driving a pair of carbon-braced Magico M2 floorstanders. Beneath and around this stratospheric hardware sat Critical Mass Systems isolation racks, IsoTek power conditioning, and a massive loom of Vyda cabling—anchored by their flagship Orion Silver reference speaker wires. Unsurprisingly, the resulting sound was terrifyingly transparent, resolving micro-details with absolute surgical precision while maintaining an effortless sense of scale that completely dissolved the hotel room boundaries.

Room 927: 上鍵 UNIKA ELECTRONIC | UNIKA, WHARFEDALE

Long established as a heavyweight in Taiwan’s professional audio and live-sound sectors, Unika has built its reputation on rugged dependability and clarity. Now they’re engaging in an intriguing effort to connect that expert knowledge to home audio. The crown jewel of this crossover effort is the imposing UK600 monoblock power amplifier. Built around Danish Pascal Class-D architecture; featuring proprietary UMAC and URECT switching technologies alongside Power Factor Correction (PFC), these monoblocks punch out a massive 700 watts into 8 ohms and 900 watts into 4 ohms with vanishingly low distortion. Crucially, the integration of Dante audio-over-IP networking hints at a compelling future for home audio, bringing lossless, ultra-low-latency multi-channel distribution over standard ethernet infrastructure to bypass traditional long analog cable runs and open up studio-grade routing flexibility.

Their industrial-looking, straightforward listening setup in the room sounded fantastic. Pairing Wharfedale Linton speakers with an Eversolo DMP-A8 handling network streaming duties, alongside Unika’s own PC-EX multi-channel smart power conditioner for clean energy distribution and the UD-154II high-efficiency multi-channel switching amplifier equipped with onboard DSP and Dante networking, the presentation was elegant, inviting, and very enticing, proving that heavy-duty pro gear can translate into a deeply musical and captivating experience.

Room 944: 愛爾法 ALPHA AUDIO | MOON by Simaudio & KerrAcoustic

Canadian refinement met British transmission-line acoustics next door, where MOON’s electronics drove a pair of Kerr Acoustic K320 mk.3 floorstanders. Anchored by MOON 491 network front-end and the 461 Class AB power amplifier, the setup made brilliant use of the speakers’ intricate transmission-line design and true ribbon tweeters to extract a startlingly deep, well-paced low-end and precise, airy highs. Power and digital infrastructure were given equal reverence, with a complete Nordost ecosystem, featuring the QBASE power distribution, QSOURCE linear power supply, and QNET 7 network switch, cleaning up the line and ethernet feeds. The resulting presentation was wonderfully crisp, highly transparent, and precise without ever losing its musical grip.

Room 945, 947: 英大 EVERGENERAL TRADING | JBL & Accuphase

The room offered a striking sense of deja vu, uniting the newest iterations from two legendary heavyweights. JBL’s gargantuan Summit Makalu floorstanders, proudly showing off what twenty-first-century engineering can do when given a blank check and an unshakeable love for massive horns. To keep those compression drivers and 12-inch woofers properly in line, the system relied on the venerable Accuphase E-800S, the “sober” 36kg Japanese Class A flagship, fed by JBL CD350 and MP350 digital separates.

Ducking through the connecting door into Room 947 revealed a delightful exercise in downsizing without sacrificing an ounce of attitude. Here, the compact yet unapologetically horn-loaded JBL Summit Ama standmounts took the stage, driven by JBL SA550 integrated amplifier. Accompanied by the matching TT350 turntable alongside the same digital sources.

Room 948: 迎家 AUDIO SUPPLY | Luxman & YG Acoustics

Marking a full century of audio manufacturing, this room was LUXMAN’s centennial celebration. Dominating the double-width, wire-suspended Taiwanese Soundtamer rack was a formidable digital audio stack: the Luxman NT-07 network transport and commemorative D-100 SACD player feeding the dual-mono DA-07X DAC, all routed through the reference C-10X preamplifier. Sitting quietly on static display was the L-100 Class-A integrated amplifier, winking at visitors with its classic twin VU meters.

Muscle duties for the live demonstration fell to a pair of monolithic Luxman B-100 monoblocks. Tipping the scales at over 60 kilograms apiece with a massive 160,000µF capacitor reservoir, these power plants drove the precision-machined aluminum cabinets of the YG Acoustics Vantage 3 floorstanders with absolute composure. Tethered by python-thick speaker cables resting on acrylic bridges, the system delivered an effortlessly commanding presentation—combining beautiful imaging with the lush, liquid refinement that only a century of continuous circuit tuning can yield.

Room 924: 玻音先創 GLASS ACOUSTIC INNOVATIONS | GlaXfi

Shifting from traditional driver materials into pure science fiction, GAIT showcased their patented ultra-thin glass acoustic diaphragms under the GlaXfi banner (powered by GAIT). Framed by rose-gold baffles, the lineup featured the BSP-24 passive and BSA-24 active bookshelf monitors alongside the flagship FSP-26 floorstanders. Listening to music pushed through literal glass cones is initially unnerving, but the extreme rigidity rewarded the room with shockingly transparent, uncolored highs and rapid-fire transient speed, proving glass can be far more acoustically gifted than fragile.

Room 949: 雅士 ACE AUDIO | Roksan, Monitor Audio & Leema Acoustics

This room hit a sweet spot between sleek British industrial design and high-octane performance. Driving the system was Roksan’s new Caspian 40 series streaming integrated amplifier, fed by a Leema Acoustics Antila IIS ECO CD player. The main spotlight, however, belonged to Monitor Audio’s Gold 100 6G standmount speakers.

Rooms 950 & 901: 瑩聲 JADEX AUDIO | Gold Note, PMC, Spendor, Manunta & Zorin Audio

This two-room offered a clever split personality, dividing full-system auditioning from an active vinyl marketplace. Room 950 served as the primary listening environment, bringing a splash of Italian flair to traditional British acoustics. Anchored by Gold Note’s IS-1000 all-in-one streaming amplifier in champagne gold, stacked alongside a Manunta Classic amplifier and an Inakustik power isolation unit, all grounded by an Entreq Tellus 3 box, the demo smoothly alternated between slender PMC Prophecy5 floorstanders and retro-styled Spendor Classic 2/3 standmounts for a rich, room-filling presentation.

Down the hall in Room 901, the setting transformed into a “crate-digger’s” sanctuary. While attendees flipped through rows of physical media a secondary listening station kept the mood lively with accessible PMC Prodigy speakers were fed by a Zorin S0 turntable equipped with a Shelter MC cartridge, flanked by compact Cyrus stacks and Volumio streamers. They even served some lovely hungarian wines!

Room 902: 哈博 HUB AUDIO | Rotel, Michi, TriangleArt, & Quested

Room 902 was an exercise in bold visual contrasts, anchored by a striking, neon-red acrylic Basis Bravo turntable spinning vinyl through a TriangleArt Zeus MC cartridge. Main speaker duties were handed to a pair of compact SV-Audio GRO two-way speakers, driven by Rotel’s newly launched Michi Q430 transport and high-current Michi X430 integrated amplifier, which, in true Asian trade show fashion, remained meticulously clad in protective factory foil and stickers. Tucked onto the side shelving for desktop audio fans was a neat nearfield setup: compact Quested V2104 active studio monitors paired with Rotel’s desktop-friendly DX-3 and DX-5 DAC/headphone amps.

Room 904: 台笙 TAISHENG | Accuphase, Fyne Audio & TAOC, 440 Audio

Accuphase, TAOC and Fyne Audio – sometimes I feel they are the same company as I always see them together. For this show they had two room, one room filled to the brim that I was only able to take a bad image from above the head of the people. The next room was built around a full on champagne-gold separates. The DP-770 SACD player connected to the DC-500 DAC and followed down to the C-2900 preamplifier, that was powered by the PS-1250 power supply, along with the A-80 Class A power amplifier. For the analogue chain it started with the Accuphase C-57 phono stage that connected to the czech 440 Audio G2 Art Light Green turntable bearing the Dynavector DV 507 MkII tonearm and the Accuphase AC-6 cartridge.

Sitting on the floor like a high-tech console was the rarely talked about DG-78 Digital Voicing Equalizer, showing off its real-time room-correction graph on a built-in touchscreen. For speakers, the room alternated between Fyne Audio’s new active Cubitt 5 monitors and their new F1 8S towers topped with SuperTrax supertweeters.

Room 906: 環球知音 COSMOS HIFI | Linn

Linn took over Room 906 with a clean, surgical aesthetic centered around their flagship 360 floorstanders finished in Alpine White. Feeding these active, Power DAC-driven towers was a sleek Selekt DSM network hub alongside the iconic Sondek LP12 turntable spinning transparent vinyl up top. The entire front-end rested on Symposium Ultra and MystJ Audio Design isolation platforms, with line noise tamed by Telos grounding gear.

Room 907: 熊快樂 VERY MUSIC | Audionet, Crystal Cable & Sforzato

Guarded by plush teddy bears, this room setup nuclear German energy against delicate Dutch jewelry. Audionet’s massive Stern preamplifier and twin 66kg Heisenberg monoblocks were fed by a Sforzato digital front-end, routing massive current through paper-thin Crystal Cable wiring into the diminutive Crystal Cable Arabesque Minissimo Diamond standmounts. There was some serious science behind these small speakers, and the system building was deliberate; the sound was beautiful, although the visual comedy of connecting nuclear-grade power plants to small amber-gold monitors was hilarious.

Room 923: 勝旗 WINKEY | Esoteric & Vivid Audio

Clad in a shimmering chameleon midnight-blue finish, the alien-contoured Vivid Audio Giya G1 Spirit floorstanders looked ready to communicate with deep space. Driving these organic sculptures was a double-rack armada of Esoteric flagship electronics, featuring their top-tier Grandioso digital front-end and preamplification stack. Anchoring the system on the floor were two monolithic Esoteric Grandioso M1X monoblock power amplifiers underlit in neon blue. The setup merged Laurence Dickie’s resonance-free cabinet geometry with Japanese digital precision, resulting in a presentation that was as visually otherworldly as it was dynamically effortless.

Room 922: 上瑞 SOUND RAY | Marten & MSB Technology

Making its official Taiwan debut, the Marten Dexter Quintet floorstanders grabbed the attention, showcasing the Swedish manufacturer’s latest design direction in light oak cabinets with custom driver integration. Source and amplification duties were handled by MSB Technology, starring their stacked three-chassis Cascade DAC up top and a massive MSB S500 stereo power amplifier resting on the floor platform. Tied together with Jorma Paragon and Statement series cables, a PureTek Audio Alpha network switch, and Lightspeed C-D6 power conditioning, the room styishly combined Scandinavian aesthetic minimalism with ultra-resolving American DAC architecture.

Room 908: 熊快樂 VERY MUSIC | Aura, Atlantis Lab, Sforzato, swisscables & Albedo

Leaning into refined Japanese sleekness and French acoustic muscle, Room 908 celebrated 35 years of Aura with the rebirth of the LCC1 preamplifier and matching LCP1 power amplifier. Built around discrete EXICON MOSFET circuits, the ultra-slim Japanese pair packs serious engineering into its slender chassis—the LCC1 housing a fully balanced preamp with an integrated MM phono stage and 4.4mm balanced headphone drive, while the LCP1 delivers 75 watts per channel of single-ended push-pull power (bridgeable to 150 watts BTL).

Driven digitally by a Sforzato front-end and wired with swisscables alongside Albedo pure silver monocrystal looms, this minimalist stack effortlessly drove a pair of French Atlantis Lab AT23 PRO floorstanders. The combination offered a masterclass in visual understatement, proving that a mid-century modern aesthetic can deliver a smooth, refined tonality in true Japanese fashion without requiring a rack full of monolithic steel.

Room 909: 巴洛克 ANSBACH ACOUSTIC | Franco Serblin, EAM Lab & Rockna

Oozing Italian flair with a distinct hint of esoteric hi-fi tweaking, this room paid tribute to speaker design royalty through Franco Serblin’s acoustic legacy, featuring the Accordo standmounts and Accordo Essence towers alongside the flagship Ktêma. It was a masterclass in haute couture woodworking, wrapping solid walnut, lute-shaped cabinets and stringed grilles around high-end drivers. Providing muscle was EAM Lab’s thoroughbred, full-chrome-plated Classic 302i integrated amplifier, looking like a mirror-finished engine block sitting directly on the carpet. Digital duties fell to Rockna’s Wavedream DAC and Wavelight server, while ASI LiveLine cables and those curious little acoustic resonator pegs were systematically pinned across the walls—proving that even high-fashion Italian woodwork occasionally demands a touch of room-tuning sorcery.

Room 911: 波音聲技 POINT AUDIO TECH | SPEC & Purism One

Point Audio offered a much-needed palate cleanser from the trade show’s endless sea of monolithic brushed aluminum. The system was anchored by SPEC’s new RSA-EX1000 “Real Sound” integrated amplifier and matching RMP-DAC3EX DAC, both proudly wearing their signature vibration-damping wooden bases and bright orange accents. They were tasked with driving the Purism One monitors—a delightfully retro-modern coaxial design featuring striking forest-green baffles mounted on walnut cabinets. The resulting setup was a minimalist, organic-looking retreat, proving that serious Class-D amplification can still come dressed like a traditional acoustic instrument rather than a sterile server rack.

Room 921: 極品 TOP AUDIO | Estelon, PrimaLuna, Aurender, Tien Audio & Ortofon

Top Audio’s presentation was a masterclass in visual whiplash, happily throwing space-age Baltic acoustics into bed with old-school tube topology. Dominating the floor space were the Estelon YB Mk II floorstanders, their asymmetrical cabinets looking less like traditional speakers and more like alien monoliths poured from liquid obsidian. Feeding these sculptural towers was an Aurender network transport stacked just above the glowing glass of a PrimaLuna EVO series tube integrated amplifier, while a PureTek Audio switch handled networking duties quietly from the carpet.

Yet, for all the high-gloss modernism in the room, the absolute scene-stealer sat right at the top of the rack: Tien Audio’s 10th Anniversary turntable. Resting on a solid walnut plinth, it featured a thick, frosted acrylic platter underlit to cast an ambient, radioactive-warm glow across the room. More importantly, it was armed with Ortofon’s newly released flagship MC X50 moving coil cartridge. Marrying Tien’s high-tech triple-motor belt-drive system with the micro-ridge diamond and pure silver coils of the X50 resulted in a mesmerizing, dead-quiet analog presentation as it chewed through some transparent green vinyl—proving that serious analog rigs don’t necessarily have to look like sterile laboratory equipment to sound completely dialed in. Loved Mr. Tien’s “Local Made” shirt, it matched the message very well!

Room 912: 日日升 TRACER TECHNOLOGY | Tracer

Tracer Technology went all-in on industrial aluminium overkill in Room 912, fielding a complete single-brand ecosystem sculpted like aerospace hardware. Tasked with moving air were the TS-1A301 floorstanders, whose 47kg cabinets are CNC-machined directly from solid metal alloy. Power came courtesy of the TS-30 Class AB integrated amplifier—a 16kg vault carved from 6061-T6 aluminium packing a 90,000µF capacitor reservoir—fed digitally by the matching TSQ-01 CD player. Supplying clean current to the entire rig was Tracer’s massive A1 power regenerator, complete with a bright LED readout monitoring real-time voltage. It was a slick, monolithically silver showcase proving that local engineering isn’t afraid to slap a hundred pounds of milled armour around a signal path.

Room 913: 方浪 SQUAREWAVE TRADING | Grimm Audio, Weiss, Plixir & Kroma Atelier

True to form, Squarewave delivered an immaculately curated, effortlessly musical room. The digital front-end was probably an etalon of network streaming, stacking a Grimm Audio MU1 music player atop a full-width Weiss Engineering DAC502, all resting securely above a Plixir Elite balanced power conditioner to keep the hotel’s AC noise firmly at bay.

Tethered by a pair of Viard speaker cables, the signal flowed straight into the handsome wooden cabinets of the Audio First Cadentia 3 standmounts. Delivering crisp imaging and an organic, refined warmth, the setup completely disappeared into the space—leaving behind that reliably pristine, perfectly dialed-in synergy that Squarewave consistently brings to the show.

Room 919: 寬穎 ULTRASCOPE CINEMA SYSTEMS | Kii Audio & Trinnov

Ultrascope bypassed the traditional headaches of amplifier matching entirely, turning Room 919 into a ruthless showcase for DSP supremacy and active acoustics. The main listening area was commanded by the Kii THREE BXT floorstanding system in a sleek metallic grey, while a side table offered an active-audio smorgasbord featuring the compact white Kii SEVEN monitors and the striking, bright-orange Kii THREEs. Armed with a Trinnov Altitude processor handling the heavy computational lifting—and Trinnov’s signature four-capsule 3D calibration microphone proudly displayed front and center on a mic stand—the room was a highly engineered, algorithmic statement that the future of high-end audio doesn’t need passive crossovers.

Room 914: 志仁 SUN BRO’S AUDIO | Thorens, Supex & WestminsterLab

Sun Bro’s Audio offered a shrine to premium analog playback, centering their presentation around an impressive fleet of Thorens turntables. The spotlight shone directly on the TD-124DD Exclusive—beautifully adorned with a glass-encased floral center weight—alongside the TD-1601 (armed with the TP-160 tonearm) and the sleek TD-404DD. Exquisite Supex cartridges were displayed like fine jewelry while WestminsterLab cabling and electronics supported the ensamble.

Room 915: 富禮韻 FULLY INSPIRED TRADING | Amphion & Soulnote

Combination of Finnish acoustic purity and Japanese electronic precision. Adding an exclusive insider element to the room, I had the pleasure of meeting Amphion’s representative, Michael. He shared the details behind the brand’s newest model officially launching in Taipei: the Amphion A15 active loudspeaker. Unveiled right around the show under the tagline “Active Done Right,” the A15 brings their legendary studio monitor neutrality and signature waveguide technology into a streamlined, all-white active platform for the home. It was a fascinating discussion.

On the passive front, the room showcased a pair of Amphion Argon7LX. foorstanders driven by the lovely Soulnote A-2 integrated amplifier and matching D-2 DAC, with a HiFi Rose network streamer serving as the digital transport—all while a pair of oversized plush Snoopy mascots happily supervised the listening session from their wooden stools.

Room 918: 名振 BETTER SOUND | Audio Note UK

Room 918 presented an inviting, all-British ecosystem centered around an accessible gateway into Audio Note UK’s notable tube musicality. The system was anchored by the Audio Note Cobra integrated amplifier—delivering Class A EL34 push-pull power with built-in digital decoding—fed digitally by the matching CDT Zero/II CD transport. Analog spinning duties belonged to a natural light wood TT-One turntable fitted with an ARM-One/II tonearm and IQ1 MM cartridge, routed through an R Zero phono stage. Driving the room were a pair of clean, satin white AX-Two/II standmount loudspeakers on tripod-style stands, delivering an intimate, warm, and mid-range-rich presentation that made this entry-tier Audio Note stack sound effortlessly organic.

Room 917: 富禮韻 FULLY INSPIRED TRADING | Aequo Audio & Soulnote

A stunning showcase and my first encounter with the aerodynamically sculpted Dutch designs of Aequo Audio. Their flagship Adamantis floorstanders were paired with Soulnote’s flagship 3-Series stack, featuring the A-3 integrated amplifier, D-3 DAC, and S-3 SACD player. Together, this ultra-resolving, non-NFB (non-negative feedback) signal chain showered the room with sound, rewarding us with a vast, holographic soundstage and exceptional harmonic weight.

Room 1017: 仩益 SOUND BEST | ELAC & Linear Acoustic

Sound Best brought a powerhouse German-Taiwanese collaboration to Room 1017, placing ELAC’s imposing Concentro M and sleek white Concentro S 507 floorstanders up front, further enhanced by a pair of ELAC 4PI PLUS.V omnidirectional “mushroom” super tweeters. Driving the system was heavy-duty Linear Acoustic amplification—including the LA 200 power amplifier and LA V5 preamplifier—fed digitally by an HZCore transport running through a Chord DAC, while an EAT turntable paired with a Benz Micro phono stage crowned the spread-out rack setup.

Room 1016: 威仕 WEISS AUDIO | ATOLL Electronique

Room 1016 turned into a clean showcase for 100% French-made hifi, featuring a comprehensive lineup from ATOLL Electronique and Davies and Legacy Speakers. The main demonstration system was driven by ATOLL’s flagship silver stack—comprising the ST300 SIG network streamer, PR300 EVO preamplifier, and AM300 SIG power amplifiers with their signature wave-contoured front panels—driving sleek high-gloss black floorstanders. A secondary setup showcased the ST200 SIG streaming with an AM200 SIG power amplifier, while an extensive static display highlighted the brand’s complete range of slimline DACs, streamers, and integrated amplifiers.

Room 1014: 美德聲 MADISON AUDIO | STEIN Music, Origin Live & KR Audio

Room 1014, hosted by Madison Audio, presented a striking visual statement anchored by the towering, high-gloss black STEIN Music High Line Bobby L Signature floorstanders and their unmistakable white central horns. Analog playback was handled by a commanding Origin Live Sovereign Mk4 turntable paired with an Enterprise Mk4 tonearm and a wooden-bodied Soundsmith cartridge. The analog front-end sat atop a rack packed with serious esoteric tube gear, including a ZeroUno digital preamplifier and a KR Audio VA910 amplifier. Wired throughout by Final Touch Audio cables and fine-tuned with an array of STEIN Music acoustic blocks and Origin Live grounding accessories, the room was a masterclass in highly specialized, boutique audio curation.

Room 1020: 卡本特 CARPENTRY INT’L | Vienna Acoustics & JL Audio

Carpentry set up a warm, inviting space in Room 1020, focusing on the refined elegance of Vienna Acoustics. The main system featured their stunning rosewood-veneered floorstanders, powered by an all-Electrocompaniet stack. The Norwegian electronics in – true asian fashion covered in plastic – included the 250R power amplifier and EC 4.8 Preamp with dCS Lina network player. For foundational bass support, a formidable JL Audio subwoofer sat just outside the main speaker pairing, ready to deliver deep, concussive low-end when called upon.

Room 1012: 歐美 OMEGA AUDIO | PASS Labs, Lansche Audio & SAP

Serious heavy metal around Room 1012. The headliner was PASS Labs colossal X350.8 Class-A power amplifier resting on the custom floor rug. This beastly amp, alongside a matching PASS Labs X22 two-box preamplifier and dCS digital source on the SAP component rack, was tasked with driving a pair of striking Goldmund speakers.

Room 1021: 開閎 KAI-HONG AUDIO | USHER Audio

Dropping into Room 1021 was a fun vibe for homegrown heroes USHER Audio, who came ready to show off their latest ND (Neodymium DMD) series. They had a whole family of those signature curved, very old-school wood-trimmed cabinets lined up across the front—from little ND-1 standmounts all the way up to the commanding ND-5 floorstanders standing guard on the outside.

Powering the session was a vintage-spirited rig born from USHER’s legendary history with classic Threshold designs: a massive R-1.5 Class A power amp teamed with a P-307A MKII preamp, fed by an Eversolo streamer up top. Since I’ve got a pair of Dancer “Mini” 2s sitting at home, hearing how their newer generations voice and evolve these designs is always a personal highlight.

Room 1010: 榮鈦 LONG TAI | KENAZ

KENAZ a local active speaker specialist, had a fascinating room showcasing their custom-designed active speakers and some clever accessories. The real conversation piece with Train (the owner and designer) was about their new line of precision 3D-printed vibration absorption feet, engineered with genuine material science behind the lattice structures to manage resonance at a surprisingly competitive price point. Backed by their in-house acoustic design and DSP tuning, the setup offered a brilliant glimpse into local engineering ingenuity that punches well above its weight.

Room 1008: 唐竹 TANG HILL INT’L | SB Acoustics, Elekit & HiFi-Tuning

Tang Hill put together an absolute DIYer’s dream room, demonstrating the impressive Sasandu TX floorstanders from SB Acoustics. These slender cabinets utilize advanced TeXtreme spread-tow carbon fiber drivers, delivering incredible stiffness and low mass. Powering the system was the pair of Elekit TU-8888 tube monoblocks featuring gorgeous, glowing vacuum tubes, while glass-encased displays highlighted HiFi-Tuning’s supreme diamond fuses and esoteric tuning accessories.

Room 1022: 進音坊 GLORIA AUDIO | Lansche Audio & Octave

A curated display of high-end German engineering in Room 1022. The system featured Lansche Audio’s sophisticated No. 5.2 floorstanders—showcasing their signature Corona ion-plasma tweeters capable of massless, lightning-fast high-frequency reproduction, driven by a heavy-duty separates stack from Octave, the MRE 220SE mono power amplifier, HP 700SE preamplifier playing with the T+A MP3100HV multi source digital player.

Rooms 1006 & 1007: 鹿港 LU KANG AUDIO | Lu Kang Audio, KOJO Technology, Keces Audio & Métronome

Lu Kang Audio doubled down across two adjacent rooms, treating showgoers to two distinct, beautifully executed takes on their handcrafted standmount monitors.

Room 1006 served as the spotlight debut for the Lu Kang Audio Spoey 200GD Signature Edition in a matte white finish—a special collaboration integrating Japanese KOJO Technology grounding tech into the speaker’s internal architecture. The electronics featured French digital finesse from Métronome’s Le Player 4 transport and Le DAC 3, backed by Musical Fidelity amplification.

Stepping next door into Room 1007, Lu Kang joined forces with Hui Kang Audio to team their classic wooden-cabinet Spoey monitors with heavy-hitting local electronics from Keces Audio. That system was anchored by an impressive Keces stack—including the S300+ power amplifier, an Euphony digital streamer, and a massive IQRP-3600 quantum resonance power conditioner.

Room 1023: 勝旗 WINKEY ELECTRIC | Avantgarde & Esoteric

Debuting the elegant white Avantgarde Opus 1 active floorstanders, a model originally launched last year right after the Hi-End Asia show in Singapore, this room offered a refreshing, logically straightforward alternative to complex, multi-box separates stacks. The Opus 1 leans heavily into the well-proven philosophy that amplifying a signal after the crossover point yields massive acoustic benefits, and further elevates the execution with Avantgarde’s exceptional horn-loaded engineering to create an insanely solid core for a modern digital reference setup.

Complementing the active horns was Esoteric’s obsessively engineered black-finish digital front end, featuring the N-05XE/B network streamer, K-05XD/B SACD transport, and G-05/B master clock. The pairing proved to be great sounding and very stylish looking match—delivering a seamlessly integrated, deeply enjoyable listening session that let the music breathe with natural speed and authority.

Rooms 1003 & 1004: 笙凱 SHENG-KAI | Penaudio, Perreaux, Silent Angel, TELOS & Super Nova Acoustic

Sheng-Kai split their space into two vastly different experiences, starting in Room 1004 with a serene sanctuary blending Finnish woodworking art with raw New Zealand drive and Asian digital audio. Anchoring the listening rig were Penaudio’s floorstanders—instantly recognizable by their multi-layer birch plywood cabinets—driven with authoritative power by a heavy-duty Perreaux integrated amplifier. Feeding the system was a clean, isolated digital front end from Silent Angel, utilizing their network streamer, Bonn audiophile network switch, and multi-chassis Forester linear power supplies arranged atop an organically carved white bench.

Stepping through the door into Room 1003 shifted the vibe entirely into a high-tech audio powerplant. TELOS Audio Design showcased their flagship lineup with stripped-off lids, exposing the massive copper-jacketed cylinders and dense inductor banks inside their product line. Rather than relying on simple passive draining, active units like the Master Earth Grounding (RAW Edition) and Ultimate Reference GHR use DSP microprocessors to calculate an absolute “zero-potential” reference voltage, pulling chassis noise and ground-plane fluctuations away from sensitive circuitry. Flanked by the monstrous Master Power Station regenerator and sleek Super Nova Acoustic (SNA) noise-reduction modules, it was an impressive flex of Taiwanese engineering dedicated to pushing the noise floor into total obscurity.

Rooms 1001 & 1002: 名傑 ONCEOK | Klipsch, Onkyo, PureAudio, Spotless & Fuyuki Cable

Onceok staged a compelling double feature across Rooms 1001 and 1002, balancing boutique local innovation with iconic East-meets-West system synergy. Room 1002 served as an intimate lab for Taiwanese showcase, pairing PureAudio’s C10 master clock and Lotus DAC5 PRO and Lotus CDT1 CD transport, with Spotless tube amplification, a Tracer A1 power regenerator, and Fuyuki Cable’s heavy-duty power distribution to drive a pair of compact wooden standmounts. Next door in Room 1001, the tempo picked up with a high-profile pairing between American horn royalty and resurrected Japanese Hi-Fi separates: Klipsch’s Heritage Series Forte IV and Heresy IV loudspeakers were driven by Onkyo’s sleek new two-channel flagship stack, anchored by the P-80 streaming preamplifier and M-80 power amplifier. Pulsing behind the M-80’s warm, backlit meters, the system let the Klipsch horns stretch their legs, delivering a punchy, highly dynamic, and addictively rhythmic performance.

Rooms 1049 & 1050: 迎家 AUDIO SUPPLY | QUAD, Wharfedale & NAD Masters

Audio Supply delivered a massive British double-header, anchored by an exciting worldwide debut from Quad.

Room 1050 hosted the Taipei premiere of QUAD’s brand-new Elegan loudspeaker series, spotlighting the Elegan 2 three-way floorstanders alongside a pair of gloss-white Revela 2 towers flanking the room. Driven by a matching QUAD Platina series of electronics.

Next door, the presentation built around Wharfedale’s flagship Elysian 4 floorstanders, looking stunning in high-gloss figured walnut. To feed their AMT ribbon tweeters and dual 220mm bass drivers with clean current, Audio Supply paired them with an all-out NAD Masters Series stack—headed by the Masters M66 BluOS streaming DAC/preamplifier driving dual Masters M23 HybridDigital power amplifiers in a monoblock configuration.

Magpie Room 鈦孚 TAIFU AUDIO | Rockport Technologies, Innuos, Constellation Audio & Totaldac

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The Magpie Room offered an uncompromised state of the art setup, anchored by the massive Rockport Technologies Lynx floorstanders. The digital orchestration was the responsibility of Innuos’ flagship multi-chassis digital ecosystem – the Nazaré Main music server, Nazaré Net audiophile switch and Nazaré Flow master clock, feeding the ladder-DAC precision of a Totaldac d1-total. Reference-grade Constellation Audio Altair II preamplifier married to colossal Hercules Mono power amplifiers provided the controller power for the setup.

Even if you managed to pull yourself away from the main sweet spot, the perimeter was pure hi-fi eye candy—lined with static displays of Audiovector loudspeakers, precision T+A and Audio Research electronics, artisan Serblin & Son amplifiers, and gleaming Siltech cables, ensuring every square inch of the room exuded high-end swagger.

Swallow Room 文鴻 BUN HONG | Kharma, Boulder, Brinkmann Audio & Bassocontinuo

They presented a masterclass of pure luxury HiFi, with the Taiwan debut of the stunning Kharma Elegance dB11 Signature. These Dutch floorstanders are dressed in an exotic, high-gloss, mahogany finish and mix “couture looks” with serious driver tech, including proprietary Omega-7 carbon cone drivers and beryllium tweeters.

An all-star stack from Boulder, consisting of the reference 2110 preamplifier and 1162 stereo power amplifier, plus the compact 812 DAC/preamp, and 2108 phono stage gave confident control and brute-force grip.

For analogue duties, the room had a spin on the Brinkmann Bardo direct-drive turntable with the legendary Brinkmann tonearm and the blue-accented Brinkmann Pi MC cartridge tracking smoothly in the grooves. The entire analogue setup was mounted on a dedicated HRS isolation platform, and the electronics stack was placed on Italian-made Bassocontinuo carbon-fiber racks. The sound in the hall was simply majestic: velvety, rich timbres coupled with an effortless soundstage and microscopic retrieval of acoustic detail.

CRANE ROOM: 慧康 HUI KANG | Magico, EMM Labs, J.Sikora & DS Audio

Hui Kang transformed Crane Hall into a tour de force of ultra-high-end fidelity, pairing heavy-metal engineering with optical analog sophistication. The main stage was centered around a pair of Magico floorstanders, driven with iron-fisted authority and velvet refinement by EMM Labs’ massive MTRX2 mono power amplifiers resting directly on the floor. While EMM Labs’ reference digital stack handled digital playback, the analog front-end was also an absolute showstopper: a massive, multi-motor J.Sikora reference turntable equipped with a DS Audio DS Master3 optical cartridge glowing softly at the headshell, backed by Keces Audio power conditioning and David Laboga cabling.

Right bang in the middle of the stack, Keces Audio’s new ultra high-end power regenerator prototype, the UltraVault, acted like a total eye magnet with its glowing porthole display pulling everyone’s gaze inward.

Visually, though? The whole setup was an absolute sensory circus. Between the kaleidoscope of multi-colored chassis, stands, bright LEDs, tiny flags, and a massive, hyper-busy Taipei skyline backdrop, the room felt less like a pristine audiophile sanctuary and more like a neon-drenched night market exploded across a rack. It was the ultimate show-floor irony: an absolute visual cluster, but sonically pure bliss.

PHOENIX ROOM: 柏琦 PO CHI | Zellaton, TechDAS, Vinnie Rossi, HSE Swiss & Schnerzinger

If you wanted to see what happens when financial and room constraints simply cease to exist, Phoenix Room was an absolute must-visit. Po Chi Audio assembled a true cost-no-object titan of a system, anchored dead-center by the undisputed king of analog front-ends: the legendary, limited-edition TechDAS Air Force Zero turntable. Weighing a staggering 330 kg and fitted with a 12-inch Air Force 10 tonearm, this Japanese engineering marvel is a rare “no-budget” statement piece you almost never get to hear in person.

Flanking the stage were the flagship Zellaton Reference Ultra floorstanders from Germany. These 135 kg behemoths utilize Zellaton’s proprietary 2023 diaphragm tech—consisting of 80% air inside to yield extreme rigidity at minimal mass—which helps achieve a high 91 dB sensitivity so they can be driven effortlessly without strain. In a nice touch of show-floor craftsmanship, Zellaton’s owner Michael Schwab personally dialed in the speaker positioning on-site.

Power and signal duties were split across a heavy-hitting international lineup: American Vinnie Rossi Brama monoblock amplifiers provided the power, supported by an ultra-exclusive HSE Swiss preamp and phono stage, alongside Po Chi’s in-house designed Legato DAC.

PEACOCK ROOM: 大道知音 LINGO HIFI | Bowers & Wilkins, McIntosh & Linn

Lingo HiFi assembled a classic triumvirate of high-end titans in the Peacock Room, anchored by a pair of statement Bowers & Wilkins 801 D4 Signature floorstanders in California Burl Gloss finish. Providing dynamic headroom was a stacked wall of McIntosh power, featuring their multi-chassis preamplification and monstrous monoblocks with their iconic blue watt meters glowing in full force. Orchestrating the digital front-end was Linn’s reference network streamer.

SWAN ROOM: 哈博 HUB AUDIO | Göbel High End, WADAX, Vitus Audio & YS Sound

Stepping into the Swan Room was an exercise in sheer acoustic awe, as Hub Audio brought out an absolute heavyweight of cost-no-object audio. Dominating the soundstage were the monolithic Göbel High End floorstanders, looking as imposing as they sounded with their sculptured black cabinets and distinctive gold-trimmed driver surrounds.

To feed these German monsters, Hub Audio assembled a digital front-end dream team centered around the multi-chassis WADAX Reference digital ecosystem—widely regarded as the pinnacle of digital playback—and Vitus Audio’s reference amplification alongside boutique Japanese YS Sound electronics (including the 188jp preamp). Rested atop carbon-styled Cossini equipment racks and connecting with WAY Cables and Skogrand Cables.

If you missed it read TAA Taipei Hi End HiFi Show 2026 Report Part 1 here.

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Gyula Weeber