Best in Show at Audio Advice Live 2025: Audio, Video and Home Theater

Audio Advice is one of those rare retailers of high end audio/video and home theater gear that have survived the migration to online sales. The company currently operates three stores in North Carolina (in Raleigh, Charlotte and Wilmington) with a fourth store under development in Nashville, TN as well as a full-featured online store, loaded with helpful reviews, tools and tutorials. The company also hosts an event that is turning out to be one of the best showcases for high end audio and home theater gear, called Audio Advice Live.

Audio Advice Live 2025 was held at the Sheraton Downtown hotel in Raleigh, NC August 1-3, 2025. As in previous years, it was open to the public (for a reasonable fee) and to members of the media. With over 60 different experience rooms for high quality 2-channel audio, multi-channel audio and home theater, Audio Advice Live is like a Disneyland for audio and video hobbyists and gear aficionados. After spending 3 days in dozens of rooms and booths, here are our votes for “Best in Show” at Audio Advice 2025.

Best Home Theater Accessory: Audio Advice Revelation Luxury Home Theater Seating

If you feel like binging the latest “Squid Game” season or settling in for a “Lord of the Rings” marathon, you’ll want a comfortable seat with nice amenities and features, and the Audio Advice Revelation Luxury is definitely that. It is an upgraded version of their Revelation theater seat, building on the previous version’s strengths and adding even more features and functionality.

Crafted from supple and comfortable “vegan leather,” and a firm but pliable foam core, the Revelation Luxury doesn’t just recline, it has a fully adjustable motorized recline function with adjustable lumbar and head support so you can tweak the position to suit your specific preferences. And it only needs about 2.5 inches of wall clearance behind it so it can fit in even a small living room or home theater space.

The Revelation Luxury now includes massage and heating functions, built in USB-C charge port and fully motorized controls, conveniently located on the edge of the cup holder (not inside the seat itself) for easy access. A removable swiveling table is included with each seat purchase, which stores out of the way inside the armrest when not in use. The seat can be configured as a single, double, triple or quad. There’s even a love seat style version with no armrest between the seats so you can snuggle up with your sweetie. And while the “list price” of $2499 may be a bit daunting (but still cheaper than most competitive models), they’re offering it at launch for just $1349, which is a small premium over the previous Revelation model. You can read more about it here.

Where to buy: $2,499 $1349 at Audio Advice

Best Stereo Speakers: Bowers & Wilkins 801 Abbey Road Edition

Few speaker companies can claim to be a “studio standard” but when your speakers are used as a reference inside the legendary Abbey Road studio in London, you get to brag a little. In honor of that, Bowers & Wilkins have released a limited edition “Abbey Road” version of their 801 D4 Signature loudspeakers for $70,000/pair. The speakers feature accent colors and finishes inspired by the classic mixing gear used during the heyday of analog studio recording in the mid to late 20th century.

Though their design is gorgeous, it’s the sound that sets them apart with a well balanced presentation from top to bottom, precise timbral fidelity and excellent imaging. Only 140 pairs have been made so those interested in bringing home this little slice of audio history might want to check them out before they’re all spoken for. Learn more about the Bowers & Wilkins 801 Abbey Road Limited Edition Loudspeakers.

Best Budget Home Theater Speakers: SVS Ultra Evolution System

You can always count on SVS to make a statement at a show. Normally that statement is “you don’t need to spend as much on your audio system as you did on your car… or your house… to get good sound.” SVS was showing off their Ultra Evolution speaker line in a compact bookshelf-based 5.1.2-channel Dolby Atmos immersive surround system. While the Ultra Evolution Pinnacle towers are mighty impressive, much of their dynamic, rich sound can be experienced in the much smaller Ultra Evolution Bookshelf speakers ($599/each). These sounded surprisingly full and dynamic on their own but even better with the help of the company’s powerhouse SB-5000 R|Evolution sub ($1,999) added to handle the low frequencies.

Teamed up with an Ultra Evolution Center ($799), a pair of Ultra Evolution Nano ($899/pair) in the rear and a pair of Ultra Evolution Elevation ($899/pair) speakers installed at the very top of the front wall to handle height channels, the total speaker system cost came in at under $6,000. Those on a tighter budget might consider a less expensive subwoofer option, particularly if you’re rocking a smaller living room or home theater. But I will say that bombastic 15-inch sub monster helped the SVS “budget” system outperform several higher-priced systems at the show.

Best Home Theater System Under $25,000: Epson LS9000 with Polk Speakers/Denon Receiver

Epson unveiled their new ProCinema LS9000 projector at the show. It’s a true 4K 3-chip LCD laser-lit home theater projector with support for HDR10 and HDR10+ and 2200 Lumens of peak brightness. They paired the projector with a surround sound system comprised of a Denon AVR-A10H receiver and Polk Reserve Series loudspeakers. Including the 120″ Stewart Filmscreen Cima Neve screen, the total system cost came in at under $21,000, not including the Kaleidescape Strato V media player ($4,499). This is less than what some people pay for cables in some of the more pricey home theater systems.

Although this particular system lacked height channels, demo clips including “Top Gun: Maverick” offered stunning visuals and immersive surround. Adding either reflective or in-ceiling height speakers wouldn’t add more than $1,000-$2,000. So even including source devices and height speakers, you’d still be in the $25K range (not including installation). Learn more about the Epson LS9000 4K Projector.

Best Home Theater System Under $200,000: JVC Projector with MartinLogan Speakers, Trinnov Processor and Amplification

Although there were several home theater systems at Audio Advice Live 2025 that impressed us, few were as impactful and immersive as the MartinLogan/Trinnov/JVC system in the Capital Room at the Sheraton. With full-range electrostatic speakers for main channels and surrounds, eight powered subwoofers and ceiling speakers with Folded Motion tweeters and carbon fiber woofers, the system provided a deep and wide immersive soundstage on movies and music with airy transparency.

The 7.8.4-channel system included a pair of Renaissance ESL 15A speakers ($14,499/each) for left and right and an Illusion ESL C34A center channel speaker ($9,499). For side and rear surrounds, they used four of the ElectroMotion ESL X speakers ($2,249/each). To provide the bass, there were four of the company’s upcoming Grotto 15 powered subs (Price TBD) in the front as well as four Grotto 12 powered subs (Price TBD) in the rear. In-ceiling speakers were the Sistine 4XC ($2,199/each).

On power and processing duty, the company used a Trinnov Altitude16 preamp/processor ($19,500) and Trinnov Amplitude 16 power amp ($12,500). The projector was JVC’s flagship DLA-NZ900 ($29,999) and the screen was a 180-inch Stewart Filmscreen. Movie playback was courtesy of a Kaleidescape Strato V player ($4,499) paired with a Kaleidescape Terra Prime Movie Server ($17,995).

We watched and listened to clips from “Top Gun: Maverick,” “Ready Player 1,” “Encanto” and “Passengers” and found that the on-screen action was perfectly tracked in the room, bass was deep and taut while dialog and vocal singing tracks were crystal clear.

Best Bass Response: Trinnov WaveForming System with Ascendo Speakers & Subwoofers

At previous CEDIA Expos, we’ve always been impressed by the Trinnov WaveForming demos. WaveForming is a technique that allows a home theater system to offer deep precise bass response to every seat in the room, not just a narrow “sweet spot.” It does this by using a “double bass array” (DBA) which is an array of subwoofers in the front of the room to transmit the bass and a second array of subwoofers at the rear of the room to absorb or cancel out that bass. Trinnov’s WaveForming processing adjusts the bass going to each subwoofer in both the frequency and time domains in order to prevent standing waves or room modes from creating uneven bass response at different positions in the room.

Trinnov reps told us at the show that they’re able to tweak the overall room response so that bass frequencies only vary plus or minus a single decibel (+/- 1dB) when measured in multiple positions in the listening area. In other words, every seat is a sweet spot.

At Audio Advice Live, Trinnov partnered with long-term collaborators Ascendo Immersive Audio to create a home theater system with six Ascendo THE 16 subwoofers ($3,650 each) in the front and another six in the rear, plus an additional massive 32-inch infrasonic sub in the rear of the room to provide bass response below the limits of human hearing and to help pressurize the room. That sub alone, with its 10kW power amp, sells for $36,100.

Speakers used throughout the system were Ascendo on-wall coaxial speakers, with “The12” ($3,550/each) in the front left, center and right, “The10” ($2,550/each) as ear-level surround speakers and “The6 WEDGE 30” on-ceiling height speakers. The full system designation is 11.13.8 – eleven surround speakers at ear level, 13 powered subwoofers and eight height speakers.

A Trinnov Altitude32 processor ($42,000) and two Amplitude16 amplifiers ($12,500 each) were used for WaveForming processing and to power the speakers. The subwoofers each had their own built in amplification. Video duties were handled by a Kaleidescape Strato V media player ($4,499), MadVR Envy Extreme Mk. II video processor ($15,995), JVC DLA-NZ900 projector ($29,995) lighting up a Stewart Filmscreen acoustically transparent woven screen.

In a series of clips from both movies and music, bass response was both precise and extended. Walking around the room I could confirm that I did not hear any areas of diminished – or excessive – bass. The whole system offered excellent audio and visuals with rich bright colors and outstanding dynamic range as well as precise placement of sounds throughout the room.

So yes, all told, the system cost was a bit over $250,000, but as they say, “you get what you pay for.”

Best Home Theater Under $250K: FOCAL Utopia Cinema Loudspeakers with Naim Amplification

Focal offered a strong showing in home theater sound with their brand new Focal Utopia Cinema loudspeakers. They combined five of the Utopia Cinema LCR speakers ($11,999 each), four Cinema SUBs ($5,999/each), two Focal 1000 IWLCR Utopia in-wall speakers for side surround ($8,499/each), paired with two Focal 1000 IWSUB Utopia in-wall passive subs ($3,299/each) and four Focal 1000 ICLCR5 in-ceiling speakers ($2,699/each) for height effects for one very special 7.4.4-channel home theater speaker system.

The system was driven by a Focal Astral 16 ($23,999) processor and powered by four Naim CI-NAP 101 power amplifiers ($1,999/each). Sources include an Apple TV 4K ($149) and a Kaleidescape Strato V Movie Player ($4,499). The projector was Sony’s VPL-GTZ380 ($88,000) lighting up a 200-inch screen. Vicoustic Room treatment (Multifuser DC3+Cinema Round Premium) was used in order to optimize the sound in this rather large hotel meeting room. Total cost of the system was a bit below $250K with around $150K of it comprised of the audio system, including the Focal processor/amp, speakers and Naim amplification.

With an assortment of movie clips and music, the Focal/Naim system offered outstanding clarity and dynamics and excellent spatiality. Particularly impressive were Dolby Atmos music tracks including the remixed “Rocket Man” (Elton John) in all its immersive glory and a custom Dolby Atmos remix of Rufus Du Soul’s “On My Knees” in Dolby Atmos, complete with Dolby Atmos renderer visualizations thanks to TechnoDad himself – Channa D.

While the clip from “Die Another Day” sounded dynamic and immersive, it was on Dolby Atmos music tracks that the Focal system really shined, with instruments, voices and effects pervading the entire room, front to back, side to side and top to bottom. Movie lovers who also appreciate music in surround are gonna love these Focal speakers.

Best One-Piece Soundbar: KEF XIO

With very few exceptions, one-piece soundbars don’t impress me. KEF’s brand new XIO soundbar ($2,499) is one of those exceptions. It uses both top-firing and side-firing drivers to create immersive 5.1.2-channel sound from a single box. That’s without any discrete rear speakers. Of course, the XIO would sound even better with rear speakers, and KEF reps told as that this option is planned for later in the year, though they do not have any details yet. But even without rear channels, the XIO created a convincing immersive soundstage thanks in part to the room it was in, with relatively low ceilings and parallel walls that reflected sound from above and to the sides very effectively.

I heard the XIO with one of KEF’s tiny cube subwoofers, the KC62 ($1,699) but KEF tells us that the bar can reach down to around 40 Hz on its own. They say they added the subwoofer just for that lowest octave (20 Hz to 40 Hz) and actually had set their crossover to 42 Hz which meant the bar was providing bass from that frequency and up.

Whether playing music or movies, the KEF XIO offered up a lively, dynamic, natural sound with excellent immersion. Solo piano is hard to reproduce on regular speakers, let alone on a soundbar, but the XIO realistically captured the size, position and tonality of a grand piano in a piano rendition of Pink Floyd’s “Breathe.” The XIO can work with multiple wireless subwoofers and can also work with traditional wired (powered) subwoofers for maximum flexibility. It can also be mounted either horizontally or vertically (wall mount) and an internal gyroscope automatically adjusts the speaker configuration for proper channel assignment.

Best Audio Accessory: IsoAcoustics GAIA Neo Series Isolation Feet

IsoAcoustics continues to refine its popular line of acoustic isolation feet for speakers (and for components and racks). There’s a reason companies like JBL, Sonus faber, PSB and Perlisten partner with IsoAcoustics to include their isolation technology on many of their high performance loudspeakers.

The company’s newest GAIA Neo line of isolation feet were on display at Audio Advice Live with A/B testing allowing us to compare a nice pair of Monitor Audio tower loudspeakers with and without the isolation feet. The pair with the GAIA Neo feet had more clarity, firmer bass response and more precise imaging. Such a simple upgrade that allows you to hear your speakers perform at the top of their game without any invasive or destructive modifications.

The GAIA Neo is height adjustable, and can be raised or lowered by up to 8.5mm (0.34″) without affecting its on-axis alignment. The top of the isolator housing sits flush against the bottom of the speaker, and includes an integrated O-ring that compresses upon installation for a secure fit. The IsoAcoustics GAIA Neo will be available in dark chrome or black. Pricing and availability is not yet available but earlier products in the GAIA line have been quite affordable for the level of performance improvement they bring to the table with a wide variety of speakers.

Best Video Processor: MadVR Envy Core

I admit I’ve never been very excited about video processors. My feeling was that if you use a high quality playback source and plug that into a high quality projector or TV, what could really go wrong? A lot of things, it turns out. While MadVR processors have featured prominently in many of the 6-figure and 7-figure home theater systems on display here at Audio Advice Live and at shows like CEDIA Expo, it’s only recently that the company has been able to reach a more affordable price point.

At $5,795, the MadVR Envy Core is certainly not “cheap,” but it’s about a third of the cost of the company’s flagship MadVR Envy Extreme MK2 ($15,995) and it offers a fair amount of the performance and features of its more expensive brother.

The MadVR Envy Core’s “core” strength is its advanced HDR (high dynamic range) tone mapping. The processor can be configured for your model of TV or projector in order to optimize incoming HDR content to the precise luminance capabilities of your display. This can allow you to view shadow details in dark scenes as well as specular highlights in bright scenes without clipping or loss of detail. The MadVR database includes specs for many different displays but also allows you to input peak luminance values based on a physical measurement of your own individual projector or TV.

The MadVR also includes useful features like subtitle handling which can dynamically move subtitles out of the black letterbox bars on your projector in case you’re using a lens memory system or anamorphic lens to watch your movies and TV shows on a CinemaScope screen. It can also do an intelligent automatic crop and stretch (or squeeze) on native 16:9 or 2.4:1 content to allow it minimize visible black bars without obvious geometric distortion, optimizing the image for your specific screen shape. And the MadVR is particularly adept at upconverting low resolution content and cleaning up low bandwidth streaming sources to look their best on high resolution 4K displays.

But owners don’t have to wonder whether the MadVR Envy Core is doing its job. A split screen function in the processor allows you to view live incoming video before and after processing so you can tweak the settings for your specific tastes. If you’re investing in a high-performance projector or flat panel display, you might consider adding on a MadVR to maximize the performance.

Best Soundbar System: Harman Kardon Enchant 1100

While the KEF XIO is impressive for a one-piece soundbar, we still prefer the sound of a system that uses discrete rear speakers for surround sound. There’s only so much you can accomplish using virtual surround processing and reflective drivers. This is why we were happy to see (and hear) Harman Kardon’s new Enchant series of soundbars. The flagship Enchant 1100 soundbar ($999) can be paired with the Enchant Sub ($449) and Enchant Speaker ($349) to provide an immersive 7.1.4-channel system thanks to upward-firing and side-firing drivers in the soundbar as well as upward firing and front-firing drivers in the Enchant speaker. With sub and rear speakers, the system rings up at $2,146 (MSRP).

Those on a budget can start with the bar itself and add the subwoofer and rear speakers over time. On its own, the Enchant 1100 can produce clear dialog, decent bass, good dynamics and a reasonable surround effect thanks to up-firing and side-firing drivers and the use of Harman’s “Multi-Beam” technology. But adding on the sub and rear speakers turns it into a far more capable sound system.

The Enchant 1100 supports both Dolby Atmos and DTS:X decoding. In addition to the HDMI/eARC port, which is essential to get immersive surround from an attached TV, there’s also a second HDMI port. This is super-handy if you have an older TV or one that doesn’t support Dolby Atmos or DTS:X passthrough.

Where to Buy: Get the Harman Kardon Enchant 1100 Soundbar at Audio Advice

Best Retro-Looking Sound System: Onkyo/Klipsch

Vintage audio gear is undergoing a bit of a revival. If and amp or speaker sounds good and looks like it was made 50 or more years ago, it will have an audience. Several brands like JBL, Yamaha, NAD and KLH are releasing new pieces of gear that have a decidedly retro look. One combo that stood out to us at the show both for the vintage look and powerful stereo sound was Klipsch speakers powered by Onkyo electronics.

The company was showing off their newest Klipsch Forte IV speakers ($5,499/pr) and Klipsch La Scala AL6 ($7,699/pr), driven by Onkyo amplification. While the Fortes were driven by a single integrated amp, the La Scala were tri-amplified with three stereo power amps, complete with the ever-popular bouncing orange VU meters.

Needless to say, the La Scalas, which use horn drivers and are already quite efficient, were able to reach room-shaking sound levels without a hint of distortion or congestion when driven by these three Class A/B amps, which put out 150 watts of high-current output per channel. Sure, you could drive them with a moderately powered receiver, but it wouldn’t look nearly as cool as this.

Best Lifestyle Speaker: Focal Diva Mezza Utopia

We’ve been impressed by Focal’s wireless speakers in the past, namely the Diva Utopia ($39,999). It offers that refined audiophile sound in a simple wireless form factor. Just plug them into wall power, load up the Focal & Naim mobile app, and you’re ready to rock (or chill) without the need for a single interconnect cable, speaker wire or source component. Well they say anything worth doing is worth doing well, so rather than rest on their laurels with the Diva Utopia, the company has just unveiled an upgraded version.

At Audio Advice Live 2025, Focal offered the North American debut of the new Focal Diva Mezza Utopia wireless speakers. Featuring upgraded drivers, more power and a significantly higher price tag ($69,999), the Focal Diva Mezza Utopia stretches the limit of performance and functionality of a “lifestyle” product. We listened to several tracks and were impressed with how dynamic and effortless the system was, with extended bass and rock solid imaging. Read more about the Diva Mezza Utopia.

Best Home Theater System in a Smaller Space: McIntosh & Sonus Faber

While most of the home theater systems at the show were in big ballrooms and meeting rooms, McIntosh and Sonus faber set up a more compact home theater system in a standard hotel room. With five Sonus Faber speakers and four powered Sonus Faber subwoofers, this system sounded breathtaking on movie clips and perhaps even better on music clips. The system also included McIntosh MC1.25KW Quad Balanced monoblock amplifiers dedicated to the main front channels. The non-traditional system had no height channel speakers, but in the hotel room, there was an immense feeling of spaciousness and immersion. 

In the movie “Dune” when Duke Leto is rescuing an ill-fated spice mining mission, the cacophony of sounds from music to swirling wind and blowing sands to Bene Gesserit voices can just come through as a muddied mess on lesser systems. But on the McIntosh/Sonus Faber system, every sonic element had its own part to play in an audio gestalt that perfectly enhanced the on-screen action. A clip from “Sing 2” with a cover of U2’s “Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” sounded gorgeous with articulate vocals, nice attack on the guitar and deep extended bass. More than just “sounding good,” this system evoked an emotional response from the listeners, and that’s something few other systems could claim. 

All in for the electronics and speakers, the system was priced at around $210,000 (not including the video components). If you have a small space – but a big budget – a system like this could be an excellent choice. It could have filled a much larger space as well. Just add more speakers and amps.

Best Two-Channel Streaming System: NAD/DALI

Many of the two channel rooms featured dedicated music streamers but one system caught our eyes (and ears). Lenbrook, parent company of NAD and BlueSound and US distributor of DALI speakers, had a sweet two-channel system featuring the NAD M33 ($6,499) powered streamer and DALI RUBIKORE 8 Speakers ($13,000/pair).

As a powered streamer, NAD’s Masters M33 BluOS Streaming DAC Amplifier is basically an integrated amplifier with built-in music streaming, thanks to BluOS. The unit includes a built-in phono stage, analog and digital audio inputs and stereo power amplifiers rated for 200 Watts/Channel into 8 ohms or 380 watts into a 4 ohm load.

The DALI Rubikore 8 tower loudspeakers feature three 6.5″ woofers, a 1″ dome tweeter, and a 2″ planar tweeter, with individual filters on each driver. Like most DALI speakers, the drivers and cabinets are all hand made in Denmark. The RUBIKORE speakers offer excellent dynamics, and three dimensional imaging with deep extended bass. And all wrapped up in a gorgeous wood veneer cabinet.

Company reps told us that an improved “Version 2” of the NAD M33 powered streamer will be coming later this year.

Best Budget Projector: Epson ProCinema LS9000

For those who want a big screen full-featured home theater on a limited budget, Epson’s new ProCinema LS9000 ($3,999) has a lot to offer: true 4K resolution, 2,200 lumens of white and color brightness, flexible lens shift and a powered zoom lens with lens memory. We saw it live at the show and found it to offer bright dynamic images, lighting up a 120-inch screen from Stewart Filmscreen. Epson’s Rob Brennan demoed a clip from “a documentary about the world’s oldest naval aviator” (a.k.a. “Top Gun: Maverick”) and the fast-moving jets flying over verdant canyons were represented cleanly with nice detail.

The wide range of lens shift allows the projector to be installed on a shelf or ceiling bracket with lots of wiggle room. And the powered zoom lens allows you to save custom lens memory presets in case you’re rocking a CinemaScope (2.4:1) projection screen for that truly cinematic feeling.

Read more about the Epson LS9000 here: New EPSON LS9000 Projector Does 4K for $4K

Best Projector Overall: JVC DLA-NZ900

For those on a less restricted budget, 3-Chip LCOS (Liquid Crystal on Silicon) projectors can create outstanding moving images, particularly in a light-controlled home theater room. And JVC’s DLA-NZ900 ($29,999) is currently one of the best projectors you can buy for under $50,000.

The NZ-900 was used in more than one of the best home theater systems at the show (Trinnov/Ascendo and Trinnov/MartinLogan), and for good reason: it offers excellent color saturation, precise color accuracy and outstanding contrast. It’s peak brightness is rated at 3,300 lumens, it supports 3D content and can actually display up to 8K resolution with pixel shifting (the D-ILA chips’ native resolution is 4K). Motorized zoom, lens shift and lens memory allow for flexible placement and streamlined installation and set-up.

The Bottom Line

This was our first time attending and covering Audio Advice Live, but it certainly won’t be our last. There were dozens of impressive systems on display from the affordable to the cost-no-object. Anyone with an interest in HiFi, high-end audio and video and home theater should check out the show. It’s worth the trip.

Find all this gear for sale at Audio Advice.

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