Bristol is always a highlight in my hifi calendar, thanks to the passion of the brands and vibe that runs through the show.
And this year it felt as welcoming as ever, with audio manufacturers old and new putting their gear through its paces for showgoers across the weekend.
Our visit kicked off with an in-depth demo of ATC’s all new EL50 Anniversary three-way active loudspeaker.
And what a debut it was, as these things sound as exceptional as they look, filling what was a much grander room for ATC this year with ease. From classical music to tracks by Jeff Buckley and Francine Thirteen, the sounds these speakers deliver is astounding. No wonder the ATC team looks so proud, and we’ll be testing them proper later this year.
Here’s part of the reason for their performance – the EL50 A’s internal power supply, with four toroidal supplies per speaker, built to the brand’s exacting standards.
We managed to get some time in Fyne’s grand demo space before the crowds descended, to soak up the sights and sounds of the brand’s F704SP speakers in walnut wood finish. And boy did they have a lot to offer, sporting 300mm IsoFlare point source drivers, with 25mm SuperTrax external high-frequency units boasting a Thin Ply Carbon Diaphragm (TPCD).
How did they sound? Foxy PR guru Richard Stevenson’s face says it all (he also took first prize for shirt of the show).
Another Bristol debut, Rega’s yet to be released AOS moving-coil phono pre-amp showing off its internals. This new model will bridge the performance gap between the Fono MC MK4 and flagship Aura.
Chatting with Paul Mitchell of Mitchell Acoustics was such a delight, as was experiencing his bespoke demo desk, able to switch across the brand’s highly affordable and great sounding speakers in seconds. The deck in the centre is the uStream TT1, with bronze finish arm and platter plus Bluetooth output. The price? Just £199, including Audio-Technica pick-up.
Perhaps even more impressive though is the LP Paul was presenting, which he put together and plays on, alongside a stellar cast list of musicians from Leo Sayer and John Cooper Clarke to Richard Thompson and Hugh Cornwell – with all proceeds going to Cure Parkinson’s. You can find out more and order it from the Cure Parkinson’s website.
The Chord Company always pulls out all the stops for its demo room, and marking the brand’s birth year for them it was all about celebrating the songs and artists of 1985.
Bringing things bang up to date were two new product teasers from Chord Co. The one on the right is the new V-Link speaker cable system for its Epic, Signature, SarumT and ChordMusic speaker cables, replacing the jumper system when biwiring, by giving each set of terminals dedicated equal spurs that connect on to the standard cable ends.
Here’s the SarumT V-Link variant in action, hooked up to Monitor Audio Gold 500 6G loudspeakers to stunning effect, as demonstrated by Bronski Beat, followed by Fine Young Cannibals for a full on ’80s experience.
And speaking of Monitor Audio, the MA Group had arguably one of the best dressed rooms in the show that was more modern aspirational home than Bristol hotel room.
Here’s me trying to do it justice with an ‘arty’ shot of the newly released Caspian 4G pre/power amps on Blok Stax modular rack driving flagship MA speakers. Gorgeous.
I loved this understated system from Creek, topped off with its legacy Windsor turntable which despite being discontinued in 2010, looked and sounded every bit as fresh as the new decks on demo at the show. Quality lasts, as they say.
There was nothing sheepish about Welsh audio specialist Leema’s demo room, being driven by the brand’s new 100 Series of electronics.
Now this is something very special from Audio Resurgence (aka Alchemist of old). An all new Kraken model that builds on the original with added Tim de Paravicini internals, that was never released back in the day and has just been made real.
And if that wasn’t enough, AR also had its all-new standalone phono stage on display. I’m so excited to see this brand back, and with prices that aren’t far off the originals’ from three decades ago.
Another blast from the past made modern for 2026, this time from Ruark with its new Talisman R floorstanders. The finish on these is just so stylish, as is the rest of Ruark’s range.
Michell’s recently released Revolv and Gryo decks were on full demo in PMC’s room, with packed talks on their updated tech throughout the show. And here’s Charlie who was on hand to talk about how the upgrades still retain that all important Michell DNA.
Steinway Lyngdorf is another company that ploughs its own audio furrow, and Marketing Director Roland Hoffman did some excellent demonstrations on how its FR-2 full range loudspeakers, driven by the brand’s TDAI-2210 streaming amp, work in harmony with a room’s boundaries, for impressive real-world results.
Speaking of driving rooms with dramatic effect, Acoustic Energy’s AE1 40th Anniversary model did things in this grand space no speaker of this size and price should have the right to do. They look stunning too.
What happens when you ask GIK Acoustic‘s David Shevyn what the effect is when you add the company’s stylish acoustic treatment panels to a given listening space? The reaction says it all.
Origin Live had a suite of its luxurious turntables and tonearms on demo and display, as we’ve come to expect at this show. And also debuting for the first time was the brand’s new Ground Anchor add-on that was garnering plenty of attention.
Lifting the lid on Audio Note’s OTO SE 35th Anniversary Edition integrated amp, and doesn’t it look first class.
Henley Audio was out en masse with showcases from across its brand portfolio, including gear from Rotel, Piega and of course, Pro-Ject.
This is the latest addition to the Debut range, the flagship Reference 10 with 10″ tonearm, acrylic platter and upgraded diamond-cut aluminium sub-platter.
For this room, Henley amassed a cracking system, comprised of Musical Fidelity B1xi amp, B1xCD (both coming soon), Pro-Ject Debut EVO 2 deck and Phono Box-S3 B, all feeding Heco Direct Premium speakers.
Out of shot but also on display was Musical Fidelity’s soon to be released M5xi and M6xi integrated amps.
As well as a gifted loudspeaker designer Jes Kerr is also one of the nicest blokes you can meet in hifi. His imposing three-way K200 loudspeakers pictured on the pop-up here (complete with 10″ bass drivers and ribbon tweeter) were on demo for real with a full Cyrus Audio rig that made for a formidable setup.
As its marketing blurb says, Ultrafide is continuing to make pro sounds homebound, with the release of its ENSO integrated, paving the way for a wider ENSO range, seen here atop its behemothic Dias-U8 power amp in the foreground.
And here’s the men behind the metal, the Ultrafide crew doing their best boy-band stance. Take it away boys…
Elite Audio presented two systems to cater for hifi needs large and small. On the petite side was Lindemann’s Woodnote Solo all-in-one pushing Revival Audio Atalante 3 standmounts, while the rest of the rack hosted Electrocompaniet electronics married to Audio Physic Classic 25 40th Anniversary Edition floorstanders.
Like hifi’s Robson and Jerome, hifi legends Dom Dawes (PR Consultant) and Elite Audio’s Graham Hanks putting the world to rights.
Advance Paris offers a whole lotta hifi for the cash, with a gamut of gear that are fully loaded across digital and analogue inputs. Here’s its A8, A10 and A12 Apex amps, built around tube/Class AB solid state hybrid tech.
Distributed by Decent Audio, other gear being proudly showcased was Dual’s latest decks including the newly released CS 718Q which was getting its UK debut alongside Scansonic HD’s latest loudspeakers.
And if you needed some tunes to spin, the chaps at Diverse Vinyl were on hand to meet all of your LP needs, with releases so hot, shorts were required!
Lockwood has a fascinating backstory that needs to be told. Here’s Operations Director Andrew Provan presenting the petite Universal Stanley 1 with 5” source point driver. Made in the UK, the speaker can be ordered in any Pantone colour of your choosing.
Where REL’s John Hunter’s gets his energy from I do not know, but I want some of it!
We caught him at 5pm for an insightful demo that brought to life the tech and performance that makes REL so well respected.
And this was just one one half of REL’s system with DALI’s uncompromising Epikore 11 floorstanders partnering a trio of REL’s Carbon Special Black Label subs and Hegel monoblock power amps, driven by Esoteric and Innous source electronics. And the results? I cannot recall ever hearing subs combine speed, attack and sheer power on such a scale – simply awesome.
DALI had other delights on demo across the show too, including its affordable yet slick looking new Sonik models and colourful Kupid line.
Probably the most unassuming box in the show, Focal’s Mu-so Hekla. We were treated to a blast of music and partnering cinema from this thing and the way it can fill a room is astounding.
You got the power? Then IsoTek has got the gear to ensure it’s well served when feeding your hifi, with a range of cables, mains suppliers and DC blockers on offer and on demo. They were great value too with some excellent show special deals.
The Steel City’s finest, Wilson Benesch always has a spread of cutting edge kit to pique your audio interest, and this year it didn’t disappoint, especially thanks to its new Horizon three-way floorstander.
Our final treat of the show came from our friends at Dynaudio. As not only was their room and speakers on fine song (as they always are at this show), with packed listening sessions throughout, they also added more than a sprinkle of broadcasting royalty thanks to Bob Harris, who sat down to talk all things Bowie, Bolan and broadcasting. An experience to treasure.
Thanks to all the brands, staff, showgoers and friendly faces that made Bristol 2026 such a joy to visit.
