Had we told international hi-fi enthusiasts fifteen or twenty years ago that one of the world's largest and most important audio shows would one day take place in Warsaw, many would probably have found it hard to believe. Back then, Poland was hardly known as a major market for luxury audio equipment, and the country's own hi-fi manufacturers were only beginning to establish themselves internationally. Yet Audio Video Show, whose history dates back to the 1990s, kept growing almost without interruption, attracting an ever-increasing number of manufacturers, distributors, journalists, and music lovers. What began as a relatively small exhibition in the rooms of a Warsaw hotel has evolved into an event that can hold its own against the biggest audio shows anywhere in the world. The 28th edition occupied no fewer than 196 demonstration rooms across three venues - the PGE Narodowy stadium and the Radisson Blu Sobieski and Golden Tulip hotels. Nearly 700 brands were represented, and more than fifteen thousand people attended. Perhaps even more impressive is the fact that all of this happened over just three days, October 23-25, 2026.

There was a time when connecting a hi-fi system was a fairly straightforward business. You needed a pair of speaker cables, an interconnect between your source and amplifier, and perhaps a few additional wires if you happened to own a particularly elaborate setup. These days, things are rather different. A typical system might include a streamer connected through Ethernet, a DAC receiving music over USB, an optical connection to the television, a coaxial digital transport, an active subwoofer, and perhaps even a good old 3.5 mm headphone jack, which has somehow survived repeated predictions of its imminent extinction. With so many different connections to consider, buying the right cables can become almost as complicated as choosing the equipment itself. British cable specialist QED is hoping to make things a little easier with a comprehensive overhaul of its popular Performance series. The refreshed lineup now consists of 13 models covering practically every common analog and digital connection found in modern audio and home theater systems. The biggest additions are an entirely new speaker cable, matching bi-wire links, and four USB cable configurations, bringing the range up to date with the increasingly diverse ways people listen to music.

Unison Research has always been associated with vacuum tubes, elegant Italian craftsmanship, and a certain old-school approach to music reproduction. Yet the company has never been particularly interested in treating tradition and technological progress as opposing forces. Its latest creation, the Unico DS, is perhaps the clearest expression of that philosophy to date. This flagship digital source combines a network streamer, CD transport, and sophisticated DAC with a fully balanced, Class A tube output stage. At its heart are an ESS SABRE ES9038Q2M converter, advanced digital signal processing, and a proprietary technology called F.D.F. (Frequency-Dependent Feedback). Rather than producing yet another streamer whose main selling point is a slick smartphone app, Unison Research has set out to build a serious source component for high-end stereo systems. The idea is to bring together the precision, transparency, and dynamic capabilities of modern digital audio with the natural presentation and tonal richness that have long defined the company's tube amplifiers.

For many years, Canor built its reputation primarily on tube-based audio equipment, but the Slovak manufacturer has recently been expanding its solid-state offerings with increasing confidence. The latest example of this strategy is the Crius H5S, a compact headphone amplifier, digital-to-analog converter, and preamplifier combined in a single chassis. The new model marks the debut of the Essential Line, a series intended to bring engineering solutions developed for Canor's more expensive components into smaller, more versatile, and more affordable products. Although the Crius H5S has been designed primarily for owners of high-quality headphones, it can also serve as the control center of a compact stereo system, feeding a separate power amplifier or active speakers.

For all the changes the hi-fi industry has gone through over the past few decades, there's something undeniably appealing about a pair of enormous American loudspeakers with big woofers, wide cabinets, and absolutely no interest in blending discreetly into the living room. JBL knows this better than most. The company has spent recent years bringing its most recognizable designs back to life, combining the unmistakable styling of its 1970s classics with modern drivers and acoustic engineering. Now it's taking that philosophy to a whole new level. The newly announced L150 Classic is the largest and most ambitious model in the current Classic series, featuring a massive 15-inch woofer, a dedicated midrange driver, and a titanium dome tweeter, all housed in a substantial three-way enclosure finished in natural walnut veneer. Each speaker weighs approximately 115 pounds, and the famous Quadrex foam grille is present and correct. But perhaps the biggest surprise is where JBL has decided to unveil its latest creation. Instead of choosing an audio show in the United States, Germany, or Japan, the American manufacturer will give the L150 Classic its world premiere at Audio Video Show 2026 in Warsaw, Poland, on October 23-25. Visitors will be the first people anywhere to see the new speakers in person and, more importantly, hear what they can do.

The growing popularity of small tube amplifiers comes with one fundamental problem - not all modern loudspeakers are particularly interested in working with them. Increasingly elaborate driver configurations, relatively low sensitivity, and demanding impedance curves mean that a handful of watts is not always enough, even when the specifications suggest that everything should work reasonably well. The Davis Acoustics Renoir Evolution takes precisely the opposite approach. These are imposing three-way floorstanding speakers equipped with massive 12-inch woofers and weighing approximately 220 lb each, yet they offer a sensitivity of 94 dB and a nominal impedance of 8 ohms, with a minimum of just 5 ohms. The French manufacturer therefore openly suggests that its new speakers should work extremely well with low-powered amplifiers, including single-ended designs based on 300B triodes, which typically deliver around 8-10 watts per channel. In other words, the Renoir Evolution promises the scale and authority of a large, full-range loudspeaker without forcing its owner to invest in an equally enormous solid-state power amplifier.

Fezz Audio continues to refresh its product lineup, introducing another amplifier bearing the MK2 designation. This time, the Polish manufacturer has turned its attention to the Lybra, one of its most sophisticated integrated amplifiers and a design built around the legendary 300B triode. The original model occupied a special place in the company's catalog, combining the distinctive sonic character of directly heated triodes with enough power to drive a somewhat wider range of loudspeakers than most conventional single-ended amplifiers. The new Lybra MK2 retains that fundamental concept but introduces a redesigned signal path, expanded connectivity, and several practical improvements intended to make living with a tube amplifier almost as convenient as owning a modern solid-state integrated. Alongside the new integrated model, Fezz Audio is also offering the Lybra Mono Power Amplifier, a monoblock designed for enthusiasts who prefer separate preamplification and power amplification components.

In the hi-fi industry, a new generation of amplifiers is generally expected to deliver more of everything. More power, more features, better specifications, and, inevitably, a higher price. Manufacturers love being able to announce that their latest model produces another twenty or thirty watts per channel, even if the actual benefits are considerably less obvious than the numbers might suggest. Soulnote has never been particularly interested in playing that game. The Japanese company has now introduced substantially revised versions of three of its most important integrated amplifiers, the A-0, A-1, and A-2, each carrying the ver.2 designation. Their familiar names and understated appearance might suggest relatively modest updates, but the changes go considerably deeper than a few upgraded components. All three have received revised output stages, bias circuits, and power supplies, while the more expensive models incorporate technologies developed for the flagship A-3. Most surprisingly, the new A-2 ver.2 actually produces less power than its predecessor. This isn't a cost-cutting measure or a technical setback. Soulnote has deliberately traded some maximum output voltage for greater instantaneous current delivery, believing that the result will be a more capable amplifier when connected to demanding loudspeakers. It's a decision that tells us quite a lot about the company's approach to audio engineering.

Argon Audio has introduced two new subwoofers, the Berlin Sub 10 and Berlin Sub 12, both designed around the same fundamental concept. They combine sealed enclosures, downward-firing woofers, powerful 500-watt Class D amplifiers, and sophisticated DSP processing. The main difference between the two comes down to driver and cabinet size - the smaller model uses a 10-inch woofer, while its larger sibling features a 12-inch unit. What makes these subwoofers particularly interesting, however, is that Argon Audio has not approached them simply as a way of adding more low-frequency energy to a system. Considerable attention has also been paid to something that often proves more challenging than generating powerful bass in the first place - integrating a subwoofer properly with the main speakers and the listening room. This explains the presence of technologies such as Real Time Bass and Speakermatch, adjustable delay and phase settings, and a three-band notch filter. Both models also support wireless signal transmission through the Matrix Wireless system, making the Berlin Sub 10 and Sub 12 not only powerful but also relatively easy to position and fine-tune for a particular setup.

Most stereo equipment manufacturers would like us to associate their brands with the products at the very top of their catalogs - the finest, most visually striking models, packed with the most advanced technology. When we buy an affordable pair of bookshelf speakers bearing the shiny Bowers & Wilkins logo, we're supposed to picture the Nautilus or those imposing 801 D3s standing in London's legendary Abbey Road Studios. When we pick up a pair of audiophile headphones from Sennheiser, we're meant to feel as though we're getting a little taste of the Orpheus. Marketing and human psychology have always worked this way. Yet while flagship products shape a brand's image, the vast majority of sales come from the entry-level and midrange segments. Basic economics and the distribution of household incomes tell us everything we need to know about that. The interesting thing is that, at least in my opinion, the best way to judge a company's capabilities and the talent of its engineers is to look at the products rolling off its production lines in the greatest numbers. With an unlimited budget, after all, almost anything is possible - seven-foot-tall speakers with space-age drivers suspended in a silver framework, a million-watt amplifier that unfolds like a futuristic sculpture, or cables as thick as a fully grown python that most people would laugh at. Things become considerably more interesting when we introduce some serious constraints, particularly the most important one - money. That's when we discover who can make intelligent engineering decisions and who can't.