The main contribution of the HELSINKI HIFI 2026 was, as in previous years, its atmosphere: relaxed, friendly, non-judgemental (avoiding strong normative claims), in the venue (hotel) that represents best Finnish wooden architecture in the middle of a seaside park. To visit this Show in order to make critical analytical statements about the sound would be missing the point completely. Rather, the Show is about witnessing wildly different approaches to a decent sound, all of which equally valid.

Such as this small system composed of Oephi Audio’s tiny Immanence 2 loudspeaker with Lejonklou Superkikkin & Tundra 3 amplification/Entity MC RIAA, and Kuzma TT and Lejonklou Källa/Tjärn streamers as the source. Cables by OePhia & Lejonklou. Oephi is, as explained by OePhi’s Joakim Juhlin, who was present, known for its obsession with time/phase coherence of its speakers, made possible e.g. by their bold crossovers. Seemed to work. No complaints. Elegant, logical and positive.

Kuzma Stabi R / 4point / CAR-40.

This system reminded me of the one in Stockholm a month ago, except that in instead of high power SET tube amps, the responsibility for driving the hOrns Mummy MK IV speakers was handed over to Soulnote’s transistor amplifiers, including their new RIAA with the option of accepting the signal from an optical cartridge.

This was useful as the Transrotor’s Strato turntable was equipped with DS Audio’s optical cartridge. Cleaner AC was provided by Audes TT-3200DC isolation transformer with a DC blocker and four outputs from a 3000VA transformer plus another four from a 200VA transformer. The demo music was skillfully chosen to tender the special features of the system. Well done! Precise and musical.

These two reasonable size horn systems were demoed in the same room, just as in Stockholm, but this time the room was a way larger. Below is Avantgarde’s new Opus 3 active speaker. Cool sound from cool looking speakers.

Ø Audio’s renewed Icon 12 loudspeaker was now making music with the help of Kora’s amplification. I have great respect for this speaker and its reproduction ability, which was not quite as evident as at the Stockholm fair. Great sound still.

AVM’s chrome plated Rotation turntable with the 10” AVM tone arm, also chromed.

The big Larsens (No 9) convinced again, this time with Thöress’ amplifier and Metronome Audio’s digital front. It’s a pity that acoustic circumstances rarely allow corner placement of the speakers, for in the corners these speakers ought to be.

Metronome Technologie’s Le DAC 3 and Le Player 4+ -streamer/CD Player side by side with Thöress Eintakt hybrid amplifier.

Genelec’s new 8380A SAM, a three-way high-grade studio monitor with an unusually narrow horn profile for the coaxial driver (or so it looked like). Plus the massive 7382A SAM active sub. Hard to say who was in the wrong company: the speakers or the audience. Both were right. This is one of those speakers whose sound cannot be judged until one accepts the convention on which they are based.

What else a reasonable minded audiophile needs: standmounted Guarneri G5 Homage speakers by the Italian Sonus faber, controlled by Audio Research integrated amp, and as the source: Transrotor Dark Star Reference turntable carrying DS Audio DS-E3 optical cartridge together with DS-E3 EQ. Very nice! Audio Research’s new I/70 push-pulla amp delivers, from a set of four 6550s, 70 W of Class AB output power. Cabling and power conditioners by Kimber and Nordost.

Totem’s Tribe Tower Thunderbirds driven by Luxman’s brand new C-10X preamp & M-10X power amp combo. Bold and beautiful.

Luxman PD-151 Mark II turntable, carrying DS Audio’s DS003 optical cartridge.

Dynaudio Contour 20 Black Edition loudspeakers powered by Simaudio MOON 371 streamer/dac/amplifier. Turntable: Pro-Ject 6Perspex B with Ortofon MC X40 cart, and the phono-stage: Pro-Ject Phono Box RS2. Solid, reliable Dynaudio sound. Note the Akustiikan.com’s black diffusors behind the speakers.

SOL Audio’s new stand-mount loudspeaker, a two-way D’Appolito, the cabinet tuned by implementing an adjustable aperiodic-vent principle for superior LF impact. It’s a clever design, including the radiation pattern of the tweeter horn. And sounded good in every way. The rack shows SOL Aaudio’s preamp introduced last year, and a proto of the upcoming power amplifier at the bottom.

It is often said that only one speaker type can beat a quality one-way widebandwidth loudspeaker: a multi-way horn speaker. Preferably 4-, 5- or 6-way, but if not, two or three-way will do, such as the DIY speaker below sporting an 18-inch woofers (floor corners), a 12-inch low to mid-range driver (stand), and a horn for mid/treble section (top). Active crossover, driver-specific correction, and room correction was realized with the DEQX Pre-8, a digital preamplifier and speaker processor, before the power amplifiers. The sound? Based on what I overheard in passing, may not be the best by all measures, but unsurpassed in some respects!

This demo I’ve witnessed before in Finland, but never abroad: two identical rooms, two exactly the same playback systems both playing the same music at the same time at the same volume level. The only difference being that the first room lacks any acoustic treatment, while the second sports two bass traps and two diffusors by the Akustiikan.com.

Here’s another way to tame the bass in a room: DSPeaker’s automatic calibration processor Anti-Mode X4.

Value for the money? Nirvana Audio’s Chronos Optimizer, a 2500 euro USB Stick with no contribution to the music signal.

Unfortunately, no pics were captured on the camera’s memory card on either the Dutch & Dutch demo, or Amphion’s room presenting the new Argon3x, Argon3LX ja Argon7LX.