Kaohsiung Hi-End Audio Show

mresseguie · April 11, 2026, 12:47:27 AM

I will attend the above mentioned audio show this coming Saturday. I'll hop on the high speed rail and arrive soon after doors open in the morning. This is the first time in 5 (or more?) years that I will attend this show, so I'm pretty psyched about it. The following link will show you a list of the exhibitors. If anything looks appealing, feel free to ask me to visit that room, and I will take a few notes of my impressions.

https://kh-hiend.kje-event.com.tw/store/

Nick B · April 11, 2026, 10:56:29 AM

Hi Michael,

That's quite a list of vendors. I would be interested in Playback Designs and Qualiton and Audio Research as well.

Have fun!

Nick

mresseguie · April 11, 2026, 05:46:10 PM

Quote from: Nick B on April 11, 2026, 10:56:29 AMHi Michael,

That's quite a list of vendors. I would be interested in Playback Designs and Qualiton and Audio Research as well.

Have fun!

Nick

Will do, good sir!

Have you got specific models in mind? There's no telling which models will be active. I can request to hear the models you're interested in, but they may or may not make any changes. As I'll be there on Saturday, I anticipate something of a madhouse with too many visitors.

Nick B · April 11, 2026, 11:00:12 PM

Quote from: mresseguie on April 11, 2026, 05:46:10 PM
Quote from: Nick B on April 11, 2026, 10:56:29 AMHi Michael,

That's quite a list of vendors. I would be interested in Playback Designs and Qualiton and Audio Research as well.

Have fun!

Nick

Will do, good sir!

Have you got specific models in mind? There's no telling which models will be active. I can request to hear the models you're interested in, but they may or may not make any changes. As I'll be there on Saturday, I anticipate something of a madhouse with too many visitors.

Only do it if it works out for you, Michael. The Playback Designs dac is interesting because there have been so many positive comments about it and OCD Mikey carries the line and I respect his opinions. Qualiton because I had their tube preamp and Charles carries the line. Their tube amps and integrateds are interesting and would probably sound very good. But they are outside my budget... and my Erhard Elvis Mk II tube amp is sounding pretty darn good! Audio Research as they are back in business and I am wondering how good they are nowadays. That line would be 3rd on my list as I know youll be busy with all the rooms and dealing with the large crowd.Good luck navigating the crowd!

Jack · April 11, 2026, 11:10:13 PM

Nick

A curious thing to me about Audio Research amps is that Val of Acora has owned them for several years now yet he continues to show his speakers with VAC amps at shows. That includes this weekend's show in Chicago. Even though he owns them is there something about their sound he doesn't like with his own speaker line?

Nick B · April 11, 2026, 11:20:37 PM

Quote from: Jack on April 11, 2026, 11:10:13 PMNick

A curious thing to me about Audio Research amps is that Val of Acora has owned them for several years now yet he continues to show his speakers with VAC amps at shows. That includes this weekend's show in Chicago. Even though he owns them is there something about their sound he doesn't like with his own speaker line?

Good point, Jack. I wonder if part of it is because of a longstanding relationship with the two companies. Years ago I heard ARC at a friend of a friend's house and it sounded great. The guy was vinyl only. I have never owned their gear. I haven't read much about the recent units, but you are more up to date on these things than I am. I am very curious about the Western Electric line as well. But out of my budget.

PS As I mentioned in my post to Michael, that Erhard tube amp is very nice and I am becoming a tube aficionado. It's nice that both the Erhard and Starkrimson amps are so enjoyable to listen to.

Jack · April 11, 2026, 11:52:23 PM

Not sure why the continued realationship exists between Val and Kevin Hayes of Vac but their show partnership ownly goes back a few years. The VAC's to me are a better product and sound more like a tube amps should since ARC went to using the sterile sounding 6H30 tube as their input tube in all of their products. Current ARC products are reputed to sound more SS than tube now than in the past. With the 6SN7 input tubes your Erhard would sound more classic tube I would think than a current Audio Research amp. I guess I will find out when mine gets here.

Nick B · April 12, 2026, 02:33:40 PM

Quote from: Jack on April 11, 2026, 11:52:23 PMNot sure why the continued realationship exists between Val and Kevin Hayes of Vac but their show partnership ownly goes back a few years. The VAC's to me are a better product and sound more like a tube amps should since ARC went to using the sterile sounding 6H30 tube as their input tube in all of their products. Current ARC products are reputed to sound more SS than tube now than in the past. With the 6SN7 input tubes your Erhard would sound more classic tube I would think than a current Audio Research amp. I guess I will find out when mine gets here.

Speaking of Acora and VAC, here's a short show clip from Jason the Audiophile Junkie showing the new Acora speaker. It looks beautiful, but it must weigh and cost a lot.

I've heard of the 6H30, but haven't heard any product that uses them. Would be interesting to know the reason(s) they chose that tube.

https://youtube.com/shorts/03Mom3S7P7E?si=xVDA9qXasN67WYyL

Jack · April 12, 2026, 04:07:29 PM

They weigh 180+ pounds a piece and prices start at $21k. Marks SRC-1 weighed 240 pounds a piece. Viktor at BAT started the use of the 6H30 as they were plentiful and cheap from the Russian territories. The 6DJ8 family of tubes they and ARC were using before were becoming harder to find and getting more expensive. I have a pair and to me they sound sterile compared to the 6DJ8 family of tubes even the new production versions.

Nick B · April 13, 2026, 08:26:18 AM

Thanks for the info, Jack. Cheap and plentiful tubes are fine, but if they don't sound good to you....
Those are beasts and I wouldn't want to deal with the weight.
Are there any substitutes or variants, with or without the need for adapters, that might sound less sterile to you?

Jack · April 13, 2026, 04:09:20 PM

I have never tried them but the 6N6p is supposed to be a substitue with a warmer, richer sound. When I was using the Musical Paradise MP-D2 MkIII DAC the 6H30 was recommended as a substitute to try. This was before the prices on tubes really shot up. I found a pair on sale so I gave them a try. To me they were dry and brittle sounding so back in the boxes they went. I'm sure they are still in one of the spare tube bins.

On another topic, did you find the manual for the Elvis or get Holger to send you a .pdf? It would be interesting to see what the usage for the various 6SN7 tubes are and what changing them would do to the sound for each position.

Nick B · April 13, 2026, 08:28:05 PM

That would be an interesting test to try the 6N6P. I don't know if those are NOS only or if new tubes are available.

I didn't get the manual and it slipped my mind to ask for it. I will send an email or give him a call if he's available and also ask him about any tube variants.

I am really enjoying the amp and will be quite interested how you like it. I forgot the time frame that Holger promised you. You also have another one or two tube amps I believe to compare it to.

Jack · April 13, 2026, 08:39:21 PM

They are NOS Russian military tubes and I'm not aware of anything current production. They are still readily available for less than $20 a piece.

I'm assuming there will be some sort of manual with mine but I usually like to read them in advance. If he sends you a .pdf pass it on. He didn't give me a specific time other than it would be less than what was on the website,

To my knowledge the only tube swap you could make on the amp would be to use 6550's instead of KT-88's. As to the front end tubes you can't in my opinion get better than the 6SN7 as in input or driver tube. And yes I have a couple of others to compare including the pair of Granite Audio Monos that haven't been used in a long time along with the Mystere and the Music Reference.

Nick B · April 13, 2026, 09:58:48 PM

Jack,

I sent an email to Holger asking about the user manual. Also told him I'd like to talk to him about tubes. I got an automated email that he's gone from the 7th until the 16th.

Jack · April 13, 2026, 10:59:05 PM

I don't think he went to the show in Chicago but maybe he did or it's Spring Break there. What are you wanting to change up with the tubes? I am going to leave the Gold Lion KT-88's alone as they are the best of the current ones and the most reliable. I got the Psvane 6SN7's just to see what they sound like during break in but they will be changed out for NOS tubes I have on hand. No rush on the amp and I won't have the Motherlode XL until sometime in May anyway.