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The UK HiFi Show Live 2025 Report

Another year, and my ritual trip to the prestigious grounds of Ascot race course and the venue for the UK HiFi Show Live 2025 event, which hosts some of the finest speakers and HiFi equipment from the UK and around the world. This is one of the nicest venues to hold a HiFi show, as it is truly grand in every aspect. The only downside is that it requires a lot of walking, as the space is spread out over four levels and divided into sections as you move up and down, so you really do need your walking shoes to cover the content.





A few brands were missing from this year's event compared to last year's. Still, it is all about a matter of timing and whether certain brands have other commitments; nonetheless, it was still a brilliant show packed full of exciting new speakers and HiFi equipment. I could only spend one day at the show this year, so I was fortunate to take in what I liked most and report it to you here.


Karma AV Rooms


Karma AV had a significant presence at this year's show, with every single room being superb, featuring some of the latest and most outstanding speakers and HiFi from their portfolio of brands. The first room I walked into was where the latest Perlisten Audio Black Edition S7t speakers were playing, and they were paired with dual Perlisten D8is Subs, which is basically an array of subwoofers stacked with 3000 watts of amplification. The electronics were from Primare, which is a stunning combination, as the synergy between these brands is just superb. Each of the Perlisten speakers had its own A35.2 power amplifier, as they were configured to act as mono blocks, delivering 500 watts of pure power into each speaker. As you can imagine, it allows for a very dynamic and musically proficient performance. I reviewed the Perlisten S5t speakers and used the exact same amplifier config with stunning results. I absolutely loved this demo, and it was most certainly one of my favourites from the show.








The second room, located on the other side of the prominent S7t speakers, featured their latest and newest speakers, the A series. These speakers were paired with a Primare PRISMA Integrated amplifier, and you could immediately notice the same sonic signature as the Reference and Signature range. They do not feature a DPC array, but instead have a horn-shaped tweeter waveguide and two mid-bass/bass drivers positioned above and below the tweeter. This was once again an impressive demo, and I thoroughly enjoyed listening to them as I came back a couple of times for a listen.






The next room featured the premiere in the UK of Primare's latest Allt-i-Ett "All in One" system, which has everything you could possibly want in a one-box solution. At its core, Allt-i-Ett combines a streamer, amplifier, and speaker array, powered by 300W peak amplification and enhanced by advanced digital signal processing, that includes easy-to-use Auto Room EQ and ground-breaking Bacch 3D Sound Technology. I was so impressed by this all-in-one system, as it sounded extremely musical, with an excellent bass response, and played a wide range of music. The music was well-projected into the room, and from my vantage point, it was a stunning performance. I would love to have something like this in my spare room to listen to music on, as it is probably the best I have heard from an all-in-one system like this. Seriously impressed.








The last Karma AV room features a MoFi electronics system, paired with the stunning new MoFi Sourcepoint V10 Master Edition speakers. It is complemented by the reference MasterDeck turntable and reference MasterPhono. This system delivered music with incredible clarity and dynamics from the big V10 floorstanders. I even got to listen to a couple of my favourite tracks, and this system made them sound simply sublime, powering through them with absolute ease. Fink's 'Trouble's What You're In' and Hedegaard's 'Ratchets', these tracks certainly energised the room they were playing in and left me grinning like a Cheshire cat. Another favourite of the show.








Node Audio Room


This is the first time I have listened to Node Audio, and hopefully, it will not be the last, as they used the UK Hi-Fi Show Live to launch their latest creations: the new Atom 525 stand-mount and the Atom 650 floorstander speakers. They are both 3-way speakers, which are transmission line-loaded, featuring two midrange drivers and a tweeter. The midrange drivers are positioned above and below the tweeter, with the bass drivers concealed inside the cabinets. I only managed to listen to the stand-mount version on the day, but I came away very impressed by what I heard. Imaging was stunning, with an incredibly detailed sonic picture created by the Atom speakers and with enough deep bass thanks to the transmission line design. I'd like to pay a visit to Node Audio in Cambridgeshire to listen to the Atom 650 floorstanders, as I'm sure they will be an incredible listen too. I also loved the design and look of the Atoms. Another favourite from this year's show. Powering the Atom speakers was the brand SPL and Melco streamer, with all this equipment mounted on the beautiful Montaudio Manuka HiFi rack.











Elite Audio's Room


My next room was a pleasant surprise, as it featured speakers from Revival Audio and a brand I had always wanted to hear, and finally got to listen to, which was Electrocompaniet. They also had the beautiful Aqua La Scala DAC, which I love.  These French speakers sounded superb. I loved the monitor design, which was both retro and modern in style. The sound was very dynamic and detailed, with a glorious midrange and bass, thanks to the 3-way design. They also had Audio Solutions speakers, which looked gorgeous, but unfortunately, with the time I had, I didn't get a chance to listen to them; however, I'm sure they sound as good as they look. The pairing of Electrocompaniet and Revival Audio was excellent, and the two brands worked exceptionally well together. Definitely another favourite from the show.






Cadence Room


Cadence never disappoints, and this year, they once again featured the incredible Siltech Symphony speakers in the main demo area. They are back for good reason - they sound simply unbelievable. They were paired with SME and Nagra Audio again. The demo of the Symphony speakers and system consisted of back-to-back analogue recordings played on the SME and Garrard turntables. Additionally, it featured a reel-to-reel tape deck, which produced a sublime sound. The imaging that the Symphony speakers create is truly magical, and with such a vast image cast into the room, the music surrounds you. The bass is tactile, agile, and dynamic, with incredible transient shifts and an excellent tonal balance. I absolutely loved this system last year, and it did not disappoint me again this year. Another firm favourite from the UK HiFi Show Live. There were various other systems in a huge Cadence room, but the show stopper was definitely the Siltech speakers.









CAS Audio Room


The CAS Distribution room showcased a stunning array of components for listeners to enjoy, featuring a variety of  YG Acoustic speakers, which I am very fond of and have always loved their demos, no matter which show I attend. They also featured the revered AVID HiFi turntables, which were on demo with all the systems running in that room; the Acutus and the latest Relveo were also at the show. I even caught up with their owner, Conrad Mas, who is always such a gentleman, and we discussed all of his latest creations. The Vantage 3 speakers were in a gorgeous green colour, which looked and sounded amazing at the show.









Harman Luxury Audio Group 


On level 3 was the Harman Luxury Audio Group room, which featured the stunning JBL Summit series of speakers, which were paired with Mark Levinson. These speakers looked gorgeous, and the sound was excellent; I thoroughly enjoyed listening to them. The finish on the speakers was simply exquisite, with highly glossed lacquered cabinets featuring the horn-shaped Midrange and high-frequency compression drivers, as well as the main bass driver. The bass was deep and controlled, and it projected effortlessly into a reasonably large room. The Mark Levinson electronics work so well with JBL speakers. This was another one of my favourites from this year's show.















Signature Audio Systems Room


The Signature Audio Systems room showcased a diverse range of brands from this distribution group. Still, I was particularly impressed by the PS Audio Aspen speakers, which I had previously heard. This year, they had the full range on display, and I was impressed by the sound quality of a pair of the larger models when I was there. Such a beautiful sound from this system, which also featured full PS Audio electronics. I also appreciate their ultra-modern style and look, which is distinctly different from other brands. Certainly worth a second visit, as I went back a few times to listen to this stunning system.













Although this was a fleeting visit, I'm pleased that I managed to listen to most of the systems at the show; however, there were a few that, unfortunately, I missed. Hopefully, next year, I can spend a couple of days, like I did last year. The above were some of my favourites from this year's show, and I hope you enjoyed my coverage. Please check out all my social media channels, as I have shared many more pictures and videos on these platforms.


I would like to extend a massive thank you to all the exhibitors who take on the challenge of showcasing their incredible speakers and systems. There is truly a great deal of hard work that goes into making these shows happen, and a huge thank you to Paul Miller and the HiFi News team, who make it all work so well. Another fantastic year and show.












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