I really enjoyed THELSAF 2026. It’s such fun to visit with folks and share time listening to music with them. That’s been true ever since I started the event in Tulsa in 2005.

Visiting the Lone Star Audiofest is much more enjoyable for interested hobbyists and potential customers than coming over to my place to see and hear my speakers. People that come to the Lone Star Audiofest can see and hear many more things that way.

This is especially true for other companies like mine – online shops and direct marketing companies – because we have no showrooms and no dealer network. But even companies that do have a showroom and/or dealer network benefit from shows like these. People that attend audio shows don’t only see the products from a particular dealer. They see products from several dealers, and they see products that aren’t available at any dealer. That draws people for a very good reason. It is a unique gathering event.

There’s a wonderful synergy here. People that attend shows like these are incentivized to attend the Lone Star Audiofest because we bring in manufacturers that don’t go to any other audio show. That also works in the favor of the larger companies that have a dealer network, because they can be auditioned by these show-goers that come to the show to visit with their favorite online/direct shops.

So the Lone Star Audiofest is particularly attractive, I think, because it showcases so many products that cannot be seen any other way.

Having said that, I found this year’s Lone Star Audiofest to have more dealers and reps than we did the smaller shops. We’ve never seen this before. Most years, we are 75% direct/online companies and 25% dealer/network or brick-and-mortar shops. This year, that was turned around – amazingly – and we saw 75% dealer/network companies and only 25% direct/online at the show.

I am certainly glad to see the addition of our dealer/network friends, and I think that’s largely from the influence of T.H.E. But I think we need to reach out to the direct/online companies and give ’em a reminder that we’re their show.

Personally, I think we did two things that might have brought this about.

First was that we chose Memorial Day weekend. That might work for a parade, a festival at a lake or other similar event. But I don’t think it’s the right weekend for an audio show. So we’ll make sure to grab the first weekend in May next year like we normally do.

Second was we didn’t really promote the show as aggressively as we could have. We’re long past the days when our best way to reach-out was to post on all our favorite audio messageboards. So notices on messageboards are not enough. We need to be more proactive on various social media sites.

T.H.E. has been a tremendous help there, but we’re going to try to step it up a notch next year. Starting now, actually. We’ve already started a LoneStar Audiofest Channel on YouTube, and we’re dropping videos there often. We’ll work together with T.H.E. to promote the show, and to provide useful and interesting content. And we’ll update the LoneStarAudiofest.com website to provide messages to its subscribers and to its social media channels every time we make a post. That will help get the word out.

So if you haven’t already subscribed to the LoneStarAudiofest.com newsletter, you might want to do that. Just press the “SUBSCRIBE” button at the lower right corner of any page on the LoneStarAudiofest.com website. Or maybe you’d rather subscribe to our LoneStar Audiofest YouTube Channel. We’ll make sure to provide content to keep you informed.

I’m starting to get excited now.  Gathering the equipment and supplies today and tomorrow, going through my checklist, it’s always the beginning of the week right before an LSAF when things get cool. Well, not cool, actually kind of edgy.  Gotta check the list twice, make sure to get spare tubes and stuff, just make sure not to forget anything.

This is the 19th year of the Lone Star Audiofest, after the first two years in Tulsa where we called this event the Great Plains Audiofest.  In some sense, they’re different animals but in most respects, it’s the same core bunch from GPAF in 2005 and 2006 that gathered together in Dallas starting in 2007 to form the Lone Star Audiofest.

And now – last two years – we started meeting in Austin.  And we’re working together with the T.H.E. folks too.  This is the second installment of that.  Super groovy cool!

Can’t wait to see you all this weekend!

To the show that never ends…

Just like the famous song from Emerson, Lake and Palmer, we’re getting all excited and getting ready for THE Lone Star Audiofest in May! We’re only about six weeks out!

If you haven’t reserved your room, get on it! There are still rooms and booths available. But space is limited, so don’t wait ’til the last minute. We don’t want to miss anyone!

Click here for the list of exhibitors that are already booked.

Click here to get tickets.

Can’t wait to see you all at THELSAF 2026!!!

Atlantis Lab – Bluebell Room
Audience AV
Audio Crafters Guild – Room 223
Ayre Acoustics – Verbena Room
Decibel+ – Bluebell Room
Hana
KEF – Verbena Room
Kimber Kable – Highlands Room
Legacy Audio – Highlands Room
Miller Audio – Room 223
MusicTools Italy
Mytek Audio
Neoson – Bluebell Room
Nordost – Bluebell Room
Origin HiFi – Verbena Room
Pass Labs – Verbena Room
PBN Audio – Sunflower Room
Pi Speakers – Room 233
PureArtFi – Room 223
Raven Audio – Bluebonnet Room
Schiit Audio – Room 217
Soul Note – Bluebell Room
Sonus Faber – Verbena Room
SVS
Uilleam Audio – Room 225
Vintage Lounge – Lantana Room

We’re super-excited to announce that we’re all set and ready to go for THELSAF 2026!

Same place, same great time!  Mark your calendars for Memorial Day Weekend – May 22, 23 and 24^th – at the Embassy Suites in Round Rock, Texas.

If anyone wasn’t there last year, that’s just north of Austin.

Click here to reserve your room.   Or here to get tickets.

Just like last year, tickets cost no more than parking would have cost.  And the exhibitor rooms and booths are more than reasonable.  Totally affordable.  We’re committed to keeping things that way.

And as for the fun – Wow! – If you’ve been here before, you know what it’s like.  Most of us are regulars.  But if you haven’t been here, ask folks that have.  We’re an audio show like no other.  We’re up close and personal, we’re approachable and basically just cool as can be.

Join us!     THELSAF 2026 in Round Rock!     Memorial Day Weekend!

   •   Media Coverage

This was our 20th year! It was so exciting to combine the 20th anniversary of LSAF with the 1st year partnership with T.H.E! I personally thought the combination was excellent, and chatting with many of the LSAF regulars gave me the distinct impression that we all thought the same thing. This show rocks!

I’d love to hear what you think too! You can connect with us on most social media outlets or on the LSAF discussion forum, which is free to join. Tons of photos and discussion there already – both in social media and on the LSAF forum – so join in! Let us know your thoughts!

Before I comment further on THELSAF 2025, I want to give a big shout-out to Emiko Carlin and her intrepid crew at T.H.E.  They have brought some things that LSAF would not have done on its own.  In particular is T.H.E. film festival and the IASCA sound quality competition.  Other things T.H.E. staff has done include interviewing all exhibitors and tirelessly promoting the show using various flavors of social media platforms.

So downstairs on the first floor, there were some “big show” activities that are unique to T.H.E show events.  In addition to their film festival and the high-end quality car exhibits, there were large rooms for high-end exhibitors that wanted the extra show space and there was a large marketplace area with booths.

For those of us upstairs in the suites, the show retained its traditional Lone Star Audiofest vibe.  We have a mix of high-end vendors with kit manufacturers and other types of product offerings.

My impression of the 2025 show is very much like all the years before. Traffic was a little higher, I think.  Maybe 20% more.  But other than that, the “feel” of the show this year was very much the same. To tell the truth, I love that.

Exhibitor rooms were packed all day Saturday.  Friday was thinner, as it always is. What was most surprising was Sunday.  It was almost as packed as Saturday.  That’s not been the case in years past.

And everyone else told me they had a very positive experience too.  So much so that we have already committed to doing it again here next year.

Sweet!

I would be remiss if I failed to give a respectful nod to my fellow LSAF exhibitors. Our show may be small and relaxed, but that’s largely because we are a group that appeals to a niche segment.  Not only are we audiophiles, but we are passionate technical hobbyists.  We are a niche within a niche.

Most Lone Star Audiofest exhibitors are craftsmen and engineers making the best products they can make.  We all “geek out” here and gush about our pet projects. Our intensity shows, and you can tell we’re perfectionists.  But there’s a camaraderie evident – we’re all kindred spirits.

To use a hot-rod car analogy, exhibitors at LSAF are like guys building eight-second street cars.  You can’t just go buy a car that runs an eight-second quarter mile.  You have to know what you’re doing, and you have to do it yourself or have an engineering staff to design performance upgrades.  The equivalent of that in audio is who exhibits at the Lone Star Audiofest.

You can buy plenty of ten-second cars.  You can spend millions buying a Koenigsegg Jesko or a Rimac Nevera.  Or you can buy a high-end McLaren, Ferrari, Lamborghini or Porsche.  You can spend even more adding custom features, styling or aesthetics.  But none of those will get you south of nine seconds in the quarter mile.

Some audio shows cater to the super-expensive high-end audio crowd.  There’s really cool drool-worthy stuff at shows like that.  If you want a really nice and attractive sound system and are willing to spend several hundred thousand or even millions, you can see some examples of sound systems that might suit you there.

But to go back to the car analogy, those won’t do eight-second quarter mile times.

One could argue that great cars don’t have to be fast enough to do a standing quarter-mile in eight seconds.  One could even argue that a good car won’t launch that hard.  I would suggest that is true for some, but not for everyone.

Different strokes for different folks.

Anyway, I think my point is I like the Lone Star Audiofest and its exhibitors and participants better than any of the other audio shows.  It’s just so cool.

One of the coolest things that Total Hifi Experience (T.H.E.) brings to the Lone Star Audiofest experience is their production of video interviews and seminars. These videos bring you the latest information on technologies and offerings available from each of the LSAF exhibitors.

Here is a list of those interviews:

• Scotty Lylander interviews Bryan Miller of Miller Audio, March 17, 2025
• Brian Green interviews Peter Noerbaek of PBN Audio, March 10, 2025
• Daryl Sansevero interviews Bryan Miller of Miller Audio, February 27, 2025
• Brian Green interviews Johan Van Zyl of Van Zyl Audio, February 24, 2025
• Scotty Lylander interviews Bob Sattin of Bob’s Devices, February 17, 2025
• Brian Green interviews Vladimir Bazelkov of Audio Mirror, February 10, 2025
• Scott Lylander interviews Yair Raz of Innovo Audio Designs, February 6, 2025
• Jiles McCoy interviews Norman Tracy of Audio Crafters Guild, February 3, 2025
• Emiko Carlin interviews Wayne Parham about the Lone Star Audiofest, its history and its future, January 30, 2025

We’ll continue to update this list with interviews and seminars as they drop, so check back regularly for updates.

Pricing at the door is more than reasonable. A ticket to the show includes parking at no extra cost.

So since the admission price is the same as what the hotel charges for parking, admission is essentially free!

Cost is even lower when your purchase admission for more than one day! Save yourself some time and money by purchasing tickets in advance.

Click here to buy tickets.

Lone Star Audiofest and T.H.E. Show Announce Groundbreaking Partnership

Premiering T.H.E. Lone Star Audiofest in Austin, TX in Late Spring 2025

Austin, TX – July 8, 2024 – Lone Star Audiofest and T.H.E. Show, America’s longest-running HiFi show, are excited to announce a landmark cooperative venture. This collaboration will culminate in the premiere of a new event, “T.H.E. Lone Star Audiofest, sponsored by T.H.E. Enterprises,” set to take place in the vibrant city of Austin, Texas, in late spring 2025 (May 2-4).

T.H.E. Lone Star Audiofest aims to create a brand new unparalleled experience for audiophiles, industry professionals (both budding and seasoned), amateur hobbyists, and music enthusiasts alike, focusing on introducing the industry and community to the very best in the next generation of new, bespoke HiFi designers, DIY-builders, artisans, and engineers. Combining the rich heritage and extensive network of T.H.E. Show with the dynamic and innovative spirit of Lone Star Audiofest, this event promises to be a major milestone in the HiFi industry.

Bespoke and DIY exhibitors at the previous Lone Star Audiofests and T.H.E. Shows include JWM Acoustics, Raven Audio, J. Porter Studios, Black Ocean Audio, Infigo Audio, Pi Speakers, Austin Acoustic, AudioKinesis, GR-Research, Audio Crafter’s Guild and more. T.H.E. Lone Star Audiofest 2025 looks forward to renewing exhibits with brands from previous years as well as bringing in brand new audio designers (so if that’s you, get in touch).

About the Event:

Name: T.H.E. Lone Star Audiofest

Date: May 2-4, 2025

Location: Austin, Texas (venue announcement forthcoming)

This new venture will offer a unique opportunity for exhibitors and attendees to explore the latest in high-fidelity audio creation, discover groundbreaking products, and engage in insightful discussions with like-minded creators and attendees. With Austin’s renowned music scene and vibrant cultural landscape, T.H.E. Lone Star Audiofest is poised to become a key destination for HiFi designers, creators, and enthusiasts from around the world.

Quotes:

“Lone Star Audiofest has always been a great place for everyone in the industry to get together, and it has specialized in introducing DIYers and start-up companies into the audio community. Our word-of-mouth ‘show up and setup’ approach has garnered us great local popularity. It’s clear on the basis of exhibitor and attendee feedback that it is time for us to grow. This new show is a blending of approaches, which promises to get the word out to people that never knew we existed while allowing us to retain the laid-back intimacy that the Lone Star Audiofest has always been known for,” says Wayne Parham, Owner of the Lone Star Audiofest

“T.H.E. Show has a long-standing tradition of excellence in the HiFi industry, and we are excited to embark on this new journey with Lone Star Audiofest. Together, we will create an event that not only celebrates audio innovation but also fosters a sense of community among audio enthusiasts. And I want to be absolutely clear – this is not ‘just another audio show.’ This will be a totally different experience for exhibitors, attendees, and yes, even press who are hungry to cover new and never before heard of brands!” says Emiko E. Carlin, CEO of T.H.E. Enterprises and President of T.H.E. Show

About Lone Star Audiofest: Lone Star Audiofest is described as the “Woodstock of high-end audio shows,” because of its open-ended draw to anyone and everyone in audio.  It has historically appealed to DIYers, passionate start-up companies and semi-retired industry experts that offer audio products and services.  The Lone Star Audiofest has always had a laid-back feel, where the public can explore these companies, audition their products and interact directly with company owners and engineers.

About T.H.E. Show: T.H.E. Show is America’s longest-running HiFi show, dedicated to presenting the latest in high-fidelity audio, home theater, and consumer electronics. With a rich history and a strong commitment to excellence, T.H.E. Show has become a cornerstone of the HiFi industry.

Lone Star Audiofest may be found at lonestaraudiofest.com

T.H.E. Show may be found at theshownow.com

Media Contacts:

Sophie Assencoa

Rose City Media Group

Sophie@rosecitymediagroup.com