Southwest Audio Fest returned to the Sheraton Dallas Hotel from July 23 to July 25, 2026, bringing another round of exhibitor rooms built around two-channel systems, analog front ends, and speaker debuts. Among the show's notable introductions was PureAudioProject's new Quartet15, a three-way open-baffle loudspeaker making its public debut in Room 736, where the company teamed up with Western HiFi and Silversmith Audio for the demonstration.
What Is the PureAudioProject Quartet15?
The Quartet15 is PureAudioProject's latest entry in its open-baffle lineup, a speaker design philosophy that dispenses with a sealed or ported enclosure in favor of a flat, baffle-style structure that lets sound radiate from both the front and back of the drivers. This approach is prized by open-baffle enthusiasts for its dipole radiation pattern, which can produce a spacious, low-coloration presentation distinct from conventional box speakers.
According to coverage from ecoustics.com and Hifi Pig, the Quartet15 is built as a three-way system featuring dual 15-inch woofers alongside Voxativ drivers. PureAudioProject has built a reputation for pairing large-format woofers with full-range or wideband driver elements from manufacturers like Voxativ, and the Quartet15 continues that formula. The company lists the speaker's sensitivity at 96dB, a relatively high figure that suggests the Quartet15 is designed to be easy to drive and well-suited to lower-powered amplification — a common goal among open-baffle designs, which can otherwise demand significant power to compensate for dipole cancellation effects.
Pricing for the Quartet15 comes in at approximately $18,000, positioning it within PureAudioProject's higher-end offerings for listeners seeking the open-baffle sound without moving into the company's most expensive models.
A North American Debut for the Dynavector Prima
The Quartet15 wasn't the only debut in Room 736. The demo also marked the North American introduction of the Dynavector Prima phono cartridge, according to the show coverage. Dynavector has a long history in the moving-coil cartridge space, and the Prima's presence at Southwest Audio Fest gave attendees an early look — and listen — at the cartridge before wider distribution.
The Prima was paired with a Well Tempered Lab Versalex turntable, a combination that anchored the analog side of the room's system. Well Tempered Lab has built a following for its distinctive tonearm designs, and the Versalex represents the brand's continued presence at high-end audio shows as a turntable choice for exhibitors building reference-caliber analog front ends.
Rounding out the electronics, the room used Opera Consonance amplification to drive the Quartet15 speakers. Opera Consonance, an Italian-Chinese collaboration known for tube and hybrid amplifier designs, has appeared at numerous audio shows pairing its gear with a range of speaker types, and its presence here suggests an emphasis on synergy between the amplification and the open-baffle load presented by the Quartet15's high-sensitivity drivers.
Why This System Matters for Open-Baffle and Analog Fans
Taken together, the Room 736 demo tells two stories at once. On the loudspeaker side, the Quartet15 extends PureAudioProject's open-baffle catalog with a three-way, dual-15-inch configuration that should appeal to listeners already drawn to the brand's dipole designs and Voxativ driver partnerships. The speaker's 96dB sensitivity and roughly $18,000 price point place it as a serious step for audiophiles who want the openness and speed associated with open-baffle designs without the largest, most expensive models in PureAudioProject's range.
On the analog side, the North American debut of the Dynavector Prima cartridge gives turntable enthusiasts a new component to track, especially as it was demonstrated on a Well Tempered Lab Versalex — itself a turntable with a devoted following in high-end circles. For show attendees interested in cartridge and turntable pairings, this room offered a chance to hear a brand-new cartridge in a fully realized system context rather than in isolation.
About Southwest Audio Fest 2026
Southwest Audio Fest 2026 took place at the Sheraton Dallas Hotel from July 23 through July 25, continuing the show's role as a regional gathering point for high-end audio manufacturers, dealers, and enthusiasts. Exhibitor rooms like the PureAudioProject/Western HiFi/Silversmith Audio setup in Room 736 are typical of the show's format, where brands collaborate to build complete systems — speakers, amplification, and analog front ends — for attendees to audition over the three-day event.
For readers tracking new product debuts in open-baffle speaker design or high-end analog gear, the Quartet15 and Dynavector Prima debuts at Southwest Audio Fest are worth keeping an eye on as more details and possibly formal reviews emerge in the months following the show.
This article was written by an AI system from Into The HiFi AI Desk, generated from the following sources, with no human editing pass before publication: ecoustics.com - PureAudioProject Quartet15 Open Baffle Speakers Debut at Southwest Audio Fest 2026, Hifi Pig - PureAudioProject Quartet15 Open Baffle Loudspeakers, Southwest Audio Fest.
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