08/11/2026
What I Learned in Texas
First of all...Dallas is really hot this time of year.
I had the pleasure of exhibiting with Eric Lee of Alta Audio. Eric is a true gentleman and an exceptional room host. He's naturally outgoing and enjoys greeting people, while I'm a bit more reserved. It made for a great partnership.
Our system consisted of the Alta Audio Alec SE loudspeakers with the ModWright Reference Series: the PH 150 phono stage, LS 300 preamplifier, and KWA 300 stereo power amplifier.
Before the show even opened, Eric and I talked about what kind of room we wanted to create.
Like many audio shows, we could have filled the room with spectacular recordings chosen simply to impress people. Instead, we chose music we genuinely enjoy listening to—well-recorded music, certainly, but music that felt natural and engaging. We intentionally stayed away from many of the overplayed "audio show" tracks.
Our goal wasn't to impress people for five minutes.
It was to create a room where people wanted to stay.
Somewhere over the past few years, I've come to believe that this is what high-end audio should really be about. Life is busy. We're constantly moving from one obligation to the next, surrounded by distractions. Music often becomes background noise instead of something we intentionally experience.
I've started calling those moments when we slow down and simply listen Pure Analog Moments.
They're not really about analog at all. They're about being present. About setting everything else aside for a while and allowing music to become the focus.
That doesn't mean there's no place for comparing components, experimenting with cables, or evaluating equipment. Those things are part of the hobby, and I enjoy them too.
But there should also be moments when all of that disappears, and we simply enjoy the music.
One thing I noticed throughout the weekend was that people kept coming back to our room.
Of course everyone wanted to experience the entire show. That's part of the fun.
But many visitors returned several times over the course of the weekend. We recognized faces we'd seen earlier in the day. Some people stayed for one song. Others sat quietly through several.
It occurred to me that perhaps they weren't just coming back to hear the equipment.
Maybe they were coming back because the room made them feel something.
It became a place to relax, recalibrate, and remember why we all fell in love with music in the first place.
For me, that was the most rewarding part of the weekend.
If that's what people experienced in our room, then Eric and I accomplished exactly what we had hoped to.
Thank you to everyone who stopped by, listened with us, and shared those moments.
Dan Wright
ModWright Instruments
Elegance. Simplicity. Truth.
