Zesto Audio

20/08/2026

https://www.zestoaudio.com
Why Steel Over Aluminum?

12/08/2026

https://www.zestoaudio.com
https://www.ecoustics.com/articles/best-the-show-socal-2026/
Best in Show: The Top Hi-Fi Systems at T.H.E. Show SoCal 2026
By Brian Mitchell, Updated July 4, 2026
Zesto Audio returned with a full tube-based system built around its new Athena DAC, Leto Ultra II preamplifier, and Eros 500 Select Class A monoblocks. At $15,000, $11,900, and $35,000 per pair, respectively, the electronics were partnered with YG Acoustics’ Sonja 3.2 loudspeakers, a $106,800-per-pair reference design that requires serious amplification and rewards it accordingly.
This was not a system chasing syrupy tube warmth or trying to sand down the edges of every recording. The Zesto and YG combination was all about resolution, control, and tonal precision, with Cardas cabling tying the system together. The Sonja 3.2’s aluminum cabinet, proprietary drivers, and exceptionally low-distortion crossover design gave the Eros 500s plenty to work with, resulting in a presentation that was detailed, dynamic, and remarkably composed.
The Athena DAC also provided a useful real-world demonstration of DSD playback. Switching among 1x, 2x, and 4x DSD files revealed audible differences, although the gains were not equal at every step. From outside the center seat, the move from 1x to 2x DSD seemed to offer the most noticeable improvement in refinement and separation, while the jump to 4x was far more subtle. That does not make 4x DSD pointless, but it does reinforce the reality that implementation matters far more than simply chasing the largest number on the display.
Zesto and YG Acoustics proved to be a highly potent pairing: tube electronics with enough speed, grip, and transparency to let the Sonja 3.2s show why they belong in the reference category.

05/08/2026

https://www.zestoaudio.com
T.H.E SHOW SoCal, My Very Favorite Systems
07-31-2026 | By Robert H. Levi | Issue 146
The Zesto Audio room, with very large YG Speakers, was packed with listeners to hear the LA debut of the Zesto Audio Athena Tube DAC. I bought one, by the way, as my number one reference. This DAC is both lively and analog-sounding to the max. The YG Speakers seemed a bit big for the standard room, and that skewed my opinion. The complete suite of all-tube Zesto Audio equipment sounded natural and mellifluous. The gear was wired with the best Cardas cables, one of my references. Audition Zesto Audio products at Upscale Audio.
https://positive-feedback.com/show-reports/t-h-e-show-la-my-very-favorite-systems/

30/07/2026

https://www.zestoaudio.com
Customer describes how the Athena DAC sounds.

22/07/2026

https://www.zestoaudio.com
George and Carolyn Counnas of Zesto Audio to Receive LAOCAS Founders Award
Los Angeles, CA June, 27, 2026. The Los Angeles and Orange County Audio Society will honor George and Carolyn Counnas, founders of Zesto Audio, with its Founders Award at the Society’s 33rd annual Gala and Awards Ceremony on Sunday, December 6, 2026, at the DoubleTree by Hilton in Buena Park, California.

The award announcement was made at T.H.E. Show SoCal in Costa Mesa, recognizing the Counnas’s for their contributions to high-performance audio and their work building Zesto Audio into a respected name among discerning audiophiles.

Based in Thousand Oaks, California, Zesto Audio is known for its tube-based audio components, including amplifiers, preamplifiers, DACs, phono stages, step-up transformers, and related high-end gear designed for music lovers seeking natural, involving sound reproduction.

George Counnas, Zesto Audio’s president and design engineer, brings decades of professional audio and engineering experience to the company’s product designs. Carolyn Counnas, the company’s executive vice president, has been instrumental in shaping Zesto Audio’s visual identity, customer relationships, and presence within the audiophile community.

Thank you to all the Audiophiles, Friends, and Industry Professionals for your support!
The Founders Award is among the Society’s signature honors, presented to individuals whose vision, craftsmanship, and commitment have made a lasting impact on the world of high-end audio. The Society, now celebrating its 33rd year, is widely recognized for serving audiophiles across Los Angeles and Orange Counties through events, awards, and educational programs.

The 33rd annual Gala & Awards Ceremony will bring together music lovers, audio manufacturers, reviewers, retailers, and industry leaders for a day of recognition, fellowship, and celebration of excellence in recorded music and audio reproduction. We hope to see you there Sunday, December 6, 2026.

08/07/2026

https://www.zestoaudio.com, https://www.audioholics.com/trade-shows/t.h.e.-show-2026 -h2-0
"Best Sound Demos from T.H.E. Show 2026" Audioholics by Jacob Green. Zesto Audio and YG Acoustics.
California’s Zesto Audio was back this year with the same superb collection of tube-based electronics we’ve seen at previous shows. The star of the system was the Athena DAC ($15,000), which decodes files up to 32-bit/384kHz and DSD256, and includes AES, USB, I²S, optical, and coaxial inputs, plus a ground-lift switch, and both balanced and single-ended outputs. At its core is a state-of-the-art ROHM chip, which feeds a custom analog output stage. As I learned at last year’s show, the Athena’s tube circuits don’t need filtering, so this DAC can eschew the digital filters required by solid-state DACs. All filtering is done through the tube output circuitry with minimal phase shift, creating a better stereo image and black levels, according to Zesto. The DAC fed the Zesto Leto Ultra II preamp ($11,900), followed by a pair of Zesto’s Eros 500 Select Monoblocks ($35K/pair), which deliver 250 watts of Class A power. (As another show attendee cautiously held his hand above one of the amps, Zesto’s George Counnas said, “Yes, they run hot!”) This year, the Zesto stack was driving the YG Acoustics Sonja 3.2 loudspeakers ($106,800/pair). These 320-pound beauties made it clear that the Zesto electronics are capable of tremendous power and soundstage scale, without sacrificing an ounce of focus, detail, or tonal color. Cabling throughout the system was provided by Cardas; isolation and room treatment products were provided by Stillpoints.

Mr. Counnas played a variety of locally-stored DSD files, starting with Henry Mancini’s “Pink Panther Theme,” which sounded pristine and vibrant. Norah Jones’s “Don’t Know Why” was louder than I would have preferred, but the apparently-low distortion and balanced tonality of the system allowed it to play at high volumes without inducing fatigue. Jones’s smoky, fine-grained vocal textures came through in all their breathy glory. The Dave Brubeck Quartet’s “Take Five” sounded as good as I’ve ever heard it (and I’ve heard it a lot). Joe Morello’s cymbals were rendered with lifelike attack and decay, and I especially appreciated those moments when the kick drum excited the snare wires on the bottom of the snare drum, causing the bottom drum head to resonate in turn. Sympathetic snare buzz can be annoying, but as a lifelong drummer, I enjoyed the delicate and true-to-life sound of this aspect of the recording.

Thanks to skilled setup and the judicious application of room treatments, the Zesto system sounded well-controlled, with clean bass on most tracks. Patricia Barber’s take on “A Taste of Honey” excited some room modes, but the shaker on the track sounded absolutely like a real instrument in the room. The Ray Brown Trio’s “Teach Me Tonight” impressed with the system’s effortless dynamics on piano, and the upright bass solo was reproduced with the instrument’s harmonics in natural balance. The system also demonstrated excellent layer separation in Horace Silver’s “Song for My Father,” which features a harmonized melody played by tenor sax and trumpet. Over all, the system was easy to listen to despite delivering heaps of information, and I lingered longer in the Zesto room than in most others, simply because I was enjoying the music and the sound.

09/06/2026

03/06/2026

https://www.zestoaudio.com
We’d like to personally invite you to T.H.E. Show SoCal 2026 in Room 227, June 26 – 28, Costa Mesa, CA.
https://www.theshownow.com/
Experience the Synergy of a full Zesto Audio Tube System, which includes: The new Athena DAC, Leto Ultra II Line Amp, Andros Deluxe II Phonostage, and the Eros 500 Select Monoblocks.
With our extraordinary industry partners: YG Acoustics Sonja 3.2 Speakers, Cardas Audio Clear Beyond Cables, Stillpoints Racks, Aperture Acoustics, and Isolation Feet, Dr.Feickert Analogue Turntable, and Tri-Planar Tone Arm.

12/04/2026

Having a great time at Axpona in room 418

03/04/2026

AXPONA 2026 NEWS
Zesto Audio’s George and Carolyn Counnas will be demonstrating the Zesto Audio Eros 500 monoblock amplifiers at AXPONA 2026, partnered with YG Acoustics Sonja 3.2 loudspeakers
https://www.hifipig.com/zesto-audio-at-axpona-2026/