Our Top Picks from NAMM Show 2025
This year’s NAMM Show solidified its position as the go-to event for those immersed in music, technology, and audio innovation. Funky Junk was there, amidst the bustling booths showcasing cutting-edge instruments, state-of-the-art studio monitors, and the latest audio solutions poised to make their mark on the industry.
NAMM (National Association of Music Merchants), serves as not only a trade show, but also a hub for technicians, producers, musicians, and professionals across various sectors, ranging from expansive recording studios to broadcast, live sound, instruments, services and more. The Funky team were on the ground gathering all the latest info about this year’s latest arrivals and exclusive announcements. So in no particular order, here’s a few of our favourite things to come out of NAMM 2025…
Explore the full array of products unveiled at NAMM ’25 here!
1. Telegrapher Rhino
Telegrapher might be relative newcomers to the scene but they’ve already created quite the buzz within the pro audio community, with the likes of Deadmau5, Chase & Status, Damon Albarn’s Studio 13 and other seasoned pros all having made the switch. As a passer-by, you cannot help but notice Telegrapher monitors with their striking colours and elegant lines, but it’s the accuracy and musicality that really sets them apart. Just read the recent Sound on Sound review for a breakdown on what makes these speakers so unique.
The Rhino is the latest and largest flagship offering from the Istanbul-based company, employing the same sealed cabinet design as the popular Fox and Gorilla, but scaling it up to a four-way design for a mammoth floorstanding reference monitor that really has to be experienced rather than described. The Rhino has been meticulously engineered from the ground up (quite literally) and features a dedicated upper bass driver designed to enhance warmth and tonal fullness while maintaining a clinically flat frequency response. The speaker houses a lower bass woofer measuring 12.5 inches (32 cm), an upper bass woofer at seven inches (18 cm) alongside a mid-driver and tweeter, powered by two integrated 500 watt Class-D amplifiers and delivers an impressive frequency response range of 20 Hz to 20 kHz.
2. API Audio ASM164
A compact, high quality summing solution from API has long been wished by many in the industry (us included) and what they’ve delivered with the API ASM164 is exactly that. This 16-channel analog summing mixer brings the top-tier quality of API consoles to studios of all sizes. Designed in a convenient 19″ rack format, the ASM164 takes inspiration from the summing section of their highly successful THE BOX to deliver exceptional performance and sound quality without the footprint. Our hands-on experience at the show revealed its ability to capture the classic API sound with impressive depth and signature punch. Whether you’re setting up a home studio or working on a project, the ASM164 is a great choice and convenient solution for adding glue-like cohesion and authentic API character to your mixes.
3. Barefoot Sound Footprint 03C
The new Footprint03C active monitor is your go-to choice as a center channel, perfectly crafted to blend with Footprint03 monitors for precision mixing in surround sound and immersive setups. This monitor builds on the trusted 3-way tri-amplified design of the beloved Footprint03, ensuring seamless tonal matching when used alongside Footprint03s. Together, they create a harmonious monitoring system that enhances any professional workspace. Every detail of the design is geared towards delivering exceptional audio quality. With innovative magnet and driver systems and enhanced heat dissipation technology, these monitors work hand in hand to reduce distortion, offer wide driver excursion, and deliver reliable performance even in the most challenging conditions.
4. Ear Trumpet Labs Wanda
We were thrilled to catch up with our good friends at Ear Trumpet Labs, Malachi and Philip, at NAMM 2025. We have long championed Ear Trumpet Labs for their commitment to designing and hand-crafting some of the most unique and recognisable microphones on the market, with the likes of their Edwina, Louise and Myrtle being used by countless country, folk, acoustic and ensemble superstars the world over. Not only do they look great though – they sound excellent, combining condenser-grade fidelity with superb noise rejection and off axis response for a family of mics that excel in both the live and studio domain.
Announced at NAMM, their most recent arrival, the ‘Wanda’, is a rather striking front-address cardioid condenser with impressively high SPL tolerence, making it a perfect solution for live micing guitar cabs, snare, kick, brass and much more. We’ll be stocking the Wanda soon enough but for now, rest assured that if their other offerings are anything to go by, the Wanda will sound every bit as good as it looks… and then some.
5. Neve 88C
Neve is bringing some exciting additions to its lineup of desktop products with the launch of the Neve 88C – a dual channel desktop compressor. This powerful little unit features a derivation of the dynamic section found in the top-of-the-line 88R console, offering that classic Neve sound quality and versatility that has made the brand a legend in the pro audio world.
Originally introduced back in the ’70s with the Series 50 consoles, Neve’s VCA compressors set a whole new standard for precise and flexible compression. This game-changing tech has become a signature feature in Neve’s VR and 88R console series. The dynamic section of the 88R series has been reimagined into a convenient double desktop design, powered via USB-C for ultimate portability. As you might have noticed, it also pairs perfectly with the Neve 88M, giving you a seriously capable – and truly portable – recording solution. And as always, the 88C is designed by Neve’s talented engineering team and crafted in the heart of Burnley, UK.
Elysia Xpector
We stopped by the Elysia booth to get hands-on with their most recent addition; Xpector – a new headphone amplifier designed to offer maximum quality and connectivity without compromises.
With 12 audio connections, XLR balanced outputs for monitors, and mirrored headphone outputs for engineer and artist, Xpector is a comprehensive solution for professional studios and home studios. Its ultra-silent power supply ensures a pure and crystalline signal, while the daisy-chain and Loop output options make it incredibly versatile.
6. Flock Switch e LV
Flock Audio have announced two new innovative solutions designed to take professional audio routing to a new level, both in the studio and live.
🔹 SWITCH is an 8×2 matrix with USB-C control, designed to manage multiple analog sources in a simple and immediate way. We tested its operational fluidity and the quality of the balanced outputs, and were impressed by its ability to select and route mono/stereo signals without latency, both from synthesizers and drum machines, and from traditional instruments.
🔹 PATCH LV is a digital-controlled patchbay with 24 analog channels and 16 Dante channels, perfect for those who want to integrate analog outboard gear into live setups without compromises. Trying it out at the trade show, we appreciated its nearly zero latency management and impeccable audio quality, making it an ideal solution for sound engineers seeking maximum flexibility without unnecessary AD/DA conversions.
7. Black Box HG-Q
HG-Q by Black Box Analog Design is a boutique EQ with valve saturation that combines pure analog processing with digital control via a plugin. It’s not just a simple equalizer nor a classic clone: it’s an unparalleled creative tool that redefines the concept of sound shaping. This innovative EQ features an interactive six-band topology, integrated valve saturation, and a 2X mode for unprecedented sound control. The integration with a dedicated plugin allows for remote control, advanced visualizations, and unique flexibility between series and parallel configurations.