T.H.E. Show, North America’s longest-running HiFi audio trade show, is announcing the launch of their record label, T.H.E, Music Group, and accompanying radio show, T.H.E. Radio Show, marking a new era in the HiFi audio industry. This innovative venture will promote exceptional talent while providing listeners with unparalleled audio experiences, thus bringing up-and-coming artists in search of new fans together with audiophiles searching for new music.
Committed to pushing boundaries and revolutionizing how people consume, share, and deliver music, T.H.E. Show and now, T.H.E. Music Group are poised to significantly impact the industry. The label’s growing roster of artists will captivate audiences with their unique sounds and bring fresh perspectives to the forefront of the audio scene, building strong bridges between music creators, HiFi audio dealers, manufacturers, and music lovers globally.
The label will offer comprehensive artist development, distribution, marketing, promotion, and tour services, and brings a team of experienced professionals with over 50+ years in the music industry combined.
The accompanying radio show, T.H.E. Radio Show will provide an engaging and immersive experience for listeners. Set to air weekly on Thursday evenings at 8:00pm PST on KWSS 93.9FM and 99.5FM, the show promises to be a sonic journey, showcasing the hottest tracks from the label’s artists, offering insightful interviews, behind-the-scenes stories, and HiFi audio news and content.
“We are excited to embark on this journey,” said Emiko E. Carlin, President of T.H.E. Music Group. “Our new label and radio show are something the team has been working on for the past five years and it’s thrilling to see it finally come to life. With such vibrant and energized connections that T.H.E. Show has, it makes complete sense to bring everyone together in an ecosystem where new artists can find fans that truly care about their music, and where dedicated audiophiles can find the high-quality new music of today. Additionally, we will be creating tour and performance opportunities for our roster artists via a special network and we look forward to sharing those details at the appropriate time.”
As part of the launch celebrations, T.H.E. Show has planned a series of live events and concerts at T.H.E. Show SoCal 2023 this coming June 9-11, at the Hilton Orange County Costa Mesa. These events will not only offer attendees an opportunity to experience the magic of new artists up close but also allow Show-goers to participate in live tapings for T.H.E. Radio Show.
For more information, please visit theshownow.com.
The Long Legacy of T.H.E. Show
T.H.E. Show—short for The Home Entertainment Show—has a rich and winding history that mirrors the broader evolution of the high-end audio world. Born out of necessity and a bit of rebellion, the show began in the late 1990s as an offshoot from the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), when many high-end audio companies began feeling increasingly marginalized by the growing dominance of mainstream tech and home appliance brands on the show floor. Founded by Richard Beers, T.H.E. Show was a response to a changing industry and has since grown into one of North America’s most recognizable events for audiophiles and specialty AV manufacturers.
In the early days, T.H.E. Show functioned as a sort of “carpetbagger” event, operating on the sidelines of CES in Las Vegas. While CES still attracted massive international attendance, its focus had shifted to televisions, mobile phones, and emerging digital devices. High-end audio exhibitors—many of them small, independent companies—found themselves increasingly pushed into back hallways or off-site hotel suites.
That’s where Beers saw an opportunity. He created T.H.E. Show as a separate but parallel event, one focused solely on two-channel audio, specialty electronics, and the audiophile culture that wasn’t being served by the tech-first mentality of CES. Located in nearby hotel suites, T.H.E. Show allowed smaller manufacturers to exhibit on their own terms—often at lower cost, with more control over their demonstration environments. Exhibitors and attendees alike found it to be more intimate, more focused, and a better place to actually experience music.
Throughout the early 2000s, T.H.E. Show grew alongside CES, even as it maintained its identity as the show “for the rest of us.” It became a haven for vacuum tube amps, exotic speakers, and boutique cable brands, many of which couldn’t afford or didn’t want to be part of the official CES structure. The mood was casual, the music was central, and the hotel-room format made for demos that, while imperfect, often felt more like real-world listening experiences.
As CES began to further de-emphasize high-end audio, T.H.E. Show started to branch out. Beers took the concept to other cities, including Newport Beach, California, where the show gained a particularly strong following. T.H.E. Show Newport became a key West Coast audiophile event, attracting both hardcore hobbyists and curious newcomers. It was known for its mix of high-end gear, educational seminars, live music, and a relatively relaxed, inclusive atmosphere.
Tragically, Richard Beers passed away in 2016, leaving the future of T.H.E. Show uncertain. But the brand didn’t disappear. Instead, it found new life under the stewardship of Maurice Jung and Emiko Carlin, who now co-own and operate the show. The new leadership has worked to preserve the spirit that Beers created, while also evolving the event to meet the needs of today’s audio landscape.
Under Maurice and Emiko, T.H.E. Show has returned to Southern California, now based in Costa Mesa, and continues to serve as a gathering point for manufacturers, dealers, and consumers. The show has added more educational content, including panels on streaming audio, turntable setup, and room acoustics. Live music performances, vinyl-focused vendors, and lifestyle elements have also become a bigger part of the mix, helping to broaden the appeal without alienating longtime attendees.
One of the most notable shifts under the new ownership has been the push to engage a younger and more diverse audience. Emiko, a musician and longtime industry personality, has brought a fresh voice to the event, advocating for greater inclusivity in the audiophile space. While the core audience remains deeply rooted in the traditional high-end community, there’s now a visible effort to open the doors wider—welcoming headphone listeners, streaming-first users, and curious music lovers who may not yet identify as “audiophiles.”
T.H.E. Show’s longevity is tied directly to its ability to adapt while staying true to its roots. It’s never been about the flashiest displays or the most massive convention center floors. It’s always been about the music, the gear that brings it to life, and the community that gathers around it. That’s what Richard Beers understood from the beginning, and what Maurice and Emiko have continued to champion.
