Capital AudioFest 2022

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Capital AudioFest 2022
Acora Acoustics/Hegel/JMF Audio/Ideon Audio/Cardas
Ken Micallef  |  Nov 15, 2022  |  0 comments
Val Acora returned to CAF with his new quartz QRC-1 and QRC-2 two-way Scanspeak driver-equipped loudspeakers, the quartz cabinet material a variation on his former granite-enclosure models. Why quartz? Acora said quartz is more forgiving, easier to work with, provides a more rigid material that holds drivers more securely, and has better sound.
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Capital AudioFest 2022
Alma Music/On a Higher Note/Bergman/Graham Audio/Moonriver/Kubala-Sosna/Artesania
Ken Micallef  |  Nov 13, 2022  |  0 comments
Alma Music's Fabio Storelli and On A Higher Note's Philip O'Hanlon tempted me with promises of serious sound, female entertainment, and triple-distilled whiskey. I fell into their room and almost spent the night.

O'Hanlon had the brand spanking new Graham Audio LS8/1 Limited Edition standmount loudspeakers ($9700/pair, with stands).

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Capital AudioFest 2022
Alta Audio/Infigo Audio
Ken Micallef  |  Nov 12, 2022  |  0 comments
I scrambled into the room shared by Infigo Audio and Alta Audio where Alta Audio's Michael Levy was introducing his new Titanium Hestia II floorstanders ($37,500/pair). I always dig Hans Looman's Infigo amplifiers; Hans always plays cool and unusual music, and his amps are small beasts of potent power, snap-crackling dynamics, and surprisingly large, super-scaled soundstages.
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Capital AudioFest 2022
Audio Note (UK)
Ken Micallef  |  Nov 13, 2022  |  0 comments
Perennial purveyor of uber musical sounds, Audio Note (UK) presented their wares at CAF, hitting every possible price range, and more importantly, making exceedingly sweet and empathetic sounds.
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Capital AudioFest 2022
Bache Audio & Alexus Audio from Brooklyn
Ken Micallef  |  Nov 12, 2022  |  0 comments
I have to admit, at past shows, Bache Audio's Greg Belman has urged me to visit his and Alex Choren's shared Alexus Audio room, and I've begged off, "too busy" the usual lame excuse. But this time I didn't and damn! I was glad I made it into this small oasis of good music and excellent high-fidelity reproduction.
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Capital AudioFest 2022
BorderPatrol/Volti Audio/Triode Wire Labs
Ken Micallef  |  Nov 13, 2022  |  2 comments
I have a theory about Greg Roberts, Gary Dews, and Pete Grzybowski, respective owners of Volti Audio, BorderPatrol Audio Electronics, and Triode Wire Labs. I knew guys like these three in high school, whip smart dudes who had the best music, stayed up late playing that music, but were somehow at school the next morning before anyone, pushing their grades to the max. Me? Slacker.
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Capital AudioFest 2022
Capital Audiofest 2022, Rockville, Maryland Starts Today
Ken Micallef  |  Nov 11, 2022  |  5 comments
Presenting dozens of new exhibitors, 40 more rooms, and 30 more accessories booths than in 2021, Capital Audiofest 2022 is up and running like a fire-starter. Owner/organizer/promoter Gary Gill is sporting a new, literally letting-his-hair-down cut, and over an aromatic cigar he excitedly regaled me with news.
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Capital AudioFest 2022
Capital Audiofest 2022: A Fantastic Show
Ken Micallef  |  Nov 16, 2022  |  13 comments
CAF 2022 was fantastic! There were many great sounding rooms, and everyone was in good spirits. Soon after the show kicked off, many rooms became so packed, I couldn't enter. SRO! As always, my eyes and ears bulge to take it all in. CAF organizer and promoter Gary Gill (above) has much to be proud of.
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Capital AudioFest 2022
Classic Audio Loudspeakers/Atma-Sphere Music Systems/Purist Audio Design/Tri-Planar
Ken Micallef  |  Nov 16, 2022  |  2 comments
John Wolff brought his Classic Audio Loudspeakers T-3.4 Field Coils ($29,500/pair) to the Show. This speaker comprised an all wood cabinet, 300 HTZ radial wood Tractix horn, two 15" woofers, a "4" beryllium tweeter diaphragm by Truextent loaded into 6475 2" throat field-coil compression driver," and a 16 ohms impedance. They weigh 350lb apiece.
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Capital AudioFest 2022
Command Performance AV/Gryphon/Marten/J.Sikora/Lyra/Doshi/Aurender/Berkeley Audio Design
Ken Micallef  |  Nov 12, 2022  |  0 comments
Jeff Fox and Jessie Bentley of Falls Church, Virginia's Command Performance AV graciously opened their room to me, pre-showtime. I chose their vinyl copy of trumpeter Erik Truffaz's 2000 album, The Mask, for play on their J. Sikora Reference turntable, ($47,000; gloss finish with Reference power supply), and its new J. Sikora KV Max Zirconium Series 9" tonearm (TBA), a CAF world premiere, running a Lyra Atlas Lambda SL cartridge ($11,995).
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Capital AudioFest 2022
Distinctive Stereo/Genesis/Element/Merrill/VPI/Aurender/AudioQuest
Ken Micallef  |  Nov 11, 2022  |  2 comments
The Distinctive Stereo/Genesis Advanced Technologies/Merrill Audio Advanced Technology room celebrated Genesis's 30th anniversary with the debut of the Genesis Tribute Loudspeakers ($125,000/pair), in honor of Genesis founder, the late Arnie Nudell, "advanced with the latest innovations in materials and technology by current designer, Gary Leonard Koh," stated a press release.
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Capital AudioFest 2022
Fidelis Distribution/Heretic Loudspeakers Co./Lab 12/CEC/ArgentPur
Ken Micallef  |  Nov 16, 2022  |  1 comments
Fidelis Distribution and Heretic Loudspeakers Co. brought their high-sensitivity Heretic AD612 loudspeakers ($9290/pair) to CAF, paired with CEC and Lab 12 equipment.
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Capital AudioFest 2022
Fidelity Imports/Diptyque/Cyrus/Innuos
Ken Micallef  |  Nov 15, 2022  |  5 comments
Steve Jain, Managing Director & cofounder of New Jersey's Fidelity Imports had [edit] six rooms (!) at CAF, all packed with enough hi-fi goodness to make my North Carolina grandmother give-me-my-inheritance-now to buy more gear!
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Capital AudioFest 2022
High Water Sound/Codia Acoustics/TW-Acustic/Zen Sati/New Audio Frontiers/Horning Hybrid Systems
Ken Micallef  |  Nov 12, 2022  |  1 comments
High Water Sound's Jeffrey Catalano is a an evolved being, existing on a higher plane, his rooms part meditation, part deep music immersion seminar, part discovery/journey. Year after year, Jeff assembles some of the best-sounding rooms you'll ever hear at any show. And often with equipment as unique and revelatory as Jeffrey himself.

This year at CAF was no different, Jeff's system and choice of vinyl inspiring, calming/stunning, informing and educational.

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Capital AudioFest 2022
MoFi Electronics/Alma Music & Audio/HiFi Rose/SolidSteel/Isotek
Ken Micallef  |  Nov 15, 2022  |  0 comments
Andrew Jones enthuses about his new MoFi SourcePoint 10 speakers

CAF 2022 was all abuzz with news of Andrew Jones's new MoFi Electronics 10 standmount loudspeaker, the SourcePoint 10 ($3699/pair, Stereophile review by John Atkinson scheduled for the February 2023 issue). With a specified sensitivity of 91dB/2.83V/m and an impedance of 8 ohms, the two-way, reflex-loaded speaker features a 1.25" soft-dome tweeter concentrically mounted in a 10" woofer. But that's not all that was on display and in use in the MoFi room.

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