LATEST ADDITIONS

Gary Dewes and Pete Grzybowski, the minds behind Border Patrol Audio and Triode Wire Labs, respectively, conjured a sonic space that wasn't merely heard, but felt. A room where sound didn't just exist, but seized the listener, demanding attention.

Show attendees entered John Semrad and Dave Slagle’s room and let out an involuntary gasp. The components on display epitomized bespoke, handmade craftsmanship, of the highest quality, with purity and provenance their bywords.

At the risk of giving these social media upstarts more attention, my old friend Jason Messina (aka The Audiophile Junky) could be found in the Popori/UniQue room, which is a funny thing. The only time I’ve seen Jason even close to being immobile—i.e., not making videos, which he does, hitting the ground running (I’ve seen it)—is at a show!

YG Acoustics speakers have always had a distinct look, but the massive aluminum towers in room 806 were unmissable, even if you only glanced into the room. These were the Colorado-based manufacturer’s state-of-the-art Sonja 3.3 loudspeakers.

Angie Lisi of American Sound of Canada always presents desirable components—CAF2024 was no exception. This year, Lisi launched the North American debut of German-made Perpetuum Ebner turntables, the new Phasemation SA1500 integrated amp, new Avantgarde Colibri Series speakers and subwoofer, new Avantgarde Zero Itron speakers, and her exclusive line of Italian Synthesis Art in Music tube amplification.

I remember the first PS Audio product: a simple phono stage. It was so simple—a passive RIAA EQ filter flanked by a pair of primitive op-amps—that when the schematic was made public, I built one myself; I was in the midst of my DIY years. I thought it was, to use a word from that time, nifty. Paul McGowan went on to other things and other companies, eventually reviving PS Audio and building it into its present form with a wide range of interesting and substantive products. Most recently, PS Audio added a line of loudspeakers inspired by Paul's erstwhile partner in other ventures, the late Arnie Nudell.

The PS Audio Aspen speaker line has four models, three 3-way floorstanders (FR30, FR20, FR10) and a single two-way standmount (the FR5, $3499/pair).

Harmonia Distribution brought a respectable system to CAF, including a Grimm Audio MU2 Media Player Streamer Preamplifier ($17,500), PrimaLuna EVO 400 Tube Preamplifier ($4995), and a product I raved about at Stereophile and continue to use, the PrimaLuna EVO 300 Hybrid Power Amplifier ($7195).