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Capital AudioFest 2025

US debuts for Torqueo Exclusive turntable and Zeiler SP-01 speakers in the High Water Sound suite

Ken Micallef Nov 20, 2025

As a frequent visitor to the High Water Sound rooms of Jeffrey Catalano, I know to look at the records even before I look at the rig. Catalano always brings records I don't know but must own after hearing them in his room.

Capital AudioFest 2025

Command Performance AV debuts the J.Sikora Aspire and Innuos Stream3 with Doshi and Joseph Audio

Ken Micallef Nov 20, 2025

In addition to their showing in the Democracy room, Command Performance AV brought two US debut products to room 305: the J.Sikora Aspire turntable with the CF9 tonearm ($10,595) and the Innuos Stream3 music streamer with optional PhoenixDAC board ($12,600), which turns it into a fully fledged streaming music player.

Capital AudioFest 2025

Bella Sound Kahili, Hana, and Kaula 2 meet YG Acoustics Hailey 3

Ken Micallef Nov 20, 2025

Bella Sound's Michael Vice holds more than 50 patents as an electrical engineer. Like other large-brained thinkers I know, such as Stereophile Editor Jim Austin and Spin Doctor Michael Trei, when they talk, I just listen.

Capital AudioFest 2025

BorderPatrol and Triode Wire Labs feature New Zola DAC and Living Voice speakers

Ken Micallef Nov 20, 2025

Gary Dews of BorderPatrol Audio Electronics and Pete Grzybowski of Triode Wire Labs are old hands at audio shows, yet they bring the zeal of energetic newbie pups. Then again, there's nothing "newbie" about Dews's new BorderPatrol Zola DAC ($3950).

Capital AudioFest 2025

Lone Mountain Audio showcases ATC SCM20ASL US debut with Innuos ZENith Next-Gen and PhoenixNET

Ken Micallef Nov 20, 2025

Lone Mountain Audio's Leland Leard brought a compact but mighty rig to Maryland, including an ATC CDA2 Mk2 Preamp/DAC/CD unit ($5499), Innuos ZENith Next-Gen server ($21,700), Innuos PhoenixNET switch ($4800; $3840 bundled with ZENith), and the US debut of the ATC Classic Series SCM20ASL active loudspeakers ($10,999/pair, standard finish).

Capital AudioFest 2025

Alma Music and Audio, On A Higher Note debut Luphonic H2 and R3 turntables with Basel Acoustics and Franco Serblin

Ken Micallef Nov 20, 2025

Alma Music and Audio of San Diego, California, and Sterling, Virginia, showed two well-appointed systems at CAF including several US debuts.

Capital AudioFest 2025

2WA Group debuts Aequo Ensium with Ideon, Trilogy, SPL, and Falcon

Ken Micallef Nov 20, 2025

Audio industry veterans Walter Schofield and Walter Swanbon have brought their collective energies together in a new venture, 2WA Group. Their joint offerings at the Capital Audio Fest included a US debut.

Recording of the Month

Recording of December 2025: Frank Sinatra: In the Wee Small Hours

Sasha Matson Nov 19, 2025

Francis Albert Sinatra's milestone album In the Wee Small Hours was recorded and released in 1955 by Capitol Records. Now, in 2025, this never-out-of-print record has been remastered by Blue Note Records as part of their Tone Poet audiophile vinyl series. November 14 marks the 70th anniversary of the album's release on 12" LP.

Capital AudioFest 2025

Lucca Chesky Introduces the LC2 Reference Monitor

Ken Micallef Nov 18, 2025

At barely 19 years old, Lucca Chesky continues to shake up the hi-fi world. Dubbed "The Fresh Prince of Hi-Fi" by Stereophile’s Rogier van Bakel, Chesky is a student at Pittsburgh’s Carnegie Mellon University. That hasn’t blunted his hi-fi flame.

Capital AudioFest 2025

Capital Audiofest 2025 commences

Mark Henninger Nov 15, 2025

Capital Audiofest 2025 opened with a familiar face but an unfamiliar scale. Founded and still owned by Gary Gill, CAF has called the Hilton in Rockville, Maryland, home since 2015; it's the show's third venue. Fifteen years in, after a COVID interruption and steady, year-over-year expansion, Capital Audiofest is now one of the key stops on the US hi-fi show circuit. This year it is as big as ever, consuming the Hilton and spilling over into the hotel across the street. I dropped by on day one to take a look and shoot some videos plus photos.