LATEST ADDITIONS

In the September issue of Stereophile, in this space, I proposed a way to attract more young people to hi-fi. To reach younger people with your products, I argued, speaking mainly to manufacturers, create products that have integrity about them and that also tell a story. Products with a message, products endowed with meaning. Use good materials, classic designs, historically important circuits. To improve value and performance, keep the parts count low and assembly simple. These products need to be reasonably affordable, but it's okay to ask young people to stretch for something fine. . .

After that article hit newsstands, I got feedback, much of it of the "get off my lawn" variety.

At the Capital Audio Fest 2024, the Luxury Audio Group, with a crucial assist from dealership Scott Walker Audio presented an exceptional audio system featuring the Estelon XB Diamond Mk II speakers ($63,000 per pair), the Vitus SIA-030 integrated amplifier ($51,000), the Vitus SD-025 DAC ($30,000), and the Sonorus ATR10 MkII reel-to-reel tape deck ($35,000).

Bill Voss of Technics was tardy to his Alma/Technics room at Capital Audiofest 2024, so Stereophile managing editor Mark Henninger and I sidled in, invited show attendees, and spun some discs. By the time Bill arrived we had a small party going.

Ofra Gershman brought her 30th anniversary Black Swan Speakers ($95,000/pair) to CAF, that feature the company’s patented “Separate Sub Alignment System,” which physically separates the tweeter and midrange from the woofer.

Supreme Acoustic Systems and Axiss Audio brought the kind of equipment that gooses my reviewer’s jones for new review gear. From the Brutalist looking Bergmann Audio turntable to the fantastical YG speakers to the fetish worthy AirTight amps, I tried to maintain dry palms while taking notes.

It felt like a homecoming, albeit a strange one—in that just as I began to sink into or groove on what was playing, the track abruptly shifted to another. Such demos, alas, always strike me as more about sound than music. Even with that reservation, the sound on Camo & Krooked's "Witch Doctor" and Hugo Barriol's "Hold My Hand" was sufficiently engaging to make me wish I could have heard far more.

The high-end audio world, with its shiny boxes and astronomical price tags, often gets a bad rap. People dismiss it as a playground for the wealthy, a place where form trumps function. But Jeff Fox, the mastermind behind Command Performance AV, isn’t buying it. He’s here to prove that high-end audio isn’t just about showing off; it’s about experiencing the blood, guts, and beauty of music. If the prices start to rise, at least you were warned.