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My goal, in writing reports on the Warsaw Audio Video Show, may be to mix products from Polish brands with a few noteworthy premieres. But when a chance meeting during dinner led to the discovery of Mozzaik Audio, headquartered in Croatia just a few countries south of Poland, my interest was piqued.

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.

Faces at the BBC, Complete BBC Concert & Session Recordings 1970–1973
Rhino R2726026 603497827824 (8 CDs/1 Blu-ray). 2024. Rob Caiger, prod.; Nick Robbins, Dave Corbett, engs.
Performance *****
Sonics ***½

The record business was awash in money and power. Vinyl LPs were still five bucks, and while the pressings could be suspect, the music-buying public still snapped them up en masse. Even in that world of gatefolds, inserts, and textured covers, Faces' Ooh La La remains an impressive sleight of hand. Made up of remnants from two other bands—The Small Faces and The Jeff Beck Group—the band's five colorful louts could have been musical world-beaters, but in the end were more interested in having a good time.

One of the showpiece rooms at Capital Audiofest 2024 was the Matterhorn Audio Group demo in Plaza 1, which is essentially a small ballroom. The rarefied systems shown were up to the task of filling the spacious room with beautiful music.