Capital AudioFest 2022

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Capital AudioFest 2022
Capital Audiofest 2022: A Fantastic Show
Ken Micallef  |  Nov 16, 2022  | 
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
Fidelis Distribution/Heretic Loudspeakers Co./Lab 12/CEC/ArgentPur
Ken Micallef  |  Nov 16, 2022  | 
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
Classic Audio Loudspeakers/Atma-Sphere Music Systems/Purist Audio Design/Tri-Planar
Ken Micallef  |  Nov 16, 2022  | 
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
Now Listen Here/Legacy Audio/Bel Canto/Innuos/Transparent
Ken Micallef  |  Nov 15, 2022  | 
Legacy Audio founder and designer Bill Dudleston (center) brought his Aeris and Calibre loudspeakers to CAF, joined by Now Listen Here's James Thompson (left) and Aaron Sherrick (right).
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Capital AudioFest 2022
Rethm/Ampsandsound/Auralic
Ken Micallef  |  Nov 15, 2022  | 
India's Rethm loudspeakers, California's Ampsandsound, and China's Auralic combined forces to make unique sounds at CAF 2022.
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Capital AudioFest 2022
Fidelity Imports/Diptyque/Cyrus/Innuos
Ken Micallef  |  Nov 15, 2022  | 
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
Acora Acoustics/Hegel/JMF Audio/Ideon Audio/Cardas
Ken Micallef  |  Nov 15, 2022  | 
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
MoFi Electronics/Alma Music & Audio/HiFi Rose/SolidSteel/Isotek
Ken Micallef  |  Nov 15, 2022  | 
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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Capital AudioFest 2022
The Voice That Is/Vinnie Rossi/Tidal Audio/Critical Mass Systems/Siltech
Ken Micallef  |  Nov 15, 2022  | 
Literally everything in this room, except Doug White of The Voice That Is and Vinnie Rossi, was new.

This room gets my vote for the most beautiful looking system of the show. A stunner.

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Capital AudioFest 2022
BorderPatrol/Volti Audio/Triode Wire Labs
Ken Micallef  |  Nov 13, 2022  | 
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
Alma Music/On a Higher Note/Bergman/Graham Audio/Moonriver/Kubala-Sosna/Artesania
Ken Micallef  |  Nov 13, 2022  | 
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
Mytek/AGD/JM Labs
Ken Micallef  |  Nov 13, 2022  | 
Albert Guerra of AGD Productions (left) and Michal Jurewicz (right)

Running into my Brooklyn buddy and Mytek head honcho Michal Jurewicz at the local Safeway (hotel food: $$$), he invited me to an after-hours shootout between his forthcoming GaN FET-powered, Empire monoblocks ($19,990/pair, below), which are specified as offering 400W into 8 ohms and 800W into 4 ohms. His dueling partner in this shootout was Albert Guerra of AGD Productions, who brought his GaN FET-operated Gran Vivace Monoblocks ($18,500/pair).

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Capital AudioFest 2022
The Listening Room/Fidelity Imports/Titan Audio/Michell Engineering/Soul Note/Perlisten/Innuos/AudioQuest
Ken Micallef  |  Nov 13, 2022  | 
The Listening Room and Perlisten Audio's Erik Wiederhotlz assembled a fine-sounding room, its front end including the revised Michell Orbe SE Turntable with an inverted, oil-circulating main bearing, freestanding motor, and massive platter ($6999 w/o tonearm; $8495 w/Technoarm 2), Innuos Statement Music Sever and Streamer, Soul Note D2 DAC ($8999), Soul Note E2 MM/MC Phono Equalizer ($8999), and Soul Note S3 SACD player ($19,999). Amplification consisted of more Soul Note!
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Capital AudioFest 2022
Audio Note (UK)
Ken Micallef  |  Nov 13, 2022  | 
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
Voxativ Acoustic Technologies
Ken Micallef  |  Nov 13, 2022  | 
The Berlin-made electronics and loudspeakers in the Voxativ room were impressive and riveting, moving air like a freight train from their handmade full-range drivers, modular, three-section floorstanders, and 30Wpc SET integrated amplifier.
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