Capital AudioFest 2019

Do you know why New Yorkers are always depressed? Because the light at the end of the tunnel is New Jersey.

My friend Laurence Borden told me that joke. He has a PhD in neuropharmacology and is the owner-operator of Distinctive Stereo in River Vale, New Jersey. (Don’t neuropharmacologists study the effects of drugs on the brain and nervous system?)

I told Larry, when an audio system is really good, I need a neuropharmacologist to explain why. He replied, “The audio system you are listening to is really good and here is part of the reason why.” Whereupon he introduced me to Gary Leonard Koh, the designer of the $30K Genesis Advanced technologies Maestro loudspeakers I was listening to. Mr. Koh is a super-smart guy, and admirably, like all loudspeaker designers, he thinks his way is the best way. I could not argue much (even though I wanted to), because the sound coming from the Maestros was pretty damn excellent. I did ask Gary Koh about crossover points, but he said they are a secret. Then I asked him to remove the grille on the midrange, but he said it was permanently attached. I asked why. He said “That’s secret, too.”

It's no secret that the Maestro has at least five drivers on the front and at least four more on the back. It's no secret the Maestro’s were happy, in the electrical sense, being driven by the $12,400 Merrill Audio Christine Linestage preamplifier and Element 116 monoblock amplifier ($22k/pair).

I had little doubt that the $15,500 Ed Meitner-designed EMM Labs DAC2x was making a mighty contribution to the good sound. And perhaps, the rack, amp stands, interconnects, speaker cables, and power cords—all by Genesis Advanced Technologies—contributed in a mighty way, also.