Capital AudioFest 2019

It’s easy to get lost at this hi-fi party. Do I follow my carefully chosen itinerary or my ears, leading me down seemingly endless hallways where music emanates from every corner and cranny?

One such adventure of the latter kind led me to John McGurk’s AudioShield room, where Credo Audio Switzerland, in conjunction with Meitner, EMM Labs and VPI, presented a system with a big, immersive soundstage.

As explained by Amadeus Meitner, the system included the DS Audio W2 optical cartridge ($4500), brand new VPI Vanquish Magnetic Direct Drive Turntable (prototype), EMM Labs DS EQ1 optical phono equalizer (prototype), EMM Labs NS1 Network Streamer ($4500, described by Jason Victor Serinus in his Munich show report), EMM Labs DV2 Integrated DAC ($30,000), EMM Labs Reference PRE Stereo Preamplifier ($25,000), and MTRX2 1KW Class A/B Mono Amplifiers ($85,000/pair) powering the Credo Audio, Cinema LTM loudspeakers ($170,000/pair). Cabling was Kimber Cable Silver Select.

Credo Audio Switzerland’s Michael Kraske detailed the properties behind the unusual Cinema LTM Loudspeakers and their 32 0.086” dome tweeters, 14 4” midrange drivers, and four side-firing 12” woofers per cabinet.

“This is a line-source design, which means the dispersion pattern is completely different from a point source design. It creates a cylindrical waveform which doesn’t collapse until 70/80 meters away from the speakers. With point source, the waveform collapses a meter away, so you’re always hearing just a fraction of the sound. This is why the soundstage is so different.”

Besides its massive soundstage and exceptionally fast and transparent sound, the Audioshield room played outstanding music courtesy Amadeus Meitner. The streaming menu included the intelligent electronic house of Germany’s Keine Musik and the haunting singer/songwriter missives of Denmark’s Agnes Obel. I spied a Jazz Images reissue of Art Blakey’s Moanin, which Meitner happily played on the VPI Vanquish. While not as physical or tone-full as when heard on my home rig, Blakey’s drums were dynamic and propulsive via the Meitner/EMM Labs/Credo system. Fun reigned.