Ken Micallef

High End by Oz's Oz Turan pops up at shows when least expected, often showing new gear or teaming up with new brands. This year at CAF, Oz systems (and Oz himself) appeared in two rooms.

From Maryland to Munich, I've been consistently impressed by the audio systems of Nashville, Tennessee's Gestalt Fine Audio. This year's CAF continued the streak.

Florida-based Innovo Audio Designs makes active loudspeakers. Their stylish and unique Luxe T1 speaker, shown at CAF, instantly grabbed my attention. The speaker's small footprint, slim design, and side-mounted bass drivers were something new.

Harry and Mat Weisfeld were up to their old tricks at CAF, wowing the audience with a reference rig containing a pair of vintage JBL Everest loudspeakers in the Jefferson suite and dropping a lower-cost system in the Adams room.

I strolled into this room not knowing what to expect but seriously intrigued by the pair of large, folded-horn speakers that looked like something from a Grimm's fairy tale.

Jeff Coates of Harmonia Distribution presented several systems in its two-room suite in Rockville.

Mark Sossa of Well Pleased AV always puts together solid, good-sounding rooms, often featuring Merason DACs and Qln loudspeakers. At this show Sossa's system, fortified by Alma Music & Audio, reached new levels of transparency, quiet, and soundstaging, wowing and entrancing me.

The preshow buzz was palpable. Is Altec Lansing really back? With a new planar loudspeaker?

Tom Vu brought a complete Triangle Art system to CAF, with his trademark gold-encrusted turntables at the center of the room—not one, not two, but three! Vu sold the most expensive turntable while I was away fetching coffee.

Linear Tube Audio occupied two rooms and demoed their LTA Century Monoblocks in a world-wide debut.