Maybe it was the just-over election or the sudden cold spell that settled on Washington, but the Capital Audio Fest (CAF) seemed just a tad less festive this year. Attendance got off to a promising start on Friday but ebbed by Saturday afternoon. This despite the welcome presence of multi-generational families checking out the goods. Come Sunday, when systems were, as usual, sounding their best, journalists had their pick of seats.
On the other hand, CAF rented out every available room—some 120—to exhibitors, most of whom took the opportunity to introduce something new. CAF continues to relish its role as America’s second-biggest audio show, and manufacturers have embraced it as a place to debut products that would get lost in the noise at an AXPONA or a Munich.
To help roll out these new products, quite a few industry titans made the trek to DC. For instance, Jean-Pascal Panchard of Switzerland’s Stenheim attends AXPONA, but this was his first foray to CAF. “It’s much bigger than I expected,” he exclaimed. That was also the sentiment of Crystal Cable’s Gabi Rynveld, who flew from the Netherlands to sample the show.
Even if the crowds were down a bit (numerically and temperamentally), exhibitors were without exception pleased with CAF. That’s because, in the words of one audio exec, “the show was highly productive.” Translation: a lot of business was transacted. Companies took orders in high numbers, and that’s about the most welcome outcome they could ask for.
Because rooms at CAF are gradually transitioning from dealers to distributors and manufacturers, we’ve split up coverage a bit differently this time. To do justice to all the product introductions, Andrew and Alan focused exclusively on those intros, dividing them as usual between Inspirational (relatively affordable) and Aspirational (not so much). That freed Jacob to report on the best systems he heard at the show—and there were plenty of good-sounding ones.
So, without further ado, here’s what we found and heard at this year’s Capital Audio Fest.
Most Significant
VPI, a company that has always lavished attention on CAF, launched a turntable so new it didn’t have a final name. On Sunday, the company seemed to have settled on the Avenger Statement. It’s a top-flight direct drive table with improved materials and an acrylic/aluminum sandwich plinth. The price is $60k, including a Fatboy 12** tonearm that normally runs $6k on its own. At the show, the whole shebang was positioned atop the stellar-looking Vanquish modular stand, which, at $60–$100k, can cost more than the turntable.
Burmester is trying to make its products more approachable. To that end, the company introduced the 232 integrated amplifier, which starts at a very reasonable (for Burmester) $21k. Add a DAC/streamer module and/or a phonostage and the price can reach $35k, which is still very competitive. The amp puts out 150Wpc into 4 ohms (an 8-ohm spec was not available) and bristles with the quality and beauty of all Burmester gear. One unique feature is a very cool haptic control knob at front and center. Its function varies depending on the screen currently being displayed.
Ever since Focal and Naim became sister companies, the industry has wondered when they would collaborate to create a powered speaker. Now they have. Indeed, they’ve gone a step or two further with the Utopia Diva. It’s a $40k/pair powered speaker with built-in room correction, a streamer, and a DAC. Being wireless, the only connections needed are power and internet. Each speaker incorporates four Class AB amps, a new beryllium tweeter, a sandwich-cone 6.5** midrange, and four 6.5** woofers. There are also a variety of wired inputs, including analog. Watch for Andrew Quint’s review in an upcoming issue.
Kharma, the Dutch speaker veteran, introduced its new $300k flagship: the Enigma Veyron 4D. Aluminum enclosures are anathema to old-world builders like Kharma, so the cabinet is made of extremely stiff and dense bulletwood. All drivers are made in-house, including the diamond tweeters and carbon/Kevlar midrange and woofers. With a 91dB sensitivity, the Enigma Veyron should be an easy load. At CAF the speaker’s sound was evocative and rich.
Tidal has initiated a joint project with car-maker Bugatti called Tidal for Bugatti. All the components in this line are gorgeously styled—and they sound good, too. At CAF, the $125k MP1 preamp made its debut. The flagship model is an all-out assault on linestage technology. For example, the highly complex volume control uses relayed resistors under digital and fiber-optic control. Paired with the MP1 was the also-new MC1, a digital controller that is a DAC and streamer with level control.
Auspicious Debuts
In the Bending Wave room one could hear, for the first time in the U.S., the Göebel Diva Comptesse. This is Göebel’s smallest and least expensive speaker (the company detests the phrase “entry level” because it implies a lower standard of parts and craftsmanship). The Comptesse has an 8** woofer and an AMT tweeter in a bass-reflex enclosure. At $60k, it’s a great way to get into the superb Göebel ecosystem.
Tubed electronics maker Viva introduced the Solista stereo power amp ($30k). Putting out 25 pure Class A watts/channel, the Cremona, Italy-built amp features all point-to-point wiring and a front-panel gain control. It was a superb match for the high-efficiency Stenheim Alumine 5SE. Dynamics were especially sprightly, and the tonal balance was beyond reproach.
Gershman Acoustics launched the latest incarnation of its Black Swan speaker, the 30th Anniversary Edition ($95k). As in previous Black Swans, the woofer cabinet is within—but physically completely separate from—the midrange/tweeter enclosure. This both reduces cabinet vibrations and allows for time alignment of the drivers. But whereas earlier Swans also had a separate bass trap below the woofer module, the latest version combines those elements into a single cabinet. At CAF, the new speaker sounded spacious and neutral, and the bass was heroically deep. No subwoofer needed with these babies!
New to me was a company called Turnbull Audio, maker of bespoke cables. CAF saw the world premiere of the Prestige Line. The new cables feature unique methods for shielding, vibration control, and resonance breakup, as well as specialized conductors and dielectrics. Such research and exotic materials don’t come cheap. Interconnects run $9k–$13k per meter (depending on termination); power cords are $18,500 apiece; and speaker cable starts at $37k for 3 meters.
Designed in Switzerland and manufactured in Canada, the Master Fidelity NADAC C+D is a combination DAC and clock. The two functions are in separate chassis, but they’re sold together as a combo meal. The DAC is a 1-bit unit that converts all incoming signals to DSD.
High end turntable maker Thuono introduced a new intermediate turntable and tonearm system. The TH350 table (16,500 euros) has a magnetic suspension, and the motor sits on a detached marble pod to reduce vibrations. The TH12 carbon-fiber arm (5400 euros) is sold separately. Both products are made—and exquisitely finished—in Thiene, Italy, just outside Venice.
Bel Canto has come out with the Black MA 1200 monoblock amps at $40k/pair. Each delivers 375 watts into 8 ohms. The Black Series began with a 3-chassis integrated amp, but the Bel Canto has been moving toward separates ever since. The MA1200 monoblocks are the final piece. Among other features, they boast triple-shielded, ultra-low-noise transformer technology.
In Other News
Starting with electronics, the Alexus Audio EQ1 is a DS Audio-compatible phonostage. Besides DS Audio optical cartridges, the EQ1 will happily handle mm and mc models. The phonostage also offers multiple equalization curves, and there’s no need to set loading for mc devices. Made in Brooklyn, the EQ1 runs $19k. Meanwhile, DS Audio itself debuted its first-ever tubed equalizer, the TB-100 ($20k). At CAF, the unit was on static display, but we can expect to see functional versions soon, probably at AXPONA.
Speaking of tubes, Lampizator, maker of tubed DACs, showed the Horizon 360, an update to its Horizon model, which is now discontinued. The 360 features the latest in chips, programming, and power supplies. It can be yours for $62k. Also, EMM Labs has a new DAC/Streamer, the $35k DA 2I. What differentiates this iteration from the previous DA 2 are a switch-mode power supply and a reworked analog stage.
In speakers, CAF saw the debut of Von Schweikert’s latest, the VR-30. It’s a three-way floorstanding model with an optional built-in powered sub. The sub amp has a gain control to facilitate blending and room integration. The standard version runs $49k, while the speaker costs $59k when fitted with the powered sub. Finally, From Bayz Audio comes the new Courante 2.0 ($49k–$69k, depending on finish), the baby brother of the much more expensive Counterpoint 2.0 ($109k–$169k). The speaker is unique in that the midrange and tweeter are omnidirectional, and the latter extends all the way to 45kHz. Paper cones for the mid and bass drivers and a first-order crossover round out the specs.
Best of Show
Best Sound of the Show: Although there were many noteworthy runner-ups (Gershman, MBL, Acora), the Stenheim 5SE/Viva Solistapairing takes the prize. What this system offered that others didn’t was an airiness that gave the presentation a lifelike, effortless quality. That, combined with exemplary bass and imaging, made for the best sound I heard at CAF.
Best Sound for the Money : The Marten Duo/Gryphon Diablo 120/Aurender 815 system. Though not exactly cheap, this $30k system would be approachable for many audiophiles, and it delivered a gorgeously lush sound that didn’t lack for inner detail.
Most Significant New Product: Acora MRB Bookshelf Speaker. Val Cora wanted to see what he could do on a limited budget, and the result is stupendous. At just $8k/pair, the MRBs sounded so good they were frequently mistaken for the $218k flagships flanking them.
Best Joke of the Show: Michael Fremer and I were in a room (which shall remain nameless) that was playing a steady diet of electronic Krautrock. The exhibitor was discussing how the use of exotic metals had contributed to the sound, which was impossible to assess fairly, given the constant stream of beeps and blips that supposedly constituted music. I leaned over to Michael and whispered, “I think there’s too much Zirconium.” To which Michael replied, “The problem is it’s supposed to be a violin we’re hearing.”
Best Demo Tracks: Here’s a link to a Qobuz playlist with all the best-sounding demo tracks I heard in various rooms at CAF 2024: https://open.qobuz.com/playlist/26365652
