Capital Audiofest 2018 Day 2: Checking Out Some New Products

[MylesBAstor]

Have to hand it to Capital AudioFest chief honcho Gary Gill. Saturday’s marketplace was turned into a mini-used record (primarily anyway) show. Probabably another 5-10 vendors showed up with boxes and boxes of used audiophile, rock, classical and jazz LPs for sale. Some of the prices were steep but we can thank eBay and Popsike for that. Me? I searched through a bunch of boxes but no finds. On the other hand, I need more albums like I need a hole in the head.

The before.

[MylesBAstor]

The after.

[Rob]

looks more like a buyers market than a sellers...nonetheless, fun, fun, fun!

[MylesBAstor]

What the???

[Musica]

Carver Amazings on steroids?!?!

[Rob]

They are SoulSonics from Slovenia FWIW have received best sound awards at shows in Europe. Fred also brings in Grandinote amps from Italy which I can spot in the pic. How did it sound?

[MylesBAstor]

Daedalus Audio Zeus Speakers, Linear Tube Audio microZTL preamplifier and Ultralinear power amplifier, Lampizator Pacific DAC and Super Komputer and WyWires cabling.

Interesting comparison with the other Daedulus/Lampizator room. Two versions of reality. This room: little more finesse, low end extension and magical midrange. The second room: less colored, cleaner, faster and more resolution. My choice is the Wells Audio/Daedulus on day one. Would be interesting to swap Lampizator DACs between rooms. The Golden Atlantic seems worth checking out.

Note in passing. Cabinet under speaker is simply to add volume to cabinets. No woofers down there.

.

[MylesBAstor]

Dropped by the VPI room and the sound was much improved. The system was more focused, transparent and had tighter bass. Turns out Harry and Mat stayed after hours last night and tweaked the system including adding a second Krell amplifier into the system to drive the Wilson Alex speakers.

Newest Soundsmith Hyperion mounted in Fatboy gimballed arm.

[MylesBAstor]

Pure Audio Project speakers with Voxativ field coil midrange and VPI Avenger Reference Turntable. The field coil was as at RMAF the preferred midrange driver. Much easier on the ears and smoother (eg. less grainy). Big, solid sound.

[curbfeeler]

I liked this configuration at RMAF.

[MylesBAstor]

One of two Audio Skies rooms. This one started Larsen 9 Speakers with VAC Phi 170 (mono’d), VAC Rennaissance Mk. V preamplifier, Sutherland LOCO phonostage, (new) Thrax direct drive table/Schroeder CB 9 arm/Hana ML cartridge and Einklein cables. Not conventional sound.

[MylesBAstor]

Audio Skies second room featured Gamut’s DS200i amplifier and D3i speakers, Pear Audio Blue Reference phonostage and Kid Thomas Turntable/Cornet 2 arm, Top Wing Blue Dragon Cartridge and Gamut cables. Too much glass behind speakers.

[MylesBAstor]

Had more time today to sit down with importer Philip O’Hanlon (presented by 20/20 Evolution systems) and listen to reel-to-reel tape (the promised Air Force One table didn’t materialize through) through the Gryphon system and Kimber cables.

This was unquestionably the best sound have heard from Gryphon components under show conditions. Gryphon at Axpona or RMAF was dry or constricted and lacked life: those characteristics were absent here. Transient attack of instruments was nicely articulated with lots of finesse and sense of ambience (one of the few rooms too with ambience). My main quibble was the system lacked a little openness.

[MylesBAstor]

Virginia based audio retailer deja vu audio put together a system based around conrad-johnson's new ART150 amplifier and GAT Series 2 preamplifier and TEA1-S3 phonostage, an Audio Note table and extremely low output Io cartridge (0.05 mV) and Harbeth 40.2 speakers. I don't think there was even with a TEA1-S3s step up enough gain for the cartridge as the sound was pretty but never came to life or opened up.

[MylesBAstor]

Returned to the Command Performance A/V room today (with Devore speakers and Doshi electronics) to get a listen to the new J. Sikora turntable from Poland outfitted with the Kuzma 4 pt arm and Koetsu Jade cartridge. No disappointment. Table had a huge soundstage and was very clean and fast.


Nick Doshi (l) and John Devore (r).



Nick's CSN LP was sounded surprisingly good thru the system.

[MylesBAstor]

Next up: IMC Audio 40-10 speakers designed by Paul Padolf (for those who remember) formerly with Linnaeum speakers. No they aren't electrostats. Or solar sails. The top part of the speaker sports an array of 10 drivers crossed over at 100 Hz to the woofer drivers. Two amps are required (array and woofer) and the nominal impedance is 4 ohms. The sound: an incomplete.

[MylesBAstor]

Rollo Audio Consulting showed the new Arion Apollo speaker system driven by LAMM ML2.2 hybrid amplifiers. The rest of the system consisted of LAMM's L2.1 Reference preamplifier and Aqua Acoustics La Diva transport and Formulax HD DAC and JPS cabling.

The speakers are an open baffle, line source array based around the old Heil AMT ribbon driver crossed over at 120 Hz to a DSP equipped dipole bass driver. Stated efficiency is a staggering 105 dB. Vocals had a certain magic but the rest of the frequency spectrum wasn't on the same level. An incomplete for this new speaker until hear under different circumstances.

[MylesBAstor]

Backert Audio Labs showed their Rhumba preamplifier in a system of Densen B320 amplifier, Roksan Xerxes table and ProAc Tablette Anniversary speakers. It's been years since heard the Tablettes. Once touted as a great entry speaker, the Tablette's price has risen from $600 to $2800 (I think this model is now discontinued). The Tablettes had shocking bass for such a tiny speaker and were very clean and detailed. Only question is whether they still have that edge like their older sibling. Couldn't tell under these conditions.

[MylesBAstor]

Triangle Art electronics and turntable with Muraudio hybrid electrostatic speakers.