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Capital Audiofest 2011 Photos posted

70.110.23.108
Posted on July 9, 2011 at 15:48:23
ctbarker32
Audiophile

Posts: 290
Location: Kensington, MD
Joined: September 11, 2003

Hi,

I have just uploaded exactly 100 photos of this year's Capital Audiofest 2011 in Rockville, MD. There is some very interesting audio technology being shown this weekend. For those out of town and unable to attend these photos will give you a flavor of the show.

Enjoy.

-CB

 

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Thanks! NT, posted on July 9, 2011 at 15:56:05
jnr
Reviewer

Posts: 2164
Location: San Francisco Bay Area
Joined: April 5, 2000
 .
theaudiobeatnik.com

 

awesome, thanks, and a question for you about the new Polk LSiM , posted on July 9, 2011 at 17:04:31
bullethead
 Awesome pics, thanks for sharing. What did you think about the Polk Audio LSiM / AR setup? I was a huge fan of their older LSi line, the LSiM looks tasty. If you have any thoughts on that setup there please share I would appreciate it.

cheers!

 

RE: Capital Audiofest 2011 Photos posted, posted on July 9, 2011 at 17:34:45
The Dill
Audiophile

Posts: 2323
Location: Portland, Oregon
Joined: July 1, 2004
Contributor
  Since: February 3, 2016
 Great photos, thanks for your effort! Saw lots of new stuff.

 

Greatly appreciated! :-) nt, posted on July 10, 2011 at 00:04:29
c1ferrari
Audiophile

Posts: 641
Location: Southern California
Joined: March 16, 2001
 a
Vbr,
Sam

 

What? Not one picture of the DCAudioDIY room?, posted on July 10, 2011 at 09:29:51
Slick
Audiophile

Posts: 435
Location: Maryland
Joined: April 10, 2002
 Guess we were just displaying good sound, not selling equipment
Smoke is on......here come the burners!

 

RE: Capital Audiofest 2011 Photos posted, posted on July 10, 2011 at 11:06:36
winstoncheng888@hotmail.com
Audiophile

Posts: 167
Location: San Diego
Joined: October 6, 2003
 Thanks for the awesome photos!

 

RE: awesome, thanks, and a question for you about the new Polk LSiM , posted on July 10, 2011 at 14:09:57
ctbarker32
Audiophile

Posts: 290
Location: Kensington, MD
Joined: September 11, 2003
 "What did you think about the Polk Audio LSiM / AR setup? I was a huge fan of their older LSi line, the LSiM looks tasty. If you have any thoughts on that setup there please share I would appreciate it."

When I first visited them on Friday, they had not hooked up the LSiM monitors. I returned today (Sunday) and they hooked up the LSiM's for me. I listened carefully to a few songs and I was quite pleased with the sound. Very smooth but detailed throughout the mid-range. The bass was very articulate and deep. I asked what the frequency response rating was and I was told by Peter (a Polk rep) that it was 50hz to 30khz. I am surprised because the bass was very good and sounded like it easily went to the mid 40hz's.

I have been waiting for the LSiM's to be released. They apparently had a tortured gestation period according to Mark and Peter of Polk but I was told they are now shipping in limited quantities and are selling through various B&M dealers and online only at Crutchfield. I personally buy everything online these days so I encouraged them to go internet direct but it's their business to run?

At $1500 a pair, I think they are very competitive and I will be interested to see how they are received by the community. One of the earliest pair of speakers was the Polk Model 10's back in the late 1970's. I have always had a warm spot for Polk products.

-CB

 

RE: Capital Audiofest 2011 Photos posted, posted on July 10, 2011 at 14:16:49
AGM
Audiophile

Posts: 355
Location: DC
Joined: January 14, 2002
 Thanks for the photos. I went to the show, and quite enjoyed myself. Picked up some nice vinyl too.

My pet peeve is the tendency of some audio dealers to play music--of a sort-- off of digital servers, laptops, etc. I don't dig that at all. Plus, too many play really crap music. If felt if I heard one more breathy, echo-chambered chanteuse, I'd run out of there screaming. I could not tell if the speakers were any good because the music was so artificial and tarted up.

Kudos to AudioNote UK and Highwater Audio, among a few, who played LPs and CDs with really natural music.

 

RE: Capital Audiofest 2011 Photos posted, posted on July 10, 2011 at 18:00:01
Myles B. Astor
Reviewer

Posts: 326
Location: New York City, NY
Joined: April 12, 2000
 Thanks CB! Felt like I was there :)
Myles B. Astor

 

RE: awesome, thanks, and a question for you about the new Polk LSiM , posted on July 10, 2011 at 18:09:27
bullethead
 thanks, good to hear. I remembered my first pair of good quality loudspeakers when I was 18 years old, the Polk Audio RT16. Then I upgraded to the LSi15's and now use Harbeth. I have fond memories of the RT16's I had in college growing up, something about being young and into music, having good sound helped a lot.

 

RE: Capital Audiofest 2011 Photos posted, posted on July 10, 2011 at 18:38:52
Markhh2
Audiophile

Posts: 113
Location: No. Virgnia
Joined: November 22, 2003
 Great pics. I spent 2 days here and had a lot of fun. Great sound in many rooms, both vinyl and digital, but at the end of the day it's clear that even great digital has a ways to go. The rooms that I enjoyed the most, in no particular order were:
Deja Vu vintage (actually the best sound there and that was with an audio note Dac)
Volti audio - k horn like speakers taken to much higher sonic and aesthetic level amazing;
DIYDC- awesome sound from a collection of DIY gear - great musical selections, an awesome teres TT and a fine sounding pair of bazzillas. Nice guys who clearly love good music and know what it takes to reproduce it.
Mapleshade- Their modded Scott integrated is the easiest entry-into-hi-end-audio recommendation I know of;
Audio Note UK - see John Atkins comments on the stereophile site - great sound;
High Water sound - great vinyl, cool looking amps - the guy in the room clearly loves vinyl but also loves to talk about his love of vinyl while the music is playing;

Equipment that caught my eye
AMR DAC/pre
Mapleshade modded Scott
Lampizator Dac
Command AV servers - a No Va dealer who knows pc's has designed a line of bullet proof servers with outboard power supplies
Volti horns
Thoress preamp
Vu's WE field coil loudspeakers.

I'm sure I've forgotten something but those r MY highlights. Never been to a regional
Show before.

 

RE: Capital Audiofest 2011 Photos posted, posted on July 10, 2011 at 20:54:13
Slick
Audiophile

Posts: 435
Location: Maryland
Joined: April 10, 2002
 Markhh2,

Thanks for the kind words. I'm a member of the DCAudioDIY club that displayed in the show. This was our first experience as a display at an audio show. We learned a lot and met a lot of nice people. We had a blast and hope to do it again next year.

Stuart
Smoke is on......here come the burners!

 

RE: Capital Audiofest 2011 Photos posted, posted on July 10, 2011 at 21:17:29
Markhh2
Audiophile

Posts: 113
Location: No. Virgnia
Joined: November 22, 2003
 Well u guys were great and the sound, and selections were top notch. Way more musical than other systems, but you must already know that given the path you've embraced. Like to see the room show up in stereophiles coverage.

 

RE: Capital Audiofest 2011 Photos posted, posted on July 11, 2011 at 03:57:15
Salectric
Audiophile

Posts: 1367
Location: East Coast
Joined: February 23, 2003
 I agree with a number of your comments. For my tastes, the best sounding (and most interesting) rooms were (not in any particular order):

1. Wilson Sashas/D'Agorstino amps/Nordost cables---Peter McGraths's recordings on this system were simply phenomenal. One of the closest to "being there" experiences I have ever had.

2. DejaVu Audio's vintage Jensen field coil (not WE) in an open baffle driven by Vu's own preamp and amp using WE iron and other vintage parts. The Audio Note DAC 5 may have helped, but this combination had, to my ears, was most realistic from the upper bass through the low treble. Not as neutral or full range as the Wilsons, but somehow equally real in its own way.

3. Volti Vittora---a real sleeper. A company that I had never heard of before, but one that should go places. Fully horn-loaded 3-way speaker based on the Klipsch La Scalla. Very smooth and dynamic, excellent blend between the drivers. The designer Greg Roberts obviously has an excellent ear. The speakers are also an excellent value.

The DIY room deserves broader attention. They showed that it isn't necessary to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to get top-flight sound. The reel-to-reel tape playing while I was there (Kind of Blue) sounded especially good. (Disclaimer: I know the DC DIY fellows but had nothing to do with the equipment or set-up.)

Dave

 

RE: Capital Audiofest 2011 Photos posted, posted on July 11, 2011 at 12:48:27
Brian Walsh
Audiophile

Posts: 10778
Location: IL
Joined: December 6, 1999
 Deju Vu's vintage system, according to an email sent to me by Vu, was to include the following:
Deja Vu Audio Ltd WE transformer coupled preamp ($28,000)
Deja Vu Audio Ltd WE transformer coupled power amps ($25,000)
Deja Vu Audio Ltd WE field coil speakers ($55,000)
Audio Note DAC 5 signature ($75,000)
Deja Vu Audio Thorens TD 124 turntable with Ortofon Arm and Allaerts cartridge
Brian Walsh

 

RE: Capital Audiofest 2011 Photos posted, posted on July 11, 2011 at 13:08:47
Salectric
Audiophile

Posts: 1367
Location: East Coast
Joined: February 23, 2003
 When I was there Saturday, one of the DejaVu guys pulled back the sheet covering the rear of one of the speakers and it had a Jensen field coil with a Jensen tweeter crossing in at 8K. Maybe Vu intended to bring another speaker and chose this at the last minute.

I don't recall seeing any phono setup in the room.

 

There was vinyl., posted on July 11, 2011 at 13:22:17
Topper
Audiophile

Posts: 959
Location: New England
Joined: April 19, 2001
 A TD-124, that was sort of hidden away in the back corner. Apparently the setup had a hum problem and was retired until the Mystery Hum-Busters volunteered to help out. Vu himself was too busy answering questions and taking care of business, as he should be. While the room sounded great with digital the vinyl pleased many who heard the transition. Excellent sound in that room.

W

 

Interesting Comments, posted on July 11, 2011 at 15:46:19
Larry I
Audiophile

Posts: 2266
Location: No. Va.
Joined: June 28, 2000
 Interesting comments. I agree that the Wilson/D'Agostino demonstration and the Deja Vu rooms had terrific sound, as did the DIY room. Given the limited time I was at the show, I missed the Volti room. I also missed the Classic Audio room with their field coil driver system. Did you get to hear that system?

As for the Deja Vu speakers, the cabinet is not vintage, they are made in the DC area. The bass midrange drivers for the speakers would be vintage Jensen drivers (when those can be found and purchased) or equally expensive Japanese replicas of the Jensen drivers. In any case, the drivers are quite expensive.

The electronics are made in Italy by a young designer/builder who insists on using mostly vintage parts. The preamp at the show (has built in phonostage) is particularly expensive because all of the inputs use Western Electric transformers, as is also the case with the output stage. I haven't heard this preamp in my own system (too expensive for me), though I have heard, and liked the cheaper linestage by the same designer (at the show, but, not in the demonstration system).

The amplifiers used are, I believe, pushpull amps that put out a thunderous 4 watts.

I was pleasantly surprised by the room with the Cathedral speakers. At last year's show, I thought that was easily the worst sounding room. With different electronics, and probably better acoustics, the system sounded quite good this year. The same can be said for the room with the MBL omnidirectional speakers--aweful last year and surprisingly good this year.

I have generally not been a fan of Wilson speakers in the past. I was quite surprised by how good they sounded at this show. The system--using the new D'Agostino (ex of Krell) amp, Sooloos music server and Meridian DAC--sounded smooth and reasonably free of the kind of artificial "edginess" that characterizes much solid state gear.

Again, if you have some comments on the Classic Audio speakers, I would be very thankful.

 

Classic Audio, posted on July 11, 2011 at 16:47:23
Salectric
Audiophile

Posts: 1367
Location: East Coast
Joined: February 23, 2003
 I was in the Classic Audio room Friday and Saturday and was able to listen to some of my own CDs. The speakers were on the long wall so the sweet spot was pretty close to the speakers. The model was the T-3.4 and it was configured with half field coil and half permanent magnet speakers. The front facing 15" woofer and the mid driver were FC, the bottom facing woofer and HF driver were PM. John said this is his most popular version. Friday they were driven by an Allnic stereo amp, Saturday by Atmasphere M-60's. Overall I was surprised by how good they sounded. They were full-range and uncolored. My only complaint Friday was the bass seemed a bit thick and lacking in tonal differentiation, but after all this was a motel room and these are big speakers. On Saturday when I played my CDs I was still impressed but thought they were lacking a bit in refinement. The room issues probably were also responsible for images being stretched vertically. They seemed to have a lot of potential.

 

Thanks for the response., posted on July 12, 2011 at 05:01:00
Larry I
Audiophile

Posts: 2266
Location: No. Va.
Joined: June 28, 2000
 I have heard other Classic Audio speakers in the past, so I know they are capable of building nice sounding speakers. I guess I really have to hear their version of a field coil speaker.

 

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