Capital Audiofest -November 5th to 7th

[Severian]

Damn, I went into the Montrose room three times and each time it was full of loud people with the speakers barely audible.

 

[BenB]

I have yet to watch the videos, but I ended up in the same room as Jay many times. Here's his channel with videos from CAF:

Jay's Audio Lab

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1RalNTbbkMouvaR0XhKIiA

 

[BenB]

Now for some lowlights:

The most disappointing room for me was the Von Schweikert room. I heard the Ultra 11s a couple years ago, and I thought they sounded awesome. At that time, the only real issue they had was excessive bass. Other than that everything was really dialed in. This time the sound was piercing and female vocals sounded very harsh. I made a note that something was probably set up incorrectly, and I should come back. I went back later and they weren't playing anything. Maybe they were fixing something... I'm not sure. What they played when I was there never should have been played for the public. I truly hope they got everything sorted, because I do believe the Ultra 11s are a very capable speaker, and the company is capable of some extraordinary sound. It would have been interesting to be able to compare the 11s to the perlistens and BMR towers if they managed the sound I know they are capable of. I know I'm not the only one who assessed the room poorly. Does anyone know if they got things sorted out?

I also found something offensively off with the AudioNec Evo Speakers in room 525. My best guess was a hole in the frequency response in the 700-1400 Hz range. Either that or I just don't care for the character of their large dipole.

I wanted to like the Larsen Audio speakers, since I have on-walls at home that I love. They did provide a wide soundstage, but the bass was way overcooked. It might have been room modes made worse with the on-wall placement of the woofers. In my system, I have multiple subwoofers to reproduce the lowest frequencies, and I placed them in good spots to even out the sound. I couldn't manage to get any imaging (phantom center) out of these speakers at all.

The last of my lowlights was a big, wide horn speaker with double woofers next to each other. I'll have to look up the model and room number later since my family is waiting for me. The issue here was the two different characters to the sound: 1 for frequencies reproduced by the horns, and 1 for the frequencies reproduced by the dynamic woofers. I thought the integration needed to be better. I also thought the upper bass was missing.. could have been the room. It didn't help that when I entered the room they were playing some radio drama from the 50's on their big horn speakers. That's really not what I was looking for.

 

[mhardy6647]

The last of my lowlights was a big, wide horn speaker with double woofers next to each other. I'll have to look up the model and room number later since my family is waiting for me.

Yes, you will (ahem -- well... yes, you should...). Enquiring (and/or inquiring) minds want to know.

 

[BlackTalon]

Now for some lowlights:

The most disappointing room for me was the Von Schweikert room. I heard the Ultra 11s a couple years ago, and I thought they sounded awesome. At that time, the only real issue they had was excessive bass. Other than that everything was really dialed in. This time the sound was piercing and female vocals sounded very harsh. I made a note that something was probably set up incorrectly, and I should come back. I went back later and they weren't playing anything. Maybe they were fixing something... I'm not sure. What they played when I was there never should have been played for the public. I truly hope they got everything sorted, because I do believe the Ultra 11s are a very capable speaker, and the company is capable of some extraordinary sound. It would have been interesting to be able to compare the 11s to the perlistens and BMR towers if they managed the sound I know they are capable of. I know I'm not the only one who assessed the room poorly. Does anyone know if they got things sorted out?

That's a bummer. They had a really nice setup when I attended a couple years ago. Their current speakers are nothing like the ones from 25 years ago, when I purchased my VR3s. The current ones are far more massive, and they went in a completely different direction on the cabinet construction. The entry point for a floorstander was around $10k if I remember correctly.

 

[BenB]

Yes, you will (ahem -- well... yes, you should...). Enquiring (and/or inquiring) minds want to know.

Apparently the speaker was the JBL Everest Horn-Loaded loudspeaker. I'm not sure what room it was in. It wasn't one I had planned on checking out since I know I don't typically like the sound of horn speakers.

 

[Tom C]

Last I looked, I didn’t see Harman or JBL on the exhibitor list. Sorry I missed it. Oh well, had to work this weekend anyway. Odd choice for program material to play.

 

[Colonel7]

Does anyone know if they got things sorted out?

Heard these today and the female vocal in a duet was indeed harsh. I did not like them at all. Weirdly, it was very difficult to find a place in the center where it didnt seem like all the volume was coming from one Ultra. I kept moving around and finally at least got them balanced in terms of volume, but never a stable image. It was very distracting to the point where I can't recall the tracks that were played. I heard the 55s earlier in the day and they seemed very pleasant and had a nice tonal quality. They were playing Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker.

 

[Colonel7]

Highlights from today: I spent more time listening to the Salk BePur 2. At least that was the name today after being unnamed Friday. Satori Beryllium tweeter and dual purifi drivers, clever eh? Well, they are fantastic and had a handwritten price of $6295 for the pair. Available on the website in the next week or so. Clarity and no distortion; no issues whatsoever. I clearly liked them more than the Perlistens today ( more on that later). Leaving the room I asked Jim Salk if he did the crossover in-house and he told me Dennis Murphy did it. That shouldn't surprise me since Dennis' BMR towers were my favorite of the show! I also got to listen to the Salk 9.5s this afternoon. Really impressed with those as well. They play big and warm/full whereas the BePurs disappeared. Bonus that I happened to listen to the same SRV track Couldn't Stand the Weather to compare the BePur2 to the 9.5

Perlistens - As @BenB pointed out, the tweeter is in the middle and low. I got down to ear height and it was even better. Problem is that was not a normal sitting position for me. I don't own chairs to get me that low and I'm short. Still, they were excellent and if you want THX SPL they're your huckleberry.

A surprise for me today was Joseph Audio. I heard the graphene bookshelves on Friday and they were unremarkable and sounded recessed. Today I heard them in a different room in a different orientation and was impressed. Set up wide and shallow today vs. Long orientation on Friday (seems a couple different dealers showcasing them). I also listened to the larger 20/20s in one of the big rooms early this morning and at the end and I liked them both times. I like my speakers flatter (or brighter) than many folks so I'm wondering if they measure that way. Also wonder if the midwoofers are point source drivers. In any event they look the part of a high end speaker with their finish. Props to set-up s and track choices that showed them at their best. The Joseph's would be speakers that I'd personally want to audition for a long time because I suspect they could be fatiguing being they're attention getters. Be fun to find out though but who am I kidding, they're crazy expensive.

not a highlight but I gave the NOLAs another chance today and they were pleasant easy listeners if you don't like bass. Music selections avoided it (Paul Simon) but sounded good in room that was tough (only a half a room sidewise oriented to the left in a huge room). Small drivers can only do so much in a floorstander but I can see why chanteuse loving audiophiles might like them.

Lowlights: unfortunately a lot. The big TAD room was horrendous, an echoey, boomy mess as bad as an empty basketball court. The TADs in the small hotel room were underwhelming and boomy too. Giant Borresons were way too forward and shouty. I tried both days and had to get out of there quickly each time. Larsen to me was unlistenable - probably have to be set up just so and I still don't think I'd like them. Audio NEC sounded like they were broken and the room was unoccupied every time I passed by. Spatial was dull today too (dull piano on Friday), and the music selection seemed to always have one instrument per track only. The B&Ws again were too bright and unpleasant for me from the get-go making me think they were poorly set up, but I clearly don't enjoy them.

This was my first Audio show and I really enjoyed it and learned a lot. Evidently I'm a big fan of Dennis Murphy. If I had to rank the top I'd say BMR Tower, Salk BePur, Salk 9.5, Perlisten S7, BMR monitor ,Joseph towers and then bookshelves.

I just started my own DIY designs and the well implemented towers have spurred me to rethink my approach, which is a good thing. Just great to be out and able to listen to some great and not so great designs. Thanks to the organizers and exhibitors for pressing forward.

 

[Kal Rubinson]

Perlistens - As @BenB pointed out, the tweeter is in the middle and low. I got down to ear height and it was even better. Problem is that was not a normal sitting position for me. I don't own chairs to get me that low and I'm short

I think a lot of such reactions are influenced by visual bias.

 

[trollbearpig_what]

Highlights from today: I spent more time listening to the Salk BePur 2. At least that was the name today after being unnamed Friday. Satori Beryllium tweeter and dual purifi drivers, clever eh? Well, they are fantastic and had a handwritten price of $6295 for the pair. Available on the website in the next week or so. Clarity and no distortion; no issues whatsoever. I clearly liked them more than the Perlistens today ( more on that later). Leaving the room I asked Jim Salk if he did the crossover in-house and he told me Dennis Murphy did it. That shouldn't surprise me since Dennis' BMR towers were my favorite of the show! I also got to listen to the Salk 9.5s this afternoon. Really impressed with those as well. They play big and warm/full whereas the BePurs disappeared. Bonus that I happened to listen to the same SRV track Couldn't Stand the Weather to compare the BePur2 to the 9.5

Perlistens - As @BenB pointed out, the tweeter is in the middle and low. I got down to ear height and it was even better. Problem is that was not a normal sitting position for me. I don't own chairs to get me that low and I'm short. Still, they were excellent and if you want THX SPL they're your huckleberry.

A surprise for me today was Joseph Audio. I heard the graphene bookshelves on Friday and they were unremarkable and sounded recessed. Today I heard them in a different room in a different orientation and was impressed. Set up wide and shallow today vs. Long orientation on Friday (seems a couple different dealers showcasing them). I also listened to the larger 20/20s in one of the big rooms early this morning and at the end and I liked them both times. I like my speakers flatter (or brighter) than many folks so I'm wondering if they measure that way. Also wonder if the midwoofers are point source drivers. In any event they look the part of a high end speaker with their finish. Props to set-up s and track choices that showed them at their best. The Joseph's would be speakers that I'd personally want to audition for a long time because I suspect they could be fatiguing being they're attention getters. Be fun to find out though but who am I kidding, they're crazy expensive.

not a highlight but I gave the NOLAs another chance today and they were pleasant easy listeners if you don't like bass. Music selections avoided it (Paul Simon) but sounded good in room that was tough (only a half a room sidewise oriented to the left in a huge room). Small drivers can only do so much in a floorstander but I can see why chanteuse loving audiophiles might like them.

Lowlights: unfortunately a lot. The big TAD room was horrendous, an echoey, boomy mess as bad as an empty basketball court. The TADs in the small hotel room were underwhelming and boomy too. Giant Borresons were way too forward and shouty. I tried both days and had to get out of there quickly each time. Larsen to me was unlistenable - probably have to be set up just so and I still don't think I'd like them. Audio NEC sounded like they were broken and the room was unoccupied every time I passed by. Spatial was dull today too (dull piano on Friday), and the music selection seemed to always have one instrument per track only. The B&Ws again were too bright and unpleasant for me from the get-go making me think they were poorly set up, but I clearly don't enjoy them.

This was my first Audio show and I really enjoyed it and learned a lot. Evidently I'm a big fan of Dennis Murphy. If I had to rank the top I'd say BMR Tower, Salk BePur, Salk 9.5, Perlisten S7, BMR monitor ,Joseph towers and then bookshelves.

I just started my own DIY designs and the well implemented towers have spurred me to rethink my approach, which is a good thing. Just great to be out and able to listen to some great and not so great designs. Thanks to the organizers and exhibitors for pressing forward.

How did the magicos stack up? I've heard good things about that brand

 

[Colonel7]

How did the magicos stack up? I've heard good things about that brand

Doh! Looking at my notes somehow I missed the Magicos and Harbeths...2 rooms I wanted to hit.Thought I had gotten to them all

 

[Jorgitok]

Short video

 

[ribosradagast]

I was unfortunately only about to make it for a couple hours on one of the days, but my highlights were:

• Salk room - those purifi speakers sounded so clean! Jim is a great guy to talk to, too
• Philharmonic Audio room - glad to see both Dennis and alexis there, oh and the speakers sounded good too. Lots of "omg how can I buy this right now" reactions from people in the room
• The headamp corner was like a mini canjam - lots of super nice headphones to sample there, including the Dan Clark Audio Stealth that's been so discussed here

Lowlights:

• Snake oil cables everywhere and people drooling over them and using words like "transient response" lol
• Hideously expensive speakers that either sounded terrible or were really bright to give them that "audio show tingle"

Spotted at the show: Michael Fremer and zeos

 

[Colonel7]

I was unfortunately only about to make it for a couple hours on one of the days, but my highlights were:

• Salk room - those purifi speakers sounded so clean! Jim is a great guy to talk to, too
• Philharmonic Audio room - glad to see both Dennis and alexis there, oh and the speakers sounded good too. Lots of "omg how can I buy this right now" reactions from people in the room
• The headamp corner was like a mini canjam - lots of super nice headphones to sample there, including the Dan Clark Audio Stealth that's been so discussed here

Lowlights:

• Snake oil cables everywhere and people drooling over them and using words like "transient response" lol
• Hideously expensive speakers that either sounded terrible or were really bright to give them that "audio show tingle"

Spotted at the show: Michael Fremer and zeos

Salk Sound has now listed the BePur 2s. https://salksound.com/model.php?model=BePure+2

 

[BenB]

Since people have been commenting on Spatial Audio in the BMR tower thread, I'll post my experience here:

I wrote a comment in my notes that the first track I heard on the X4 was "lacking body". Oddly, the next track showed that the system could produce bass though. I'm not sure what might explain the inconsistency. I tried very hard to get imaging out of the system, and couldn't manage it even though I tried to center myself, and move my head around to find the sweet spot. I wrote a note that the speaker was "unpleasant" over all, but didn't point out any additional shortcomings.

 

[jsalk]

Just about even with the Perlisten were some yet to be named towers by Jim Salk in room 512. Dual purifis with a Beryllium tweeter (don't know which one) and a 4 inch rear port. Jim said they are working on a slot port design too, and he's thinking these will retail for about $6K (a pair I believe). Right off the bat I just really enjoyed the tonality and how they sounded natural without struggling, plus went surprisingly low. I know how the Purifis measure but it's like a magician doing a trick. I didn't get as much time as I would have liked with them to hear more challenging tracks (thought I heard a resonance in one but not sure, could have been the recording), which I hope to do Sunday. Jim also had a pair of 9.5s on the side of the room that I hope he showcases on Sunday. Points for Salk: after a bunch of woo woo rooms I visited he was playing tracks with the Salk Streamer that he was quick to tell someone who asked that it is Raspberry Pi 3(+?).
View attachment 163477

Just a small clarification. The StreamPlayer is a Core i7 device (may be Core i9 soon). The Raspberry Pi reference was to the small 7" screen that displayed album art and information about the track being played. While it was capable of starting and stopping playback, it was simply monitoring the output of the StreamPlayer and was not connected to the audio stream.

- Jim

 

[Colonel7]

Just a small clarification. The StreamPlayer is a Core i7 device (may be Core i9 soon). The Raspberry Pi reference was to the small 7" screen that displayed album art and information about the track being played. While it was capable of starting and stopping playback, it was simply monitoring the output of the StreamPlayer and was not connected to the audio stream.

- Jim

Thanks for correcting my mistake. Didn't mean to lead folks astray. And thanks again for a great room and experience at CAF.

 

[Ingenieur]

I enjoyed it. First show I've attended. Bought some lp's, there was a good number of vendors.

We also visited the National Museum of the American Indian.
imho not a highlight of the American story.

Home Page | National Museum of the American Indian

The NMAI fosters a richer shared human experience through a more informed understanding of Native peoples.

americanindian.si.edu