Capital Audio Fest 2023 | Day 2 Show Report

Tom Martin and company attended this year’s Capital Audio Fest in D.C. to catch everything new, exciting, and noteworthy. From the Signature 202iQ Power Amplifer to Gold Note IS-10 Streaming Amplifier, listen in to learn more!

Watch Day 1 coverage here

Day 2

Alan Taffel, Michael Fremer, Lance Profyt and I recently travelled to Washington, D.C. for the Capital Audio Fest. In this video, I’ll be reporting on the interesting products and sounds I heard on day 2 of the show. This is a big show, so it isn’t close to possible to cover everything; as a result we concentrated on U.S. product introductions. I don’t intend to rank things here in any overall sense and I am reporting on one day of activities at a time to increase my ability to remember the sound that I heard. Check for additional coverage here and in the magazine where Alan Taffel will be your humble servant.

Okay, let’s go over some of the highlights.

Introduction: EMM Labs MTRS Stereo amplifier

In the Now Listen Here room, I heard the new MTRS stereo amplifier from EMM Labs. This is a massive amplifier, which incorporates circuit refinements to the basic design of the EMM mono blocks. Rated at 200 watts per channel into 8 ohms and 400 watts into 4 ohms, the MTRS was fed by a full EMM Labs stack, including the DA2 DAC, which received streams from an Innuos Pulsar and Zen. An EMM PRE then led to the MTRS amp which was driving Joseph Audio Pearl Graphene speakers. The sound in a very large room was spacious, with potent bass and a lovely mid to treble transition region.

The EMM MTRS amplifier is priced at $65,000.

Introduction: TAD Grand Evolution One loudspeaker

TAD is a storied brand dating from 1975. With new distribution in the U.S. that encompasses TAD’s pro audio and high-end consumer products, TAD demoed the new Grand Evolution One floorstanding speaker. The speaker features a coincident source midrange/tweeter driver. The midrange to woofer crossover is set at a rather low frequency of 250 hz and the 7” woofers have a complex, multi-layer and multi-material layup to help with the low to mid transition. The Grand Evolution One is bottom ported to minimize port noise.

The speakers were driven by a TAD D700 DAC, TAD C600 preamp and TAD M700 power amps rated at 350 watts into 4 ohms. The speakers were bi-amped and so driven by 700 watts per side.

The sound we heard was absolutely top-tier. When we listened, we knew nothing about the technical aspects of the speakers. What stood out was the clarity and proportion of the critical 300-800 hz region. The Grand Evolution also had a marvelous ability to float an image, with superb midrange detail, above a powerful and deep bass foundation. The TAD room was oddly shaped and, like almost all the rooms at Capital Audio Fest, had some room modes in the mid-bass due to hotel room dimensions. Despite that, the Grand Evolutions were very engaging.

The Grand Evolution One is priced at $65,000 per pair.

Introductions: Goldnote Turntable and Goldnote Streaming Integrated

Fidelity Imports showed the new Goldnote IS-10 streaming integrated amp. This very compact device delivers 90 watts per channel into 8 ohms, 140 watts into 4 ohms. The amp can be bridged for 280 watts per channel into 8 ohms, with the IS-10 delivering one channel and an additional of PA-10 companion mono amp delivering the other channel. The IS-10 is Roon-ready and has an onboard AKM DAC for high-res PCM and MQA streaming. This packaging is just about ideal for many real-world environments.

The IS-10 is priced at $3499

Fidelity also showed the new Goldnote T-5 turntable. This includes an arm but gives the user a choice of any cartridge, which allows the choice of an MM, MC or even an optical cartridge.

The Goldnote T-5 is priced at $1199

Demonstration: Amped America electronics, Acoustique Quality Passion Fever speakers, Wireworld cables

Boris Meltsner, major domo at Amped America, put on an impressive demo. First off, his U.S. built AAP-1 preamp and AMP2400 power amp driving Acoustique Quality floorstanders, sounded balanced and clear and imaged nicely. Boris chose to set up his equipment to suit the small hotel room, with a compact arrangement, but this avoided the bass bloat on demo in more than a few rooms. I must add, since the 400 watt per channel power amp is class D (using Pascal modules), I was impressed with the smoothness and lack of grain in the overall sound. Steven Stone recently reviewed this $5000 amplifier in The Absolute Sound and you can check out his thoughts there.

Boris also did an interesting A/B comparison of a standard, generic power cable to the WireWorld Stratus 7 power cable he normally demos with. A simple switch of the power cable to a generic one brought on a more than subtle change in the sound. The easily noticed change was a shrinking of the soundstage when the WireWorld cable was replaced with the generic cord. Cable doubters will want to explain this away, but the open minded might conclude “why take the risk?”

The Wireworld Stratus 7 power cable is priced at $160 for a 2 meter length.

Introduction: Estelon Aura loudspeakers with darTZeel LHC-208 mk2 streaming integrated amp

In one of the Alma Music and Sound rooms, the new Estelon Aura loudspeakers were on demo. The Estelons were fed by a darTZeel streaming integrated amp, creating a demo of a simple system (one box, two speakers, a few cables) that would fit in many living rooms, if the design is to taste.

The sound was quite nice, with detailed mids and smooth treble accompanying solid bass from the downward facing woofers. To keep the bass balance right, Alma was forced to allow a bit of lower midrange scoop, a wise tradeoff in my view, and a choice that few setups made or perhaps could make. Very interesting Nemesis low-frequency diffusers were also used to aid in the process of getting proper bass balance in the time domain.

The Estelon Aura speakers are priced at $19,995 per pair and the darTZeel LHC-208 is $25,310. This makes for a complete system at just above $50,000, which is not a budget price point, but which avoids much of the complexity of a server, streamer, dac, preamp, amp architecture and the attendant cables. It would be easy to spend $5000 on each of the elements of the electronics system, which might seem more reasonable, but in the end would cost more.

Introduction: Michell Orbe SE turntable with TecnoArm2 and Levis feet

Michell showed us the new Orbe SE turntable. This features familiar Michell features like an inverted bearing for better oil distribution and perimeter weighting for higher polar moment of inertia and resulting stability. The Orbe SE is a sprung suspension turntable, but Michell has added special new optional isolation feet, called Levis, which feature magnetic repulsion and nearly complete contact isolation from stand to turntable.

The Orbe SE with TecnoArm 2 is priced at $10,999.

Michell also showed us a new packaging approach they are using which is designed to facilitate easy setup for the dealer or the end user. Very convenient and welcoming.

Demonstration: Pear Audio Blue turntable with DS Audio Grand Master EX cartridge

Dr. Vinyl, who is a turntable setup expert, was showing the Pear Audio Blue Odar turntable with an Integriti Tru Glider arm and DS Audio Grand Master EX cartridge. REG has praised the Pear Audio Blue turntables in The Absolute Sound, and the new diamond cantilever DS Audio cartridge was intriguing as well. The sound was super clear and dynamic, with rather neutral balance, although we were in a less than ideal seating location. I should mention that this was one of the few rooms where we heard vinyl that sounded right, a reminder that setup and equipment choices are especially important for playing LPs.

Introductions: Q Acoustics 5050 speakers and Unison Research Unico Nuovo integrated amplifier

This was one of the more interesting demos at the show. The Q Acoustics 5050 speakers, driven by a new Unison Research integrated and an Innuos streamer sounded very good: balanced, with good imaging and clarity. But the kicker is that the 5050 speakers are $1999 per pair and the 95 watt per channel Unico Nuovo amp is $2999. With an Innuos PulseMini streamer, you would have a full high-quality system for under $6500. A system like this doesn’t have the transparency of systems at 10x the price, yet it is still quite satisfying.

Introduction: Valve Amplification Company Signature 202iQ amplifier

Kevin Hayes, the head of VAC, was on hand for the debut of the Signature 202 amps. To make a big impression, he had four of the amps running in mono mode to bi-amp a pair of Von Schweikert Endeavor speakers. The sound, in a very large room, was clean, tight and open, with fine imaging and deep bass. This was among the best demos we heard.

The 202iQ amps can be run in mono or stereo mode. As monoblocks, they offer 200 watts output from their KT88s. In stereo mode, you have 100 watts per channel on tap. They are priced at $22,000 per amplifier.

VAC also introduced a small form factor preamp and compact mono amps.

Introduction: Acoustic Energy Corinium speakers

Fidelity Imports launched the Acoustic Energy Corinium speakers, driving them with Soul Note’s A-2 integrated amp and D-2 DAC along with an Innuos Statement streamer. The sound was warm and quick during our brief listen. I would rate the optional British Racing Green paint as outstanding, but other colors are possible if you’re not an Anglophile.

The Acoustic Energy Corinium speakers are priced at $7499 in three standard finishes.

Introduction: Stenheim Alumine Two.Five speakers

Stenheim was demonstrating a new speaker which is smaller than we are accustomed to from them. Their mega-speakers are really impressively large. The smaller Alumine Two.Five, on the other hand, is a 37-inch tall floorstander, with two ported 6.5 inch woofers and a 1” tweeter. The package is compact, but each speaker weighs 100 lb. demonstrating the seriousness of the design.

The Alumine Two.Five is priced at $23,500 per pair.

Introductions: Cyrus TTP turntable and Spendor Classic 100 speakers

In the days of my youth, I was told what it means to be an audiophile, and that included experience with the Spendor BC-1 speakers. 50 years later, Spendor has launched a new member of the classic range, the model 100. This one has no connection to the Spendors of yesteryear except that, in concept, it is like the BC-3 and it uses high quality drivers in a carefully designed and finished cabinet. The Classic 100 has a 12” ported woofer and a 7” midrange, along with a 1.2” tweeter. The midrange driver is set up to avoid crossing over in the vital midrange, with the woofer crossover located at 490hz and the tweeter crossover at 3.6k. Sensitivity is 89 db.

The Classic 100s are priced at $14,800 per pair.

Cyrus had a full range of half-width product on display, but the new item shown was a turntable. The TTP has an electronically controlled DC motor, precision main bearing, damped aluminum chassis and low-friction 9” arm. It can also be upgraded with a standard Cyrus external power supply, compatible with other members of the line.

The TTP is priced at $5800.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this show report. Please check out Part 1 and also our third report which covers the some of the special technologies on display at Capital Audio Fest 2023.