Capital AudiFest 2013 – July 26, 27, and 28

[Steve81]

Had a great time with Steve and Swerd.

These audio shows can be kind of dry, and I had a lot more fun with you two along. Thanks!

Likewise gents. I even offered to take Doug home with me for the night (we left the hotel pretty late), but sadly he declined. Perhaps I'll stock up on chocolate and cognac for next year as additional incentive.

 

[Alex2507]

I didn't hear Dire Straits once...

How about Tom Jones ... Whoa, whoa, whoa ... he's a lady.

I will also remember to charge up the batteries on my camera.

How'd that work out? They charge up okay?

I guess I should just be happy that you took some pic's at Dennis'.

It's not like I wanted to see any pic's of the Van Alstine stuff anyway.

 

[Tomorrow]

Hey guys. Sounds like you had a great time...chocolate suds aside. But it's about time you got out of the house, Doug.

What's your take on the horn-loaded planar?

 

[Swerd]

Oh yeah, those things, SteinMusic Harmonizers. I forgot which room they were in. We noticed them, but I made no effort to learn about them. Thanks for that link Steve. I'd like to say that was entertaining to read, but it was so full of bs that it defies comment.

If its important to "get air molecules moving inside the listening room" why not use one of these?

HVLS Fans | Industrial Ceiling Fans | Commercial Ceiling Fans | Residential Ceiling Fans

How about Tom Jones ... Whoa, whoa, whoa ... he's a lady.
How'd that work out? They charge up okay?

I guess I should just be happy that you took some pic's at Dennis'.

It's not like I wanted to see any pic's of the Van Alstine stuff anyway.

I had charged up one set of batteries before going, but I forgot that the batteries in the camera might also need charging. They died quickly once I started using the camera.

So I changed them and got about a dozen pictures, nothing spectacular, like the SteinMusic Harmonizers in action. Maybe I'll remember to get them off the camera tonight.

Talking to Frank Van Alstine made me want to buy something from him. I have absolutely no need for a $2000 2-channel amp or a $1400 tubed preamp, but I can get a 15% discount if I order before the end of August .

What's your take on the horn-loaded planar?

AJ's speaker had none of the ugly sounding horn speaker characteristics I've heard on other speakers before. Overall, they sounded good. They did have noticeably narrower dispersion in the mid range and higher frequencies, as is intended by the controlled dispersion design.

Maybe that's not what gets me to grin. If the drivers are carefully selected and the crossovers are carefully designed, there is wide sound dispersion and no startling change in the dispersion width as one driver hands off to another. We both have speakers designed by someone who routinely achieves that with his designs.

 

[STRONGBADF1]

Hey guys. Sounds like you had a great time...chocolate suds aside. But it's about time you got out of the house, Doug.

What's your take on the horn-loaded planar?

Oh yeah, those things, SteinMusic Harmonizers. I forgot which room they were in. We noticed them, but I made no effort to learn about them. Thanks for that link Steve. I'd like to say that was entertaining to read, but it was so full of bs that it defies comment.

If its important to "get air molecules moving inside the listening room" why not use one of these?

HVLS Fans | Industrial Ceiling Fans | Commercial Ceiling Fans | Residential Ceiling Fans




I had charged up one set of batteries before going, but I forgot that the batteries in the camera might also need charging. They died quickly once I started using the camera.

So I changed them and got about a dozen pictures, nothing spectacular, like the SteinMusic Harmonizers in action. Maybe I'll remember to get them off the camera tonight.

Talking to Frank Van Alstine made me want to buy something from him. I have absolutely no need for a $2000 2-channel amp or a $1400 tubed preamp, but I can get a 15% discount if I order before the end of August .



AJ's speaker had none of the ugly sounding horn speaker characteristics I've heard on other speakers before. Overall, they sounded good. They did have noticeably narrower dispersion in the mid range and higher frequencies, as is intended by the controlled dispersion design.

Maybe that's not what gets me to grin. If the drivers are carefully selected and the crossovers are carefully designed, there is wide sound dispersion and no startling change in the dispersion width as one driver hands off to another. We both have speakers designed by someone who routinely achieves that with his designs.

I didn't spend enough time with any speaker there to form an in depth opinion but, AJ's speakers were very nice. Nice enough that I would very much like to spend more time with them. I would have liked to put them in the same room with Salk, Philharmonic and SVS to get a good comparo.


FWIW, If you use a sub all the time the Philharmonitors would be real hard to beat at ~$850 a pair.

 

[STRONGBADF1]

I just feel this belongs here...

 

[gene]

For those who don't follow the audio show circuit, Capital Audiofest is the Washington D.C. area's annual event. More than 40 separate displays and demos were setup for guests to browse through. The products featured ran the gambit from massive fully horn loaded loudspeakers to diminutive mini-monitors, top tier solid state gear to esoteric tube amplifiers & preamplifiers, and high end speaker cables and power cords down to basic 16AWG wire from Parts Express. We covered what we felt to be the real standout products in this show report.

2013 Capital Audiofest Show Report

Did you go to this event? Share your experiences here.

 

[Alex2507]

These audio shows can be kind of dry ...

Shows would be way more interesting if you knew less and wanted more.

 

[Steve81]

Here are a few more pics for good measure.

A company called Miracle Audio

 

[Steve81]

Another shot of the Philharmonic room with some nicely finished Phil Slims off to the side

And a Van Alstine amplifier (also in the Philharmonic room)

 

[Steve81]

A SVS PB13U

A high end power chord

 

[Steve81]

And last but not least, poor AJ stuck in his corner.

 

[Tomorrow]

That power cord likely costs more than the SVS pictured above it! Sablon, perhaps? 6moons audio reviews: Sablon Audio Robusto What was it plugged into? And better yet, how do you suppose all those electrons know that this was a high fidelity system?

 

[Alex2507]

And last but not least, poor AJ stuck in his corner.

Rick says that's the back of Doug's head.

 

[Steve81]

That power cord likely costs more than the SVS pictured above it! Sablon, perhaps? 6moons audio reviews: Sablon Audio Robusto What was it plugged into?

This was the setup FWIW:
CAF 2013: Stereodesk | Confessions of a Part-Time Audiophile

how do you suppose all those electrons know that this was a high fidelity system?

I'm sure if you e-mail Kaplan Cables, they'd be more than happy to give you a full scientific explanation

 

[Steve81]

Rick says that's the back of Doug's head.

I'd be more impressed if he could make the ID without the AH tshirt as a giveaway

 

[Swerd]

Shows would be way more interesting if you knew less and wanted more.

Perhaps true…

For the 3rd year in a row, I forgot to bring my CD of Barry Manilow's Greatest Hits. I'm still looking for the speaker that can make him sound like Frank Sinatra .

 

[Swerd]

I don't think this will surprise anyone reading here, I thought these speakers were among the best sounding speakers at the show, regardless of price.

I noticed something interesting about those two Philharmonic Slims with different cabinets. They both have identical drivers and crossovers, but the cabinets are built by Salk (closer to the camera) or by Philharmonic Audio (closer to the lamp). The Salk-built speaker costs more. In it, the cabinet walls visible in the space behind the midrange driver is also finished.

To be fair, the space behind the midrange drivers in the Philharmonic-built cabinets were stuffed with polyester fluff. I didn't look to see if they was also finished inside.

Also, we got those olive burl Philharmonic 3 speakers back to Dennis's house without dinging the veneer at all. I know Dennis was glad about that.

 

[Steve81]

I don't think this will surprise anyone reading here, I thought these speakers were among the best sounding speakers at the show, regardless of price.

I think you must have picked the wrong photo

GAS Audio (restored the Ampzilla) and Luminous Audio (cables). The speakers weren't headlining the room, and I don't think any of us had a pressing need to find out what exactly they were...

 

[Alex2507]

The Salk-built speaker costs more.

I'm curious as to why Salk is building Pilharmonic speakers. Is it to get a piano finish?

Also, we got those olive burl Philharmonic 3 speakers back to Dennis' house without dinging the veneer at all. I know Dennis was glad about that.

Whose are those? Somebody must have ordered that veneer. Was it YAA?

A GTG at next year's CAF is an excellent idea ... for people who live less than 8 hours away.