Capital Audifest

[Swerd]

For those in the Maryland/DC/Virginia area, there is an audio show next weekend.

http://www.capitalaudiofest.com/

I know now that Salk speakers will be there showing the new SoundScape 10.

See the exhibitor list link.

Sorry for the mis-spelled heading, it should be Capital Audiofest

 

[TubeStack]

Thanks for the heads-up!

 

[Alex2507]

With a user name that resembles TubeSteak making posts like this can't be coincidence.

Thanks for the heads-up!

 

[Swerd]

The latest word is that Salk will be showing SongTowers and the new SoundScape 10.

There will also be some pre-amps and amplifiers from AVA (Audio by Van Alstine). Apparently, The Absolute Sound will soon (next month?) publish a review of the SongTowers powered by a newly released AVA vacuum tube amp, the UltraValve. It may also be there. It should be interesting to see if this hi-end magazine agrees with all the favorable online reviews.

With a user name that resembles TubeSteak making posts like this can't be coincidence.

Alex - Ever with your mind in the gutter . Thanks for the bump .

 

[Alex2507]

Alex - Ever with your mind in the gutter . Thanks for the bump .

No sweat. To me this seems like a nice GTG with all the work taken out of it and no chance of having me hanging around your house with no easy way to get rid of me.

Aren't there more of us in the DC area? Maybe if they did an audio show/bikini contest like we're doing in the vent. Either way I would appreciate some pic's of the event and of the people involved ... even if they are conservatives.

 

[dkane360]

I think i might go to this. It's like a 3 hour drive for me, but I have a friend who lives in the area.

 

[Swerd]

Aren't there more of us in the DC area? Maybe if they did an audio show/bikini contest like we're doing in the vent. Either way I would appreciate some pic's of the event and of the people involved ... even if they are conservatives.

I'll bring a camera and promise to shoot pictures of stuff other than Salk speakers. It might be more fun to get some photos of the exotic looking horn speakers. They might be ridiculous looking dinosaurs but they make for more interesting pictures.

I think i might go to this. It's like a 3 hour drive for me, but I have a friend who lives in the area.

Alright we have our first AH'er! I'll keep my eyes out for a Hokie with a Jersey accent .

Any other AH'ers? How about meeting for a beer afterwards? There is a Dogfish Head Ale House not far away.

 

[dkane360]

Alright we have our first AH'er! I'll keep my eyes out for a Hokie with a Jersey accent .

Any other AH'ers? How about meeting for a beer afterwards? There is a Dogfish Head Ale House not far away.

No beer for me! Lol, im not 21 yet :-/

I'll try to remember and wear a VT shirt, although I'll probably be the youngest person there.

 

[jamie2112]

The new Salk's look killer.Let us know how they sound after you check um.......I am very interested in seeing a pair of those myself.......

 

[Swerd]

The new Salk's look killer.Let us know how they sound after you check um.......I am very interested in seeing a pair of those myself.......

I have heard them.

They are easily the best I've ever heard, not that I've listened to much in that price range. The SoundScape 10 starts at $10,000 and the 12 at $14,000.

If I win the lottery, I would consider buying them .

 

[dkane360]

Ah so I'm not gonna be able to make it Bummer cause I was pretty excited to see all the sweet stuff...and swerd

 

[Swerd]

Here are some photos from the Capital Audiofest:

Salk speakers: SongTowers and SoundScape 10. The high gloss finish shows well, but unfortunately, there were plenty of audio reflections in that large room.
The floors were marble, and the walls and 14' high ceilings were plaster. Very lively sound.

Some Audio by Van Alstine amps, FET Valve Ultra+ 550 Double-die (the large black box, a tube/solid state hybrid) and below it, the new Ultravalve tube amp.

 

[Swerd]

More photos of various other speakers

A large horn speaker. Interesting appearance, but odd sound. According to others devotees of these speakers, "I don't get their sound". They got that right .

Other interesting speakers were NOLA

and MBL (looks like it should be waving it mechanical arms shouting "danger Will Robinson! Danger!) but sounded pretty good for an omni.

YG Acoustics (never heard of them before) sounded very good (Scan-Speak woofer and tweeter) except I thought the ring radiator tweeter sounded sandy or grainy.

 

[Swerd]

I thought the Joseph Audio speakers sounded very good. The all seemed to use SEAS drivers. Hmm, you can't go wrong with Scandinavian drivers.

The Pearl, a $28,000 3-way

The Pulsar an excellent sounding 2-way, $7,000

The RM25xl, a more modest MTM or 2½-way, only $4,500

As an unabashed Salk fanboy, I can't help but point out that these Joseph Audio speakers, which sounded very good, demonstrate what a good deal the various Salk speakers are.

The SongTower equals or bests the RM25xl at less than half the price. The HT2-TL, at $4200, strips its veneer clean off. The new SoundScape 10 ($10,000) kills the Pearl.

 

[T2T]

That's such sweetness. I can't make it, due to one car being in the shop at the moment.

All the other audio events are usually too far away from me. Now, one happens to be within an hour of where I live and I can't make it. I guess I'll live vicariously through the pictures.

 

[Alex2507]

I thought omni speakers required a particular sort of placement in a room corner to sound right but that thing doesn't look like it would be a welcome member in anybodies idea of a nicely decorated room.

Maybe Jim Salk should double the asking price of his high end speakers to attract the attention of people who want to spend a lot of money and drop the price of the Song Towers for people who just want good sound but aren't hemorrhaging cash. (I would be lost without spell check.)

I noticed that there were a pile of albums by the $28k speakers but no pictures of a turntable. 3db weeps for this oversight ... or are you just being cruel?

 

[Swerd]

I noticed that there were a pile of albums by the $28k speakers but no pictures of a turntable. 3db weeps for this oversight ... or are you just being cruel?

The guy who was working the room with the horn speakers had boxes of vinyl. He was demoing this highly esoteric jazz collection over a highly priced exotic looking turntable with two tone arms.

I tried joking with him and asked why the two tone arms when he only used one at a time. But he seemed to be taking himself, his jazz records, his turntable, his SET tube amp (SET stands for high price and low power), and British horn speaker far too seriously to have any time for humor.

I left that room before having the chance to snap a picture of the turntable with two arms. The music was way too boring.

If anyone reading knows why, I'd really be curious to know what's the deal with two tone arms. 3db? Anyone?

 

[Alex2507]

I tried joking with him ...

Vinyl is no laughing matter. I'm not much on jazz myself.

... what's the deal with two tone arms?

Maybe he had two types of cartridges ... that moving magnet and that other one.
But the sound was good? I guess for that money it ought to be.
I don't blame you for boogieing.
You don't like vinyl, the music was boring and the guy had no sense of humor.
You should have told him you knew me. My rep impresses the living sh!t out of folks.

 

[AJinFLA]

I tried joking with him....But he seemed to be taking himself, his jazz records, his turntable, his SET tube amp (SET stands for high price and low power), and British horn speaker far too seriously to have any time for humor.

Classic symptoms of Audiophile disorder. If you had burst his bubble by telling him truthfully, that his system sounded like s**t, it would have been the equivalent of slapping his wife...and he would have probably tried to kill you with his bare hands right then and there.
Each tone arm probably had a different cartridge and may have been weighted differently (tracking force).
You should have asked him which one produced the more pleasing dose of jitter .

cheers,

AJ

p.s. some nice looking jewelry in the pics

 

[T2T]

Well, since I missed the Audiofest due to car issues, it looks like I might have saved about $2,000 in car repairs due to resolving the car issue. I wonder if my wife will let me spend $2,000 on some new Salk speakers?

Highly unlikely, though.