Capital AudioFest Chronicles 2022
3rd Floor Meeting Rooms, Atrium, Plus The Best Rooms At CAF 2022!
CAF 2022 Show Report By Rick Becker

Montgomery  Room  Now Listen Here, Legacy Audio, And Bel Canto Design
In the large Montgomery room Now Listen Here had another fine-sounding system with Legacy Audio Aeris speakers (including the Wavelet II DAC / preamplifier / crossover) ($27,792) driven by the gear on the rack below. My video notes indicate a bit of hissiness on the "S" es that could have been better controlled, but in general, the large rooms on the lower level here did not suffer the challenges of the larger room on the 3^rd Level.

Atop the Solidsteel rack was an Innuos ZENmini server with linear power supply ($2,498) followed by a Legacy Wavelet II DAC/preamplifier/Crossover unit. Below that was a couple of Bel Canto EX series components —  the EX DAC Preamp (($13,500) and EX Amplifier ($10,500). And further below, a sign indicating the system was cabled with Transparent cables including power cords ($625), XLR interconnects ($1,500), and speaker cables ($2k). A Transparent PowerWave power conditioner was also mentioned ($1,995).

Standing off to the side was a pair of Legacy Audio Calibre speakers ($6,050) that likely saw action at some point during the show.

Frederick Room  Distinctive Stereo, Genesis Loudspeakers, And Merrill Audio
Walking into the Frederick Room I thought I was being treated to a resurrection of vintage Genesis IRS V speakers (minus the woofer towers), but Larry Borden of Distinctive Stereo in New Jersey was quick to point out this was a world premiere of the new, made-to-order, Genesis Tribute speaker, a tribute to Arnie Nudell, founder of Genesis, who designed the original. Rather than the separate towers for the woofers, as found with the originals, a 12" servo-woofer powered by a 500-Watt amp is incorporated in the base of this version.

A line array of 12 ring-radiator ribbon tweeters (plus another facing rearward, though the website claims three rear-facing tweeters) is mated with a 48" Genesis ribbon bi-polar midrange. Touches of clear Lucite along the center baffle and on the floor give the speaker a lighter, more contemporary look, consistent with other current Genesis speakers. One could also look at the glossy black baffle, clear Lucite touches, and rich wood veneer wings and extract an elegant Art Deco vibe. It is a speaker whose style can be heavily influenced by its surrounding décor, as long as it is elegant, for this speaker is nothing short of elegant. ($125K, introductory).

With the 90dB sensitivity, the Tribute was easily driven by Merrill Audio's new Christine MX preamp ($28,500) and new Element 116MX monoblocks ($30k/pr). The monoblocks with power meters in the colorful LCD window are very elegant — among the most elegant amplifiers in production today. Details of the design are eloquently outlined on their website. 300 Watts into 8 Ohms doubles down to 1200 Watts into 2 Ohms. The GaNFET Class D technology is at its pinnacle here in a powerful amplifier disguised by its exquisite design, modest proportions, and manageable weight.

The front end I heard was a VPI Avenger turntable with a VPI arm and The Wand tonearm from DBL (Design, Build, Listen) in Great Britain. The Wand consists of three series of tonearms, each available in three lengths. A silver carbon fiber version is shown here. Prices are from 899 to 2,599 GBP, covering a wide, moderate range. A Genesis Premium Platinum phono stage ($24k) was listed, as was a Genesis Tonearm Interface (cable)($2k/1.2m). Other cables from Genesis included their Component Interface (ic)($3k/1.5m), Loudspeaker Interface ($5k/2m), and Power Interface ($2,750/1.5m).

Power conditioning included an AudioQuest Niagara 7000 ($9,800), an AudioQuest Dragon power cord ($4,500/1.5m), and a couple of items from Puritan — a Studio Master 156 ($2,300) and GroundMaster ($250). The GroundMaster is an "Earth Line Interference Eliminator with optimum array routing technology."  Hmmm.

I had a nice chat with Gary Koh, CEO of Genesis after I noticed the three pieces of black electrical tape on the platter of the turntable beneath a translucent LP. I had seen a video of this tweak on somebody's blog. Gary refreshed my mind about cymatics — the study of vibrations in a plane. The trick is to break up or disperse the vibration waves traveling through the surfaces of the LP and platter — not to absorb them. Absorbing them sucks the life out of the music.

I've tried this on my Linn Project and more recently on my Musiko turntable. It's not a huge difference, but it works. And it costs next to nothing. Just place three random-length pieces of tape at random locations around the platter and see if you like it.

I also spoke briefly with Merrill Wettasinghe, head of Merrill Audio, and complimented him on the fine design and excellent sound of his amps. He has come a long way since we first started reviewing his products at Enjoy the Music.com.

There was one room I wanted to revisit up on the 3rd Floor, but I wanted to take a spin through the tables in the Atrium as you never know what you might find there, aside from the obvious thousands of LPs.

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