Capital AudioFest Chronicles 2022
Rick Begins... 6th Floor Part A
Show Report By By Rick Becker

Room 615 déjà vu Audio
Music was coming from a Lecteur CDP 707 CD player ($4800) from Italy with a tube output stage. An Audio Synthesis 117DC line preamp ($5k) was then routed to Audio Synthesis 98DC monoblocks ($9,495) with KT66 tubes in a push-pull configuration. These were driving a stand-mounted ProAc Response DB3 speaker ($2850). But the speaker that caught my eye was a Dolce Vita Sogna ($12k) from Italy with wood vanes that were adjustable to reflect the sound in desired directions — like away from side walls.

The horn-loaded tweeter was also adjustable fore and aft to address time alignment and dispersion. Steve Heinecke, also of Audio Note, helped guide me through this system. The chamber music was hard not to like with tube gear driving the little ProAc speakers.

Room 616 Audio Thesis
Audio Thesis won me over once again with Norma electronics from Italy driving Rossofiorentino speakers — this time the Volterra Series 2 ($17,500). On the computer screen, the speaker looks a little weird, but Italians take design very seriously. In person, it is a smaller speaker than you might imagine and the design is not intimidating at all.

What is not small is the luscious sound that is rich with tonal color and ambient cues. Unlike the Borresen speaker, the high resolution of the Rossofiorentino is inviting, if not downright seductive. A Lumin U1 server ($7500) and Audioquest Niagara 5000 power conditioner ($5900) and cables were in use here. Among them were Thunderbird RCA interconnects ($2900/1m), Hurricane Source AC power cables ($$1495/1-meter), Hurricane High-Current AC power cable ($1900/1m), and Thunderbird ZERO speaker cables ($5700/8' pr.). A Norma Audio DS1 CDP/DAC ($6k) and Norma IPA-140B integrated amp (8k) were the backbone of the chain.

The Caprice Audio system ($12,500 for CORE and three basic cables) is said to provide system optimization by connecting to all the components through one of the two boxes in front of the racks. Again this year, it was not in use.

Suite 619 Vana Ltd.
As it was still Friday morning, I expect most headphone and headphone amp seekers were still busy in the hallway on the 3rd Floor where Stax and Audeze were set up. There were other headphone-listening opportunities in rooms throughout the show, too. So it was a little more difficult for headphone geeks to do their homework at Capital than at some other shows. I saw a large room among the 3rd Floor meeting rooms that might have served as a "Headphone Central", but for some companies, like Vana, that would have meant extra people to man both stations.

The listening room in this suite featured a gorgeous EAT Fortissimo S turntable with a new platter and bearing. It is also the first one in the country with the new optional wood tonearm. An EAT E-Glo tube phono stage with a separate power supply was their flagship model. I noted that the platter/mat is slightly recessed to optimize contact with the LP grooves and facilitate lifting the LP. I also noted the dual motor/dual belt drive and the brass weights added to the over-size aluminum platter.

On the digital front, the new flagship Innuos Statement music server and streamer featured the new Next-Gen separate power supply that also is available to previous models. Prices for both start at $21,700 and go up with additional TB storage. On the lowest shelf was a Gryphon Diablo integrated amp, the larger 300 model (300 Wpc) that is usually positioned on a separate amp stand due to the maneuverability of its weight. There is also a 120-Watt smaller version. The speaker was the Marten Parker Trio (Diamond Edition) with a diamond tweeter ($38,995).

Speaker cables were Jorma Design Unity ($4k/1m, $949 additional meters). Jorma cables are used inside Marten speakers. This was a very high-resolution speaker, particularly in the treble with the diamond tweeter. Here again, we have a speaker with a vibration-absorbing footer, rather than spikes. The music I heard here was electronic dance music that was tight from top to bottom. While not as sharp or irritating as the Borresen was for me, the Parker Trio Diamond leaned in that direction. The Marten is also available without the diamond tweeter at a substantial saving.

---> Next Page.