Capital Audiofest 2023 Show Report / Chronicles Part 1
The 8th Floor Part A
Show Report By Rick Becker

Room 815 Rogue Audio
Rogue Audio was featuring their new Cronus Dark integrated tube amp ($4,495) seen above on the bottom shelf of the rack. It features upgrades over the previous version including improvements to the power supply, signal tubes, phono stage, coupling caps, and binding posts. In addition to a headphone circuit, the most important feature to me was the ability to switch between triode and ultralinear mode. It works with KT120 or KT88 if you'd rather not patronize Russia.

A Rogue RP-5 v2 preamp ($4k) and Dragon monoblocks ($6k) above it were not in use when I visited. Beneath the Rega P8 turntable ($3495) with Lyra Delos cartridge ($2k) on the top shelf were an Eversolo DMP-A6 streamer ($895) and a Benchmark DAC3B($1899). Relatively affordable Darwin cables connected the signal to the Joseph Audio Pulsar2 Graphene monitors ($10k).

With a strong tube amp and Joseph speakers, this room delivered noteworthy music.

Room 816 Caprice Audio
Luis Alberto of Caprice Audio finally commanded his own room to actually demonstrate the effect of his Caprice Audio multi-function optimization component that connects the components of a system to enhance the separation of sound coming from instruments. I heard a significant increase in resolution and separation of instruments in a minimalist percussion piece that revealed the effect of his system.

The CORE unit underneath the diagram and three basic cables run $10k. Additional cables cost more, naturally, as does a special Graphene treatment of the cables. Note, that it is not a grounding system.

Rosso Fiorentino speakers are one of my favorite brands and the Fiesole Series 2 ($9300) was as clear and fast as a bell, augmented with a super tweeter. The red alligator hide on the speaker sides and matching stands was as spectacular as the sound. If you need something a little more conventional in shape and finish, they can do that too, but if you're into fine Italian items like Ducati and Ferrari, you should listen to Rosso Fiorentino speakers.

Caprice Audio also deals in KR vacuum tubes and had a 300B Balloon and a conventional 300B on display along with special pricing on these and several other KR tubes. Early on in my audio career I reviewed some KR amps and found this brand from the Czech Republic to sound very special.

Room 819 Hear This
Hear This was a new name to me, but the brands in this room were eminently familiar, particularly the Von Schweikert Audio VR-55, now in Mk II form, $75k with active bass. I was surprised that it was so modest in height which makes it more room-friendly for many people. They were driven by WestminsterLab Rei Class A monoblocks ($32.9k) along with the WestminsterLab Quest preamp ($25.1k) with an optional MM/MC phono stage ($5.2k). WestminsterLab is imported by Hear This, along with AEquo Audio loudspeakers and Ars Machinae turntables and tonearms.

Hear This is also a brand partner with LampizatOr and EAR, as well as several small esoteric high-quality brands. That's the LampizatOr Horizon DAC ($49k) on the right and the preamp on the left. With all the expensive gear downstream, the server was a Small Green Computer sonicTransporter i9 Optical (Gen 3) ($3k) along with a Sonore Signature Rendu SE optical V2.0 ($4950). The cables were MasterBuilt Reference speaker ($5400/pr), XLR ($4750/pr), and power cords ($5645 ea.). The USB cable was by Final Touch Audio Sinope ($1500).

I didn't think to check to see if Damon Von Schweikert was using a subwoofer in the room to control bass output this time, but with a couple of tall tube traps in the room, I suspect not. Need I say the music in this room was excellent?

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