Capital Audiofest 2023 Show Report / Chronicles Part 5
The 6th Floor Part A
Show Report By Rick Becker

Suite 619 Fidelity Imports & The Listening Room
As we reach the corner and look down the long hall that opens to the Atrium below, all of the rooms here were sponsored by Fidelity Imports, run by Steve Jain, though I didn't notice him at the show. The rooms were co-sponsored by The Listening Room in Chesterton, MD, a small town across the northern Chesapeake Bay from Baltimore, where many, if not most of these brands are sold. It's a destination store regardless of whether you're coming from DC, Baltimore, Wilmington, or the Philadelphia area. But there are a lot of small hotels and B&Bs in this scenic maritime area if you want to think about a purchase and make a decision the next day.

This first room featured Diptyque DP-140 Mk II electrostatic speakers ($17k). I've seen several models from this French company at shows and have been impressed by the construction as well as the sound quality.

Electronics included a Soul Note A-3 integrated amp ($25k), an S-3 SACD player ($27k), and an X-3 external clock generator ($5k). Speaker wire and interconnects were from QED and the power cables and Mains Blocks were from Titan Audio (see below).

As I first entered the suite in the corner I was attracted to cables and power distribution boxes by Titan Audio from Northern Ireland displayed on the table. The vertically mounted one shown here is available in three versions: $1500, $3k, and $6k. There are provisions for disengaging outlets that are not in service, as well as a semi-active grounding topology that does not affect the current supply. The ground technology is said to drop the noise floor by about 40%.

This power distribution box was $900, though they offer a less expensive version at $500. The fit of the plug into the outlet is tighter than any other I've experienced. The boxes are raised off the floor to minimize vibrations coming from the floor. OCC wiring is point-to-point and star-grounded.

Room 621 Fidelity Imports & The Listening Room
In 621 they featured Alare Remiga 1 Be speakers ($50k) driven by Soul Note electronics from South Korea again. Note the intricate front baffle, the highly figured grain pattern, and the unusual color of the sides.

Here was a P-3 preamp ($25k), M-3 monoblocks ($50k), D-3 DAC ($25k), X-3 Clock again ($5k), and a Z-3 Network Transport ($15k). Again, there was QED speaker wire and interconnects and Titan power cables and distribution blocks.

Room 623 Fidelity Imports & The Listening Room
Very nice looking Opera Callas Diva speakers ($12k) were driven by a Unison Research Simply 845 amp ($10k). A Unison Research Unico CD Uno CD player/DAC ($3k) was one source. An Innuos ZENith streamer was on loan from the manufacturer. Speaker cables and interconnects, again, were from QED while the power cables and distribution box were from Titan Audio.

The Unison Research tube amp was a lovely combination of polished and black metal along with wood and glowing vacuum tubes. A perennial example of Italian craftsmanship, it was looking very nice on the top shelf of one of many NEO Quatron audio racks along this hallway. Three shelf for $4k and a four shelf version for $6k.

The lighting in many of the dimly lit rooms was sometimes unusual, but here I was able to pull out the gorgeous combination of piano gloss black top and finely finished wood along the sides.

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