Part 1: 8th Floor And More CAF 2024 Show Report
A great way to start the day at an audiophile / high-end audio event.
Capital Audiofest 2024 Show Report By Rick Becker

826 Cambridge Audio
Cambridge Audio presented a room with more real-world prices than most. On the top left rack was the new EXN 100 streaming DAC ($1799) that can also act as a digital preamp and on the right was the new EXA 100 integrated amplifier ($2199) with 100 Wpc.

The Triangle speaker looked attractive without a lot of shiny or bright metal around the drivers like some of their models have.

828 Archer Audio
The rig in the Archer High Fidelity room became even more wallet-friendly with an all-Cambridge group. On top of the RigidRackwas the Alva ST turntable ($599) on a Butcherblock Acoustics base. Below that was the AXR-100 receiver ($599), an AXN10 streamer, and EVO 150 DeLorean Edition at an undisclosed special show price. 

The speakers were the SX-80 ($799) and they were throwing in Analysis Plus Clear Oval speaker cables ($169) with the purchase of the speakers! Oval One RCA interconnects were only $119. Suddenly, it's 1975 again!

830 True Source And Sierra Sound
Walking into this room was another one of those "Oh, my..." experiences. Unlike the Semrad speaker heard earlier, the GIP 4165 speakers ($72k with field coil power supplies) had a more contemporary look with light wood and angular horns. These were a two-way speaker with a new production 4165A 12" full-range driver (50Hz to 5kHz) made in Japan (originally designed in 1933 for use in small movie theaters). This driver is supplemented with a GIP TW-38 Bullet Tweeter atop that is recessed to mechanically time-align the driver. The full-range driver was a field coil design with the power supply in the gold-tone chassis below the window powering the 99.95% pure iron, non-permanent magnets of the full-range driver. The music signal goes through the crossover on the floor behind the speaker and through an attenuator to adjust the volume of the tweeter.

True Source Audio Distribution imports both the G.I.P. speakers and the Mactone amplifiers from Japan. Mactone amps are a rarity in the USA. The MH 120 power amp ($13,500, 65 Wpc) was running KT120 tubes and they also had their gold tone XX 440 preamp ($12,500) in the rack. The newer silver GIP Preamp 1 above the power amp was $40k). G.I.P. is a Japanese company dedicated to preserving the tradition and excellence of early Western Electric speakers which they consider to be the finest, even to this day. Sierra Sound is the USA distributor of AMG turntables (Germany), Benz Micro phono cartridges (Switzerland), and ViV Laboratory tonearms (Japan). These two distributors work with traditional brick and mortar stores who have protected territories.

True Source Audio Distribution and Sierra Sound room also had In Living Stereo as a retailer that works by appointment only several days a week. They are in Manhattan on Great Jones St. which runs between East and West 3rd Street. Their website will help you find them. The person hosting the room at the time was tied up with a serious customer so I didn't interrupt to get further clarification.

Some of the other equipment in the room included the AMG Viella Forte turntable ($32k) with a Benz Micro LPS cartridge ($5k) on the left and the AMG Giro 2 Wood, with 9" tonearm ($17,500) was fitted with a Benz Micro SLR cartridge ($3,500) on the right. What intrigued me was the ViV Lab Rigid Float Ha-9 tonearm ($4,500), equipped with a Benz Micro ACE SL Mono cartridge, that was nestled between the two turntables. This arm is free-standing which means you may be able to add it to a turntable without any drilling, or add to a turntable that does not normally allow for a second arm as shown here. That arm just might work on my Charisma Audio turntable.

832 Ball Audio Distribution And System Solutions
The Margules room was a real stand-out for me last year when they were running a pair of Raidho TD3.2 three-way floorstanders ($70k), earning a Best Rooms Award. I was slightly less impressed this year when they premiered the Margules Intermezzo speakers ($29k). It lacked a bit of transparency, though in all other respects it was very musical, and had great resolution.

The front baffle is Mexican oak and if you look closely you can see it is contoured with a ridge that travels from the floor up to the lowest driver on a slight angle, much like the sculpting on dCs components. The black sides are layered concrete for absorption of vibration, so the speakers are quite heavy. The Latin music that was playing may have been recorded live in a club which might account for the slight lack of transparency.

In front was the U280 30th Anniversary Special Edition power amp ($12k). On top of the rack was the SF220 tube preamp ($8k), and in the middle was the MS-01 Music Server/Streamer ($3,500). VIABLUE SC-6 AIR speaker cables were $2,000 and NF-S6 Air RCA interconnects were almost $1k/pr. The VIABLUE Rocket XL cable lifters, which I saw in several rooms at the show, were $1,310 / 8 pieces. The Lateral stands and a Puritan power conditioner completed the rig.

I ran into Bruce Ball of Ball Audio Distribution And System Solutions (Badass) who is the importer in Las Vegas and we had a nice chat.

More CAF 2024 Show Coverage Coming Soon
We're halfway through the 8th Floor at this point, so I'll call it a wrap for Part 1. Part 2 with the rest of the 8th Floor will be up in a few days. Keep checking back.

---> Onward to Part 2 of Rick Becker's Capital Audiofest 2024 Show Report.

---> Back to the main Capital Audiofest 2024 show report homepage.