Part 4: Capital Audiofest 2024 7th Floor Rooms 736 to 761
Listening to luxurious stereo systems at CAF 2024.
Capital Audiofest 2024 Show Report By Rick Becker

744  AGD Productions
It's always a pleasure to run into Alberto Guerra and his wife at shows as I've reviewed many of his products and use a polished pair of Audion as my solid-state reference amps.

Alberto loves to show most of his models and several of the finishes he offers. Others have followed in his footsteps with GaNFET technology but I keep an eye on USAudiomart and when the rare AGD amp comes up for sale, it doesn't last long, even at the premium asking prices.

Not to be overlooked was the fully loaded Andante preamp with built-in DAC, streamer,  phono stage, and hefty remote.

The big question was "Why was he using these powerful solid-state amps to drive the efficient PureAudioProject speakers?" The answer came from Ze'ev Schlik of PAP the night I arrived. This particular model, the Trio10 Heil AMT, with the AMT tweeter is only 88dB/W/m efficient, unlike most other models, and it is somewhat power-hungry. The AGD amps had no trouble driving it. I will come upon another PureAudioProject speaker much later on in the Adams room on the 3rd Floor.

745  Haniwa
Haniwa is another company that deserves a bop on the head. There was a big improvement this year with the inclusion of an American host who was communicable, knowledgeable, and proactive in explaining the gear in this room. In the past, I had to struggle to understand why I was hearing such good sound from such bland-looking speakers. (I am trying to be polite.)

This time, I had no trouble comprehending the first-class sound as there were a pair of very informative posters to help me get past the aesthetics of the speaker. Here was another GaNFET amplifier capable of driving the 1 Ohm custom driver speaker. A time-aligned subwoofer for each channel took the sound smoothly into the deep bass. A couple of handfuls of LPs that I knew well also put me right at home. Dire Straits, Tom Petty… what's not to like? The HDSA03 Digital Phase Control System Amp on the right side of the table was the engineering marvel that made everything sound clean and precise, yet completely inviting and musical.

If they could just come up with an elegant and effective pedestal for the speaker that didn't look like a mid-century modern pedestal from a five-and-dime lunch counter this speaker would get a lot more attention.

The subs were adequate in this small room, but could also use a dash of glamour. Greater attention to the overall display in this room would also draw more interest and profitability. They've got a great system here, but it needs to look great to win me over.

The Haniwa turntable was also new and like a lot of other black equipment at the show, it could use a daily dusting. At the High Point International Home Furnishings Show an army of housekeepers descends into the showrooms after they close each night to dust and vacuum. High-end audio products deserve no less.

The tonearm had a damping trough for oil behind the pivot point and was said to perform optimally at a 1-gram tracking weight. Obviously, it was long – at least 12" but maybe even more. The Haniwa cartridge is said to have less than 0.1 Ohm resistance. I admired the expansive plinth that didn't look like a model of a nuclear power plant.

It's a shame there were not more visitors in this room to experience the glorious music.

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