Capitol Audio Fest 2014

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic. Read 24171 times.

jarcher

  • Industry Participant
  • Posts: 1940
  • It Just Sounds Right
Re: Capitol Audio Fest 2014
« Reply #80 on: 25 Jul 2014, 03:22 am »
Pumpkinman, ET Carroll and I ate lunch at the Mexican place last year and it was pretty good. I would go back.

Mi Rancho  - had dinner there tonight. Still good. I recommend the chicken taquitos (flautas).

dB Cooper

Re: Capitol Audio Fest 2014
« Reply #81 on: 25 Jul 2014, 04:18 am »
+1

I'm a happy Soundfield owner. :)
Missed their room last year somehow. Hope they're there this year.

My plan this year is similar to last: Concentrate on the headphones early on while rooms are getting 'dialed in', then branch out. The headphone exhibitors are lucky to be immune from room issues.

bunky

Re: Capitol Audio Fest 2014
« Reply #82 on: 25 Jul 2014, 07:21 am »
 I have to work on Saturday but I should be able to make it down there in time for dinner  :thumb: :thumb:

Letitroll98

  • Facilitator
  • Posts: 5615
  • Too loud is just right
Re: Capitol Audio Fest 2014
« Reply #83 on: 25 Jul 2014, 05:30 pm »
Missed their room last year somehow. Hope they're there this year.

My plan this year is similar to last: Concentrate on the headphones early on while rooms are getting 'dialed in', then branch out. The headphone exhibitors are lucky to be immune from room issues.

I don't see AJ on the exhibitors list this year, unless I missed it.

And for the first year I'll be shopping headphones, maybe see you there.

AJinFLA

  • Industry Participant
  • Posts: 1114
  • Soundfield Audio Loudspeakers
    • Soundfield Audio
Re: Capitol Audio Fest 2014
« Reply #84 on: 25 Jul 2014, 05:58 pm »
Couldn't make it this year, too busy. Stuck with Phil in FL, though not in any basement.  :wink:
Maybe next year....
Have a Newcastle for me Dan.
Anyone know what room Rollo's in?

pumpkinman

  • Full Member
  • Posts: 13025
  • A Kind Word Is an Easy Gift To Give
Re: Capitol Audio Fest 2014
« Reply #85 on: 25 Jul 2014, 06:10 pm »
I'm leaving for etcarroll's at 2:30 and spend the night there. This will be easier on my back as it'll be a short drive to CAF in the morning.
Looking forward to seeing Gene, Laura and others tomorrow. Laura lunch again at Mi Rancho's sounds great.  :thumb: :thumb: :thumb: 

Letitroll98

  • Facilitator
  • Posts: 5615
  • Too loud is just right
Re: Capitol Audio Fest 2014
« Reply #86 on: 25 Jul 2014, 07:36 pm »
AJ we'll miss ya this year.  Rollo is in with...damn, can't remember, Triode Pete maybe, it's on the list of exhibitors on the CAF website.

So we have a quorum for lunch on Saturday at the Mexican place.  What time?

woodsyi

  • Volunteer
  • Posts: 6513
  • Always Look on the Bright Side of Life!
Re: Capitol Audio Fest 2014
« Reply #87 on: 25 Jul 2014, 09:15 pm »
I should be there there around noon  Saturday after my round of golf.  Maybe I come to Mi Rancho for lunch first if the time is right.

mix4fix

  • Volunteer
  • Posts: 2296
  • I reject your music, and substitute my own.
Re: Capitol Audio Fest 2014
« Reply #88 on: 25 Jul 2014, 09:39 pm »
AJ we'll miss ya this year.  Rollo is in with...damn, can't remember, Triode Pete maybe, it's on the list of exhibitors on the CAF website.

So we have a quorum for lunch on Saturday at the Mexican place.  What time?

No....

HAL

  • Industry Contributor
  • Posts: 5198
Re: Capitol Audio Fest 2014
« Reply #89 on: 25 Jul 2014, 10:15 pm »
Hope to see some of you folks there Saturday!

Driving up in the morning and should be there around 11AM.  Just going for the day with some local friends.

vinyl_lady

Re: Capitol Audio Fest 2014
« Reply #90 on: 25 Jul 2014, 10:58 pm »
No....

Why are you opposed to Mi Rancho? Seems we have 5 or 6 who give it the thumbs up for lunch on Saturday.

dB Cooper

Re: Capitol Audio Fest 2014
« Reply #91 on: 26 Jul 2014, 12:21 am »
MY CAF DAY ONE

Some thoughts from the show

These Hawthorne open baffles with AMT mid/tweeter sounded really nice in an all digital system. Can't get the vertical pics to orient properly, sorry.



These mictro monitors sounded good but definitely benefit from a sub. Didn't write the name down but they were in the Command AV room.
Vanadoo had some nice powered mini monitors with interesting feature set.



These Kingsound 'stats caught my eye and were VERY comfortable... but didn't catch my ear; not much low end



A couple of ostentatious headphone amps





And one REALLY ostentatious headphone amp. This thing was HUGE. Didn't inquire as to the price but it was twice the size of a Dyna ST-70. An integrated with a headphone out?



Despite the name, the Blue Hawaii headamp is actually purple. Go figure.



Random:
Glad to see them supporting the headphone side, but despite the expansive space, there seemed to be more  variety in amps than 'phones. This struck me immediately: The place was awash in planars. Hifiman was everywhere, Audeze was everywhere, the various "Dogs" were almost everywhere. Oppo had both their models on display and very nice sounding but on the warm/dark side (think HD650). Grado was all over the place and there were HD800s all over. HD700 doesn't seem "built to the price" to me but YMMV. Got to hear the Beyer T1 for the first time and was impressed. All the planars I have heard seem very tight in mids and treble but a little loose in the very deep bass (Some say planar drivers resonate at low frequencies, maybe that's what I heard? CTM offered to let me try one of their IEMs with a generic tip, but I'll pass on sharing something that has been in any human orifice aside from my own or a significant other's. Biggest surprise from CanMania: Had hoped to see/hear AKG K712/K812 but nobody was showing any AKG cans of any type. Did they go out of business???

The smaller Daedalus room was making great music from the new Muse towers; good voicing, driver integration, and imaging, particularly front-to-back, so much so that at one point I looked behind the speakers to see if there was a rear facing driver. There isn't. Scottdazzle gave me generous play time on both CD and vinyl and was a great host.
No pics though, speaking of which, sorry about the cellphone pics.

I learned that I don't "grok" fullrange and/or single driver speakers. While they do the 'coherence' thing well, all models I have heard suffer from colorations (which I attribute at least partly to inevitable cone breakup from having to operate full range) and limited dynamic range (they 'compress' at relatively moderate SPLs). To each his own. My equipment isn't perfect either...







jarcher

  • Industry Participant
  • Posts: 1940
  • It Just Sounds Right
Re: Capitol Audio Fest 2014
« Reply #92 on: 26 Jul 2014, 03:50 am »
Why are you opposed to Mi Rancho? Seems we have 5 or 6 who give it the thumbs up for lunch on Saturday.

Mix4fix hates Mexican restaurants.

I'd go again. When are people heading over there?

If no time has been assigned shall we say 1230pm?

Bob in St. Louis

  • Volunteer
  • Posts: 13248
  • "Introverted Basement Dwelling Troll"
Re: Capitol Audio Fest 2014
« Reply #93 on: 26 Jul 2014, 04:00 am »
Any more pics?  :D

Letitroll98

  • Facilitator
  • Posts: 5615
  • Too loud is just right
Re: Capitol Audio Fest 2014
« Reply #94 on: 26 Jul 2014, 11:08 am »
Mix4fix hates Mexican restaurants.

I'd go again. When are people heading over there?

If no time has been assigned shall we say 1230pm?

I like that.  Either be there then or some can meet in the lobby at 12:20 or so and walk over.

dB Cooper

Re: Capitol Audio Fest 2014
« Reply #95 on: 26 Jul 2014, 12:30 pm »
Any more pics?  :D
Somebody musta took some! I will try to grab a few more but given the Tales From The Crypt lighting favored by many exhibitors, and whatever it is that makes my iphone verticals come out turned 90 degrees, a Real Camera (I dont want to take my DSLR) might give better results.

BTW it shouldn't be too hard to pick me out from my "selfie" with the King Sound cans even though you can't see my ruggedly handsome face; feel free to say hi. Will probably check out the "headphone meet" today with my modded HD650's.

Tried to upload a panorama of "CanMania" to no avail. Will try again later; leaving for the show now.

jarcher

  • Industry Participant
  • Posts: 1940
  • It Just Sounds Right
Re: Capitol Audio Fest 2014
« Reply #96 on: 26 Jul 2014, 12:32 pm »
Works for me.  Looking forward to seeing everyone and getting some good Mexican grub.

Phil A

Re: Capitol Audio Fest 2014
« Reply #97 on: 26 Jul 2014, 02:46 pm »
Mix4fix hates Mexican restaurants.



Yes - he won't even be seen in one - see below in the Mexican place from last yeaar




Letitroll98

  • Facilitator
  • Posts: 5615
  • Too loud is just right
Re: Capitol Audio Fest 2014
« Reply #98 on: 26 Jul 2014, 04:34 pm »
So where is everyone?

dB Cooper

Re: Capitol Audio Fest 2014
« Reply #99 on: 27 Jul 2014, 12:29 am »
Here I am with the venerable HD600's, driven by the Schiit Valhalla




Hifiman's new planars were quite nice, very light as planars go




Finally worked up the nerve to listen to the Stax 009's. Now I need a "Powerball intervention":


It took almost two days, but I finally found a set of AKG cans (K702) in the building, in an out-of-the-way corner far from canMania:




Apparently, not all audiophiles can read:


Jim Salk(Salk Signature Sound) and Dennis Murphy (Philharmonic Audio) were getting great sound, Best-Of-Show contender to my ears, but they didn't bring enough speakers  :roll:


A closer view of their gear: The Van Alstine CF preamp  and FetValve 600R, flanked by DMurphy's Philharmonic minitowers and the mindblowing Salk Exoticas and SoundScape S8's (Dennis' excellent Philharmonic 3's not shown)



Heard Dennis' modded Pioneers and these little standmounts had me floored (how's that for an audio pun)



"The Clue" was making great music at a price that would be the bang-for-the-buck champ were it not for the Murphy-modded BS22's. Some weight on top and/or plasticlay inside would quiet the somehat resonant enclosure (they get 28Hz out of this puppy!) down


As usual, Daedalus was impressive, although I found the smaller, simpler system more musical:



These behemoths, which take up almost 20 sq. ft. of floor space each, were an early contender for lowest WAF


But they were beaten soundly in the end by the Sadhumi horns:


Lastly, apparently even 1.5WPC microwatt systems need garden hose sized speaker cables: