Year: 2021

Hifi is a mostly solitary sport. We sit, we listen. Sharing these experiences in story can be about as interesting as listening to someone describe their 3-hour dream involving lost socks and huge snakes.

CAF 2021 saw the premier of the Eikon Audio IMAGE.5 System.

Material science. Evey time I look at the products from Fern & Roby, I’m reminded of the beauty inherent in material especially when they’re blended like a fine cocktail into an intoxicating visual and tactile treat.

You know the whole ‘source first’ point of view? While I’m not all that interested in debating deeply held beliefs, let me gently suggest that music is the most important source of all.

Linear Tube Audio and Spatial Audio Lab, with help from Kitsune Hifi and Anticables, were making some sweet sounds at CAF 2021.

TAD Compact Reference One Speakers

Overture continued the B&W theme in their second room at CAF 2021, this time pairing the B&W 801D4 Speakers ($35,000/pair) with amplification from McIntosh Labs.

In Room 550, Delware-based dealer Overture Ultimate Home Electronics showcased B&W’s new 800 Diamond Series Speakers with amplification from Rogue Audio.

I did. No really, I really did. The ever genial Mark Sossa of Well Pleased AV handed me the iPad remote and I played Taylor Swift. I did. I really did.

Saturday morning at CAF 2021 began with a pre-show bang in the Newtown Square, PA dealer The Voice That Is room and a presentation of Athens, Greece-based Ideon Audio and their Absolute Suite of digital products.

Black Ice Audio

And I mean rocks! Serendipity graced my time in one of two VPI rooms at CAF 2021 in the form of one Michael Fremer,  Mr. Analog Planet, and his stunning-sounding unobtainium unreleased 45RPM copy of Who’s Next.

NOLA by Accent Speakers Technology launched two new models at CAF 2021 — one small, one big.

UK’s Audio Note greats visitors with a familiar setup and sound.

The MC Audiotech Forty-10 Loudspeaker (starts at $40,000) announce their difference boldly.

The United Home Audio SuperDeck ($89,998) is a source that inspires wows.

Upon entering the Montrose room, I thought dealer Tenacious Sound may have snuck, or even sneaked, into the Barn and taken my stuff!

Volti Audio and Border Patrol have shared a room each time I’ve visited the Capital Audiofest and they go together like peanut butter and bananas.

I have to think that being a HiFi dealer is challenging even in ‘normal’ times. These days, with travel restrictions, mask mandates, supply chain nightmares, and a general air of grumpiness, presenting a happy face for customers must take either real skill or real nice […]

The digital products from Ideon Audio were new to me at CAF21, where I got to hear their entry mk2 384 DXD DAC and 3R Master Time Reclocker as well as their flagship products which I’ll cover in a separate post.

Infigo Audio Method 2 Monoblock Amplifier ($50,000/pair).

Here’s a tip (for free): keep your eye on Mytek.

It’s a new dawn, it’s a new day. . .and I’m feeling good.