Capital Audiofest 2018: Here I Come

If I told you I wasn’t able to attend this year’s Capital Audiofest, never mind—I’ll be there with a few precious Polaroids left in my camera. Last year was the first year I attended CAF, while this year will be the first year I attend as TM. The difference? Unlimited. From last year’s coverage over on AudioStream, “Sometimes my focus on all things digital feels, well, incomplete.. .show coverage covering just file-based playback is. . . limited. So to speak.”

Something else I’d like to refer back to is this quote from the same show report:

And let’s clarify something—show coverage is not a review. I’ve seen product endorsement adverts quoting show coverage and thought to myself, “That’s a reach.”

Case in point, I’ve seen a manufacturer on Facebook quoting from our recent RMAF coverage, along with others, and calling them “reviews”. They aren’t. Just imagine the state of things if a review consisted of reviewers going to a strange place, sitting down in front an entirely unknown system for a few minutes, and being asked to write a review of the preamplifier. That’s called guessing.

The CAF website currently lists 93 exhibitors and a number of seminars, some I plan to attend including:

Friday 3:00. Washington Theater: “Who’s in Control? How modern technology can make music social again” Shayne Tenace, Tenacious Sound and David Solomon, Qobuz

Saturday 2:00 – 3:30. Washington Theater: “Virtues of Vintage” – Art Dudley (Stereophielemoderator), Lenny Florentine of Just Audio, Early Bender of HiFiTown.com, Joe Roberts of Sound Practices Magazine, and Blackie Pagano

There’s also this intriguing bit:

Saturday 2:00-6:00 PM Hotel Lobby: Local Distillery Tastings

I may have to hit that at the end of the day. After all, I did say “Unlimited” coverage (wink).

I look forward to the relaxed friendly vibe at CAF and listening to some music among friends and fellow travelers. See you there!