Capitol Audio Fest '24 Nov 8 - 10 - Rockville MD

I was thinking of making the trip down from Boston for this show, which would be my first 'commercial' audio show. I'm not really shopping, just looking to hear some good 2-channel setups and have a fun weekend trip.

Has anyone attended in the past? Well run? Anyone planning to be there this year?

Should I skip this and make a plan for Axpona or something instead?

Thanks in advance for any insight, friends.

 

I live right near the show location and I have been a couple of times. The show is very well organized and has a great turnout. It is mainly for 2-channel, so it should be a good fit for you. The only thing to think about is that it is the weekend after the election and things could be “interesting” in the DC-area. The show is in the suburbs though. The hotel is right near a Metro station and everything you need is definitely walkable. I’m planning on going at least one of the days this year. There are a number of local SBAFers that usually go too. PM and we can definitely try to meet up to hang out and grab a beer.

 

I've not been to other 2-channel shows like Axpona but I've been to CAF and have enjoyed it a lot. There were lots of exhibitors, from the well-known to the unknown, and many of them crowded into small rooms. I suspect this is common to audio shows but I was surprised by

• how many rooms were set up terribly, with no effort to treat the room
• how many exhibitors played shit, esoteric music that makes it impossible to get a sense of how good the equipment is.
  • I don't ever need to hear an easy listening-jazz fusion of A-HA's Take on Me, ffs.
  • I don't mind everyone playing the greatest clichéd hits of audiophile wankery - Eagles, Diana Krall, etc - if it means we could get a sense of what the setup sounds like
• how few exhibitors played classical music
  • the one room playing it was for a dude selling a nervosa snake oil noise reduction system
• how many twits were yammering loudly in rooms
  • one of the rooms, I forget which, had the rep hollering at Steve Gutenberg non-stop for 30 minutes. I gave up and didn't go back.
• how many rooms reeked of stinky-arsed old men
• how many rooms sounded absolutely shit
  • and how many rooms were way too loud, each competing with the next
  • how many rooms had setups that were way too bright
  • how many rooms made it sound like the singer was right in front of you but with lungs and a mouth the size of Lichtenstein

I can't wait to go again!

 

Lol bro
I think this describes most audio shows in general. They are an ORFAS orgy mostly, but fun still.

 

Ha ha ha, nice one

 

I can't believe this didn't occur to me! Definitely something to consider; we may not even know who won at that point.

 

I've been twice, @Pocomo , once 5-7 years ago and last year.
I highly recommend it as the area is easy to navigate and easy to find food within 10-30m so you don't have to deal with the hotel's food.

As mentioned, there's a Metro station literally right behind it with its free parking on the weekends (or Sunday?).

Seeing things one only reads about is amazing.

I cleared the Linn room by asking them to play Stravinsky's Firebird :-D

Highllights from last year were the MBL room, the Gishelli room and the amazing first floor vinyl sellers (not that I partake but amazing to see all of them).

The other time I went my wife decided she liked the KEF Muons best. She changed her mind after I told her the price :-D I liked seeing the DS turntable and other high end 'tables.

 

I believe the correct term for that nowadays is a Lemon Party...

 

I'm planning to go on Sunday!

 

I'll definitely be there on either Saturday or Sunday! Does anyone want to grab drinks after?

Also for those on the fence about going, some threads from previous years w/ photos & discussion. I really think the show gets better year over year (with a little hiccup immediately post-covid).

• 2023
• 2022
• 2021
• 2019

 

Thanks for the input all. Sounds like a worthwhile trip! I am planning to drive down on Friday and be at the show Sat + Sun. I'll start a PM thread to arrange meetups.

 

I bought whole weekend tickets so I will be there, haven't been in a couple of years but interested to go again. My first time going was a good time, got to see cool gear and talk to people from Youtube (some might not like but thought to talk to them still just to do it such as Michael Fremer)

 

I will be there. landing Friday night, will be at the show all day Saturday and Sunday. hopefully we can meet up, maybe for dinner one of the nights.

 

Nice! I'll add you to the PM thread.

 

That's great, I'll add you to the PM thread. Sorry for the delayed reply!

 

What is everyone most looking forward to at the show?


Here is some of the stuff I wanna hear tomorrow and Sunday.

downstairs
Wilson: Airtight - bricasti - tidal
I really hope they have big Tidal speakers if they got a big room downstairs.

Adams: pure audio project
I want to hear the quad woofer with a Vox widbander, hopefully thats what they have in this large room.

H01: AER Loudspeaker
AER has some of the most expensive widebanders out there.

305: gryphon - marten
Im hoping they have the newest Marten Quintet Coltranes with the mid dome

323: cessaro horn acoustics
these horns are supposed to be good, they have a smaller set with some added woofers at the show.

325: cinnamon audio
another set of higher end OBs

621: Angel City Audio
another friend keeps telling me I need to hear these speakers, hopefully they have the floor standers. transmission line loaded bass.

625: audio analogue, Fischer and Fischer, NAT, live vibe
this is Mikey the OCD Hifiguy's room, gotta stop in and see if he's full of shit or not

626/630: Soulnote and YG
one room is series 2 soulnote with a standmount YG and the other is all series 3 electronics with large YG, apparently there is 4 M-3 monoblocks. Kato-san the lead designer of Soulnote will also be at the show this weekend.

650: Estelon - MSB - vitus
one of the two estelon rooms. I assume this one MSB has big bois, either Forza or extreme? the other room I think has Aura's

653: Wolf von Langa
high end OBs with field coil drivers, I heard them at Axpona want to check them out again

819: Von Schweikert Audio - westminster
I heard this room at Axpona as well, it showed some promise

845: dartzeel - stenheim
gotta hear dart, stenheim hasn't ever really impressed me though

855: estelon - vitus
the other estelon room


Lots of other stuff to listen to as well, I think there's like 5 boressen rooms, im sure ill stop into all of them as well.

 

I'm not as far up the ladder as much of the stuff you listed, but some specific stuff I'm interested in hearing:

• LTA Aero DAC (heard 2 different prototypes in prior shows, but this should be the final production version)
• BAACH SP
• AN UK cause I'm a whore and wondering if they'll bring the new field coil AN-Es
• Boenicke
• Clayton Shaw
• Cinnamon
• Elekit/AER/Sun Valley/VK Music
• Fern & Roby
• Gershman Acoustics
• Geshelli
• Harbeth
• Marten
• Neil Blanchard Designs
• PAP
• Purifi
• Vinnie Rossi
• Voxativ

Kinda bummed there's nobody showing Joseph Audio, they always had some great sounding rooms in the past.

 

Wow, you guys have done a ton more research than me, like 100x. I'll be happy to ride your coattails!

 

Just came back. The standouts for me were:

* anything Borresen
* the Fischer & Fischer slate speakers (guide shows wrong room number, it's 625 not 725)
* the hidden T+A room
* the Diptyque room

 

Had a great time at the show yesterday. My big highlights were:

• Eastern Bay Sound (New Local MD Speaker Company)
• Songer Audio (field coil wide-bander)
• The Alma room with the Qln One v7
• TMR's Diptyque Room
• Unannounced Zu bookshelves in the Zu + Black Ice Audio room.
• Volti Lucera in the Belleson room
• VPI room is probably the best I've ever heard the PAPs with the horns sound.

Voxativ really disappointed me this year-- I think the array they're showing off loses a lot of the single-driver magic.

@yotacowboy Was Clayton Shaw at the show this year? I saw that you mentioned him & I always look forward to his stuff.