Capital Audiofest 2023 Show Report / Chronicles Part 3
The 7th Floor Part A
Show Report By Rick Becker

Room 730 Linear Tube Audio
On top of the Modolo rack was a Meitner MA3 Integrated DAC/Network streamer with volume control. It provides galvanic isolation through its USB input as well as jitter removal technology working with a custom-built clock to remove jitter from all digital sources. Designed and built in Canada, it supports almost everything with inputs for AES/EBU via XLR, S/PDIF coax RCA, optical TosLink, USB Audio, and Network(RJ45) supports up to 24-bit/192kHz and DSD. USB Audio also supports 2xDSD, recording studio quality lossless DXD (352/384kHz), and the waning proprietary lossy MQA format. It is also Roon Ready / Roon Endpoint functionality.

This has been a popular unit that I saw many times at both Capital and Toronto Audiofest 2023 this fall. If you're into streaming, you need to be aware of this highly functional unit. I found a price of $10,500 on the internet.

Below the Meitner was an LTA MicroZOTL preamp (Level 2), seen with a couple of tubes poking through the chassis. An IsoTek Nova Evo3 power conditioner filled the bottom shelf.

On separate Plyboo amp stands were a pair of ZOTL40 Reference+ monoblocks with a quartet of EL34 tubes poking through. How do they ship those amps, I wonder? They were driving Credo EV 1202 2-way speakers from Switzerland with adjustable footers. Van den Hul cables were used for this rig. LTA worked with Audioshield Distribution to put this rig together.

Suite 732 Antal Audio Group
The Antal Audio Group from Glens Falls, NY, (not far from my beloved Adirondack Mtns.) is an importer of Triangle loudspeakers from France, Soulines turntables from Serbia, and very recently has reintroduced Electrocompaniet amplifiers from Norway. The Triangle Magellan speakers here were $20K and had sufficient drivers to move a lot of air.

I want to say this was the flagship AW 800M NEMO 2 monoblock ($45k) that puts out 800 Watts. They are user switchable so they can be used as a 300 Wpc stereo amp ($22,500). It looks to be sitting on a Modolo amp stand. The Electrocompaniet line is extensive with stereo power amps starting at $8500, Integrated amps, a Reference Preamp ($4900), a Reference CD Player ($6800), a digital media player, streamer and preamp out ($5700), and a MM / MC phono stage ($2900).

The ECI 6 Dx Mk II integrated amp with 125 Wpc, DAC, streaming, and network control for $7500 looks like an interesting product on paper.

The Soulines TT 42 turntable is well-made and interesting looking. I've seen a few other models from this company at Adirondack Audio & Video in Queensbury, near Glens Falls, and Adirondack AV also has a shop down in NYC.

Room 733 Antal Audio Group
In the room adjacent to the previous suite, Antal had a smaller-scale rig with a Triangle monitor and a smaller floorstander on display. That looks like an ECI 80D integrated amp with 80 Wpc and a built-in phono stage for $3900. And below it would be the EMC 1 MkV Reference CD player with digital output for $6800 .

Now that speakers have moved to white finishes, are turntables and amplifiers going to follow? Stay tuned for the next couple of years and we'll find out.

More CAF 2023 Show Coverage Coming Soon!
I've continued the 7th Floor here, and I'll finish it up in Part 4 in a few days. I'm just getting warmed up now and there is quite a bit more to come! Stay tuned over the coming weeks as more coverage will be posted on Enjoy the Music.com.

---> Onward to Part 4 of Rick Becker's Capital Audiofest 2023 report.

---> Back to the main Capital Audiofest 2023 show report homepage.