Inside CAF 2025 Luxury Hi-Fi Show Part 1 — Capital Audiofest's Top Floors With 84 Rooms
New trends you need to know about, the latest audio gear, and not to be missed rooms!
Capital Audiofest 2025 Show Report By Rick Becker

M101
This room was supposed to be about the M101 cables, but I was easily distracted.

The cable lifters with lights were very cool—great for listening in the dark, but do they turn off when the music stops? Or do you clap your hands? Or simply let the solar-powered batteries die?

The Paradigm speakers seem to have some serious vibration-absorbing footers, but they are also using Townsend Audio Seismic Podiums, which have a great reputation, but begs the question: how much is enough?

This smaller acoustic panel caught my attention. It was much more reasonably priced at $2800 than the one that filled the front wall. These come from the Czech Republic and are distributed by M101.

Amped America
Amped was using a vintage Pioneer RT 707 tape deck.

They also featured a full display of WireWorld cables from David Salz.

Eastern Bay Sound
Eastern Bay Sound, from the edge of the Chesapeake Bay, stepped up its game by teaming with Belleson, makers of a couple of fine phono stages, to present an active presentation. The rig also included an LTA Aero DAC ($3,950) and Velo Preamp ($2,900).

That was the smaller, and much more affordable, Belleson Radiance phono stage ($3250) next to the Pure Fidelity turntable fitted with an Audio Technica cartridge. The sound was reasonable, as was the price of the Southwind Speakers ($2,450). The subwoofer was not playing, but it goes for $800 each, or $1400/pr. (The Belleson Brilliance phono preamplifier, not shown, is $8,500.)

While not for critical listening at this point in the company's development, they are incredibly attractive for their nautical styling. While I might easily afford the speakers, the coastal beach house is out of my reach. Now, if they could come up with a rustic cabin style for my Adirondack-theme family room....

The speakers are made from locally sourced hardwoods, not veneers. I noticed the design on top of the Skeg subwoofer conceals numerous holes, allowing the sub to breathe without an actual port. The Southwind monitor is a quarter-wave design with a rectangular port on the side, as you can see further above.

Like I've said, it's really cool stuff. And sometimes, all you need is something cool.

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