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

AGD Productions
Alberto Guera put together his finest-sounding room in a long time—maybe ever, except for a couple of times he used Ocean Way monitors.

He was playing a pair of monoblocks when I first came in, but after a few moments he offered to switch over to the newest amp, the AGD Forte based on the Mk IV version of the GaNPower Module power stage. It is a dual-mono design that also uses GaN semiconductors in the new ultra-low noise power supply.

The output was 400 Wpc @ 4 Ohms with 60A peak current. It was noticeably better, in spite of being a stereo amp. More body in the music and more inviting to listen to.

I also noticed on his room sheet that the AGD Andante Preamplifier / DAC that I reviewed has become a Mk II with a new advanced R2R DAC and streamer. Likewise, the much more affordable Alto Reference Analog Line and Phono preamp has been upgraded to MK II status.

I'm still using (and loving) my polished The Audion monoblocks, upgraded to Mk III that I first reviewed back in February 2020, but I have to admit, the new Forte at $13k might be the new sweet spot of the AGD line.

I was so impressed by the new amp, I only asked about the speaker as I was leaving the room. To my surprise and delight, it was a Fisher & Fisher slate-bodied floorstander from Germany. I had raved about the stand-mounted monitor from them at last year's show, and here I found the model #370 also very impressive. The texture of the slate gives it a very rich look that would be at home in virtually any décor.

Pass Labs And Black Ice Audio
Three power amps were set up on the front wall to drive Zu Audio speakers. The Black Ice Audio tube integrated amp was in use when I entered, and the music was very well resolved, transparent, and dynamic, providing a "you are there" experience. Zu Audio is probably not the best loudspeaker for relaxing, but certainly one to make a party jump, even with its small size.

Sean asked if I would like to hear them with another amp, and I chose the Pass Labs XA 25 over the Schiit amp on the right. Read about the popular Schiit Audio Bifrost 2 DAC and Ragnarok 2 Nexus integrated amp review to get a feel for the high-value, high-performance from Schiit that many rave about.

It was immediately evident why I am a vacuum tube guy at heart. Being a high-efficiency speaker, 94dB/w/m, your choice of amplifier is wide open, but pay attention to your room size and typical listening level if either one approaches extremes. This is a great starter speaker for beginners that offers a lot of flexibility for choosing your other components and cables as you grow. Be sure to read Enjoy the Music.com's world premiere review of the Black Ice Audio Fusion F100 monoblock vacuum tube amps.

In addition to different finishes, you get to choose stainless steel or black screws for the driver. It's priced at $1400/pr. I was tickled to see the Union floorstander ($3240/pr.) is now in its sixth(!) version. Sean had decided to drop the original Union right before my review of it came out back in August 2013. Your Zu Audio speaker model could be changed over the years, so be very careful to ensure which version you buy.

Theoretica Applied Physics
Dr. Edgar Choueiri is the head of, or involved in, so many mind-boggling departments at Princeton University that his creating and being director of the University's 3D Audio and Applied Acoustics (3D3A) Lab almost seems like a hobby. That's him programming his DrC2(squared) 3D Audio Desktop Renderer for the gentleman sitting at the computer. And that's his protégé sitting with his back to the wall. It's encouraging to know his work will carry on into the future.

All of his various systems (and there are several) require programming for a certain position, so dropping into his room at a show is not terribly impressive unless you get to be in the 'hot seat' and have it optimized for your head. This was my fourth or fifth visit over as many shows, and my number finally came up. The 3D image kept getting better as Dr. C programmed about 28 different ‘microphone' positions for my specific position at the desk. I could see the values change in each of the little squares around the graphic head on the screen in front of me as he worked.

And then there were layer upon layer of graphics, graphs, and settings that were all integral to the process. The end result was an incredible 3D rendering with more pinpoint imaging than I have heard from any audio system in my life. And not just in the horizontal plane, but vertically, too. As the music was recordings of musicians positioned in front of me, I didn't notice much more than ambience from behind, but more creative electronic music would certainly have brought that out more.

The experience was fascinating, but I was so enthralled I forgot to ask some critical questions, such as, ‘Does it require specially recorded music requiring microphones at each of the 28 positions?' And how soon before this technology allows this effect to move with the listener as they move around the room? And what are the implications of this technology for humanoid robots? Maybe someday I will have time to research the researcher. As always, it was a pleasure, and this time, a real treat to be in the chair.

The Listening Room
The Listening Room is a brick-and-mortar store east of Baltimore on the other side of the bay. Actually, it's a wood frame structure. They carry many brands imported and distributed by Fidelity Imports, but also sell brands not imported by Fidelity. The four rooms at this show are a collaboration of the two companies and seemed to be outfitted mostly with Fidelity Imports brands.

In the photo above the ViaBlue cables with their distinctive sheath can be seen.

A Wilson-Benesch monitor from Great Britain.

From the top, an Audia Flight integrated amp from Italy, an analytical power conditioner from AVM in Germany, and a streamer from Aurender.

A variety of footers from ViaBlue.

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