I have a lot of affection for the California Audio Show. It's an easy drive down from the Oregon Coast, and some of my most enjoyable show experiences have been here—the smaller size makes it easier to see everything and experience it in-depth, and make connections with the folks from the industry who've become friends. Constantine Soo's insistence that all the exhibitors have a list of what's on display posted outside the showroom door is a journalist's dream, too—no clumsily juggling cut sheets! This all made CAS a great show for my first real foray back into show reporting in several years: career obligations and a certain three-year-old have ensured that my energies were directed elsewhere for a while.
The author's daughter contemplates the CAS Awards ballot. Photo by Kirsten Brodbeck-Kenney
Of course, said three-year-old came with us, so she was still pretty determined to ensure that my energies were directed away from the stereos. Thanks to a local friend though, Mal and I were able to grab some uninterrupted time with the music, and man, is it good to be back and sharing some show highlights!
Zu Audio and Pass Labs are a spectacular match, and were doing a great job of filling one of the large boardrooms with music from Sean Casey's extensive collection of vinyl. The Druid Mk. VI speakers in Ferrari red (from $9999) sounded great: they had the heft and dynamics I've come to expect from Zu, with what struck me during my limited listening as smoother treble than previous iterations. The Pass Laboratories XA25 power amp ($4900), XP12 preamp ($5800), and XP17 phono stage ($4300) sounded solid and had more than enough oomph to back it up.
The Margules Audio room was one of the most interesting at the show. I have admired their hifi systems for quite some time, and the Orpheus speakers ($12,000) were sounding great, with the U280-sc Class A amps ($10,800/pair) and SF220 preamp ($4599) demonstrating a nicely nimble snap. The source was the Margules TT-10 turntable. The sound was dynamic, and sweet without sluggishness. What really intrigued me, though, was the Margules take on an old-school console, the Mutable. Simple lines and a matte black body held powered Bluetooth-compatible speakers and a phono amp. The console retails for about $5000 and produced a rich and powerful sound that would have no trouble filling a living room or small apartment. There was little soundstage to speak of, but it would be an amazing solution for someone looking to plug in their turntable and have some rewarding sound immediately available. I couldn't stop exclaiming over how cool it was.
Speaking of cool—I had a LOT of fun watching my daughter lose her cool over several of the systems. She didn't have much patience for a lot of the music folks were listening to—"too much sad music," she glowered. But there were a few rooms that grabbed her attention.
Jeff Joseph of Joseph Audio took the direct (some might say cheater's) route: the Moana soundtrack and They Might Be Giants made a "mysterious" appearance on his playlist shortly after we entered. The Pulsar speakears ($7700/pair) with Bel Canto Black integrated amp ($25,000) and streaming provided by Kobuz made for lively listening, and pretty soon everyone was all smiles.
A highlight of the show for both my daughter and me was our introduction to the Muraudio SP1 loudspeakers (from $14,700), paired here with Simaudio's Moon 340i integrated amp with DAC and phono stage ($5800) and Nordost cables. We were first treated to a few demo tracks that showed off the range and impact of the SP1s to excellent effect: a track featuring taiko drummers and other percussion was so realistic that my daughter clutched at my arm. I thought she was scared until Mal ventured to ask if we were ready to go. "I am NOT ready to leave," she responded, so we figured we'd better ask to listen to a test track. We cued up "Diamonds" by The Mekons, a sort of folky post-punk track off their Natural album that is both incredibly ear-wormy and has some pretty major dynamic swings. It was delightful on this system—I particularly appreciated the way that I could discern the bandmates' individual voices during the choruses, but not in a way that seemed artificially sharp. Instead, it felt almost like I was sitting in the room during the recording session. I was impressed by the breadth of the soundstage and the way the cones integrated with the electrostatic panel.
One of the rooms that garnered multiple visits over the course of the weekend was Audio Federation's room featuring Acapella Campanile 2 horns (from $66.500), Acapella LaMusika integrated amplifier ($105,500), and Audio Note UK Fifth Element DAC. The system also included the Acapella LaMusika music server, Acapella cables, and Audio Note UK CDT-five CD transport. As hilarious as it was watching my kiddo jump eight feet when the bells started ringing during Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon, what this system really calls for is something larger-than-life. I have a well-documented weakness for both big band and Tom Waits, so of course the combination of La Bamba's Big Band with Southside Johnny and Tom Waits dueting on "Walk Away" is pretty much the most ridiculous good fun I can possibly have. It was all I could do not to start belting along like I was sock dancing in my kitchen.
Speaking of big band, I'm sure I've mentioned before how much I enjoy listening to jazz on Zesto Audio's gear, but I'm going to mention it again. This time around I was lucky enough to walk in on Henry Mancini's "Pink Panther." I love it when I get surprised into hearing a song I've heard a million times like it's brand new. I'm humming it now just thinking about it. The system this time around consisted of Zesto's Eros 300 monoblocks ($19,900), Leto 1.5 preamp ($7500), Tessera phono stage ($12,000), and Allasso step up transformer ($2995). The turntable was the Merrill Williams Audio REAL 101.2 ($7200) and the speakers were Marten Django L ($10,000). Cables were by Cardas Audio, and racks were by Stillpoints.
On the subject of old favorites in new ways, have you heard PureAudioProject recently? I had opportunity to listen to two of their modular offerings over the weekend. The smaller Trio15 Horn 1 loudspeakers (from $7990) were paired with Whammerdyne's 2A3 SE model DAA3+ ($6900) and Exogal Comet DAC ($3,000). The source was MSB Technologies' Analog DAC ($6000) and Wyred 4 Sound's modified Sonos Connect ($900). When I visited, they were playing Madeleine Peyroux's cover of "Desperadoes Under the Eaves." The system's texture was truly wonderful, and the speakers cohered beautifully no matter where I was standing in the room. Farther down the hall was the debut of the Quintet10 Stellar ($8990), a stack of four 10" woofers, a 5" mid, and a soft dome tweeter in a modular dipole arrangement. The speakers are 89dB sensitive, and I had opportunity to hear them both with Exogal amplification (the Exogal Comet integrated with Ion PowerDAC, $6995) on Friday and Pass amplification on Saturday. They rocked out beautifully when I caught a cover of "The Wind Cries Mary" on Friday, and the classic Getz/Gilberto "Girl from Ipanema" sounded open and inviting on Saturday afternoon.
Photo by Kirsten Brodbeck-Kenney
Rounding out my highlights, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention Studio Electric. The latest iteration of their standmounts, the M4, are seriously excellent for those who love that studio monitor sound (that would be me). They sound so BIG and are just absolutely killer, especially coming in at under $3000. I was also impressed with both the look and sound of the FSX floorstanders. $10,500 in the incarnation on display. Amplification was Wyred 4 Sound, with cables by Nordost.
Overall, this was an incredibly pleasant show with great sound, and Constantine Soo has put together a well-curated selection of what's possible in hi fi. It was a great place to introduce my non-audiophile friends (not to mention my daughter) to the wonderful weirdness of my hobby, as well as a fantastic way to get back up to speed on what I've missed. Here's hoping there's many more!
All images by Dave Clark unless otherwise noted.
