Pacific Audio Fest 2022 - Positive Feedback

Onwards to Part the Third of my Pacific Audio Fest 2022 Photo Essay and Audio Oasis! Awards report...

Genesis/Merrill Audio

In the Genesis/Merrill Audio space

It's hard to know what to say about Gary Koh's good-sized Genesis room, featuring Merrill Wettasinghe's very special next-generation (MX) amplification from Merrill Audio. There was so much really unique and special audio gear in the space that I had to spend some serious time here, just to take it all in. You'll see why in the photographs that follow…

Gary Koh of Genesis, with his monumental four-piece Genesis Prime Plus Loudspeakers: a portrait

Gary is definitely a passionate guy about fine audio. It's obvious that he's put many years and a fair number of bucks behind his pursuit of his vision of what high-end audio can be. Whether or not one agrees with Gary's decisions about what is right, true, and beautiful in audio, you cannot but respect his commitment to the audio arts. I salute him!

As to his Genesis Loudspeakers…well, what can I say? It's like the Infinity IRS V's of yore rose from the dead…only much better. Very big, dynamic sound, requiring some serious power...

...which is why Gary teamed up with Merrill Audio to source Merrill's new Element 116 MX (new generation stuff here) monoblocks. I have loved Merrill's work for many years now, and had a deep appreciation for the Element 118 monoblocks that I've had here on two occasions. Apparently, there's going to be an MX version of the 118's, which, based on my past long experience with them, will be delicious to listen to/with.

The Genesis Turntable with its The Wand carbon fiber tonearm

Naturally there was a turntable in the room. But it was Gary's custom-spec'ed design, looking and sounding like a million bucks.

Ki Choi and Gary Koh with two Studer RTR machines…

But Gary didn't stop at turntables. There were several RTR machines in evidence, some of which were truly eye-catching to an old RTR lover like me.

See what I mean? This reminds me of my days at Lewis and Clark college, doing live recording work with Magnecord and Metrotech RTR machines for our FM radio station on campus. Memories, for sure…

A closer look at the Studer pair on display

Overall, quite a large and impressive room, with superior sound and dynamics despite the fact that the Genesis Prime Plus Loudspeakers were still breaking in. Regardless of this, the Element 116 MX never pooped out or left its loudspeakers forsaken during all of the time that I spent here. That's a helluva accomplishment for the 116 MX's.

Rose Cermele and Merrill Wettasinghe of Merrill Audio: a portrait

This room? Big, big, big. Good, good, good.

And so, an Audio Oasis! Award for Genesis and Merrill Audio.

Joseph Audio/Doshi Audio/Cardas Audio

In the Joseph Audio/Cardas Audio/Doshi Audio room

You know, over the many years that I've been attending high-end audio shows…nearly 30, if you must know…there are a handful of rooms that have pulled me in invariably, year after year. They all are different from each other, but each has that musically seductive appeal that's irresistible to me.

Jeff Joseph at PAF 2022: a portrait

Joseph Audio is one of those rooms. And it was again this year…especially since Jeff Joseph had a room with larger dimensions that allowed him to pop the cork and let the music flow. Showing with Doshi Audio, famous for its use of tubes and its tape preamps, and Cardas Audio, one of the grand-daddies of high-end cables, Jeff's Pearl Graphene Loudspeakers sounded absolutely terrific! I can see why George and Angela Cardas love these so much: with excellent upstream components, they just bloody make music. Always. Without fail.

Angela Cardas, Jeff's unindicted co-conspirator, with the Pearl Graphene Loudspeaker

Doshi Audio went beyond the tape preamps that it is well know for at PAF 2022. Jeff also deployed the Doshi Evolution Series Monoblock Amps and the Evolution Series Line Preamp. This was my first listen to Doshi's preamp/monoblock combination.

The Doshi Audio Monoblock Amps

Rounding out the lineup was a Technics RS-1500 RTR in good condition, none the worse for being venerable. Great RTR music was in evidence!

A closer view of the Joseph Audio Graphene Loudspeaker

There was a lot of fun to be had in Jeff's room, as well. People and good audio friends flowing like a tide.

As evidence:

David Solomon of Qobuz slummin' it with Jeff Joseph! Good times!

Angela Cardas and David W. Robinson at PAF 2022: a selfie by Angela, in ink outline. (Image processing by David W. Robinson.)

The quality of the music, the flow, and the spirit of this room made it obvious that one of my Audio Oasis! Awards was necessary. Gladly given!

Göbel Audio/CH Precision/Wadax/Nordost

The deep, wide, and powerfully authoritative Göbel Divin Noblesse Loudspeakers, flanking a pair of CH Precision M10 Monoblocks powered and linked by Nordost, each capable of just over 1kw at 8 ohms. Potent!

Göbel Audio always seems to have an impressive room going at any show that I've attended. PAF 2022 was no different. Once again, the Divin Noblesse loudspeakers, in tandem with the clarity-in-spades performance of the associated CH Precision and Wadax components upstream, with Nordost QRT (including QKOREs, QKORE WIRE, QSOURCE QSOURCE DC Cable), and wired with Göbel Cables, combined to make a powerfully dynamic musical presentation, filling a large room space with effortless ease. No punking out here!

Host Elliott Goldman of Bending Wave USA did a fine job of setting up and dialing-in a very large system that I'm sure had him sweating the details. The results spoke for themselves, though; Elliot's expertise really made the whole thing come together.

Upstream, Nordost, Wadax, and CH Precision in evidence…

The Wadax Music Server and CH Precision DAC

Another view of the Wadax Atlantis Music Server

The powerful CH Precision M10 Stereo Power Amp (above) and its power supply (below)

The sum total of the system in this room led to a really authoritative presence, nicely detailed without being analytical/tiring, and reaching deeply into the recordings that I heard. Well done!

And so, another one of my Audio Oasis! Awards is in order.