Ye Olde Editor contemplating... Tiberias, Sea of Galilee, Israel, 2022. (Photograph by John Robinson; image processing by Ye Olde himself.)
We're in the final stretch! Some of the best rooms I've saved for last...and here they are.
Daedalus Audio/VAC/Lampizator/WyWires
In the Daedalus/VAC/LampizatOr/WyWires room…delicious!
Going into this space was a reminder of why I always enjoy what Lou Hinkley and whatever companies he has put together for a show are doing. Lou's good at connecting with synergistic ancillary designs, and brings out the best in his sound space.
Lou Hinkley, Show Director of the Pacific Audio Fest and Head Honcho at Daedalus Audio
This year, Lou did his usual: he partnered up with a collection of first-rate companies, the sum of which was definitely greater than the parts. VAC was its usual extraordinary force and presence in the room, fed by the stellar LampizatOr Pacific DAC and cabled with WyWires. These are all well-respected companies, and, as it turned out, they worked and played very well together.
Kevin Hayes: a portrait
Lou's loudspeakers always speak musicality to me, year after year. Beautiful cabinets, well-matched drivers, and solid crossover work leads to a focus on the music. This year was no exception.
Lukasz Fikus, President of LampizatOr: a portrait
I ran into my old audiobud Lukasz in one of the hallways at PAF 2022. I hadn't seen him since Munich 2018, so it was a fine moment catching up with him. LampizatOr continues to make some of the best tubed electronics around, as I'm reminded at every show that I hear their products at. Top notch! No wonder Lou sourced Lukasz's superior DAC design for his room.
This year with the Pacific DAC once again in action, things were no different. Brilliant sound in this room…always music to the front and center.
A portrait of Fred Ainsley of LampizatOr North America
I got a chance to meet with Fred Ainsley during our Audiophile Cigar Society herfin' session on Friday night. Fred's a wonderful guy, with an excellent line card and sparklin' good taste when it comes to who he hangs out with.
From left: Marc Phillips of Part Time Audiophile, Pastor Dave Robinson, Greg Weaver of the audio analyst and Positive Feedback, and Fred Ainsley of LampizatOr North America.
No doubt about it. The sound in this room easily qualified for one of my Audio Oasis! Awards.
"So let it be written; so let it be done."
Aavik/Ansuz/Borreson
In the Aavik/Ansuz/Borreson (Audio Group Denmark) room; the loudspeakers are the superb new Børresen M1 monitors.
I've known Peter Hansen for a pretty significant number of years now. He's a great fellow, and really knows what is when it comes to superb sound and righteous music.
Not too far back, he told me that he had taken a position with the Audio Group Denmark, a collection of three high-end audio companies that included Aavik (electronic components), Ansuz (cables and other accessories), and Borreson (loudspeakers). I was unfamiliar with them, but since they were going to be in action at PAF 2022, I would have a chance to hear them.
Lars Kristensen of Audio Group Denmark, one of the founding partners of Audio Group Denmark.
Aavik's beautiful designs on display, looking seductive. The top component is the brand new I-880 Integrated Amp, co-designed by Michael Børresen and Flemming Erik Rasmussen.
...and sounding magnificent!
I must say that the sonics in this room really impressed me. The combination of Aavik electronics and Ansuz cabling was top-notch, showing great transparency and detail without selling its collective soul to the devil of analytics.
Give us detail, not dissection!
Peter Hansen with Aavik components
And the bloody Borreson M1 monitor speakers! What a revelation! I'd close my eyes and be absolutely sure that I was in the presence of some full-size, exceptionally dynamic and transparent loudspeakers.
Killer!
Peter "The Man" Hansen, in a very spiffy Audio Group Denmark T
So…here was a room with gear that I hadn't heard before, knocking me out with its top-notch sound and brilliant-on-the-eyes style and finish. Was there any doubt that it would get one of my Audio Oasis! Awards?
Nope!
Done!
Aurender/Berkeley Audio Design/Constellation/Magico/Shunyata Research
This room was one I would have visited out of long and pleasant experience with Aurender's great designs over the years, if for no other reason. I've had several Aurender components in our reference stereo listening room here, and have always been delighted at the results. The A30 all-in-one remains regnant there, and we have an N20 Music Server here as well.
So, a visit here was inevitable.
John-Paul Lizars of Aurender: a portrait
Aurender was running two rooms at PAF 2022. One was a static-display space, with various Aurender components for viewing, see-through lids, etc. While in this room, I got a chance to talk again with my longtime audio friend John-Paul Lizars. He's a very pleasant person, and quite knowledgeable about the Aurender line. What a grand fellow!
Irv Gross of Constellation: a portrait
The other was an active listening room for checking out the sonic performance. Some of the components I knew…Constellation and Magico, for example…while others…the Berkeley, say…were less well known to me.
I got a chance to see Irv Gross of Constellation again for the first time in a number of years. A fine fellow, who produces some very solid designs at his company.
Overall, I thought the sound in this room was satisfying. Certainly, the Magico A5s were sounding better than I've sometimes heard Magicos sound, with a reasonable musicality and good harmonic structure. (Undoubtedly the superior quality of the hotel rooms for audio contributed to this result.) This combination of components sounded fine to my ears.
And so, an Audio Oasis! Award for this room.
Whammerdyne/Songer Audio/MSB/JENA Labs/Equi=Tech
In the Whammerdyne/Songer/MSB/JENA Labs/Equi=Tech room…
Now here was a room that really surprised me! As in, "audio bushwhack"...
I know Pat Hickman of Whammerdyne personally…he lives just down the highway from me here at PF Central…and he's an audiobud from the olden days of the Oregon Triode Society. JENA Labs I also know; Jennifer and Michael Crock have been audio amigos since the early ‘90s, and I've used a number of their fine cables and power distributors here.
But Songer Audio and its speaker designs were new to me.
And I hadn't heard any of the new triode designs that Pat had on display in this room.
Regardless, the results were really knockout! There was a seductive and powerful musicality that exuded real presence and an organic harmonic structure that appealed to me enormously. And since I didn't know what to expect in this room, my emotional connection with the music here was one of the most potent moments at PAF 2022 for me.
Killer diller!
Therefore, an Audio Oasis! Award for this real audio oasis is given, with pleasure….
Vanatoo/RSL/Sanus
This was another very surprising room for me.
So surprising, in fact, that I missed photographing the results, apparently. Shame on me.
The Vanatoo Transparent One Encore powered loudspeaker
Rear oblique view of the T1E powered loudspeaker
So, I had to borrow some images from Vanatoo. These compact powered speakers ($599!) stood on Sanus NF-30 monitor stands ($129.00/pair via Amazon), at a goodly height for hearing at a distance.
The Sanus NF-30b stand
The source used for this room was a simple Dell 2-in-1 laptop/notebook running Windows 10. The playback software was JRiver's Media Center…one of my references. That and inexpensive cabling with no particular frills, and an RSL Speedwoofer 10S (in its new MkII iteration, $499). In other words, just the sort of compact, affordable, and bang-for-the-buck system that young or entry-level audiophiles with little space/a small budget can purchase.
I'll cut to the chase here: the quality of the sound in this room was way more than I expected. First we listened to the T1Es without the sub, and I was pleased that such small powered loudspeakers could deliver so much music (though all in PCM, unfortunately).
But then on came the RSL Speedwoofer 10S, and bam! The room was transformed with some pretty gratifying music. Talk about bang-for-the-buck…Vanatoo has got it in spades.
No more commentary needed. This little giant of a design needs to be much better known. Congratulations to Gary Gesellchen and company for a very fine loudspeaker at an amazing price. I'm quite impressed.
An Audio Oasis! Award to these folks!
Jaguar Audio Design/Avantegarde/Enleum/Phasemation/Kuzma/Furutech/Nasotec/Stillpoints/Analysis Plus/Nanotec/ASC/Puritan Audio Labs
The Avantgarde Zero TA loudspeakers in the Jaguar Audio et al. room
Well now! Here was a room with a veritable avalanche of excellent products!
Darin Forkenbrock of Jaguar Audio is a person with a wide vision and clear purpose in assembling a large cast of great designs, and assembling them into winning combination at PAF 2023. Ably assisted by my old audiobud Randy Forman (who, unfortunately, I did not find in the room for an updated portrait), Darin had a room that pulled me in with its superior sound.
Darin Forkenbrock of Jaguar Audio: a portrait
Among the participants: the aforementioned Avantgarde Zero TA's; the Enieum 23R Integrated and Headphone amp; the brilliant two-box Phasemation EA-1200 Phono Amplifier; a Kuzma Stabi M Turntable with Kuzma 4-Point 9" Tonearm; a Phasemation PP-2000 MC cartridge; a Nasotec VEM-X Record Weight; Analysis Plus Gold Interconnects; Nanotec #309 with Furutech FI-46 NCF Power Cables; Analysis Plus Ultimate Power Oval Power Cables; Analysis Plus Silver Apex Speaker Cables; the Puritan Audio Labs 512 Power Conditioner; the Stillpoints 4-Shelf ESS Rack with four shelves; And Stillpoints Aperture II Panels as acoustic treatments.
Scot Markwell of Elite A/V: a portrait. Scot handles Furutech and Kuzma among other high-end brands.
The Kuzma Stabi M Turntable and 4-Point 9" Tonearm on the Stillpoints ESS Rack.
Phasemation EA-1200 dual chassis reference Phono Amplifier
This was a large collection of pieces, but Darin and company really brought it together to produce some beautiful and convincing music. Some of the products I know well (Stillpoints and Phasemation, for example), while others I did not (the Enleum 23R Integrated).
But the fact was that I found this room to be drawing me in with the quality of the turntable playback and the superior presentation of LPs while I was there. An excellent experience all around!
And so, I must congratulate Darin and friends for yet another superior room at PAF 2022.
An Audio Oasis! Award is well and truly deserved here.
Consider it done.
Innuos/The Gryphon/KEF/Transparent Audio/Chord Electronics/Wave High Fidelity/ASC
The Innuos team was hosting a room that featured their reference Statement with LPSU Upgrade (1 TB storage) and their Pulse as sources, and an Innuos PhoenixNET switch. Chord Electronics provided the Hugo M Upscaler and their DAVE DAC. The integrated amp was the well-regarded The Gryphon Diablo 300. Loudspeakers were the KEF Blade Two's. Transparent Audio provided the cabling and power conditioning, except for the Dual BNC cables from Wave High Fidelity. Room treatments were courtesy of ASC.
Some of the Innuos team: Kevin Jackson, Nuno Vitorino, and Marcelo Almeida
The sound in the Innuos room was quite engaging. Detailed music, with a fine degree of transparency and a presence that belied any notion that digital/streaming necessarily had to be analytical or "unmusical." I have heard their Statement player a couple of times now at different shows, and have always been taken by the performance of their designs.
They had been quite careful to provide superior cabling and power conditioning, very important elements in getting the best out of show settings. Certainly the Transparent Audio kit was providing a nice match to the requirements of the reference-level gear here.
Nuno Vitorino with the Innuos reference stack…a man who enjoys his work!
It didn't take much listening in here to conclude that this room was worthy of another of my Audio Oasis! Awards.
Well done, all!
ModWright/Seattle HiFi/Cardas Audio/Revel/SME/Ortofon/Solidsteel
What a pleasure it was to step into Dan Wright and company's space! His room was co-hosted by ModWright and Seattle HiFi, the ModWright dealer who provided the SME turntable and Ortofon cartridge, and the setup of same for this room at PAF 2022. (Kudos to Seattle HiFi.) The rack was from Solidsteel, with cabling by Cardas Audio and loudspeakers from Revel.
Dan Wright: a portrait
Dan and ModWright have been consistent winners of my Audio Oasis! Awards at many shows, with a variety of partners over the years. This particular grouping of companies and designs displayed excellent synergy, with the ease of fine analog playback being front and center. Dan's selection of music is more eclectic than you'll hear in some rooms, which I always find to be refreshing in any room. Great presence…nicely presented music via the SME Model 15 with 309 Tonearm/Ortofon Cadenza Black system, expertly set up by Seattle HiFi, passing through Cardas Audio cabling (always great, and never a surprise, either!), and the Revel Performa F228Be loudspeakers sounded very fine, indeed.
The great sound here was nothing new at all; this was something that I've come to expect from a ModWright show room. Thus all of the Audio Oasis! Awards that I've given to his rooms over the years.
Dan Wright and Kristin Vittitoe: a portrait
There's nothing left to say. Dan's room was seductive, as usual, and so I must recognize his continuing achievement here at PAF 2022.
Wells Audio/Innuos/TAD/Bella Cables
An impressive array in the Wells Audio room
Jeff Wells is definitely a different breed of cat. Working quietly out of the San Jose area of California with his associate, my old audio friend Scott Frankland, Jeff, has developed a remarkable line of electronics that needs to be better known, based on what I heard here.
I don't have a room list for Wells Audio at PAF 2022. The best that I can do is to provide a photograph of at least some of the equipment on display, which you'll see here:
Regardless of lists, I can say that his designs involve the heavily designed and engineered use of tubes in a variety of components. PF has done several reviews of his products, which you can read HERE, HERE, and HERE, for instance.
Jeff Wells of Wells Audio, the winner of my "Coolest Shoes!" award for PAF 2022!
I had his reference-level Cipher II tubed DAC here at PF Central for a while, but was not able to work it into my very heavy DAC queue before he needed it back. So, I haven't heard Wells Audio in our own listening room, unfortunately.
Nevertheless, based upon the exceptionally untubey tubes and great sound in this room…I always appreciated Innuos and TAD…it was clear that I needed to recognize Jeff's detailed musicality in this space.
Done!
Conclusion
And so, I finally reach the end of the trail with my photo essay and Audio Oasis! Awards for PAF 2022. It required a long set of four articles, many photographs and the image processing thereof, some time to get it right, and to have some perspective on the event.
The Pacific Audio Fest 2022 show was a superior effort for a first-time audio event. After two years of COVID cancellations, Lou, Gary, Marjorie, and company seemed to have a handle on the essentials, and provided a show that was a blend of the spirit of the Pacific Northwest, the spirit of the Rocky Mountain Audio Fest, and a healthy dose of good times over all. If you weren't at PAF 2022, you really missed out!
It's particularly important to draw your attention once again to the overall sound in the various rooms. The larger rooms were very good, and didn't seem to have as many problems as I've heard in such spaces before. Naturally the sound was bigger in those spaces, but the music remained well-proportioned and without either boominess or the sense of not-enough-gear-in-the-room. Even the standard-sized rooms were better than I remember most show rooms of these dimensions sounding. This is why there was such a high percentage of my Audio Oasis! Awards at PAF 2022: the rooms, that extra key component in all audiophile listening, really did sound better here than just about any other hotel that I can remember. The Hilton DoubleTree in SeaTac is doing something(s) right. If you weren't there, you need to hear a hotel-based event with better-than-average to excellent sonics.
My advice: put PAF 2023 on your calendar. The dates for 2023 have shifted a month from 2022; next year's event will run from June 23-25.
If you like great sound, lots of music – both live and recorded, – excellent food and drink, and the blessed opportunity to join the Audiophile Cigar Club on the outside lounge area, then reserve this time on your calendar. It's a grand time!
All photographs and image processing by David W. Robinson, except as noted. Vanatoo product photos courtesy of Vanatoo; Alice in Wonderland drawing by Sir John Tenniel, in the public domain.
