A Capital Audiofest 2012 thread

The only commercial panel speaker I saw at the show was the GT Audio planar magnetic/ribbon speaker. It sounded decent, particularly with price factored in, but, it was not that memorable. The other panel speaker I heard was a DIY full range electrostatic that DID sound quite good, even with somewhat limited bass response, but this was not a commercially available product.

Another interesting thing on display was the QOL processor. I was expecting to hear the kind of "special effects" of other processors that inject phase shifted signals to boost the size of the soundfield, but, what I did get to hear was much more subtle. It added just a touch of additional soundstage width, but mainly, it added a bit more feeling of being immersed in a complete sonic environment (less of the feeling of sound only coming from the speakers and front of the room). It did not significantly alter the tonal balance, not something that can be said about some other processors/ambience recovery devices. I did not hear it long enough to detect any major problems (nor was I really listening for such). In short, it is something I found worth seriously auditioning.

I missed the DIY electrostat but heard a lot of buzz about them when a DIY guy stopped by the Classic Audio room. The $800 in parts DIY full ranges were one of my favorite sounds I heard. I have the sheet at home that was handed out about how to build. I will have to try that someday. No crossover + looked VERY easy for anyone with very basic woodworking ability.

The GT hybrids + 2 dedicated subs were A LOT of speaker for the money. A am not a hybrid fan aka Martin Logan in general but I know these can sound very good in a certain way and the GTs did once the subs were adjusted better for the material playing. At first, the bass levels/mix was a tad off. The sound was definitely more modern and in line with what I remember these types of hybrids to sound like in general. I was impressed though not sure these are exactly my cup of tea, but again, A LOT of speaker for the money and lots of potential. The fullness and impact and overall presentation including detail most resembled the Classic Audio room of the rooms I heard. Not saying they sounded the same, but definite similarities in regards to weight and meat on the bones. That's no small achievement for a $3000 speaker system with entry level high end electronics (smaller less expensive Bryston amp and CD player) running them. The double subs clearly were a part of that once tuned in well.

I was there with my wife for about an hour on Saturday morning--it was the first truly audiophile event I've ever been to. We only had a chance to duck into about a dozen rooms.

I will concur with the comments that there really is very little help for the uninitiated. Very little direction or clarity, especially when, for me, I had hardly heard of any of the vendors who were presenting. So our wondering around was mostly hit or miss as to what stood out.

At come, we've got Focal and Mirage speakers hooked up to Arcam gear (their entry-level stuff) and Harmon Kardon. I've got a DIY reconstruction project underway on a pair of old B&W Matrix speakers and I've used midrange Klipsch and Bose speakers in the past, along with a few DIY speakers.

Growing up, my Dad built speakers as a hobby and always had a mix of mid-range, all vintage, audio equipment around. As a point of reference, his favorite speakers of all time are Klipschorns.

My wife and I are in our early 30s, so I think we're part of the audience that events like the CAF need to expand in order to help sustain a high-end audio community into the future.

Once we finish paying off college loans in a few years, we'll have a little more disposable income, and may eventually be in the market for some of the mid-range gear shown at an event like CAF.

But for everyone I've ever encountered in audio, becoming an audiophile is seldom a short walk off a cliff; it's usually an iterative process, with each upgrade a small step inspired by a restless desire for audio perfection.

it would seem that the established panel speaker manufacturers, i.e., "full-range" panels, were not represented at the show.

from what i understand the gtt speaker was a hybrid.

mR t.: YOU ARE CORRECT .

tHERE WERER SOME VERY GOOD diy ELECTRSTATS DEMOED i HEAR BUT OTHERWISE GTT HYBRIDS WERE THE CLOSEST THING.