I was not at the event, but I visited Common Wave a few months ago while visiting LA. The owner Wes was extremely nice, and he has a mouthwatering selection of gear. That said, I agree that the warehouse/loft layout that he has in the store isn't really ideal for auditioning.
In that space, I thought the (original) O/96 sounded a bit dry and sterile. I'm not sure if it was the listening space or the Nagra electronics, or both. In his shop I thought the Marten speakers powered by EAR electronics sounded better. But that's getting a bit off topic.