The Hidden Gem at Capital Audio Fest (CAF) 2023!

Is it close to KEF reference 1 meta in sound quality?

I have a Chase credit card with Amazon. Most larger purchases with that can be done with a zero interest period. I have several prominent brand  hifi items I have acquired that way.

Another thing I wonder is any of the vendors ever offer zero interest loans or if anyone would even do that? I had to buy a new TV recently and if I can’t pay cash I usually shoot for an interest free loan I can make payments on and not be charged interest if paid in time. Most high ticket price mainstream vendors these days seem to offer that. Why not high end audio vendors? Just a thought.  In most cases people are better off not buying luxury items they cannot pay for up front.

@ozzy62 well you got me beat.

I heard and bought a Chord Mojo portable DAC that I still use a few years back. Got a fair discount.

I heard Vanatoo speakers at CAF and bought a pair on Amazon not too long after. I used my Amazon card and got something back on that.

I bought a $20 45 RPM adaptor for my turntable once and I almost always come back with some new records or CDs.

I always hear lots of nice sounding and looking stuff some of which I would consider buying if the need comes up.

Uh oh I’m hearing crickets so far on that last one. 

Which leads to the question: how many here have actually committed and bought products say in excess of $10K at one of these shows? Was a show special discount offered?

I will fess up, personally I have never spent more than $1k at these shows, though I usually do end up with a handful of things I hear added to my would-consider buying list.

Zu has yet to become my cup of tea at demos but they can be fun and do offer a somewhat esoteric and relatively affordable option for folks at these shows who actually might be there to buy speakers.

I suspect if  a show results in even one or two sales for the most  uber  expensive vendors, that is enough.

Whereas the vendors showing more affordable options who put on a decent showing like Zu probably produce more actual  buyers.

They were both packed if that was any indication as to how popular they were.

Been to many Zu rooms over teh years and they are always well attended.

Techically, I am not financially in want to be able to afford very nice toys if I truly felt compelled to want to own them, and I already own a fair number of very nice ones, but I know when I go to these often over-the-top shows, I am desperate to find things that offer clear value that I might want to own. Especially when the variations of most things on display are just newer re-creations of products more or less available 50 years ago.

Were was the Future-Fi at this show? Do vendors selling the products that most people are already buying really even have any need to show up? It would be interesting to hear more less extravagant gear at these shows alongside the more boutique-like, more blingy products typically offered.

I like nice things as much as the next guy, but having grown up in Amish country, and seeing how hard it is for so many in this world to even make ends meet, I truly cannot bring myself to seriously consider buying things that are extremely over the top.

But that’s just me. My mantra is "to each their own".

FWIW it seems a number of high end vendors have playlists available on qobuz.   Assuming they use these same tracks at shows,they could prove to be a useful tool to compare what one has at home to what one hears at a show.  

Well no doubt it is unique looking. 

I realize many praised speakers at the show cost a lot more but $7k is still towards the pricey end for speakers that size. So they might sound very good and seem like a bargain within the context of the show, but are they really? If so based on what exactly? In what way are they clearly as good or better than the overall competition at that price or higher?