Classic Audio Loudspeakers Show Report From Capital Audiofest 2019

OK, where to next? Let’s hit up my favorite room at the show. This may not have been the best sounding room, the gear wasn’t the most expensive or flashy, but if someone said to me that I could come back after-hours and spend time in any one room at the show, this would be the one I would pick.

Classic Audio Loudspeakers

As you can see from the above photo we’re talking vintage speakers, vintage electronics and top quality restoration work. The custom T-1.5 Reference / Reproduction Hartsfield system shown above was powered by Atma-Sphere tube amps, fed by a vintage Technics turntable with VDH cartridge.

The sound was just ‘there’. I didn’t once think about trying to pick it apart, disassembling the various components of sound to satisfy some audiophile urge to nitpick my way through what I was hearing. I just sat and listened, and enjoyed.

As well as the in-room presence of the performers, there was just a sense of ‘ease’ that’s missing from even some of the very best and most expensive systems. Of course the large open space played a big part in this, but given that the Hartsfield are actually designed for corner placement, it was just a remarkably fluid and coherent sound.

The guys from ‘Classic Audio Loudspeakers’ weren’t ‘salesmen’, they were just along as volunteers to help setup, tear-down, explain what we were listening to and have a good time. ‘Enthusiasts’ is the word, I guess.

So kudos to CAL and pay them a visit at http://classicaudioloudspeakers.com/

Here’s a gallery of images from their room. I also have some video that I’ll come back and add later. As always, just click to expand the images.