Capital Audio Fest 2021 Day One

Spend an hour at the Capital Audio Festival 2021, held November 5th through the 7th as AnalogPlanet editor Michael Fremer walks the halls of the Twinbrook Hilton Hotel, Rockville, MD. It was the first "post Covid" show and attendance was only surpassed by enthusiasm. For more detailed coverage visit AnalogPlanet.

[@cybermau]

..... too much Snake oil there for a bunch of components.. hey.. let´s buy a Crosley!

[@jctai100]

Michael you're a breath of fresh air in this hobby. I immensely enjoy these videos.

[@Smokej620]

Thanks for the video Michael, always enjoy watching your walk around of the shows!

[@gotham61]

Why is the Pear Audio guy shouting?

[@David12005]

Your attendance at a show immediately elevates its stature. I love your writing and videos. Thanks for posting this.

[@Dan40049]

Thanks Michael. Good we can enjoy watching these things while we can.

[@AllboroLCD]

For what purpose does a turntable need firmware??

[@joseg.ramirezjr9623]

Michael never listened to the arm, so how does he know if it works????????

[@thedogefather]

for real. I was excited to see Michael take a look, He usually seems excited to examine new types of tonearms. Maybe he only listens and reviews things he gets paid a load to look at.

[@AudioGuyBrian]

The insides of the LKV PWR+ Amp looked like about $300 worth of parts inside. What else do you get with it to justify the $10,000 price tag? They would probably be better off not showing the insides of their products so electronics engineers that know the prices of circuit components can keep the laughs to a minimum when the price is disclosed.

[@AnalogPlanet]

Parts cost in the real world has less to do with final cost than you think probably because you’ve never manufactured a product or owned a business. Baked in are labor costs, workers comp, factory rent or ownership, taxes, profit margins at wholesale, dealer markup, insurance, shipping, box design and “drop tests”, instruction manuals etc. etc. “Parts cost” is a foolish perspective. BTW: in audio the ratio for retail prices is 5:1 parts cost to final retail. If you don’t like that make it yourself.

[@AudioGuyBrian]

@@AnalogPlanet Ok, with the 5 to 1 ratio that means it's a solid $1,500 amp. Nice to see the store that sells it makes $8,500 off a single amp sale. Talk about paying the rent early. LOL.

[@drunkenskelator]

So while watching your video I noticed during your interview with the Wally Tools representative that he was demonstrating his microscope with the VPI Traveler turntable that I bought at the show. Pretty cool!!

[@scottchegg1209]

They paid me handsomely. After over 25 years in the industry nice to hear the truth. Everyone has a price.

[@AnalogPlanet]

I guess you are too dull to recognize irony.

[@christophernoto]

The Wally Scope blows my mind! When I first saw the image on the laptop, I thought, “OK, tonearm, so what?” and then I heard him say the word “cantilever.” Wait, what? 💥 The technology sure marches on at a breathtaking pace! Thanks, Michael! 🙏

[@AudioGuyBrian]

I picked up a mint condition 4 element lab microscope in an auction for $40 and they all have X Y and Z axis movement on the slide deck. Just set your cartridge on it and see your stylus just like he was showing but with your own eyes instead of on a screen.

[@Analogplanet1]

ʜɪᴛ ᴍᴇ ᴜᴘ ᴏɴ ᴛᴇʟᴇɢʀᴀᴍ ɪ ɢᴏᴛ sᴏᴍᴇᴛʜɪɴɢ sᴘᴇᴄɪᴀʟ ғᴏʀ ʏᴏᴜ 🎉🎁🎁🎁🎉🎉

[@rl9810]

6:00 I love these conversations you have with the exhibitors in the common areas. Few things give me more joy than hearing from people who've dove down to the depths of what they love like these guys.

[@thegrimyeaper]

I wish he'd talk to this guy for like an hour more. 9:29

[@rl9810]

@@thegrimyeaper Yeah, that guy in particular.

[@Dave30867]

Thanks for the walk through Mike ✔👍☕🎶

[@Analogplanet1]

ʜɪᴛ ᴍᴇ ᴜᴘ ᴏɴ ᴛᴇʟᴇɢʀᴀᴍ ɪ ɢᴏᴛ sᴏᴍᴇᴛʜɪɴɢ sᴘᴇᴄɪᴀʟ ғᴏʀ ʏᴏᴜ 🎉🎁🎁🎁🎉🎉🎉🎉

[@MegaF1guy]

So good to have you back doing show reviews. Why do the rooms have a nice turntable and proceed to have digital playing? lol Great video.

[@carmenandthedevil2804]

Background music, like FM was.

[@MegaF1guy]

@@carmenandthedevil2804 if its background music, why do vendors have the turntable running and the tonearm sitting over the record like the lp is beimg played. lol

[@QoraxAudio]

19:30 Holy shit that looks so awesome! Definitely very promising... The wire suspension of the tonearm reminds me of those old well tempered turntables that were using golf balls in their early days - people also made fun of those, but eventually proved themselves.

[@jasontimothywells9895]

Wow , as much snake oil as a raiders of the lost ark movie . I love audio but I think I am going to go get drunk now 🤪

[@jimcoope7194]

If you drink enough, everything will sound the same to you...

[@dilbyjones]

Oh! Someone came upon some amazing stuff. I really like those Larsen speakers. So happy to see an audio fest.

[@Analogplanet1]

ʜɪᴛ ᴍᴇ ᴜᴘ ᴏɴ ᴛᴇʟᴇɢʀᴀᴍ ɪ ɢᴏᴛ sᴏᴍᴇᴛʜɪɴɢ sᴘᴇᴄɪᴀʟ ғᴏʀ ʏᴏᴜ 🎉🎁🎁🎁🎉🎉

[@DrOz-007]

Pear Audio turntable for 16,000? If 14 inch turntables with 12 inch arms are your thing, I would consider the Nottingham Analogue 294 first... for a lot less money.

[@mikemcguinness1304]

Yes Notts are brill

[@screamallyouwant]

You are making the most interesting videos on KZbin. Please give us more content.

[@AnalogPlanet]

Will provide good (hopefully) not clickbait content!

[@Analogplanet1]

ʜɪᴛ ᴍᴇ ᴜᴘ ᴏɴ ᴛᴇʟᴇɢʀᴀᴍ ɪ ɢᴏᴛ sᴏᴍᴇᴛʜɪɴɢ sᴘᴇᴄɪᴀʟ ғᴏʀ ʏᴏᴜ 🎉🎁🎁🎁🎉🎉🎉🎉

[@OFBCyclingWorld]

The chat with Mr Wally was very interesting. Thanks for the video Mikey.

[@chrisl5156]

Great video, thanks Michael. My favorite part was the story about the a-hole record seller.

[@Analogplanet1]

ʜɪᴛ ᴍᴇ ᴜᴘ ᴏɴ ᴛᴇʟᴇɢʀᴀᴍ ɪ ɢᴏᴛ sᴏᴍᴇᴛʜɪɴɢ sᴘᴇᴄɪᴀʟ ғᴏʀ ʏᴏᴜ 🎉🎁🎁🎁🎉🎉🎉

[@Geerladenlad]

On that first system at the bottom that looked like a PS Audio PowerPlant

[@AnalogPlanet]

It is and a smart thing to use at at a hotel hifi show. I should have mentioned it

[@WindomRettes]

We all have missed your travels.

[@NickP333]

Excellent coverage of the show. Glad to see so many new turntables! So much beautiful gear. Thanks, Michael! 🎶🔊✨

[@jasontimothywells9895]

That dude said it best , no substitute for analog audio , that is correct .

[@tinajang2568]

For a Professional, to come to conclusions before he hears the sound....Really?

[@AnalogPlanet]

Sometimes it’s possible

[@thedogefather]

you are right Michael. it's possible you aren't very professional.

[@thegrimyeaper]

3:56 Wow... I genuinely thought those speakers was a garbage can.

[@chrisguygeezer]

Yeah, they looked pants.

[@konstantinost3185]

19:50 An UNDERHANG straight tonearm (no offset angle) with a rigid mounted cartridge doesn't SKATE.

[@analoguecity3454]

1:18 Is that platter pulled by multiple belts, or just one? Hard to believe one skinny belt can't pull such a large platter! Just trying to learn something!

[@Localbandography]

Sasha who put my old 70’s system together while selling blow out of the back of the shop apparently isn’t up to snuff so to speak.

[@jayjackson1044]

Love your “Maybe” on the “same as two eight foot grounds” comment from Puritan Audio Labs. If they only knew the newly “grounded” expert they were talking to!

[@mikechivy]

Bet you could wrap a 10 dollar cable and make it half an inch thick, and these idiots would drool all over it

[@chrisguygeezer]

Love the 'budget' preamp at $5,800! Still plenty of bull faeces in the world of hi-fi I see. 😂

[@AnalogPlanet]

Budget depends on your perspective and bank account. Fecal matter isn’t involved.

[@chrisguygeezer]

@@AnalogPlanet no, 5,800 dollars definitely ain't budget... Not in the real world. If you can call $5,800 budget, then you could also call $5,800,000 budget, depending on your bank account and perspective. This is why some elements of the hi-fi industry gets a bad name. Because it's just not realistic. Michael, I do enjoy your channel, most of the time. 👍

[@charlesdavis5542]

Don't complain-bulls**t is FREE! So,there IS such a thing as a "free lunch",after all. You're welcome, America! 🇺🇸

[@markflavin4961]

Tru-lifts unite! It looks like Carlo dug through his drawer and started screwing parts together. I bet the reason it performs better for a few people is because the summing headshell takes away the need for them to mount the cart accurately.

[@AnalogPlanet]

Astute comment IMO

[@Roscoeverdin5469]

At 37:40, all those lift blocks that prevent the electrons from being bruised traveling on the floor by keeping the wires suspended, priceless....

[@andershammer9307]

Wish I could go to a show like this again. I used to work for a high-end store In Pittsburgh and we would go to shows like this. But why no electrostatic speakers ? I've been listening to electrostatic speakers for 40 years and have yet to hear anything much better.

[@ThresholdZhor]

Comfort-ability goes against pure sound, a preamp with digital volume needs to convert analog audio signal to digital to manipulate volume, inputs etc and then convert it again to analog, is impossible to have a pure sound using a preamp with digital volume, me myself I use a passive McCormack Micro Line Drive for pure sound no matter if I have to stand up to move the volume.

[@dilbyjones]

I learned you can stay analog in Class D !

[@hanifarjo5222]

I didn't understand about the record sell in ~28:00 minute What did he do ??

[@tinajang2568]

Michael, do you understand what zero offset is?

[@jerrysnead2842]

5:38 Favorite quote "Look Theres a lot of Records"

[@hmarc417]

I disagree with the ground, in most houses the machinery ground is sometimes connect to the neutral which dose not make a safe house for the machine ground from the grounding unit described. Not to be taken for granted at any moment without prior knowledge.. as he Leeds you to believe. I do believe ie: grounding machinery, but do not consider blindly that a ground wire is a true ground connected on the other end to a ground rod. It just might pass through the buss bar first on its way. Just sayin.

[@Geerladenlad]

Rip Graeme Edge.

[@kenknight5983]

I can never stop thinking how much of a waste this stuff is when digital cuts are the majority (as compared to having a 24 bit file to listen to). I wish more labels would view analogue recording as an investment

[@AnalogPlanet]

Actually if you think of a lacquer cut as a “plug in” you might reconsider. I’ve been told that Giles Martin prefers the vinyl versions of his digital mixes for that reason. You should read mastering engineer Dave McNair’s explanation for why he thinks vinyl cut from digital often sounds better….another reason: if the mastering studio’s D/A converter is better than the end user’s, the record can sound better. However I agree that if there’s a tape in good shape use it!

[@Kowinaida]

"Fremer fuck you..."! 🤣 Best episode so far.

[@someoneoutthere7512]

Thanks for this!

[@cradio52]

I’d love to know how many of those Pear Audio turntables they actually sell at SIXTEEN THOUSAND DOLLARS.

[@manolokonosko2868]

In February 2022 I think there will be an audio show in Tampa Florida. I will attend only to hear one of these expensive hifi systems to see if it's real or bullshit.

[@dilbyjones]

love this guys videos def great questions

[@santikunaneksin3325]

The microscope for setting up the cartridge is very interesting, where can I buy its.

[@richard.resendez]

I've missed watching your videos. Peace and Love

[@44oaktree]

Love your videos !!!

[@michnygaard]

When do people learn that we cannot listen to hifi though KZbin

[@DocJJohnson]

Great video

[@jasontimothywells9895]

Because he has significant hearing lost . It happens , or maybe he was listening to death metal at extremely high levels before the crowd came in . It happens , I'm experiencing that one myself as I type this .

[@mgsee]

Lifts the veil... in Iran! : ) The guy was so excited to talk about the new gear that I think he missed that quip.

[@FasaFeu]

Pure joy

[@Analogplanet1]

ʜɪᴛ ᴍᴇ ᴜᴘ ᴏɴ ᴛᴇʟᴇɢʀᴀᴍ ɪ ɢᴏᴛ sᴏᴍᴇᴛʜɪɴɢ sᴘᴇᴄɪᴀʟ ғᴏʀ ʏᴏᴜ 🎉🎁🎁🎁🎉🎉

[@Cocteau61]

Nice work Michael - I like your kind of reporting,

[@dilbyjones]

sorry i couldn't make the show. but next best thing

[@hurkamur1]

Acoustic signature table with a Kiseki cartridge is mid-fi? Gezus, I need to get into the business of fleecing rubes.

[@metropapt]

That Genesis deck sounded pretty damn good!

[@Analogplanet1]

ʜɪᴛ ᴍᴇ ᴜᴘ ᴏɴ ᴛᴇʟᴇɢʀᴀᴍ ɪ ɢᴏᴛ sᴏᴍᴇᴛʜɪɴɢ sᴘᴇᴄɪᴀʟ ғᴏʀ ʏᴏᴜ 🎉🎁🎁🎁🎉🎉🎉

[@swordfish52]

Nice Michael ....

[@Boudas72]

VPI son talks too fast. Like a sportscaster. Great video.

[@brotherbrian5625]

I swear I thought that was a drinking fountain @ 4:00

[@jobos98]

Good Video. 😁

[@davidbryanbartlett4071]

All this proves is Vinyl is distortion C>D new version is king

[@homerjones3291]

So VPI customers are walking away from their unipivots and heading for the gimbals. As if the old Travelers weren’t scarce already.

[@ReferenceFidelityComponents]

That string hung arm concept seems to be very flawed! Of course there's friction! The wobbly azimuth is a nonsense and the springiness of the mount arm stores energy, has a fundamental frequency and acts as a damper across much of the frequency. The under hang concept makes no sense at all! Do these guys actually know anything?

[@homerjones3291]

Damn - shoulda went. I went to the last one in 2019 and Herb Reichert was subbing for Steve G.

[@AnalogPlanet]

It’s a little known fact but they are the same person!

[@MrNicks-gn8jc]

The Technics 1000r had McIntosh amplification on that system.....McIntosh and Technics....ok.....I am in the right path......check....time to plan 'in the line' upgrade paths

[@homerjones3291]

Funny that the one rep was starting to explain “gain” to Mr. F.

[@mazzysmusic]

Cash? Everyone should be able to use mobile payments of some sort these days. So easy all around. 😎

[@scottchegg1209]

String arm copying a certain Mr Khoubesserian.

[@philipw7058]

Analog in my opinion is joke,to much money for a constantly deteriorating format,nostalgia is not enough to wast my money,keep it all

[@AudioGuyBrian]

Vinyl is not a deteriorating format. And you don't need a $50,000 turntable to enjoy it either. A good $500 used table from the 80's-90's will do just fine for most listeners.

[@danlivni2097]

Kharma DB9 speakers that i heard at another Hi Fi show and really liked 58:02

[@paulomontero12]

The one guy looks like he made the mask out of his underwear?

[@jasontimothywells9895]

Now you make me think my DENON DP57 TURNTABLE is shit and I should just donate it to the good will. 🤦‍♂️ okay I'm going to get drunk now and go throw up so I can release the audio demons out of me before I go to sleep 💤 😴

[@jasontimothywells9895]

Firmware updates on a analog turntable 🤪 as popeye said , WELL BLOW ME DOWN hegigigaa, what did my father do back in the 70's, 80's and 90's, he wisy have been depressed knowing he would not be around for all this new shit .

[@RealHIFIHelp]

Cool.

[@carmenandthedevil2804]

Good one Mikey.

[@adambrown8867]

Z Reviews is more on my level. Stuff he reviews I could actually afford.

[@jlmain5777]

You say overhang, I say underhang, let’s call the whole thing off…

[@TheAlberto6842]

Love how fremer talks smack about Dr. Vinyl 's arm he is rep'n in his video , not to his face ! 🐤

[@AnalogPlanet]

I told him to his face

[@pauluz1969]

Those Larson speakers look like trash bins. Terrible design.

[@zogzog1063]

Good stuff. Masks ... yeah we gotta acknowledge the reality. Overall 9/10 ... 10/10. Good stuff despite The Plague.

[@davidbryanbartlett4071]

All this science to play back Digital Vinyl? Where did the Digital science go ? Wait it's coming back people will relize that AAA is to expensive - And all we need is more re-re release of old Rock Records or Jazz-Classical is Basically Dead in the water unfortunately

[@Phil_f8andbethere]

Some seriously expensive gear amongst that lot - law of diminishing returns convention.

[@chrisguygeezer]

There was the budget preamplifier at $5,800 don't forget. 😆

[@mikechivy]

9K integrated. This stuff is STUPID. Sure I'm jealous, but this is a hobby for people with stupid disposable income.

[@thomasmcmillan5095]

good place to launder cash. cash is trash.

[@word2RG]

1st

[@UberPilot]

First

[@raynewcomb337]

I noticed more women this time than in past shows here, fwiw. Not as many vendors though, very obvious. The Wadax boombox was there!

[@jasontimothywells9895]

More women there , just means there are still a few classy ones left , the rest ? They just listen to auto tune music on Bluetooth speakers bought at cvs pharmacies when there grabbing some tampons

[@jasontimothywells9895]

Then goi g home to destroy there mens lives ,

[@jasontimothywells9895]

@@DaleRC75 yes you are correct , I have a ex wife that was a vibrator queen in love with ice cream that broke a wine bottle over my head , and she on a Prozac lost her mind , destroyed over 80,000 dollhairs of audio gear because she could not cope with her past. So yes I am still gun shy , and think modern American chics are trash . Thats why I am with Russian girl that loves audiophile, at least I know the Russian wife will kill me ,not my audio gear .

[@jerrysnead2842]

Have Fun

[@danlivni2097]

Great video