Ye Olde Editor with cigar and match, 2021 (photograph and image processing by John Robinson)
Here's the last set of my Audio Oasis! Awards from PAF 2023, together with the final set of photographs.
Focal-Naim
The Naim-Focal room
I'll admit it: I was very impressed by the Focal-Naim space. Departing from the usual emphasis on traditional stereo systems and listening rooms, F-N included systems showed everything from their new Naim stacks and streamers to the new Vestia loudspeakers. Crowds were good-sized, and traffic seemed to flow constantly.
A Naim stack with Focal loudspeakers
A closer look at the Naim stack
A sampling of Focus headphones, driven by Naim headphone amplification
The Focal line of headphones is uniformly fine, from the entry level to their reference, the $4999 open-back Utopias (2022 Edition). A number were available for listeners to try together with Naim electronics. Padheads in attendance were plenty happy.
Oh, and hey! Did I mention Focal's "not-a-rock" Outdoor Loudspeaker?!
You too can have an audio orb outside. And being the owner of a pair of Focal 100 OD-8's, I can personally speak to the excellence of Focal's outdoor loudspeaker line. Very fine, indeed...like having a listening room outdoors.
For those whose spouse has an "acceptance factor" for outdoor speakers, the Focals might well be the very thing.
No doubt about it: Focal-Naim was another Audio Oasis! Award winner here at PAF 2023!
KLAudio/PASS Labs/Wilson Audio
In the KL Audio room
KL Audio, PASS Labs, and Wilson Audio made for a fine blend.
The KL Audio space featured their striking new Magnezar Turntable with KLA's Tangential Tonearm. As an owner of KLA's magnificent KD-CLN-LP200 Ultrasonic Record Cleaner with the 5-LP autoloader, I am very well aware of the superior engineering that KL Audio is capable of. I was saddened when the KD-CLN-LP200 was taken off the market. There is a replacement 1-LP version with external water supply that you can source over at Acoustic Sounds, which I would recommend if your budget will stand the cost of the build quality.
Which is top o' the heap.
I've also had the KL Audio tangential tonearm here in our reference listening room in past years (2018), on the Wave Kinetics Direct-Drive Turntable. Killer technology and great sound, for sure.
My long background with—and confidence in – KLA was why I was so struck by their new Magnezar Turntable.
Lightning and thunder!
Peter Cheon of KL Audio with the Magnezar Turntable system
The Magnezar features a direct-drive motor, magnetic levitation suspension, pivoting tangential tonearm, fluid-filled platter for further stability, automatic spindle and peripheral clamping, dual tonearm support, 33.3 RPM, 45 RPM, and 78 RPM playback, and laser alignment for easy alignment on cartridge swaps. The construction is solid aluminum...quite beautiful to see.
Easy-swap headshells...very nice!
And easy alignment, too! Showing the green laser alignment beam in action with the KL Audio Tracking Tonearm on the Magnezar Turntable system.
The whole system made some fine music during my time there...and what innovative engineering! I've scheduled an extended evaluation of the Magnezar Turntable and Linear Tracking Tonearm at PF Central for the very near future. That will allow me to flesh out my initial show impressions over a handful of months.
Meanwhile, give this room an Audio Oasis! Award...quickly!
Done.
Genesis Advanced Technology
Gary Koh is a audiophile designer of many talents, is a kind and courteous fellow, and has a number of worthy projects rolling under the aegis of Genesis Advanced Technologies. Going into his large room at PAF 2023 was another treat for ears and eyes.
See?
The Genesis Prime+ Loudspeaker System: gigantic! Authoritative!
The Master Designer himself, Gary Koh of Genesis Advanced Technologies, with his Prime+ Loudspeaker.
Gary's passionate commitment to the audio arts is inspiring. He has a particular vision of what he want to accomplish, and pursues it with a single-minded focus.
Among the supporting cast, Brian Tucker of Pro Audio, Ltd., with the Analog Audio Design TP-1000 RTR. A real expert about audio, and things reel-to-reel.
The Analog Audio Design TP-1000 caught my ear. I wouldn't mind evaluating this in my listening room.
The gorgeous all-new construction Analog Audio Design TP-1000 RTR. A wonderful blend of the classic and the modern!
Traffic in the Genesis room was constant; this was a well-attended space...
...as you can see.
And, just because I can't resist RTR, one final look:
The new and the classic, side by side: Analog Audio Design and Studer.
Was there ever any doubt? Nay! Never!
An Audio Oasis! Award for Gary and company!
Acora Acoustics/Audio Research/Innuos/Cardas Audio
Talk about an impressive room! Valerio Cora worked to mate his extraordinary granite (heavy!) VRC-1 reference loudspeakers together with the Reference 160M monoblocks from Audio Research (a major classic audio company that he now owns), the ever-excellent Innuos streaming/digital stack (Pulsar + the two-box Statement and their PhoenixNET Ethernet switch).
Valerio Cora of Acora Acoustics and Audio Research Corporation with his VRC-1 reference loudspeaker
The transparency, detail, dynamics, harmonic integrity, and sheer presence here was quite striking. I'd be quite curious to know how much the VRC-1's weigh, since solid granite cabinets must be prodigiously heavy.
On the other hand, at 95dB efficiency they are not impossible to drive; the 140 watts per channel sufficed very nicely in this space. And the frequency response! 18Hz - 40kHz without busting a sweat. Naturally the Cardas cabling contributed to the results by doing its usual wonderful job with the Clear Beyond pipelines.
The synergy in this room was remarkable; the music was presented with real authority and effortless presence.
Another one of my Audio Oasis! Awards, please! And well earned....
Joseph Audio/Doshi Audio/Aurender/Cardas Audio
Jeff Joseph with his Joseph Audio Pearl Graphene Loudspeakers
Jeff Joseph always manages to put together a top-notch room at every audio show that I've seen him at. His Pearl Graphene speakers are always a joy to hear, being intensely musical without losing detail, dynamics, or sounding colored.
As in prior shows, he was paired with Doshi Audio and their very fine (and yes, not cheap) Evolution tubed monoblock amps and Tape Head amp. The RTR recorder was a modded and hot-rodded Technics, a common choice among audiophile RTR enthusiasts.
The music server was by Aurender, a favorite of mine hereabouts at PF Central. (In fact, I'm listening to the new Aurender AP-20 integrated streamer/DAC being fed by the delectable Luxman D-10x SACD via XLR player as I type this.)
As Jeff has done for years, cabling was by Cardas Audio.
The results, as usual, were extremely pleasant, and high synergistic. Jeff really has a knack for delivering the music goods at shows, as he did once more at PAF 2023.
No surprise. Break out another of my Audio Oasis! Awards for this room.
ModWright/Revel/Cardas Audio/Solidsteel/Weiss/AMG/Benz Micro
Dan Wright, leading light of ModWright: a portrait
I've known Dan Wright for an awful lot of years now. He's a truly great guy, and a design genius when it comes to producing high-end electronics that deliver superior performance at reasonable (for high-end audio) price points.
The combination of components in Dan's room included:
- ModWright Instruments KWA 99 Mono Blocks & LS 99 Preamp
- ModWright Instruments PH 9.0XT & Analog Bridge
- Revel F228Be Speakers
- Cardas Audio Cables
- Solidsteel Rack
- Weiss DAC 204
- AMG Giro MKII with 9W2 Tonearm
- Benz Micro Gullwing SLR Cart
I have to admit that I wasn't familiar with the Revel Loudspeakers, and the KWA 99's and LS 99's were new products for ModWright.
ModWright's KWA 99 monoblock amps in ink outline
Maestro Dan at the wheel of the AMG Giro MkII, 9W2 Tonearm, and Benz Micro Gullwing SLR cartridge, likewise in ink outline
Regardless, everything together sounded very well together. Dan is a very experienced synergizer, and it showed once again in this remarkable space. It's always great to see Dan, and to hear what he's been up to. He never just rests on his laurels...
...but here's another laurel for him and his supporting cast, anyway!
Final moments and after-photographs from PAF 2023...
Angie Lisi of American Sound
I didn't get to spend enough time in the Jaguar Audio room to evaluate the sound, but it was good to meet Angie Lisi of American Sound in Canada...at long last! I've known her via Randy Forman of Finest Fidelity, but we hadn't connected face-to-face. She's been in high-end audio for decades, and has quite a line card.
Left to right: Randy Forman of Finest Fidelity, Dave Nauber of T+A North America, and David Solomon of Qobuz enjoying the moment
Dave Nauber of T+A with the absolutely superb SD 3100 HV Streaming DAC...
...and me making said photograph (photographer unknown for sure...either Dean Waters or Pastor Dave).
Peter Hansen of Audio Group Denmark listens as Dean Waters of Positive Feedback waxes passionate and poetic about the music and what he's hearing in the AGD room. This was about 2:00 a.m.—it's crazy we are.
Matthew Legere, one of Angie Lisi's associates at American Sound: Fantasy Portrait, Pacific Audio Fest 2023
Matthew trying to work his way up to the exalted realm of fine cigars, you see...
Audiobud Alan Kafton of audioexcellence AZ, basking in the light...
Founding member of Positive Feedback and the Oregon Triode Society, Lynn Olson: a moment
Lynn is also a gifted writer and fine audio designer of loudspeakers and electronics. You can find his writing and notes on his designs over at Nutshell High Fidelity. (Note that this site does not support https:// for secured browser traffic.)
Kevin Hayes, Chief Honcho at VAC: a portrait.
One of the leading designers of tubed audio on the planet. Be sure to check out his VAC site. (Note that this is another site without support for https://, and thus is unsecured.)
Jeff Day of Positive Feedback and Jeff's Place at PF: A wonderful friend and champion fine audio writer.
Jeff has been writing an enormous number of reviews and essays at his Jeff's Place site, a secure site, which is hosted by Positive Feedback. He's big-time lover of SETs, tubes, and high-efficiency loudspeakers. Read his stuff and learn!
"NO! Not that photograph!!"
Angie Lisi, learning that I am a fearless artist who accepts dares like this.
Poor girl!
She knows better now...
And so—at bloody last!—my final catch-up for Pacific Audio Fest 2023 is done.
A great weight is gone...and I am looking forward to this year's show in September. Hope to see you there!
