[News] 2011 2nd Annual - Capital Audiofest - July 8-10 - Washington, DC(Rockville, MD) [Archive]

dorokusai

03-21-2011, 11:20 PM

2011 CAPITAL AUDIOFEST (http://capitalaudiofest.com)

JULY 8-10, 2011

Crowne Plaza Hotel
3 Research Court
Rockville, Maryland 20850-3212
301.840.0200

Well, it's that time of year again and an idea of a friend of mine has turned into a 2nd Annual, national audio event. Gary Gill is the organizer and host, along with the Carnegie Acoustics. I met Gary when he bought a pair of Magnepan loudspeakers from me off Audiogon back in 2008 or so. He's a fantastic dude with a knack for loosening people up and an ear for good audio. On top of that, he's an accomplished musician to boot.

Polk has decided to sponsor this event again and what perfect timing as the new LSiM is coming out this year. We'll be hosting the "Whistler" room, 1st Floor, past the Atrium and front desk. We're in one of the large rooms and hanging with the super high end folks. I'm sure this will make them twitch and give us the evil eye but that's the way it goes and we came to really play.

We will have the new LSiM 707 Floorstander and 703 Bookshelf, as well as the Blackstone TL3 Satellite and MicroPro series subwoofers. I'll also have the cut-away models and press only items that were presented privately almost a year ago. These are cool because you can see how the actual loudpseaker is made and handle the individual parts, including the "sonic engine". You can find out more about the engine if you attend :smile:

The fact that we're introducing the new lineup it only felt appropriate to get some hardcore equipment to match up with them. Audio Research Corporation has been kind enough to send me a brand new REF CD8 (http://audioresearch.com/ReferenceCD8.html) CD Player & LS26 (http://audioresearch.com/LS27.html) Tube Line Stage Pre-Amplifier. Along with my personal CTC BBQ (http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showcase/view.php?userid=46728) Amplifier, our front and back end is rock solid.

We're also getting support from Joe Abrams (www.equusaudio.com) & MIT Cables (www.mitcables.com) for the second year in a row. Joe has been a Club Polk regular supporter and I couldn't have asked for better help and guidance over the years. Joe's customer service rivals Polk's and that's not taken lightly. MIT is sending a full compliment of Magnum series cables and power cords.

As a bonus, Frank Dai from Signal Cable (www.signalcable.com) and Grant Vandermye from Mye Sound (www.myesound.com) are both sending some goodies and products to show at the event.

You might remember Ken Swauger from the Polk Customer Service days....well he's pledged to bring some old school Revox Reel 2 Reel players with some rare tape recordings that we can enjoy as well. He might have retired from Polk but he's as busy as ever restoring vintage R2R and collecting more and more media. This is pretty special to me personally, since his Stellavox player is what created the bar standard of all things audio for me back in 2005. I'm very happy that he's joining our room and bringing some truly great stuff with him.

On top of all the aformentioned stuff I'll have a couple pairs of vintage Polk's on display, to include a pair of SDA CRS+ on custom stands by Grant of MyeSound. These are moreso to jog memories of folks in attendance but will be fully prepared to play and perform as needed.

I've been asked about SACD and that's not been hashed out yet but if we do go that route it'll be with a Sony SCD-1. We're going to be running digital media thru my iPad via the HRT Streamer (http://highresolutiontechnologies.com/) or similar device. We used this quite a bit at last years event, as did 75% of the other rooms including Joseph Audio, and it performed beautifully. To those that are iHaters....get used to it because it's what you're going to hear more and more of at these shows like this, CES and CEDIA. It's just a fact.

This is from the first year... Capital Audiofest 2010 (http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?t=95110&highlight=capital+area+audiofest)

Exhibitor/ Manufacturer List (http://www.capitalaudiofest.com/p577.html) - We are in the Whistler room.

Equipment List:

Audio Research LS27 Tube Line Stage Pre-Amplifier
Audio Research REF CD8 CD Player
CTC BBQ Amplifier
Adona Corporation Custom Audio Rack
MIT Magnum Speaker Cables and Interconnects
Signal Cable Power Cords
MyeSound Spikes and Custom Speaker Stands
Bright Star Audio Isolation Gear
Revox A77/PR99 - Tapepath Modified - Reel 2 Reel Players

-Mark

Here are some comments from last years event:

"The Polk Audio room was packed as usual!" - CAA 2010

"Mark of Polk Audio taking a break from the ever crowded room." - Gary Gill, Host/Organizer

"Polk Audio shows off their high end speakers on the second floor." - CAA 2010

"Polk Audio speaker lineup before the masses filled their room!" - CAA 2010

mdaudioguy

03-21-2011, 11:31 PM

This looked like a great time last year! I'll have to check my schedule.... would love to check out some of this new gear (that I'll probably never be able to own). :wink::smile:

MillerLiteScott

03-31-2011, 02:58 PM

Looks great Mark:)

brgman

03-31-2011, 03:32 PM

Not far from me.Do they allow rednecks in?

steveinaz

03-31-2011, 04:43 PM

Wear a turtleneck, you'll be good as gold.

MillerLiteScott

03-31-2011, 04:50 PM

More like a t-shirt. Class A power in July.

Big Dawg

03-31-2011, 06:28 PM

... not just a get together or elbow rub with 20 dudes....

You say that like it's a bad thing....

Sounds very cool.

Kenneth Swauger

05-04-2011, 08:48 PM

Well, I should be able to bring a couple of nice sounding Revox A77s, one high speed 1/2 track and the other 1/4 track standard speed. Maybe a nice sounding Revox PR99 that turned out well. I can bring the Stellavox SP7 that is set up to play the TP tapes. One of the A77s can play those as well so different machines can be set up. I have some nice sounding tapes I can bring, some never released Count Basie stuff. I'll have to go through and find the more interesting ones.
It's really great of Mark and Al to invite me to the event, typical Polk-Folk generosity.
See you there, Ken

rromeo923

05-20-2011, 11:24 PM

Looking forward to this.

RuSsMaN

05-20-2011, 11:47 PM

You should be. It would be great to have some 'noobs' show up. ;)

Cheers,
Russ

Vette C6.r

06-27-2011, 05:22 PM

I'm in. I'll be there Sunday.

mdaudioguy

06-27-2011, 05:24 PM

I'm in. I'll be there Sunday.

Me too! Sounds like fun...

Vette C6.r

06-27-2011, 05:28 PM

We are probably meeting somewhere near you to carpool on Sunday.

IM us Ed if you want to join us.

BlueFox

06-27-2011, 05:44 PM

Wish I could be there. I was living in the Rockville/Potomac area before moving to CA.

RuSsMaN

06-29-2011, 09:44 PM

You guys/gals getting ramped up or what? This is a show worth attending if you are anywhere within a couple hours drive. Be there. Experience LSiM among lots of other exotic audio!

Who's coming, lets do this and show support for the brand you love!

brgman

06-30-2011, 08:40 AM

txcoastal1

06-30-2011, 09:23 AM

I hope to be there.I am wondering about what you will hear as far as music genres.If i am interested in something will i have to base my decision on jazz and classical music even though i listen to rock?
This doesn't look like a place that will be playing Stevie Ray Vaughan or the Allman Bros.
Just wondering.

Bring your own CD's many times if you get to someone that is not slammed you can put in your own music

Just be courteous many and have a good time

TNRabbit

06-30-2011, 10:23 AM

Sounds like fun; think I'll head up there on Sunday, too. Jesse, are you going this year?

Schedule from the site:

Schedule of CAF

Thursday July 07 - CAF Setup
3:00PM - 7:00PM: CAF Event Setup
(You may be able to access rooms earlier depending on availability so ask at desk)
7:00PM - Closed

Friday July 08
8:00AM - 11:00AM: CAF Event Setup
11:00AM - 7:00PM: CAF Open to Attendees
6:00PM - Raffle Drawing at Registration desk
7:00PM - CAF Closed

Saturday July 09 - Jazz Jam
6:00PM - 8:00PM
Be sure to be in the hotel lobby for a fun jam session along with your host. We will start off with a quintet and will go from there so bring your instrument!

Saturday July 09
10:00AM - 11:00AM: CAF Event Setup
11:00AM - 7:00PM: CAF Open to Attendees
6:00PM - Raffle Drawing at Registration desk
7:00PM - CAF Closed

Sunday July 10 - Swapmeet
7:00AM - 8:00AM Swapmeet Setup
8:00AM - 12:00NOON Swapmeet Open to Attendees
11:30AM - Start Swapmeet Cleanup
12:00NOON - Swapmeet Closed

Sunday July 10
10:00AM - 11:00AM CAF Event Setup
11:00AM - 6:00PM CAF Open to Attendees
6:00PM - Raffle Drawing at Registration desk
6:00PM - CAF Closed
6:00PM - 9:00PM CAF Event Cleanup

F1nut

06-30-2011, 01:39 PM

I am wondering about what you will hear as far as music genres. If I am interested in something will I have to base my decision on jazz and classical music even though I listen to rock?

Good question. Last year Polk had a selection of rock, but IIRC none of the others did, which is rather short sighted since most of the shoppers are baby boomers brought up on rock & roll.

As txcoastal1 stated, bring your own music. The dealers are normally very accommodating.

Sounds like fun; think I'll head up there on Sunday, too.

I'll be there.

brgman

06-30-2011, 02:17 PM

Great! I'm in the market for a pre and listening to just Stan Getz and Beethoven won't get me to the promised land.

dorokusai

06-30-2011, 04:15 PM

Yeah, just bring whatever you want to hear. I've rarely been turned down by a manufacturer in regards to music. They usually welcome it since they're so tired of playing the same stuff over and over since that's what happens at every event, even CES.

brgman

06-30-2011, 04:32 PM

[QUOTE=F1nut;1608171]Good question. Last year Polk had a selection of rock, but IIRC none of the others did, which is rather short sighted since most of the shoppers are baby boomers brought up on rock & roll.

I couldn't agree more.I have no problem with what anyone likes to listen to (except maybe rap) but i always wonder if i am going to wake up one day and all of sudden like the stuff that has been the audiophile "standard" for years.
Just look at what LP's etc keep getting re-made and released.IMHO there should be 100 times more rock and roll available than there is.I would think our generation is who they should try to cater to.

brgman

06-30-2011, 04:34 PM

Vette C6.r

07-04-2011, 09:28 AM

I'll be there.

Before noon too. What's this world coming to. I guess you're going to tell me you're into home theater now too.

dorokusai

07-06-2011, 01:10 PM

OK....getting real close to game time. If you're helping tomorrow, call me tonight.

Forget Polkfest 2011 for right now and concentrate on this weekend.

dorokusai

07-06-2011, 06:07 PM

What's $60K+ worth of front and back end look like? This.....

2CH : Audio Research Reference CD8 CD Player, Audio Research Reference 5 Pre-Amplifier, CTC BBQ Amplifier...optional/backup Audio Research Reference 210 Amplifier.

Blackstone : NAD VISO 5 CD/DVD/Receiver, Musical Fidelity M1 DAC, 100% Signal Cable interconnects.

F1nut

07-06-2011, 11:24 PM

If you're helping tomorrow, call me tonight.

I tried, 3 times.

RuSsMaN

07-07-2011, 08:41 AM

About to board an MD80...you local guys make it happen and get out and show your support for Polk!

rromeo923

07-07-2011, 11:38 AM

I am thinking about bringing some items to the swap meet Sunday. Do a lot of people attend? Will it cost me $20 for the swap meet and another $20 to get in to the show?

dorokusai

07-07-2011, 11:46 AM

I have no idea Romeo....PM for my phone number. Yes, the swap meet was pretty good last year. I'll also have stuff for it so you can piggyback with me, don't worry about the $20.

dorokusai

07-07-2011, 11:48 AM

I talked to F1Nut...he's grabbing Russman @ the airport and some stuff from Polk Audio on the way down to the show today. This is just setup but if anyone wants to come down today, feel free to do so and help out with setup or just listening tweaks. I believe it will be F1Nut, Russman, Greybeard, Kenneth Swauger and myself. The more the merrier.

I'll be there by 2pm.

jtgranby

07-07-2011, 03:54 PM

nadams

07-07-2011, 04:15 PM

Next year... I promise...

schwarcw

07-07-2011, 06:44 PM

I'll be there Saturday morning with my son Ryan and my old friend Di-Pole Dan. I'll be in Annapolis Friday night crashing at Dan's place. I look forward to seeing you all!

F1nut

07-07-2011, 11:32 PM

Ok folks, the Polk Audio room is ready to rock. After a lot of head scratching as to why only one channel was playing on the main rig it was determined that the pre amp had a bad tube...swapped it out and we were back in business. You've got to hear the 707's doing their stuff......Polk hit one out of the park.

On the other side of the room Ken has one of his restored Revox reel to reel tape decks set up....a real treat.

If you're on the fence about attending, get off of it.

dorokusai

07-07-2011, 11:48 PM

Hey Mark

Is the beer cold yet?

Jim

No but it will be tomorrow. Sorry that I didn't have more time to chat but we had to get everything setup.

Ok, first day went ok. Let's see, major problems with equipment that turned out to be a single bad tube in the Ref3 preamplifier. The stands for the Blackstones didn't work out so we used our alternates. The room carpet has caused at least two epileptic seizures. Found one bad MIT cable pair, new out of the box.

We got Ken's rebuilt Revox setup and he has his own table for showing his excellent work as well as displaying the beautiful Stellavox. I was able to get the Audio Research amp from Polk so we're 100% with them and will use my CTC BBQ later in the show. The NAD Viso5 and wireless subwoofer are giving us a fit but after reading the manual, found that it's just a setting.

The LSiM 707's are dialed in tight, sound awesome and are on all tubes. We'll play with the 703's tomorrow and get them solid. We also brought down my stock, NIB, SDA CRS+ to run some vintage Polk. Had a great conversation with Manley sales manager Albert Schippits, who I actually met last year. Albert traded war stories with Russman and I as he's been doing these shows since 1976. He told us about puking in the Alpine Lamborghini from the 1980's and more that we can't really talk about but is a prime example of why doing these shows is legendary. You get to hang out with real industry folks, trade goodies and talk shop. The friendships made here last years and never ever get forgotten.

The show is easily worth 10 times the admission fee and if you come by and see us, you'll get a free tshirt and Eco-friendly shopping bag. Take some time and come down, more later.

TNRabbit

07-08-2011, 04:25 AM

Sounds like fun; think I'll head up there on Sunday, too.....

Make that Saturday.

Kenneth Swauger

07-08-2011, 10:50 AM

Hello from Rockville,
Mark, Russman, my wife and I are ready to roll. Everything looks excellent and getting things warmed up!
Come on by!
Ken

Kenneth Swauger

07-08-2011, 11:22 AM

Getting started in Rockville. Come on down!

heiney9

07-08-2011, 11:41 AM

Have fun guys, between this thread and what Russ has posted on Facebook looks like a great event. I just wish these things weren't so far from me. It makes it difficult to attend without it being a full blown vacation, etc.

H9

W WALDECKER

07-08-2011, 12:57 PM

I will be there Saturday and Sunday to see some friends from Club Polk , Audiocircle and Audionervosa :cool:

dorokusai

07-08-2011, 10:21 PM

Day Two: Got the LSiM703's dialed in tightly with Russman and F1Nut at the helm. Foot traffic was light to heavy but overall a typical Friday, which is usually quiet at shows. We're hoping to be swamped tomorrow and are very ready on the LSiM side of the room. Fred(Polk) brought down the LSiM cutaway which was smart since it was an instant magnet for ppl coming into the room.

Ken really got some great press and traffic with his R2R table. Royce, Ken's better half, saved the day of being unnoticed in our location, in the corner of the building by thinking of hanging our small banner from the ceiling in the hallway. The Wilson rooms' upright banner was keeping ppl from seeing our area and this worked perfectly. You can't miss us now.

We're still having issues with this NAD but changed the settings at my house tonight, hoping for the best. Ken is going to bring his NAD 3020 and we should be able to use it just fine with the pre-outs as a substitute for a dedicated LFE output.

The hotel nazi shut our free beer down since they weren't getting their cut of the proceeds. We worked our way around that so his boastfulness will continue to go unnoticed and unheeded. He must not know how we roll.

At the very least we'll have a full fledged SDA CRS+ rig running on the other side of the room. I'm upset over this subwoofer issue since we really want to demo the satellites, even though only one person has asked about them. I'm sure we'll get the NAD working then find out the subwoofer doesn't work. I went and saw my friends Jeff from Joseph Audio, PJ from Bel Canto and Alex from Cathedral Loudspeakers and listened their respective rooms. Jeff Joseph was running his new "Perspective" floorstanders which sounded stunning and Alex Rivera was teamed up with Audio Note out of Canada, and of course sounded great with his Altec/Emminence based monsters.

Fred, Ken, Royce, Jesse, Russ and I went out to dinner at Taipei Tokyo and got absolutely stuffed to the gills. I coerced Ken into a couple MaiTai's and after a great meal called it a night since we were all bushed.

Tomorrow we'll settle in for the long haul and long night. Saturdays are my favorite because everyone lets loose after the public hits the road and we get to relax.

Well, that's it for now, more later.

txcoastal1

07-08-2011, 10:51 PM

I see you can't keep Russ out of any Tokyo Steak house...

Post some pics when you get a chance, that includes other Polksters...thanks for the update

RuSsMaN

07-09-2011, 12:26 AM

TNRabbit

07-09-2011, 11:38 PM

Some crappy phone pics & video located here: http://s251.photobucket.com/albums/gg286/TNRabbit/Audio/Capitol%20Audio%20Fest%202011/?start=all

The Joseph Audio speakers WERE stunning! Surprise of the show for me--never heard such outstanding imaging, clarity & BASS from such small speakers....

I was MOST impressed with the McIntosh system. WOW~

Their line array 6.5' speakers are amazing.

The ridiculously expensive MBL stuff sounded like straight @$$~

Topper

07-09-2011, 11:56 PM

How was the Polk room? and looking forward to more day to day updates from Doro and Russ as well as the others there

hoosier21

07-09-2011, 11:58 PM

wish I was there, looks and sound like a great time, Polk and the forum crew as always putting on a great show.

raise one for me

F1nut

07-10-2011, 12:07 AM

The Joseph Audio speakers WERE stunning! Surprise of the show for me--never heard such outstanding imaging, clarity & BASS from such small speakers....

I listened to that rig multiple times. A few times it sounded great, other times not so. Seemed to depend on what was playing.

I was MOST impressed with the McIntosh system. WOW~

Not me, it was absolutely horrid at any volume or material played.

The ridiculously expensive MBL stuff sounded like straight @$$~

Agreed, the problem is the speakers.

dorokusai

07-10-2011, 12:15 AM

I am HAMMERED drunk. What a show. Words later.

Xoxo (via doro's iPad)
Russ

Face

07-10-2011, 12:27 AM

Not me, it was absolutely horrid at any volume or material played.
Harsh?

I am HAMMERED drunk. What a show. Words later.

Xoxo (via doro's iPad)
RussI am truly stunned. :biggrin:

Sounds like you're having a great time.

F1nut

07-10-2011, 12:34 AM

Harsh?

I think sloppy fits what I heard best.

dorokusai

07-10-2011, 01:22 AM

Day 3: To hit on some earlier comments....Russman said the most accurate comment on the MBL room, ..."it sounded awesome in the hallway, sweet spot, not so much". Sorry, they're a beautifully aesthetic and do sound very good at times but just nowhere close to the best for me in any way shape or form. The show standouts for me, bias aside, are Joseph Audio, Manley, Cathedral, Audio Note and Salk.

We continued to have problems with the NAD and long story short ended up going with speaker level inputs between it and the DSW550wi, at which point it worked out perfectly. I believe it was mainly due to the NAD setup functions and the inability to do so via remote, in lieu of a monitor output option onsite. The Wadia S series CD player we had as an option in rig B also refused to work correctly in regards to output selection, coupled withthe fact we had no manual, and we finally ditched it. At that point I was so fed up with other stuff, that it wasn't enough of a factor anymore. I'm not sure what's up with the Wadia but the NAD was also enough of a PITA, that I've lost some of my NAD mojo.

Rig B, Blackstone, got dialed in just in time for a specific request to hear it today, and with the help of Russman and some chatter from Fred in the rear. The dude was super nice as we got it squared away for him in short order and the feedback was appreciative and very positive for his project.

John Atkinson from Stereophile stopped by and jammed out to some KebMo, courtesy of Hoosier21. He bobbed his head, asked questions and said it sounded real good, which is all you can ask for from a guy that just reviewed 40 other manufacturers. Another comment from a return listener that I also recall in relation to the new LSiM is "....you have something really special with these...".

Al Barron and Al Ballard came down to review our work and looked as though they liked the room. About the same time, we had a sweet demo with a cute older couple that visited us yesterday. He wanted to bring his wife down because of his past love for Polk but mainly due to the fact she never really heard a difference over the years, nor cared. We played Kunzel Telarc(Cinc' Pops?) and they absolutely loved it on the LSiM. it was a great demo for the room with the Cows, Lone Ranger and Magnificent 7 themes....really a great show moment for us personally.

A real thanks to those that actually came down to not only help but simply attend and support....TNrabbit, Carl Schwartz, Son and Dipole Dan, Wwaldecker, F1nut and Greybeard. You guys rule and we won't forget you on the back end. Although, we will forget about who didn't and could have, should have attended.

The LSiM really stands out to me as a Polk statement, not only as a listener but as a fan of the product overall. I know as an insider, what has gone into bringing this new line to life and it means so much to me as a Polkie, let alone someone who appreciates high fidelity. Thanks to Polk for listening, caring and having the balls to start something from the ground up, seriously ground up and welcome the competition. I don't think we have anything to back down from anymore.

I'm very happy with our showing and product, period.

More later....Mark

Topper

07-10-2011, 03:11 AM

http://www.stereophile.com/images/070911Polk-600.jpg?1310266251

Stereophile's coverage - http://www.stereophile.com/category/capital-audiofest-2011

F1nut

07-10-2011, 03:41 AM

...they gave great sound on Keb Mo's version of "It Hurts Me Too" from his The Door CD, with extended low frequencies and impressive dynamics.

High praise indeed!

RuSsMaN

07-10-2011, 07:37 AM

The Keb Mo was for Abernathy, great track!

txcoastal1

07-10-2011, 07:49 AM

I glad you guys had more space to push those puppies than at Lone Star,

I'm sure hearing them on the tubes was a treat

george daniel

07-10-2011, 08:18 AM

knock em' out guys,,have fun!

Kenneth Swauger

07-10-2011, 08:34 AM

Everyone we've met has been super-responsive to the Polks. I can't tell you how many conversations start off with, "My first serious speaker were Polks, it's great to know this company is still making great stuff!" People just list all the Polk speakers they've owned like long lost girlfriends. Talk about goodwill regenerated by Mark and Russ! They deserve tremendous kudos for all the effort they've put into this.
I had a nice encounter:
http://www.stereophile.com/content/tapepath-revives-recorders
Cheers: Ken

engtaz

07-10-2011, 08:46 AM

Very cool article for you and Polk. Congrats on a job well done guys.

Toolfan66

07-10-2011, 08:46 AM

I hate living so far from all of the good stuff!!! Looks like you guys are having a blast..

Kenneth Swauger

07-10-2011, 09:23 AM

Here's more coverage from Stereophile:
http://www.stereophile.com/
A big thank you to Fred (Polk's most recent CS find) for bringing down the LSiM cut-away! It makes all the difference in the world when you can show someone what the speaker looks like inside!

Jstas

07-10-2011, 10:45 AM

We continued to have problems with the NAD and long story short ended up going with speaker level inputs between it and the DSW550wi, at which point it worked out perfectly. I believe it was mainly due to the NAD setup functions and the inability to do so via remote, in lieu of a monitor output option onsite. .

A real thanks to those that actually came down to not only help but simply attend and support....TNrabbit, Carl Schwartz, Son and Dipole Dan, Wwaldecker, F1nut and Greybeard. You guys rule and we won't forget you on the back end. Although, we will forget about who didn't and could have, should have attended.

If your issue with a monitor was not having one, a small, inexpensive suggestion that has bailed my ass out several times.

One of these: http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=4038992&filterName=Screen+size&filterValue=Under+10%26quot%3B

http://rsk.imageg.net/graphics/product_images/pRS1-7371223w345.jpg

I have an older, small RCA 5.5 inch CRT TV that has a switch to run it as a straight up monitor. It has a composite input and I used to use it for car shows. We had a DVD player in one of the competition cars that did DVD-A but wanted to use the output screen that we didn't install for aesthetics. So I left a composite video cable twisty-tied up under the dash and when it came time to set up for the competition run, I'd grab my tv and run the video feed out so there was no question about setup. That Coby is $100 when they have it in stock and honestly totally worth it for just such an occasion as you mentioned above.

And sorry I didn't make it down. I ended up working late on Friday because the HVAC for the server room went down in the storm and I was the only one in the office. Saturday was B-Day proceedings with my grandma and they didn't get done until around 6:30pm. I wanted to be there and support it all but I like being employed and honestly, family comes first. Especially my 91 year old grandmother. I don't know how many more B-Days she's going to have.

Next year, don't schedule it on my birthday (it should be a national holiday) and I'll have less of an issue getting there.

W WALDECKER

07-10-2011, 03:06 PM

the LSiM towers were sounding much better than they had a right to for thier price point.My friend Rich who drove up from NC for the Capitol Show said he hung out after show hours in the Polk room with the Polk Rep from Texas/AKA Russman spinning some really good tracks and he came away really impressed with the new Polk reference towers. his tastes are similar to mine and he can be pretty dam picky but all he had was praise for the LSiM. this is my 1st Audio show and i really liked visiting all of the rooms.the MacIntosh room was very Snobby and highbrow and looked very pretty and sounded like Ass :eek: the Living Voice loudspeaker/Border Patrol tube amplifier room sounded really Good. the Joseph Audio loudspeakers were excellent.the Sonist loudspeakers in the Mapleshade room Sounded very good. the Salk/AVA/Philharmonic Audio room was very nice. the MBL room looked like a collection of very expensive Audio Jewelry that someone of great wealth would collect for bragging rights. the speakers sounded mediocre and the huge White monoblocks really creeped me out because they reminded me of a childrens casket :eek:

rromeo923

07-10-2011, 07:54 PM

I did the swap meet which was fun. Sold some cd's, dvd-a, and sacd's and got to listen to some Theramins!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theremin
I didnt make the show because of some personal things that came up (ughhhh). However I was on my cell phone trying to take care of some personal things and I wandered into the MacIntosh room. I was just looking but the guy waved me in so I checked it out for a bit. Looked great and sounded great BUT, my simple inexpensive tube amp and SDA 1C's (as I listened to this eve) sound pretty good in comparison and at moments somewhat better. I was happy to imagine the amount of money I am saving...... Anyway wished I could have stayed and ck'd out the rest including the Polk room. I will definitely plan things better next year.

hoosier21

07-10-2011, 08:02 PM

The Keb Mo was for Abernathy, great track!

Thanks for the shout out.

Nice right up on Ken's company also, and the Tape Porn picture gives us a shot of Mark's ass, nice!

Russ

dorokusai

07-10-2011, 09:18 PM

I have some tshirts and eco-friendly grocery style bags from MIT to give away on the forum as well as an auction for charity(The Githens Center) on a pair of VM20 loudspeakers coming up....and perhaps a sign from the recent Capital Audiofest. Stay tuned.

Topper

07-10-2011, 10:49 PM

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-3AMvfZ_DC9g/ThjXAH5cPhI/AAAAAAAACtQ/Hp5eba9oTLY/s1024/P1000858.JPG

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-qSIsjuO9uaA/ThjXBADO-2I/AAAAAAAACtU/J8_teCNDlZs/s1024/P1000855.JPG

big bunch of 2011 Capital Audiofest pix posted here - https://picasaweb.google.com/ctbarker32/CapitalAudiofest2011?authuser=0&feat=directlink

F1nut

07-11-2011, 03:46 AM

I've been sitting around listening to tunes, looking at the pictures and reflecting on what I saw, who I saw and especially what I heard at the show. All in all, it was great and I look forward to next year. I also hope to see better support from the members here. Polk supports you/us like no other, the least you can do give some back. Even if you can't stay long, just stop by and say hi. It would mean more than you might realize.

I also noticed that something has been overlooked in this thread, so I'm going to address it. It takes a lot of effort to organize, coordinate, set up and run a demo room at a show like this. It's hard, stressful work and Mark deserves a huge thanks from everyone here for stepping up to the plate for the Polk family once again. Kudos, you did us proud.

TNRabbit

07-11-2011, 06:24 AM

A short phone video of the new Polk monitors in action:

http://i251.photobucket.com/albums/gg286/TNRabbit/Audio/Capitol%20Audio%20Fest%202011/th_2011-07-09_12-36-39_754.jpg (http://s251.photobucket.com/albums/gg286/TNRabbit/Audio/Capitol%20Audio%20Fest%202011/?action=view&current=2011-07-09_12-36-39_754.mp4)

george daniel

07-11-2011, 07:06 AM

Jesse, you make a good point.I've set up a few rigs(for friends to listen/critique)I can only imagine the preparation and planning of that magnitude.Having friends listen is one thing,,setting one up for the big dawgs that make their living in audio (such as JA,etc) is a whole 'nother level.So,while I sit back,waiting and reading the show reports,,a huge round of applause is due to ya'll for making all of the Polk family proud of your accomplishments and the positive reviews and compliments that are popping up in other audio circles.You fellas' put your "signature" on this rig/event,so a mere thank you,just does not seem enough.Hopefully the members here will understand and appreciate the "level" at which you guys were performing at now and during the show.

Ya' done good fella's

A sincere Thank You. Mark,Russ,Jesse,Ken,, and to all who played a part.

George

mdaudioguy

07-11-2011, 07:06 AM

I also noticed that something has been overlooked in this thread, so I'm going to address it. It takes a lot of effort to organize, coordinate, set up and run a demo room at a show like this. It's hard, stressful work and Mark deserves a huge thanks from everyone here for stepping up to the plate for the Polk family once again. Kudos, you did us proud.
Yes, +1 to that! Dude was working hard, no doubt! The room was very nice, and quite a bit more inviting than many other rooms. Mark did a wonderful job, as it's obvious there's a lot of behind-the-scenes work that most of us don't even consider or even think about... Mark did Polk proud, for sure! :smile:

dorokusai

07-11-2011, 10:35 AM

Breakdown Day: The word is pretty fitting as by Sunday I was exhausted. Thanks for the kind words guys but I do this because I enjoy it and love the fact Polk stands beside us on pretty much everything. It's my way of giving back. A huge thank you to the gang at Polk, who always step out of the comfort zone to help us lowly Polkies do shows. Shelia, Al, Mark, Al, Kim, Patrick, Stu and more including my main homeboy Len Shufelt. He's a big man behind the scenes for me personally and I can't thank him enough for all that he does to help me.

On the flip side, you folks that helped on Sunday also deserve a round of applause, with the addition of MDaudiguy(Ed) to our team of experts. I can't pull these events off without reliable, solid, motivated help from friends like you guys. That's the fastest I've ever gotten back to "normal" after a big event....with Polkfest 2005 and the 1st Annual CAF event under my belt personally. We had everything wrapped up within 45 minutes. Paul brought some humor and smiles, Jesse is just over the top awesome and Ed was the backbone and our main audio grunt :smile:

I wish I was able to have more one on one time with you guys that helped and came out but its the nature of a show, that you don't get much time to really chill out until after the show is over that day. Keep that in mind for next time as its the best time to catch even better demos, more facetime with industry folks and hey, get some swag.

Albert Shippits, regional sales manager for Manley, came down and really got his listen on as well as bringing some GREAT tracks. I think we may end up with a nice relationship with him and Manley going down the road. His comments had to have filtered over to Jeff Joseph, of Joseph Audio as he also came down and let me play some tracks for him. He was a head bobber and I believe his positive comments were very genuine. They're both super nice, down to earth audio nuts so make it a point to always check them out at the next show. Let them know the Polk guy sent you.

Overall, Sunday was much like Friday with a bit more foot traffic at different times of the day. I was able to get some more ear time on some other rooms but really didn't get any amazing demos after Cathedral, Salk and Joseph Audio.

Well, it's over guys and time to bring back all the stuff and close out another successful event.

Thank you.

Regards,
Mark

engtaz

07-11-2011, 12:09 PM

Great job guy.
Awesome work to get Polk up and running and put away. Mark great job.

Vette C6.r

07-11-2011, 09:48 PM

Another great time this year. We heard some wicked expensive gear. Some good, some not so good.

Thanks to Miller Lite Scott and MDAudioGuy - ED, for hanging out. Sorry we missed you Jesse.

Thanks to all the Polk folks that allowed us to see and hear the new LSiM's. I continue to like that fact that Polk is represented at these events. I know I am not alone in saying that I can't afford $25 K for a set of speakers. Great that you guys have a line of speakers that most of use can afford. Great Job.

Tony

schwarcw

07-11-2011, 10:54 PM

I really enjoyed this event. Hearing the new Polk LSiM speakers was a real treat! Mark put on some Patricia Barber for me. I know her music very well and the sound was stunning. The vocals were very smooth, the instruments sounded perfect. My son who is a recording engineer was also very impressed with the new Polks. I think Polk has a real winner! I can't say enough good things about the new product line.

I visited most of the rooms during Saturday. The Wilson Audio speakers (Shastas, I believe) coupled with Di'Augistino's new monoblocks was an awesome sound. It should be. The monoblocks cost $35,000/pair. I don't know what the Wilson's cost but I am sure it was a lot. Although they sounded fantastic, they were ugly as hell. No denying the high end sound of that combo.

I also enjoyed the Audio Note rooms, the Mac room was fun. I thought the speakers sounded very nice with some music but not as good with some other music. I don't think I would own those speakers. Their amps however are another story. I have heard some great sound from their big solid state amps. I think their amp tube sound is over rated for the price. Overall, their electronics are impressive.

The Joseph Audio speakers also sounded pretty good with the Manley equipment. But their speakers were $11,000!

The Polk line was easily the best bang for the buck. I should also mention the Audio Research CD player, tube preamp and tube amplifier sounded great. I have an old Audio Research phono preamp PH3SE that sounds fantastic. I have seen some of their later model equipment, but never heard it. They have begun to incorporate a lot of chips into their equipment. While I am not a fan of chips in tube gear they make it work really well. Great build quality.

I enjoyed meeting Ken Swauger and his lovely wife. I gave Ken my Teac X-2000 for a full check out. His workmanship is legendary.

Kudos to the people that help pull this together. I know an event like this is a lot of work. Great job Mark! It was great to see Russ. These gentlemen are passionate about Polk products and it shows. Thanks for your hard work at the Fest and your contributions to the Forum and to the Polk community. Well done!

I missed Jesse. I hope to see you in a couple of weeks.

You folks who didn't or couldn't attend, you don't know what a great time that you missed. It was a really nice event. I hope to see many more people from the Polk Audio community there next year.

Great fun!

dorokusai

07-11-2011, 11:51 PM

Who let me borrow the soft Polk sign? No sigs but I'll repay your help in freebies. TY!

Millerlitescott - I have some extra stuff for you since I pretty much stole your demo cd's for our room minutes after your arrival. Thanks very much!

To the first two confirmed LSiM Polkie buyers/owners, I'm putting together a really signed copy of all the people responsible for that series using the "signed" lithograph that comes inside each speaker. This will be as rare as it gets since only yours will exist. Contact me offline when you get settled and have a proof of purchase.

For some others, signed copies of the show literature from everyone involved. I produced these packets using the official press release list and they're hard bound. I have one for an LSiM owner and two for Blackstone owners.

I'm going to charity raffle a one off, Polk Audio sign from the show and HQ for The Githens Center this week. It's big, made of wood and would be a great addition to any hardcore Polkie room. Polk doesn't know I'm doing this so we will have to hurry before they say no.

I also have a pair of VM20 for free Karma that are fully authorized for next week.

And lastly, a handful of Polk Audio swag bags and MIT cables tshirts and bags will be Karma'd for a limited time.

See, I still never forget those that can't come or just didn't. Stay tuned.

Mark

Fred D

07-12-2011, 03:48 PM

I just wanted to thank everyone for coming out and having a great time with us this past weekend! I am new to the forums and fairly new to Polk Audio as an employee, but had a blast at this event getting to meet everyone and see all these vendors in action!

Here is a photo of the RTi A3 winner and her new set of speakers!

Thanks again Mark, Russ, Ken, Royce, Al and Al!

RuSsMaN

07-12-2011, 03:52 PM

Fred, you rock. You held it down up there like a pro.

Man I look creepy these days.

Cheers
Russ

Fred D

07-12-2011, 03:54 PM

Thanks Russ! I am hoping we can do this more often in the future. You guys were a HUGE help for me, more than I can say!

Cheers
Fred

dorokusai

07-12-2011, 03:56 PM

Fred fred bo bread banana nanna bo bread.

Fred D

07-12-2011, 04:11 PM

Markkkkk!!! Did you get my text message on Sunday?!?!

Jstas

07-12-2011, 04:18 PM

Fred, you rock. You held it down up there like a pro.

Man, I've always looked creepy.

Cheers
Russ

There, I fixed it for you.

Kenneth Swauger

07-12-2011, 05:18 PM

Thanks for posting the raffle winner photo, I'm sure the Polks are already rocking out!
Fred made the day by bringing the LSiM cut-away, that was what attracted the Stereophile's attention.
Anybody ever been to a Polk factory sales presentation where the sales guy (dressed as a lumberjack) cuts a Polk in half with a chainsaw? Now that's a piece of audio history!

dorokusai

07-12-2011, 05:23 PM

Markkkkk!!! Did you get my text message on Sunday?!?!

Yeah, you need to call me man.

MillerLiteScott

07-12-2011, 06:14 PM

Kudos to Mark, Russ, Jesse, Ken, Fred, Paul and who ever else for setting up the room. It looked awesome, sounded awesome and worked very well as a demo room. Sorry I could not be of much this year, real life is getting in the way, hopefully I can be of more help the next time.

I really liked the new LSiM 703's. I thought they sounded great and Hopefully one day I could afford them.

Scott

nadams

07-12-2011, 07:04 PM

Anybody ever been to a Polk factory sales presentation where the sales guy (dressed as a lumberjack) cuts a Polk in half with a chainsaw? Now that's a piece of audio history!

Pics, or it didn't happen. :eek:

nap

07-13-2011, 06:37 AM

Fred fred bo bread banana nanna bo bread.

Hate to flag you on The Name Game but you left out fanna between banana and nanna. Cheers. :cool:

dorokusai

07-13-2011, 06:38 AM

Hate to flag you on The Name Game but you left out fanna between banana and nanna. Cheers. :cool:

Stickler for my rhymes huh? I know where you work man.

nap

07-13-2011, 07:10 AM

Sorry couldn't resist. :cool:

Jstas

07-13-2011, 12:43 PM

Sorry couldn't resist. :cool:

Don't worry, I know where he lives. I got your back, nap!

George Grand

07-13-2011, 09:24 PM

Good showing gentlemen. You know who you are.

MillerLiteScott

07-13-2011, 09:35 PM

Look what I read on another forum.

I was fortunate to find the TX distributor for Polk holding late night session after hours on Saturday night. I heard them at noon saturday with my own disc, it was pretty bad, stuffy, no dynamics. I was disappointed considering all the hype. But he told me they were brand new for the show. The crossover looks a bit too economical, but drivers and cab are well built. We listened to his fav CDs, mostly rock, blues, prog, very hip stuff, and they had come alive! After 2 hours of that I was convinced they are the real deal. Even on new Beastie Boys CD compressed to hell, they revealed all the layering and complex production tricks going on, making it pretty fun. But you're right, the AR gear always makes everything sound its best, and then some.

Way to go Russ:biggrin:

dorokusai

07-13-2011, 09:40 PM

Yeah, Russ was holding down the fort while we ate dinner. After the public was excused, he put those LSiM's thru their paces for sure. I think I know who that was and his music was awful, which may account for the bad demo. They did change character when you start to really put the spurs to them.

greybeard

07-13-2011, 10:01 PM

"Fred made the day by bringing the LSiM cut-away, that was what attracted the Stereophile's attention.

Anybody ever been to a Polk factory sales presentation where the sales guy (dressed as a lumberjack) cuts a Polk in half with a chainsaw? Now that's a piece of audio history!"

I have a chainsaw-bring on the speakers! Maybe we could start with some lesser quality speaker first? - Greybeard

Fred D

07-13-2011, 10:13 PM

While we ate dinner......hmmm....yeah, about that.....:confused:

I think I know who he is referring to as well, and I would have to agree....His music selection was not up to par! Russ for sure held it down with the Dj'ing afterhours!

RuSsMaN

07-13-2011, 11:00 PM

Was I too hammered to notice Steve Odenhiemer was there? Yeah, I decided to drink my dinner while Mark took the crew out for a well deserved gourmet meal. There were a lot of 'older', or should I say stately demos going on throughout the day on Saturday. Lots of classical, jazz, female vocals, etc. Nothing wrong with that, but we went with what we knew was good, or played what they brought with them.

It was neat to pull out my favs after hours, and experiment a little, in hindsight, we probably could have done that throughout the day with success. It was a bit difficult for Mark and I sometimes, because the speakers were literally fresh out of the box. Mark noticed that about mid-day Saturday, some selections weren't sounding the same (some actually worse) than they did the day before. He pointed out a sibilance on some female vocals that had suddenly appeared, and then disappeared several hours later.

I think part of it was at the time of the after hours demo, the speakers were just crossing over the 18-22 hour mark, and we started to hear some magic. They were starting to break in, and settle down. Bass was tighter, the top end seemed to really open up, mid range was blossoming, etc. I wish I could have heard them Sunday, as they were getting better by the minute.

I remember the guy (and his friend), I just can't remember their names - but they were no-nonsense music lovers, and we had a blast. I kept asking if there was something particular they wanted to hear, and they told me to just keep going and one mentioned I should be a DJ and have my own XM station.

It was nice, because for a few moments, it wasn't about new Polks, or an audio show, it was just a few guys sitting around enjoying MUSIC. That's what it's all about at the end of the day - and the LSiM had no issues whatsoever presenting that experience to us.

Big kudos to Mark for getting the right gear, the right room, and Jesse and everyone who helped dialing everything in. Fred = gold, a SOLID addition to the Polk crew, he's got a bright future in the biz, I just know it. I gave a good demo at LSAF, Mark gave a GREAT demo at CAF. Hat is off to everyone involved. We rocked it, literally. Now if Al would get Mark and I a big van, we'll start the US tour......

Cheers,
Russ

dorokusai

07-13-2011, 11:50 PM

Russman is spot-on. We should have mixed it up more and he was chomping at the bit for that every day but I sleigh belled it in because of the crowd. What sucks about these shows is the fact you almost feel regulated....pigeon holed to play what is happening elsewhere so you have a benchmark across rooms.

What I dislike about that idea is that it confines you to spaces in music and any, ANY loudspeaker excels on many levels. Sure, they might not be awesome at every track but they can slay it on some where others cannot.

I did start to hear some major sibilance at some point on Saturday but then again, the recordings weren't very good. You can't cover up a bad recording with good equipment, if anything you can only mute it a bit. Like he said, it changed again towards the evening so I don't really have an answer as to why, even with experience and with the setup we had going....totally unanswered.

The meter on the REF5 at 80 was when these speakers really bloomed and that was almost at it's maximium. The gain is set on that model unlike the LS27, which we had in the wings. I almost wish we dropped in the cheaper model in hindsight but flash was the order of the day for me as I knew it was important for the show.

Russman really turned it on with those folks after hours and for that alone, it became a real Polkie moment. It IS just about music, not gear, not genre's and most certainly not protocol. My hat is off to my brother in arms Russ, as it's only because he was in attendence that I actually felt comfortable in my own skin. XOXO.

reeseecup01

07-14-2011, 01:04 AM

Pics on the way. Thanks William for gracing us with your presence. *facepalm*

On another note, I just had a smoke on Mark's back deck and came inside to see him shirtless eating gummy worms. I think I had a fantasy like that a few years back. I didn't act on it.

Polkies need to sh!t or get off the pot if you are local. No excuses. We're making a list and checking it twice. Don't be naughty, be nice. ;)

Babyarm,
Russ

The polkies were as awersome as was expected! Much nicer venue this year too! Only one question... where is my free T shirt this year? ;-) For real though, You guys ROCK out with you clock out!

RuSsMaN

07-14-2011, 01:21 AM

You attended and didn't get one? Speak up next time broham. PM me your addy, we have a few extras.

Cheers,
Russ

reeseecup01

07-14-2011, 01:54 AM

Would Love a Tshirt if you have any left over to go with the one from last year!

Who let me borrow the soft Polk sign? No sigs but I'll repay your help in freebies. TY!

Millerlitescott - I have some extra stuff for you since I pretty much stole your demo cd's for our room minutes after your arrival. Thanks very much!

To the first two confirmed LSiM Polkie buyers/owners, I'm putting together a really signed copy of all the people responsible for that series using the "signed" lithograph that comes inside each speaker. This will be as rare as it gets since only yours will exist. Contact me offline when you get settled and have a proof of purchase.

For some others, signed copies of the show literature from everyone involved. I produced these packets using the official press release list and they're hard bound. I have one for an LSiM owner and two for Blackstone owners.

I'm going to charity raffle a one off, Polk Audio sign from the show and HQ for The Githens Center this week. It's big, made of wood and would be a great addition to any hardcore Polkie room. Polk doesn't know I'm doing this so we will have to hurry before they say no.

I also have a pair of VM20 for free Karma that are fully authorized for next week.

And lastly, a handful of Polk Audio swag bags and MIT cables tshirts and bags will be Karma'd for a limited time.

See, I still never forget those that can't come or just didn't. Stay tuned.

Mark

Fred D

07-14-2011, 09:35 AM

AHHH!! Come to think about it, I left my bag there with a shirt in it and my I-phone charger and AV cables!!! Wow....but how I felt Saturday night, that makes sense that I left it... :eek:

dorokusai

07-14-2011, 09:45 AM

I have your stuff Fred.

Fred D

07-14-2011, 09:56 AM

Glad your on top of it Mark! Thanks for picking that up for me

dorokusai

07-14-2011, 09:59 AM

I'm a professional young Jedi.

Fred D

07-14-2011, 10:15 AM

Remember, a Jedi's strength flows from the Force. But beware. Anger, fear, aggression. The dark side are they.

dorokusai

07-14-2011, 10:17 AM

Nerd.

Face

07-14-2011, 11:17 AM

After dinner we prowled a little and found the Texas distributor for Polk in the room playing music. We sauntered in and sat down and enjoyed 2 hours of him spinning his fav rock folk and blues CDs. The Polks were something I wanted to hear since all the ads and hype. They just came out and only heard hear and Lone star audio fest so far. I heard them at 12:30PM when I first arrived, they were tight and constricted, poor dynamics, muffled. 8 hours later they were open and dynamic and alive. So weird!! That was fun. You know how we occasionally discuss high value speakers like GoldenEar or whatever, well the new polks are an incredible value for $4000. They had $25000 of AR electronics, but still, they stepped up to the challenge. Very musical and refined. I'd consider these. The tiny little crossovers were a bit scary though, but thats what you get for $4k. Compared to my Jantzen DIY parts it makes me wonder if I'll ever buy a commercial speaker again.

http://www.audionervosa.com/index.php?topic=2839.msg39841#msg39841