# The 6th Annual Capital Audiofest Slated for the End of August



## Todd Anderson (Jul 24, 2009)

The annual Capital Audiofest has solidified itself as the premier destination for audiophiles and gearheads in the Mid-Atlantic region. Its importance to the Baltimore-Washington Metro area certainly can’t be oversold, as there’s a noticeable dearth in area Hi-Fi retailers, making the festival a unique opportunity for folks in the region to interact with top-end gear. This year marks the event’s 6th year in existence, proving that event founder Gary Gill and his “build it and they will come” philosophy is more than just a Ray Kinsella dream; it actually can happen in reality.










The first-ever Capital Audiofest took place in a historic home nestled within the Washington suburb of Rockville, Maryland. Growth forced the event to move to bigger venues, including several stints at a Sheraton located in the revitalized streets of downtown Silver Spring. This year the show (August 28-30) is moving back to its Rockvillian roots by invading the Hilton Hotel Twinbrook, which is conveniently located near the Twinbrook Metro station, placing it just minutes away from a plethora of restaurants and pubs in addition to the Capital Beltway and Route 270. 

Gill says that this year’s festival is expected to draw more than 2,000 attendees, breaking last year’s draw of nearly 1850. 

“We decided to change venues because the Hilton has more of the larger 'meeting' styled rooms that many vendors prefer,” says Gill. “Smaller sleeping styled rooms can often introduce serious audible issues. Also, the new venue is closer to shopping and mass transit. As always we’ll have free parking, free WiFi, and no unions.”

Keeping the show friendly to out-of-town guests, its location is convenient to three airport options and loads of hotels. Special room rates are available for the Hilton Hotel show location ($109/night) and are available for booking at a reduced rate through tomorrow, August 11. For more information, click here. 










VPI’s Avenger turntable will debut at the Capital Audiofest.​

This year’s event has a confirmed 48 exhibitors and 8 market place vendors. Attendees can expect to see the likes of MartinLogan, AudioQuest, VPI, BorderPatrol, and United Home Audio. A host of products will make official unveilings at the event, including the VPI Avenger (a turntable that was originally designed over 12 years ago and mothballed in mid-production due to other demands), Fyssion (a new OEM speaker company that has several uniquely angled speaker designs that are sure to turn heads and perk ears), the Fern & Roby Turntable (a 100-pound plus turntable that is dynamically balanced for low resonance and vibration dampening), the LKU Veros Phono Preamp (LKU Research’s top-of-the-line preamp), and DCAudioDIY’s VFET SET amplifier (a highly efficient amp that uses Yamaha 2SK77 VFET transistors in place of tubes).

If you’re planning on attending, you can buy daily ($20) and weekend passes ($30) online. Tickets will also be available for purchase at the show’s registration desk (MasterCard, Visa, and cash will be accepted). You can also preregister for the event and have your name automatically placed “in the hat” for several giveaway drawings. In addition, I’ll be on location covering the show for Home Theater Shack. Please PM me if you plan on attending (we can make arrangements to exchange a Home Theater Shack T-Shirt)!

_Image Credits: Capital Audiofest, VPI_


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## Todd Anderson (Jul 24, 2009)

**Edit**

CAF has confirmed that Lyn Stanley (Jazz Vocalist and International Recording Artist) will perform at the event. The performance is scheduled for Saturday, 7pm, in the Hotel Atrium Bar.


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## tesseract (Aug 9, 2010)

Capfest looks like a lot of fun. Looking forward to your coverage, Todd.


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## Todd Anderson (Jul 24, 2009)

If you're planning on attending the Capital Audiofest, then take a moment to hear Wireworld Cable Technology's founder, David Salz, demonstrate audible differences between cables and watch him use the "Cable Polograph" (a procedure that objectively tests cables).

Saturday August 29, 11AM on the third floor.

Hope to see you there.


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