Chuck's Capital Audiofest 2025 Review: The Most Memorable Must-Hear System Demos And Stereo Setups
Inside CAF 2025's best demos with new gear, listening notes, and a few surprise standouts!
Capital Audiofest 2025 Show Report By Chuck Bruce
"Please allow me to be the first to congratulate you on earning EnjoyTheMusic.com's
prestigious Best Of Capital Audiofest 2025 Blue Note Award. We'll be featuring our
CAF 2025 Awards announcement within our January 2026 Review Magazine." -Steve Rochlin,
Enjoy The Music.
Nola Baby Grand Reference Gold 3 open-baffle floorstanders with VAC
vacuum tube amplification was one of the show's most musically
engaging demos. Featuring the Nola Baby Grand Reference Gold 3
floorstanding speakers in an open-baffle configuration, their midrange
/ tweeter section used an open-baffle design with four true ribbon
tweeters arranged for wide dispersion and ultra-low distortion,
contributing to a quoted system sensitivity of 91dB/W/m, making them
exceptionally easy to drive.
The open baffle allowed natural room interaction and a lifelike
midrange presence. Line-stage duties were handled by a VAC Essence
preamplifier, while disc playback came from an Audio Research CD-8
transport. Power amplification was supplied by a pair of Western
Electric 97A monoblocks, each delivering 80 Watts and populated with
multiple 300B tubes per channel for a rich, tube-driven output stage;
inputs supported both RCA and balanced connections. The chain
emphasized tube harmonic richness with precise control.
This system produced an exceptionally accurate and engaging musical
presentation: the open-baffle midrange was transparent and immediate,
ribbons delivered silk-smooth highs with micro-detail, and the high
sensitivity allowed the 300B-powered monoblocks to render dynamics
with natural ease. Imaging was expansive and three-dimensional, with a
palpable sense of air and decay around instruments. It was a deeply
memorable listening experience that combined refinement, authority,
and emotional immediacy.
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