This is our first issue of the preview for Capital Audiofest 2026. Make sure to follow Hifi Chicken to help plan your trip.

Gryphon and Command Performance – Democracy Room

GRYPHON AND COMMAND PERFORMANCE HOST WORLD PREMIERES AT CAPITOL AUDIOFEST –Four New Gryphon Models Debut in Democracy Suite at CAF —

Rockville, MD—November 13, 2026: Gryphon Audio Designs, creator of The World’s Finest Audio Systems and Command Performance AV of Falls Church, VA, proudly announces the North American Show Debut of FOUR new Gryphon products. Courtesy of Command Performance, Gryphon returns to the Democracy Suite at 2026 Capitol Audiofest with a system sure to be a star of the show. Taking Center Stage will be Gryphon’s all-new Helios Preamplifier and Hyperion Class-A Power Amplifier. After a 14 years production run, our legendary Pandora Preamplifier and Mephisto Power Amplifier were replaced with these cutting-edge components.

Like Pandora, Helios is a true dual-mono component featuring two preamplifier channels and two Power Supply channels. For ease of installation, both power supply channels share one chassis (which remain separate back to the dual AC Power Cords) while both preamplifier channels occupy a second chassis. Gryphon’s Ultra-Performance Phono and DAC modules, developed for Helios and Diablo 333, offer sonic supremacy in space- and cost-saving form factors.

Gryphon Hyperion replaces Mephisto which, upon its introduction in 2012, was hailed as THE State-of-the-Art in Power Amplifier Technology. Building on the legacy of Mephisto and “World’s Best” performance of our flagship Apex, Hyperion offers a level of sound quality matched only by Apex. Delivering nearly 200 Pure Class-A watts into 8- Ohms, doubling into 4-Ohms and again into 2-Ohms, Hyperion can drive any speaker to sonic perfection

Gryphon’s Siren Phono Preamplifier and Black Diamond DLC Phono Cartridge will join JSikora’s flagship MAX SUPREME Turntable and KV MAX 12” Tonearm (Courtesy of Notable Audio Products) will comprise our World-Class Analog Playback System. Digital Playback will be accomplished with an Aurender N50 Music Server and MSB Cascade DAC.

As a special treat, Command Performance will also present a “REL Six Pack” of SIX S/850 subwoofers for the ultimate in low-frequency power and finesse. Marten Speakers, Transparent Audio Cable and a Gryphon PowerZone Power Optimizer will complete one of the most ambitious systems ever presented at a CAF. Command Performance Owner Jeff Fox is famous for his theme costumes, special events, surprise guests and great recordings, so please check-in at the Democracy Suite for the latest news.

About Gryphon: Gryphon Audio Designs ApS, manufacturer of Ultra-Luxe Audio Systems, was founded in 1985 by Flemming E. Rasmussen, whose artistic training resulted in products whose state-of-the-art technical performance are complemented by stunning visual design. It is one of the few brands that builds every component in the audio playback chain. Gryphon is distributed in more than 40 countries worldwide.

About Command Performance AV: Founded in 2007 by Jeff Fox, Command Performance is one of America’s premiere High End Audio Salons. Famous for their friendly, low-pressure service, Jeff and his team feature the world’s best products including Gryphon, J.Sikora, MSB, Innuos, HRS, Aidas, DeVore Fidelity

Bastanis & Hearken Audio – Room 741

New speakers from Bastanis, called the Katrin

We will be showing them off in Room #741 at CAF with some Trafomatic tube gear and a turntable from Jean Nantais. 

These speakers are dipoles, are 95db efficient, and are adaptable into most living spaces with the new “transition switch”. 

ALMA Audio & Neat Acoustics Room 845

Alongside Lindemann, Room 845 at Capital Audio Fest will also be home to Neat Acoustics this year, and we’d love for you to come hear them. Alma is now Neat’s sole representative in the United States, and CAF is the first show where we’ll present the brand in that role. Neat has been making loudspeakers by hand in Barnard Castle, County Durham, since 1989. Its founder, Bob Surgeoner, spent more than two decades as a working musician before he started designing speakers, and the company still finishes every design by listening, with measurements as a guide rather than the last word. What comes out of that is a line of slim, compact speakers with genuine bass and modest power needs. Hi-Fi+ put it well: Neat’s speakers are “designed almost solely by ear, listening to music rather than test-tones.” Two models will be playing, both introduced in 2026, never been shown in the US! Vito Classic, from $7,190/pair. Neat’s newest speaker now heads the Classic range. It revives a name from the 1990s, when the original Vito earned a loyal following. Inside its 7.5-inch-wide cabinet, an AMT tweeter and two bass-mid drivers each have a chamber of their own, in a 2.5-way layout rated from 22 Hz to 22 kHz. Iota Alpha II, from $2,890/pair.  At just under 18 inches tall, it fires its mid/bass driver upward and a bass driver downward, with a 2-inch EMIT planar magnetic tweeter on top. It’s one of the most distinctive designs Neat has made, and a long-standing favorite. Neat Acoustics Iota Alpha II Floorstanding Speakers $2,890.00 – $3,490.00 Neat Acoustics Vito Classic Floorstanding Speakers $7,190.00 – $7,990.00

Orchard Audio – Room 730

Orchard Audio Launches Its First Integrated Amplifier for $3000 atCapital Audiofest

November 4, 2026, Succasunna, New Jersey – Orchard Audio is announcing the launch of its newest high-performanceaudio solution: the Starkrimson 25 Integrated. Engineered for music lovers and audiophiles who demand uncompromising clarity, effortless power, and pristine detail, this new integrated stereo amplifier represents the culmination of OrchardAudio’s proprietary technology and design philosophy.

The Starkrimson 25 Integrated will make its official debut at Capital Audiofest (Nov 13–15). Show attendees will have the opportunity to hear the unit in action, and Orchard Audio will begin accepting orders for the amplifier shortly following the event.

At the heart of the Starkrimson 25 Integrated is Orchard Audio’s state-of-the-art (SOTA) Starkrimson 25 Gallium Nitride Megahertz (GaNM) amplifier technology. This architecture delivers 150W into 8Ω and 200W into 4Ω, while remaining completely stable down to 1-ohm to handle even the most demanding loudspeakers. To achieve exceptional channel separation and dynamic headroom, Orchard Audio designed it as a true dual-mono system, equipping each channel with its own dedicated 350W power supply.

To preserve every nuance of your audio source, volume control is handled by a precision stepped relay attenuator utilizingultra-low-noise Panasonic resistors. Combined with the power stage, the system delivers a wide overall gain adjustment range from -58.5 dB to +27.5 dB in 0.5 dB steps, ensuring optimal dynamic range and pristine channel matching across all volume levels.

Key Features & Specifications:

 Amplifier Technology: Orchard Audio’s Proprietary Starkrimson 25 GaNM
 Power Output: 150W RMS into 8Ω | 200W RMS into 4Ω (Stable down to 1Ω)
 Architecture: Dual-mono with separate 350W power supplies per channel
 Overall Gain Range: -58.5 dB to +27.5 dB (in 0.5 dB steps, preamplifier + power amplifier)
 Volume Control: Stepped relay attenuator with precision low-noise Panasonic resistors
 Stereo Inputs: 4 total (2 Balanced XLR, 2 Unbalanced RCA)
 Dimensions (W x D x H): 17″ x 10.5″ x 3.25″
 MSRP: $2,999.95

Whether you are connecting balanced high-end DACs or standard single-ended sources, the Starkrimson 25 Integrated features four stereo inputs (two XLR and two RCA) to integrate into your setup easily. Its sleek 17″ wide chassis fits comfortably into standard equipment racks while housing reference-grade performance inside.

Availability & Debut: The Starkrimson 25 Integrated will be debuted live at Capital Audiofest, November 13–15. Pre-orders will open onOrchard Audio’s website soon after the show at an MSRP of $2,999.95. For full technical measurements, detailed specifications, or show details, please visit orchardaudio.com.About Orchard Audio, LLC

Contact: Leonid (Leo) Ayzenshtatleo@orchardaudio.com

Orchard Audio is dedicated to designing and manufacturing boutique, high-performance audio equipment that deliverstrue-to-life sound reproduction. Grounded in rigorous engineering principles and hands-on audio design experience, Orchard Audio leverages modern technology such as Gallium Nitride (GaN) semiconductors and premium circuit design to bring listener-centric, high-fidelity audio products to music lovers worldwide.
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company/orchard-audio-llc

Audience – Room 703

Audience to Feature Its Ultimate-Performance Bellare Loudspeaker
Featuring TimeWave Full-Range Drivers at Capital Audiofest 2026

November 2, 2026 – At Capital Audiofest 2026, Audience will demonstrate its ultimate-performance Bellare loudspeaker. The full-range Bellare incorporates a number of Audience’s most recent and proprietary technologies, including the company’s full-range TimeWave drivers.

The Bellare (Italian/Latin for “beautiful”) will be demonstrated at Capital Audiofest 2026 in Room 703 at the Hilton Rockville in Rockville, Maryland, November 13 – 15, 2026. It’s earned accolades from The Absolute Sound, Positive Feedback, TONEAudio, and other prestigious publications. The Bellare features a number of refinements from the version presented at last year’s Capital Audiofest, to deliver an astonishing level of musical realism.

At the heart of Bellare’s extraordinary performance is its use of Audience’s proprietary high-resolution  TimeWave drivers. The dual TimeWave 3 wideband units cover the frequency range from 140 Hz through the midrange and treble – eliminating the need for a crossover or the need for different types of drivers for the midrange and high frequencies. This results in remarkable sonic coherence, tonal purity, and imaging, with excellent dispersion. There are no phase anomalies, discontinuities in frequency range, or disruptive changes in radiation pattern. The result is stunning spatiality with a wide, deep, soundstage performance in a wide variety of listening environments.

The bass below 140 Hz is handled by Bellare’s built-in 300-watt active bass module with DSP. These low frequencies are reproduced by a TimeWave 7 mid-woofer and side-mounted 10-inch low-frequency driver, both powered by a built-in 300-watt amplifier. The DSP provides automatic room correction and remote volume control. Because the bass is powered by the Bellare’s internal amplifier, the midrange and high frequencies are free to be driven by even lower-powered amplifiers such as Class A or single-ended tube amplifiers.

The Bellare is a loudspeaker that offers a seamless, natural musical presentation with remarkable spaciousness, presence, dynamic impact and tonal truthfulness. It is one of the finest loudspeakers ever produced by Audience – or anyone.

The Audience Bellare loudspeaker is currently available at a suggested US retail price of $39,000 per pair in bi-pole configuration, and $36,000/pair in monopole configuration.

Key Audience Bellare Loudspeaker Features:

• Identical TimeWave ultra-high-resolution 3-inch drivers provide seamless performance above 140 Hz with high-frequency extension to 42 kHz
• Wired throughout with proprietary Audience 6N OCC copper wire with Audience Auricap XO-PUR-CT capacitors
• Crossover-less design (above 140 Hz) preserves coherence, phase integrity, tonal purity and an ideal radiation pattern
• Built-in 300-watt bass module powers the woofer and TimeWave 7 mid-woofer
• DSP offers remote control of active room correction and volume
• Frequency response: -3 dB at 18 Hz and 22 kHz
• Output: 105 dB continuous without driver compression
• Smooth impedance with minimal phase shift for effortless amplifier control
• 88 dB sensitivity. Very easy to drive thanks to its well-behaved impedance curve and integrated bass augmentation system
• Nominal impedance of 8 ohms and does not drop below 3.5 ohms at 1 kHz
• Exceptionally smooth phase response
• Includes eight Stillpoints Ultra I S isolation footers

# # #

About Audience

Audience was formed in November 1997 by John McDonald and the late Richard Smith, as a design and production company focused on building the best possible audio and video equipment. To pass the Audience test, each product must truly make a significant contribution to the reproduction of audio and/or video. Audience offers loudspeakers, electronics, cables, power conditioners, high-resolution capacitors and the Auric Illuminator optical disk resolution enhancement.

Audience’s commitment is to develop the very best products possible, and the company is committed to unexcelled customer service and product support. All Audience cables have an unconditional lifetime warranty and power conditioners have a ten-year warranty. For more information visit www.audience-av.com.

VAC / Valve Amplification Company – Room – Potomac

VAC / Valve Amplification Company will be premiering their all new Master Phono Stage at the Capital Audiofest, November 13-15 in Rockville, Maryland.

The Master Phono circuitry and execution is inspired by the cost-no-object Statement Phono Stage. The Master features inputs for three cartridges, adjustable gain of 55 dB for MM and 79 dB for moving coil, variable MC loading, mono mode, both RCA and fully balanced outputs, and external power supply.

Pricing is identical to the Master Line Stage, and should not be confused with that product’s integral phono option.

The Master Phono Stage has entered production and is available to order.

At CAF 2026 you can see and hear the Master Phono Stage in the Potomac Room (with Magico, SAT, Lyra, and AudioQuest) and in the Now Listen Here exhibit.

For more information and/or photos please contact info@vac-amps.com

Pure Audio Project – Room 723

Chesky Audio – Room 859

We’re introducing our new LC1.2 Bookshelf Monitor and LC2.2 Reference Monitor, representing by far the most significant evolution of our loudspeakers since launching the company. Building on the success of our award-winning LC1 and LC2, we’ve taken everything that made the Chesky Audio sound so special and pushed it to an entirely new level.

Our goal was never to change the fundamental character of these speakers. We wanted to preserve the musicality, natural presentation, and engaging sound that earned Chesky Audio such wonderful praise, while making substantial advancements in performance, engineering, and craftsmanship.

One of the biggest developments is our new StrataMax™ cabinet technology, which evolved directly from the innovative 3D cabinet designs used in our original loudspeakers. Those original designs laid the foundation for our approach to enclosure engineering, and StrataMax™ takes that philosophy significantly further. Utilizing advanced multilayer construction with constrained-layer damping, the new cabinets are engineered to be exceptionally acoustically inert, minimizing unwanted resonances and coloration while allowing the drivers to perform with even greater precision.

Another major advancement is our completely new generation of drivers across both models. We’ve developed new bass/midrange drivers for the LC1.2 and LC2.2, both featuring massive cast baskets and significant advancements in their overall construction and performance. Each model also features a new tweeter with an integrated waveguide, further refining high-frequency resolution, detail, clarity, and dispersion.

We’re particularly proud of our entirely new passive radiator system, which has played a major role in advancing the low-frequency performance of both loudspeakers. Together with the new bass/midrange drivers and StrataMax™ cabinets, the redesigned system delivers considerably greater bass extension, authority, and control while maintaining the speed and musicality that have always been central to Chesky Audio designs.

Beyond the acoustic improvements, we’ve also taken a major step forward in fit, finish, and overall build quality. Both models now feature our beautiful new Satin Graphite finish, giving the speakers an exceptionally refined, elegant appearance that complements their distinctive design.

The LC1.2 also now incorporates the same premium aircraft-grade aluminum baffle design as the LC2.2, bringing the visual identity and build quality of our reference monitor to its compact sibling. The attention to detail throughout both loudspeakers is something we’re incredibly proud of, and I think the advances in craftsmanship are immediately apparent when you see them in person.

But above all, the most exciting aspect is their exceptional sound.

While the LC1.2 and LC2.2 retain the extraordinary sonic characteristics that made Chesky Audio so well received, the evolution in performance is substantial. Bass is deeper, tighter, and more controlled. Resolution and transparency have taken a major step forward, and imaging is even more precise and expansive. The overall presentation is effortless, natural, and immersive, while remaining unmistakably Chesky Audio.

And perhaps just as remarkable, we’ve accomplished all of this without increasing our prices.

• LC1.2 — $1,250 per pair
• LC2.2 — $2,000 per pair

We’ve invested an enormous amount of time and effort into this latest generation, and I genuinely believe these are the finest loudspeakers we’ve produced. The original LC1 and LC2 earned remarkable recognition from the audio community, and these new versions build directly on that foundation, taking their performance and refinement even further.

M101 Audio – Room 726

ModWright Instruments – Room 810

Perfect 8 – Room – Lincoln

Paradigm – Room 828

Stay tuned for more previews