CAS 2024 – HiFi Highlights and Best Of Show

We were able to take a quick trip across the Bay to Emeryville last month. The sonic delights on display did not disappoint at the California Audio Show that is back after a short break due to the pandemic. It was the first time we were able to attend if a few years, and even though the show wasn’t the biggest audio event we’ve attended so far this year, the attitudes and audiophile joy was easy to spot among attendees.

If you would like to hear the entirety of our impressions from the show, check out The Occasional Podcast this week for room-by-room analysis of some stellar rigs and acoustic accoutrement. You can hear that live recording from CAS 2024 in the embed below or downloaded from your favorite podcast platform.

Sound Lab Electrostat, Dr. Vinyl and MA Recordings

This room featuring huge electrostatic panels from Sound Lab was quite a draw on the first floor. Located across from registration, the setup managed great sound in unfamiliar surroundings, but the room dividers themselves were really efficient at containing bleed from room-to-room so the music wasn’t blasting out into the hallways and disturbing other attendees. Inside the room, sound was big, detailed and everything you might have come to expect from a huge panel.

Audience AV ClairAudient 1+1 v5 mini-monitors

The smallest (and probably least expensive) speakers at the show were these 1+1 v5 mini monitors from Audience. The sound was also big for the size, and didn’t seem to strain to keep the room filled with music. On Saturday, CAS 2024 attendance picked up a bit and standing room only was the case in a few of my visits to this room. I finally got a chance to listen unencumbered later in the day and things were both authoritative and dynamic from the tiny speakers.

Gestalt Audio with Wolf von Langa speakers and the Lotus Group

These Wolf von Langa speakers with a field coil design full range speaker atop the sub cabinet provided one of the two “high end” sounds at the show for me. The side suites on the top floors feature a bigger square footage and sweeping views from the window of the San Francisco Bay. Despite all the glass reflections, the room runners managed to produce some of the best overall sonics at the California Audio Show 2024. The music in this space was clear, dimensional and tight.

Clarisys Piccolo Ribbon Speaker and Westminster Lab

These blue beauties remind me of a sailboat, but their sound from the flat panels was smooth sailing. Powered by Westminster Lab amplification, the system was high fidelity in some of the best terms. Most of the rooms were pumping out IRL media, in the form of either CD or vinyl. The compact disc was source of choice for most of the times I visited the Clarisys Ribbon speaker and it delivered in a way that made me feel a little sad about giving up my big folder of CD’s last year that I had been hauling around since the 90s.

Overall it was a fun show, and I was able to see every room with as much time as I wanted to spend. It could be said, I’m actually pretty excited for the show to come back next year, as most of the attendees I spoke with were happy just to have something to visit in real life. There isn’t as much big speaker energy up in the Bay Area as one might expect with all the disposable income available to feed the market. So, any extra exposure to the high end and HiFi in general is most welcome.

The Occasional Podcast | CAS 2024 YouTube Coverage | More Written Coverage On PTA