Command Performance AV; Focal, Naim, EAT – CAF 2018

This was by far my favourite budget system of Capital Audiofest 2018. If you consider it’s a complete system which includes Focal and Naim and clocks in at just a hair under $18K, if you don’t count in the component rack and audio cables.

When so much of the audio show can be a rattling cage full of systems with most individual components costing $20K alone, to see a more down to earth budgeted system at a show, is more than a breath of fresh air. It shows that someone, not naming names… Okay, Command Perfomance AV — who still understands the world we live in, and its inhabitants.

Upwardly mobile millennials take note, this system is not by any means a toy or less than reference quality in both sound and build quality. In fact, I can’t think of many systems here at CAF that carry the pedigree badging as well as the one assembled here by Command Performance AV.

Firstly the Naim Uniti Atom, a forty watt per channel all-in-one player / amplifier that I didn’t get a chance to hear. Secondly the Naim Uniti Nova, an eighty watt per channel all-in-one player / amplifier that I spent my time with listening, and enjoying it well. The Class-A/B power of the Nova was moving the Focal Kanto No.1 monitors quite well.

The Focal Kanto No.1 bookshelf speakers are to me a great direction for Focal, as in the past I often found their presentation to be a little too forward and bright for my taste. Here as with other Focal Kanto demonstrations I’ve been a party to, the Kanto series is still every bit as detailed as the Focal history demands, but with a more smooth and easy to swallow presentation at the upper frequencies.

The partnership of Focal and Naim was working well with digital, but when we switched over to the EAT turntable and Clearaudio Nano V2 phono stage, the spirit and movement of the system showed it was equally formidable as an all analog system. Command Performance AV, you’ve done well.

NAIM
– Uniti Atom – $3,295 USD
– Uniti Nova – $7,495 USD

Focal
– Kanto No.1 Standmount Speakers – $5,999 USD

EAT
– B-Sharp Turntable – $1,595 USD

Clearaudio
– Nano V2 Phono Stage – $495 USD

IsoTek
– EVO3 Aquarius Power Conditioner – $1,995 USD

Rack by SGR, Cables by Wireworld, and Acoustic Panels by Artnovion

by Eric Shook