Joseph Audio, Doshi Audio, Cardas Audio: Unleash The Kraken – RMAF 2017

by Eric Shook

My first favorite room of the Rocky Mountain Audio Fest.

For the first two days of RMAF, the Joseph Audio Pearl 3 ($31,500 USD) and Doshi Audio army of components, consisting of Doshi’s: The V3.0 Tape Stage ($16,995 USD), The V3.0 R/C Line Stage ($16,995 USD), and a pair of The V3.0 Monoblock Amplifiers ($29,995 USD) held the reigns of my favorite room at the show.

No other room at RMAF of equal size had the audible sense of space, depth, and imaging abilities of the Joseph / Doshi exhibit. This status remained true even after some new favorites muddied the decisive waters of my mind.

One and the other: Tape and Digital were both graceful, organic, and detail rich, when played through the Pearl 3s, which also presented a singular high-point for compelling bass timbre at the show. Nina Simone tracks I heard were of an intimacy so real and palpable, I felt a bit mournful at the juncture of witnessing her sorrow laden song. Impressive sure, but emotionally the moment was without a festival equal.

Manufacturers (or in this case master artisans of the craft) must wear many hats. Product designers, first and foremost. Then they must become “audiophile businessmen” (not enough of those in the industry), and finally great exhibitors of their product. This is a trio of talents rarely seen at audio shows. Many a room have one or two of the bases covered, but so rarely all three. High praises to both Nick Doshi and Jeff Joseph for creating more than just a demo, but an experience.