WASHINGTON DC (PTA) — Most of the things I love about attending an audio show seldom have anything to do with audio. As for Capital Audiofest 2019, it has proven itself to be one of the most exhilarating and welcoming audio shows in America. This year especially, CAF 2019 pulled in a record crowd of exhibitors and attendees from around the globe.

Capital Audiofest 2019 brought to you in part by Verdant Audio!

From what seemed like sunrise to sunset, and those dark hours in between, this festival of sound was equal parts “High-End Audio Show” and “Dinner Club.” Invigorating the mind and inspiring the soul, it is definitely the people who make up the American audio show circuit that keep me returning for more.

ES000754 — Damon Von Schweikert – CEO of Von Schweikert Audio

The Components

Contained within this report is a photographic narrative that conveys a typical show going experience that resides outside of the scheduled show hours and labeled exhibiting spaces. Here the social aspect of an audio show is broken down into its five most fundamental components.

The Conversation

There will always be members of the audiophile community (or industry) who revel in diving into the meaning of the things we audiophiles: do, lust for, and hope to be. I am one of them, and I am not alone. Frequently at audio shows there are numerous opportunities to engage with the audiophile community’s deepest thinkers, and to do so in a higher concentration compared to that of the general public.

The Hallways

Surrogate meeting spaces for those on the move. In between the listening exhibits we share our time, our interests, and sometimes even our bourbon.

The Food

Did I mention, we eat? Not to make this article too personal, but I gain weight at shows. The audio shows would be nothing without the required nutrition and alcoholic beverages necessary to keep the audio show wheels turning.

The After-Party

You knew it was coming — as the old adage says — “You must work hard, to play hard.” At the end of a full calendar, the exhibitors, press, and regular attendees work hard to create the atmosphere required for one to recoil from the high-end audio industry’s professional demands.

The Coffee

As any after-party’er knows, there is a requisite “three cups” of coffee at breakfast the following morning after a failed attempt at what was supposed to be a night in and taken easy.