Dallas Southwest Audio Fest – Day 1

Michael Broughton writes about his experience at the Dallas SWAF audio show. He was showcasing music supplied from NativeDSD in collaboration with Locrian Audio.
Dallas SWAF | March 15 – 17, 2024

Read also ‘Preparing for Dallas Southwest Audio Fest (SWAF)’

So it begins: day one of the Dallas SWAF. I keep talking about the need for pre-planning, today that planning paid off. We had loaded all the equipment in our vehicle on Wednesday the day before. Thursday today is setup day we arrive early in the morning, to early my eyes were telling me as they were nothing more than slits allowing in just enough light for me to navigate. 

Basile and my other compatriots were beginning to stare at me. It appears I have been growling and grumbling about the uncivilized hours, the wisdom of my decision making powers and no coffee in this early morning wasteland.

 A few hours later and many exhausting trips up and down the tower elevators at the Anatole/Hilton where our listening room 1239 is located we have everything in the room. Stage one complete.

First the placement of the LiveVibe platform racks and brass. Those lovely looking pieces of jewelry that work so well in supporting the audio system and allowing the music to flow freely through the equipment. Trust me when I say you would do well to become one of the LiveVibe Tribe.

The Accuphase pieces are installed in the LiveVibe rack followed by the Ypsilon preamp. Then comes the Emm labs Dac and streamer. In goes the Thales turntable we do a temporary placement of the German Physiks speakers, make the connections with Fm acoustic cables, power up and Ha! Voilà we have music.

It’s exactly 12:00 noon the rest of the audio hordes that haven’t even arrived and are left in the the proverbial sonic dust. Now begins the burn in of the system. All of these components will stay on, cooking so to speak until the end of the show.

The Rembrandt Trio. A wind invisible sweeps us through the world. As this music slowly gains one’s full attention the mind is filled with the hope of new life, as with the rose when it first blooms. Any thing is possible in this new fresh world.