20/20 Evolution Systems, Conrad-Johnson, Kharma Elegance, Kuzma, Aurender, Lampizator, Truitt Physics, Kimber Kable, Torus Power, Artesania Audio

20/20 Evolution Systems of Potomac, Maryland was showing one of the most impressive sounding systems at Capital Audio Fest 2021, featuring brands from Conrad-Johnson, Kharma Elegance, Kuzma, Aurender, Lampizator, Truitt Physics, Kimber Kable, Torus Power, and Artesania Audio.

The Story

Instantly I was drawn to the Kharma Exquisite Midi floorstanding loudspeakers. They are a four-way design, that features one of the best resonance control cabinet designs in the industry. Using high-pressure laminate construction, the damping of the enclosure is so tight as to almost render any vibration or leakage from the driver backwave into the listening space.

Driver compliment features a 1-inch Diamond Concave Tweeter, a 7-inch Kharma Omega-7 Midrange driver, and two 8-inch Kevlar Nomex woofers. Rated at 90 db 1w/1m efficient, they still love power with a suggested RMS rating of 250 watts per side, with 500 watts at the peaks. Presenting a 4-Ohm load to amplifiers, and covering the frequency band from 23 Hz all the way up to 90 kHz. Amazing.

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The concave Diamond tweeter is standard in the Kharma Exquisite Collection. The tweeters have a diamond cone which have been realised by CVD process. This process incredible stiffness is reached with a minimum of thickness of only 50 μm (within the range of a human hair). The cone is the most essential part of the tweeter and because this cone is made of Diamond the tweeter is capable to create impressively pure high frequencies.

Also showing was a Truitt Physics cable debut, but for more information on that product, contact 20/20 Evolutions Systems directly.

The Sound

I haven’t heard Conrad-Johnson like this in a long time, or possibly ever. It’s been a while since I’ve seen a system of this magnitude and detail, helmed by a gaggle of C-J tube gear. Can it do it? Hell yeah it can. This was easily one of the most impressively full-range, transparent, and clean sounding rooms at the show.

The Kharma speakers were definitely giving some of the brightest stars in the industry a run for their money in top-end elegance and control. Undoubtedly an ultra high-end sound. Probably as equally impressive was the relative affordability of all the sources used. As our own Grover Neville would say, “think of amps and speakers in one sphere, thinks of sources and preamplifiers in another sphere.” He’s right.