One of the “high-end” sounds of the California Audio Show in Emeryville was a well stocked room hosted by Gestalt Audio and the Lotus Group. The Wolf von Langa speakers were a fun sight to see, and managed to really pump out the jams all weekend long.

The open back, full range driver assembly was one of a kind at the show, and the creative selection of CD and vinyl options made for a good time and a fair demonstration of the system’s capabilities. With the exception of the Audience AV room, most of the speakers at CAS 2024 were somewhat aspirational in nature (financially speaking). The goods news for most of the rooms (Gestalt/Lotus included) was that a high end performance was provided equal footing for the high price tag.

A range of female vocals and somewhat typical audiophile tracks provided plenty of information to evaluate the sonic retrieval capabilities of the system, and none of them disappointed. Upon my return on Saturday, a track with a collection of bells and chimes pushed for attention towards “great spatial cues” and the like. Not a favorite show trick of mine, but the message was received loud and clear. A heaping teaspoon full of airy top end paired with an ever-reaching soundstage could to be heard, even with a full wall of glass windows on the right side to deal with. The sonic might and control was easy to lose yourself in. Perhaps with a bit more time and less crowds I would have steered the playlist a bit more in my direction, but Saturday at the show proved to be quite packed in the few rooms available to view and I didn’t take up more time than necessary with all the kerfuffle.

The “London” speaker by Wolf von Langa ($65k/pair) here along with Audio Note’s AN-E-SPx at the show both represented a field coil design and both were dressed to impress. The full range atop the open back sub module offered both ample eye candy along with a lot of welcome audiophile design curiosities. But the grand sum here was sharp control, impressive bass and a dollop of tasty tones.

Complementing the London on the front end was a SW1X Audio Design AMP V “Titan” SP DHT integrated amplifier, VDT IV valve digital transport player and music streamer along with Pranawire cables.

More CAS 2024 coverage can be found here, along with room-by-room video impressions available on our YouTube channel, FB and TikTok feeds.