Montreal Audiofest 2024

ArtistCloner is one of those audio manufacturers, like Audio Note, making complete systems from cabling to speakers to power conditioners. Its designs stem from one person's singular vision.

At ArtistCloner, that one person is Sylvio Comtois, proprietor and product designer and an inveterate engineer known to spend nearly every waking moment—and even moments in his sleep when he wakes up with a design idea—thinking about audio.

That commitment has led ArtistCloner to build some of the consistently best-sounding equipment I've heard at the Toronto or Montreal audio shows. This year's presentation included a nautical theme to go along with, I assume, the look of the company's Mekanika loudspeakers ($28,500/pair) being launched at the show. The speakers had a nautical-steampunk vibe. They were gorgeous to behold in person.

The rest of the system included a pair of solid-state Coleo monoblocks ($9000 each), a tube-based Luceo preamplifier ($8000), a Pteros V4 power conditioner ($4800), and several of the company's cables and cable lifters (several prices).

On a variety of FLAC files streamed from a tablet, the music sounded voluptuous, grand-scaled, expansive, multi-toned, multi-layered, rhythmically pulsating, and tight, with images that were fully formed and anchored (or spinning) solidly in space. Above all, the music was invariably emotionally engaging.

I witnessed a funny moment at the hotel restaurant: Quebec cellist Vincent Bélanger bumped into Sylvio and pleaded with him not to clone him.

All ArtistCloner products are made in Canada.