Filtronique: Nagra, Wilson Audio, Modulum , Siltech
Remember in my first post when I said "How cool it would be if I'd turned into Alternate Rob with a half-million dollar system waiting for him at home?" Well, the system I encountered in one of Filtronique's rooms would fit the bill nicely.
Focal, Naim, Musical Fidelity
As is typical of their show setups, Focal Naim occupied a large, banquet-style room divvied up into different exhibits and active setups. How can you realistically gauge the sound of a demo while other demoes are playing in the background? The trick Focal Naim used, which worked like a charm, was to move our group among alternating demoes so that only one played at a time.
Gershman Acoustics, Eon Art, Oracle Audio, Reed, Cardas
Jacques Riendeau of Oracle Audio
I was running out of time.
Hearken Room: Graham Audio, Lejonklou, Yeti, Jean Nantais, Aidas, Cardas, Graham Engineering
What did the Hearken and Art et Son rooms have in common? The Graham Audio LS8.1 speakers ($13,300), so it probably shouldn't come as a surprise that I heard a similarly, though not identically, engaging intimacy in both systems' presentations, the kind that made me just want to relax in my seat and listen through whole albums.
Heaven 11 and Buchardt Audio
When I spotted—on a poster affixed to Heaven 11's exhibit room door—Charlton Heston as Moses (?) holding tubes in his arms instead of those famous stone plates, I knew going in I was in for something a little different. Visions of single-ended triodes were dancing in my head.
Le 34ième Montreal Audiofest
Sunny? Springy? Even more bizarre: No snow is predicted for the entire weekend, during the 34th Montreal Audiofest, which runs from March 24 to March 26.
Le Studio du Son Room
Making its North American premiere—perhaps its world premiere, according to Le Studio du Son's Olivier Fragman—was the Aperion Verus III Concert V8T Tower speaker ($5000/pair, the big ones in the photo above).
Lemay Audio: Dayton Wright, Tenor Audio, Baetis Audio, iFi Audio, Inakustik, Silversmith, Modulum Audio
Quebec-based Lemay Audio was one of my best sounds of the show. At its dizzying price, it should be. If its price makes your eyes glaze over at first glance, all is not lost. I'll get to that.
MoFi Distribution: Dr. Feickert, Thomas Schick, Koetsu, Whest, HiFi Rose, BAT, Isotek, SolidSteel, AudioQuest
Does anyone who's been in our audio hobbyist orbit for some time not know speaker designer Andrew Jones? Wouldn't it be funny to imagine that in alternate 'verses in the multiverse, Jones might be something other than a famous speaker designer? Perhaps a famous pianist in one 'verse, an accountant in another (footnote 1)?
Monitor Audio, Rotel Michi, Nordost
MartinLogan's Motion F200XT in the Planète Haute-Fidélité room wasn't the only speaker in town to employ a Heil Air Motion Transformer tweeter. So did Monitor Audio's 3-Way Platinum 300 3G (for 3rd generation) floorstander ($22,000).