Montreal Audiofest 2024

All prices in are Canadian dollars.

Soltanus Acoustics from Hungary and Brooklyn Audio from Nova Scotia [corrected] served up a seductive system consisting of a pair of electrostatic Soltanus Acoustics ESL Virtuoso Mkll speakers ($24,999/pair), an Auralic Aries G2.2 streamer ($8199), an Auralic Vega G2.2 DAC ($10,699), a Zesto Audio Leto Ultra Mkll preamplifier ($15,580), a mono/stereo Hegel H30A amplifier ($23,995), and a Synergistic Research router ($3000). Filling out the system were a variety of AudioQuest cables (various prices), an AudioQuest Niagara 5000 power conditioner ($7500), and a Quadraspire SVT audio rack ($3000).

FLAC files streamed from a hard drive delivered sound that was ultra transparent, harmonically luscious, emotionally engaging, and SET-like in its sense of intimacy and its focus on vocals and timbres. I like electrostats for their musical transparency, but this often comes at the expense of large-scale dynamics, top-end air, and impact compared to traditional box designs. Not this time. Not even a little bit.