Cutsie-Ootsie lil_doosey!
But the Cutest Amp of Show Award has to go to Mass Fidelity's "lil_doosey." You see? It's even cute about how it spells its name. You gotta love that.
SSI 2009
Ben Webster & Alex Williams
Meet Mass Fidelity's Benjamin Webster. Ben's lil_doosey monoblock amplifier is making its world debut here at SSI 2009.
The Nordost Difference
I am led by the sound of intricate rhythms and interesting textures, and I find myself in the Audio">http://www.audio-occasion.qc.ca/">Audio D'Occasion suite, where Radiohead's Amnesiac is ripping into a pair of Thiel CS3.7 floorstanders, sending the speaker's impressive corrugated drivers into a mad dance. I take a seat.
Aux 33 Tours
Montreal's finest vinyl record shop (according to them, l-r): Simon, Pierre, and Tony. Aux 33 Tours has been operating for two years at its present location: 1379 Mont Royal Est, right here in beautiful Montreal. Owner Pierre Markotanyos had collected vinyl for more than 10 years before deciding to open his own shop. The store now carries approximately 80% vinyl, and has a healthy clientele.
Vinyl Lovers
A large and constant crowd surrounded the bins at the Aux 33 Tours booth. Men, women, and children were all diving in, happily.
Shure SE115 earphones
Shure's public relations representative, Monica Moufrage, explains that the new SE115 earphones ($139) replace the company's popular SE110, and come in four great colors: black, (sort of) red, blue, and (definitely) pink.
Pretty in Pink
Isn't she?
Salon Son & Image, Day 1
It is just about as beautiful a day as you can imagine. You can see both the sun and the moon in this clear, blue sky. It is the kind of day that you hope for throughout the cold, winter months.
Totem Wind Design
Totem's Vince Bruzzese was happy to tell me about the Wind Design, an enhanced version of the company's flagship floorstander. It uses a "skid plate" decoupling system with a front "claw" which is user-adjustable to complement the phase interactions between the speaker and various associated electronics. Totem strives to create loudspeakers that will mate happily with all sorts of associated equipment, and today they were making music with an Arcam FMJ disc player and Bryston amplification.
Monitor Audio PL200
Monitor Audio's Sheldon Ginn is very excited about the company's new PL200 loudspeaker ($8000/pair). This attractive floorstander fills the gap between Monitor's PL100 bookshelf and the much bulkier PL300 floorstander, and uses a three-driver configuration with a ribbon tweeter. It's available in ebony, rosewood, and piano black finishes, and boasts a real leather front baffle.