Part 1: Montreal Audiofest Chronicles 2024
Show coverage of the 1200 hallway.
Montreal Audiofest 2024 Show Report By Rick Becker

Room 1226  Le Studio du Son, Galion Audio, And Forte Art et Musique

Perlisten floorstanders were sounding good here driven by a Java HiFi almost-all-in-one integrated amp that had garnered a Best Rooms recognition at Capital Audiofest last November. These art deco styled amps hail from New Zealand. I also noted a Richard Gray power conditioner beside the cabinet; something I haven't seen in a while.

Gallion amps were present such as the TS A20 power amp ($4395) which appears to be solid-state, and the tube amp in the room photo.

Room 1231  Brooklyn Audio, AURALiC, And Soltanus Acoustics

Nice music was coming from the large Soltanus Acoustics Virtuoso Mk II speakers ($25k). The speakers were driven by a Hegel H30A power amp ($24k) with a Zesto Audio Leto Ultra MK II preamp ($15,580) for control. The front end was an AURALiC Aries G2.2 streamer ($8200) with an AURALiC Vega G2.2 DAC ($10,700). A Synergistic Research Router ($3k) was sitting on a Synergistic Research Tranquility Base to the right of the rack. An AudioQuest Niagara 5000 power conditioner ($7500) along with an AudioQuest loom of Hurricane, Thunderbird, and Dragon cables were tying things together. The Quadraspire SVT rack was $3k. I am not normally a big fan of Hegel amplifiers, but in combination with the full-range electrostatic speakers, there was very good music here. I expect feeding the Hegel with a fine tube preamp from Zesto was also a magic combination.

On the floor, dwarfed by the speaker was a pair of AGD Audion monoblocks, the amp I use as my solid-state reference. This is the first time I've seen them in black and I must say I've never regretted spending extra for the polished version. Like the active system in this room, I get the most magic from this GaNFET Class D amp with a premium tube preamp, though I haven't auditioned the newest Alto Reference preamp from AGD.

In attendance here was Zoltan Mikovity, designer of the speakers from Serbia as well as the electrostatic Euridiche headphones ($4200) and Mezzoforte headphone amp ($5k) that were at the back of the room.

Room 1232  Laliberte Electronique

Outside of the Laliberte Electronique room where the hallway jogged right, the corner was filled with AudioQuest products along with passionate promoters.

Inside the room was a passionate promoter of the new Ultra Evolution speaker from SVS powered by an Accuphase integrated amp. It was more talk than music and with that big ported subwoofer in the middle, I suspected it might veer into home theater, so I ducked back into the hallway where I was able to get up close and personal with a handsome white pair of the Ultra Evolutions.

On silent display with one facing forward and one facing back, I got to see the rear-mounted drivers and ports. This could be a hot new entry-level to moderately priced speaker given its curved chassis that mimics Focal's and even Wilson's designs in an economical chassis. With SVS being so popularly priced, their room is constantly jammed with attendees as well as the multiple models of speakers they so heavily promote. A more telling review in a properly outfitted listening room will undoubtedly be forthcoming from many sources. I have to admit, this one looks pretty cool, especially in white, though that may not be the best choice for a home theater rig.

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