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

Room 1235  Laliberte Electronique

In a second room across the hall, Laliberte Electronique was putting on a cable and power conditioner demonstration with Audioquest products for attendees. Particularly if you are a cable denier, you need to attend one of these to become enlightened about the importance of clean power and good/better/best cables. I was not familiar with this retailer but learned that the man getting down and dirty with the power conditioners was Mr. Laliberte himself, founder of the family-owned business in Levis, just south of Quebec. They have been in business since 1980 but this was apparently their first time at the Montreal show. They get a tip of my hat for putting on the cable demonstrations as this is a service that benefits the entire industry. Thanks for stepping up to the plate, Mr. Laliberte.

The above photo also reminds me that there were a lot more couples making the rounds at this show. And they were not just the typical older crowd. Lots of younger couples were in evidence, too. That's a good sign.

Room 1236  Essentia Technology

With a floor full of Q Acoustics speakers driven by a Norma integrated amp from Italy that has been a previous Best Rooms recipient at Axpona, I took more notice of the Edwards Audio turntables from Great Britain.

Above is a close-up of the one in the active rig.

This red one was an eye-catcher as I entered the room. Ignore the white rings on the tonearm. They were part of the packing to secure the tonearm.

At the back of the room was a trio of Kestrel Audio KT-100 turntables that come fitted with uni-pivot tonearms and plastic dust covers for $1299. This is a young British company that is new to me but there are reviews of this table online.

Room 1240  Passion Audio

A Wolf von Langa speaker was likely driven by a Fezz amplifier.

The Fezz banner touting the Equinox tube DAC 'empowered' by LampizatOr caught my eye and I doubled back into the room to take a closer look since I use a LampizatOr Amber 4 DAC as my reference.

Yes indeed, there was a tube visible through a glass portal on the top of the red DAC. Shown in Burning Red, it comes in seven colors for $3k USD. With optical, coax, and USB inputs, though it will not do DSD. It is interesting to see one Polish company working with another.

More Montreal Audiofest Coverage Coming Soon!
That's it for the rooms in the 1200 hallway. I'll turn the corner and come back with the rooms in the 1300 hallway in a few days. Keep checking back.

---> Onward to Rick's Montreal Audiofest 2024 show report part 2.

---> Back to the Montreal Audiofest 2024 show report homepage.