Part 1: Magical Music During The Montreal Audiofest 2025 High-End Audio Show
Starting our exploration of great sound at the Montreal show.
Montreal Audiofest 2025 Show Report By Rick Becker

1221   KR Audio, Primare, SB Acoustics, And Solen Inc.
I had been asked by Eunice Kron of KR Audio in the Czech Republic to keep an eye out for her tubes and amplifiers as I had reviewed several of them early on in my audio career and found them to be exceptionally good. Unfortunately, the Primare gear from Sweden was being used when I stopped by. On the top shelf was the Primare CD15 Prisma CD and Network player ($2900) with multi-room, multi-zone capability. Below that was a Fosi integrated amp. Next was the Primare PRE 35 Prisma preamplifier and network player ($7400) with a fully balanced preamp platform. And on the bottom shelf was the Primare A35.2 power amp ($5500) putting out 200 Wpc into 8 Ohms and twice that into 4 Ohms. It also bridges to 800 Watts at 8 Ohms and 500 Watts at 4 Ohms.

Speakers included the SB Sasandu TX Finale in white ($7900 in kit form), and the Solen Horizon ($2200 in kit form) featuring a full-range ScanSpeak driver on the front and a side-firing ScanSpeak woofer on the side. The stand-mounted monitor was a Solen Pure two-way ($1600 in kit form) with a silk dome tweeter. If you have the skills, these kits seem to be an affordable way to go. I've noted the acoustic treatment tiles from Artofix seen behind the speakers in previous reports. A set lists for $937, but I'm not sure how many tiles you get for that price. There are color options available.

Shown above is the KR Audio Kronzilla SXI integrated amp ($26,200) with the extraordinary KR T-1610 tube. Back in 2006, I reviewed the Kronzilla DX Monoblocks which outputted 100 Wpc in Class A. The integrated shown here, with only one tube per channel puts out 50 Watts in pure Class A with zero negative feedback. I certainly hope they demonstrated its performance at some point during the show.

On a shelf at the side of the room was a KR VA880 integrated amp ($8300), which was new to me. It puts out 50 Wpc in push-pull ultralinear Class AB1. In the boxes were one each of six different tubes produced by KR. These are all handmade by artisans using very hard glass and high vacuum machines, not mass-produced on automated equipment. On the left were a PX4 and 2A3, and on the right-hand box were a 300B Balloon and conventionally shaped 300B. In the center box were two that I couldn't identify from my photo, though I'm fairly certain they were not small signal tubes. While pricey, they are highly acclaimed by others and in my own limited experience.

1222    IsoAcoustics Inc.
As in previous shows, IsoAcoustics has set up pairs of identical speakers and used their special footers on one pair for comparison. It is most effective if you can do the switching yourself. Their popularity has been growing to the point that they now design footers and vibration technologies for specific speaker manufacturers. Marten in Sweden comes to mind. Other manufacturers have followed suit with different but also highly effective technologies. I prefer this approach to spikes, even on my joisted floor. It is well worth your time to experience this demonstration if you get the chance.

1227   Bliss Acoustics, Audionec, J. Sikora, Etsuro Urushi, And CSPort
In the Bliss Acoustics room, the Audionec Obi Max speakers were so intriguing people couldn't stay in their seats to listen to them. There were a lot of other goodies in this room besides the speakers, too.

Dragan Reljic of Bliss Acoustics in Ottawa was proud of this new design. At $41,500 they fall into the aspirational category for most people, but not out of reach for others. Notice the vertical black cylinders in the center of the speaker that carries over from the Bliss speakers we have loved at previous shows (and even in a room on the lower level here at Montreal.) A dynamic driver midrange and woofer in D'Appolito configuration are all in open-baffle format.

Many think you can't get good bass in an open baffle, but my experience is otherwise if you double up the woofers as was done here. Four other companies come to mind immediately. Note the textured backside of the woofer cones and the built-in rigidity on the backside of the baffle. Very tidy wiring, too.

While there were two turntables on display, the J. Sikora Standard Max ($31,500) with its KV9 Max tonearm ($16,450) is well known. Of greater interest was the CSPort TAT1M2 turntable ($42,950) that was also fitted with a J. Sikora unipivot tonearm. An Etsuro Urushi Cobalt cartridge ($6300) was listed, but I'm not sure that's what I was looking at in the photo above. It is rare to see a belt-drive turntable with a fishing line belt these days (though my Charisma Audio table has one.) The plinth and motor drive unit each sport three-point adjustable feet. I also noted the Modulum Fokus rack that starts over $6000.

Beneath the CSPort turntable was a CSPort C3EQM2B phono preamp ($17k) and to its right was a CSPort C3PR preamplifier ($25,750). Going down a level was a Nagra Classic DAC, and to the right were two small Nagra units that were possibly their Compact Phono Stage ($6900). Below the DAC was a Nagra Classic PSU (power supply unit, $21k). The unit in front of the racks was a CSPort GM70PA-C power amp ($30,500) that presumably used GM70 tubes.

Cabling was with the Luna Rouge series and WAY Cables.

While this rig comes home for around $300k, it doesn't come close to the larger Bliss room on the lower level. The seats in this room were all filled but unfortunately, there was as much conversation as music. As best I could tell it sounded pretty good.

---> Next Page.