Part 6: The Lower Level, Montreal, And Westmount Rooms
Robots, high-end audio exhibition rooms, plus audiophile rock 'n' roll.
Montreal Audiofest 2025 Show Report By Rick Becker

W3   Kevro International
Monitor Audio makes a wide range of speakers that represent high value. I typically love visiting their room at shows, and I was not disappointed this year. The flagship Hyphn speaker is a standout in the $100k range. While the presentation here on Enjoy the Music.com / at the show was not as good as the Hyphn, the entire rig cost less than that loudspeaker alone.

The Gold Series 500 6G (6th Generation, $9.5k) has been getting very good press, though if you need more glamour, the Platinum Series just above it is even more refined. I applaud Kevro for stepping down to the Gold Series this year to appeal to a broader customer base. Stepping down even further in the Monitor line to the Silver or Bronze series is not to be ignored if you choose to live within your means.

The handsome Norstone rack here was filled with Michi components — the upscale line of the Rotel brand, which itself has been a highly respected brand since at least the 1970s in the U.S. On the top shelf was the Q5 Transport DAC ($8,500), the P5 Series 2 preamp ($6,500) with DAC, MM & MC phono stage, Bluetooth, Roon tested, and the controversial proprietary lossy MQA. The Michi S5 Stereo Power Amp ($10k), with 500 Wpc @ 8 Ohms, was on the floor between the speakers. A version of the Audience aR12 Adept Response power conditioner was on the bottom shelf, and Audience Front Row cables were used in this presentation.

The Michi Q5 Transport DAC ($8,500) was unique with a top-loading door that isolated the mechanism from outside noise.

The new Monitor Studio 89 speaker ($3k) that I heard alone, and with a Monitor Anthra W12 subwoofer ($3.8k) at the Toronto Audiofest in October, was on silent display outside the room. This is another desirable combination from Monitor that will likely receive rave reviews.

W4   Nordost
The Nordost door was locked when I came by. I expect they were in the middle of a cable comparison or another of the many, many video guy presentation — something we're seeing more of in recent years. I highly commend them for creating converts to the importance of cables and power conditioning. And I highly recommend fans of Enjoy the Music.com to invest the time to sit through a demonstration if you think cables are all the same. The lesson learned here will apply to most cable brands. It's a Good-Better-Best-OMG story.

W5   Atoll Electronique Canada, HiFiPRO, And Stable 33.33
Atoll Electronique from France has been making more upscale and appealing components this decade, so I was interested in visiting them. But it was Sylvain Pichette of Stable 33.33 turntables who excitedly shuffled me into the room and wanted to ensure Enjoy the Music.com had the details of his impressive stereo system. The rig looked like it was set up with premium Atoll electronics and the turntable on the top shelf, and an entry-level rig with a digital front end on the shelf below. The speakers were a smaller version of the Davis The Wall that I had seen in the Marchand Audio room in M6 earlier in Part 6.

I've been a fan of Sylvain's more massive, complex, and expensive turntable since we first met in Montreal in 2009, when he was still in his prototype stage. He was very proud of his new, more affordable Immuable turntable at $10k for both the arm and turntable. They are also available separately for $5k each.

The arm starts round at the bearing and becomes rectangular for most of its length up to the headshell. But inside, a round carbon fiber tube further isolates the tonearm cables. There is also a built-in VTA adjustment. The synchronous AC motor is in a separate pod positioned in a notched-out corner of the plinth. The motor is low torque, making it quiet, but you need to give the platter a slight push to get it going. He described the plinth as highly compressed paper and resin, known under the brand name of Formica, made in Canada. The drive belt is vulcanized polyethylene that is sanded down. The visible fused joint can be seen, but not felt. The round knobs at the front corners are for adjustable, vibration-absorbing footers to level the table.

I was so impressed, for Enjoy the Music.com I pulled out an LP with Dr. John and Ricki Lee Jones singing "Makin' Whoopie," which had great pace and rhythm on his new table. It sounds like a winner at a more affordable price than the massive, complex tables on the market today.

At the other end of the room was a rig featuring Final electrostatic speakers from the Netherlands that are distributed by Atoll Electronique Canada. The music was fast and clean as you would expect from an electrostatic speaker.

HiFiPro was the local dealer for Atoll in Montreal.

The Final electrostatic speakers are available in active, passive, and hybrid designs.

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