Salon Audio Montreal / Audio Fest 2022 Show Report
Montreal Audiofest 2022 show report part 5.
Montreal Audio Fest 2022 Coverage By Rick Becker

Near the door to the LeClub room was an active rig with Nagra Classic series electronics fronted with an Aurender ACS10 Caching Music Server / Streamer with USB Output CD Ripper / Metadata Editor / Dual-HDD Storage / Library Manager and a mystery white component sitting next to it on the handsome Modulum racks.

Electricity was all passing through a Synergistic Research Powercell SX and, when playing, music was coming out of the blue Wilson Audio Sasha DAW speakers. (They really love their blue speakers in Quebec.)

Also on display, but inactive, was Nagra's new HD (High Definition) line with the preamp, DAC and power supply seen here. The new Nagra Reference Anniversary Turntable, scheduled for delivery in early 2022, must have run into supply chain issues. The photos of it on their website show it to be very attractive. The turntable on display was likely a Trans Rotor turntable that was standing in for the Nagra. The rack here was the new Arkitek style from Modulum Audio that I thought looked very handsome.

Looking sharp in their red and black chassis, three Fezz tube amps were hard to miss. The static front page of their website indicates Polish and British origin with some tubes being Electro Harmonix and Sovtek.

Clockwise from the front left corner was a black SME Model 12, a yellow Project turntable, a black record cleaning machine, a black Rega Planar P3 turntable, a black Rega Planar P8, and in the center a gorgeous Clearaudio Performance turntable.

From the left, we see an Audiovector speaker, a black ???, a Sonus Faber Olympica Nova speaker, and a console covered with Simaudio Moon gear.

The Load Out
Soon, boxes began to appear and that was my cue to leave. In looking back, the fact that this show happened at all was a huge success. Was it the best show ever? No, but it didn't need to be. Audiophiles are thirsty for the experience of new equipment that they have only read about over the past two years. Vendors and manufacturers are hungry for new customers, even as supply chains stretch delivery times and slow development of new products.

We were all a bit rusty. There was a dearth of literature, a lack of lists of products with prices in the rooms. Even a lack of personnel in many cases — that plus the fact that with masks on it was difficult to communicate with people. There was more noise in the rooms as people tried to talk. But this was not a disaster, just rough edges that need to be smoothed out in the future.

From everything I saw, the show organizers pulled everything off smoothly, without a hitch. This was, after all, not the first rodeo for Michele Plante and Sarah Tremblay and it was their home-field advantage. Moreover, we're playing in difficult times. Covid is not done with us. Nor is the world a calm and pleasant planet for many people these days. Many have suffered losses over the past two years.

I am also not happy with my own work here. I didn't take enough photos or make enough video notes about the rooms. I missed seeing some friends and brands I'd hoped would be there. I found it hard to concentrate on my writing with a war going on. I lost a pocket full of business cards from people I met. Thankfully, I was able to calm my inner critic. We've got the ball rolling again and Axpona is coming up later this month. It feels like the industry is moving once again.

As I pulled out of the parking garage at the Bonaventure and made three consecutive right turns I noticed a new skyscraper was going up. This time I got the camera to focus. Life will be good again, soon.

Be well, and as always... enjoy the music!

---> Back to main Salon Audio Montreal / Audio Fest 2022 Show Report.