Salon Audio Montréal Audiofest 2023 Show Report
Canada's Salon Audio Montréal Audiofest 2023 Event Coverage

  The Salon Audio Montreal Audiofest 2023, scheduled from March 24th through 26th, brought in more than 5000 visitors who want to hear, see and touch over 300 brands of audio products under one roof. It's the biggest get-together of audio/video industry manufacturers, distributors and retailers in Canada. Exhibitors are eager to share their passion for music with you by demonstrating some of the world's best sound systems from $5000 to $500,000.

Salon Audio Montréal Audiofest Show Report Part 1
Rick Becker's Montreal Chronicles 2023.
Report By Rick Becker
As in past years, I wandered through the Adirondack Mountains on the way to Montreal, where I found more ducks in the wilderness atop the Bonaventure Hotel than I saw within the Blue Line. Arriving before 10am on Saturday, it was not surprising to see a line to get into the show that stretched all the way back to the elevators. What was surprising was how crowded the rooms became as the day wore on. Friends in the industry greeted me as I swapped the RMA lanyard on my press pass for an orange Enjoy the Music.com lanyard that was standard issue at the recent Florida show. It almost felt like a college reunion — and rightly so. I've been coming to Montreal for a long time and it felt good to be back again.
---> Salon Audio Montréal Audiofest Show Report Part 1.

Salon Audio Montréal Audiofest Show Report Part 2
Rick Becker's Montreal Chronicles 2023 Show
Report By Rick Becker
Still on the main floor, we take the stairs at the end of the long hall, just past the ducks in the rooftop wilderness, to reach Level 2. The Kuzma Stabi R turntable with a built-in DC motor and non-flexible drive belt was fitted with the new Safir 9 tonearm with a sapphire arm (€20k for tonearm). Cutting-edge tonearms are now in a league of more than $20k USD. There was certainly plenty of resolution coming from this turntable which is machined from a block of solid aluminum. Frank told me that the Kuzma did an outstanding job of digging deep into the bottom end of his speakers and holding it tight. The bass was so natural sounding that I hadn't paid attention to it or expected it to be otherwise.
---> Salon Audio Montréal Audiofest Show Report Part 2.

Salon Audio Montréal Audiofest Show Report Part 3
The incredible industry banquet... sponsored by Enjoy the Music.com.
Report By Rick Becker
Saturday night a sold-out crowd of over 125 people in the industry gathered in the Ville Marie room at the Bonaventure for a gala banquet featuring a multi-genre French Canadian band for entertainment to go along with French Canadian cuisine. Before long I found myself with a camera in one hand and a glass of champagne in the other. As I milled around, people were being shammed into posing for photos with the Mistress of Ceremonies, drag queen Rainbow Drag. Some posed joyfully. Others, not so much. Before I knew what was happening, Sarah Tremblay was pushing me up onto the set.
---> Salon Audio Montréal Audiofest Show Report Part 3.

Salon Audio Montréal Audiofest Show Report Part 4
It's Sunday, let's take a look n' listen at the Lower Level.
Report By Rick Becker
The larger rooms at the Bonaventure are on the lower level, accessible by a long escalator, but first, I inspected the rooftop wilderness pond to make sure all the ducks were accounted for and none ended up on plates at the Industry Banquet. Near the top of the elevator, Anne Bisson insisted I wait until she finished her breakfast donut before I take her photo. Motet was set up with Fidelio recordings and LPs by Vincent Belanger and others at the bottom of the escalator. To the right of the elevators, the line was clearly too long for the Lamborghini Uber. Turning back in the other direction I found Isabeau Corriveau, a regular at shows these days.
---> Salon Audio Montreal Audiofest 2023 Show Report Part 4.

Salon Audio Montréal Audiofest Show Report Part 5
The Lower Level continued, plus Best Rooms and a post-show adventure!
Report By Rick Becker
Crossing over to the side with the Outremont and St. Laurent rooms, let’s wander down through the Outremont rooms heading toward the escalators. These rooms were larger than the Westmount (except for Outremont 1, hosting Yamaha again, which was larger than the other Outremont rooms), but not as large as the Montreal rooms and only about half the size of the St. Laurent rooms across the hall from them. Last year in this space Son Ultime wowed me with a McIntosh rig driving a pair of large Tannoy speakers. This time they brought in the McIntosh XRT1.1K floorstanding, four-way line array with 70 drivers. It is one step down from their flagship model.
---> Salon Audio Montréal Audiofest Show Report Part 5.

Show Video

Montréal Audiofest presented their 34th edition of its popular annual meeting at the Bonaventure Hotel in Montreal. Located in the heart of downtown Quebec, the recently renovated hotel will once again be transformed into a multitude of listening rooms to accommodate thousands of music lovers and nearly 100 exhibitors, representing more than 300 brands of products from the world of high-fidelity audio.

Focal Loudspeakers Immersive Sound Demonstration
As part of the show's acoustic performances, which is part of their educating program, included an immersive sound experience thanks to Focal loudspeakers. An intimate lounge allowed you to experiment "Live versus Recorded" performance in the same room and environment. A very unique chance to educate your ears. Don't miss this!

Live performance from Steve Hill, Give, Blue Bird, Mi'Gmafrica, etc plus a Dolby Atmos 7.2.4 demonstration.

Audiofilles
The Audiofilles were back for a fourth year, this group of women share the same passion for music and have discovered a new passion for the audio equipment that they want to share with you. Come to listen to their large music selection on their favorite audio system. They have a lot of surprises for you every day, from live performances to maybe a drink, from Classical music to Heavy Metal with everything in between.

Everyone is welcome to chill with the girls!

When
Friday, March 24th from 11am to 7pm
Saturday, March 25th from 10am to 6pm
Sunday, March 26th from 10am to 5pm

Where
Hotel Bonaventure Montreal
900 Rue De La Gauchetière O
Montréal, QC H5A 1E4

Currency Value
On March 17, 2023
$1 USD = 1.37 CAD
$1 CAD = $0.73 USD

Previous Salon Audio Montreal / Audiofest Reports
2022, 2019, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003, 2002, 2001, 2000, and 1999.