In spite of the
fact that James Tanner had not put up the "Free Beer" sign I recommended,
I stumbled into the Bryston room
and collapsed into a directors' chair in the sweet spot next to him. Music
filled the room with a huge soundscape emanating from a pair of Model T
Signature passive floorstanders ($8495CDN with the external crossovers on the
floor behind them, $7495 with internal crossovers) driven by their 7Bsst
monoblocks that are good for 600 watts into 8 Ohms. Big, bold and transparent
music that was on the other end of the teeter-totter from the sound of the
Sony speakers mentioned above. Much more dynamic and transparent, and only a
little less focused—a tradeoff I'd gladly accept. More like "being
there" and less like listening to a pristine recording. I was so engaged
with Dire Straits I forgot to take photos of them.
Later, I
enquired about Bryston's shift toward being more consumer oriented in recent
years. For a long time it was rare to even see a Bryston amp at a high end
show. Mr. Tanner explained that in earlier times they were more pro-audio
oriented, with much of their gear going to touring musicians. With the advent
of lighter gear, the touring market became a lot less lucrative for them,
though they are still strong in the recording industry. Consequently, they
shifted their focus onto the high end consumer and have been presenting their
electronics at shows on a regular basis, as well developing a line of speakers
at a very fast pace.
New at this show
was their Model A Subwoofer with opposing 10" long throw drivers powered by
an internal 400 watt amplifier for $2000/$1895 with vinyl finish. It has a
lower profile than their vertically aligned Model T subs for those who need a
less conspicuous design. They will have to send me a pair if they want me to
comment on its authority. Also introduced at an estimated price of $3295CDN
was the BDA3 DAC with 32bit and DSD capability.
Canadian
Exhibit And Head Zone
I drifted over
to the Canadian Exhibit and Head Zone to browse and wait for Mark to get back
together with me. Tri-Art Audio
had a pair of speakers on display in a couple of areas. Seen here was the
3-Open model that looks like a two-way open baffle miniature version of the
5-Open model seen upstairs, but like the first one, this too has a tiny
super-tweeter between the dome tweeter and mid/bass. Only a single capacitor
is used on the tweeter which probably results in a very transparent sound. In
a more modest size room, this would probably mate very well with a powered
subwoofer or two. Next to it is a box design on a small Plyboo stand for
desktop applications and here, too, a super-tweeter is employed. Both models
from their Bam Bam series go for a reasonable $1600CDN and both use the same
super-tweeter and silk dome tweeter. A smaller bass box for table top use and
woofer box for listening room use are available for the box monitor shown
here. A tip of the hat to Simon Ginsberg of Tri-Art Audio for sorting this out
for me.
This innocent
looking stack of hardware next to the Grado
Statement Headphones comes from Meridian,
more widely known for their cutting edge digital based electronics and
loudspeakers. On top is their new Prime Headphone Amplifier ($2699CDN) with
two 1/4" jacks and inputs for analog and USB sources. It's an analog amp
that can also serve as a preamp should you also want to drive a power amp or
active speakers directly. Below it is the Prime Power Supply ($1749CDN) that
will enhance the performance of the Prime Headphone Amplifier, or other low
voltage USB devices. I had a chance to compare both the wood bodied Grado
Statement headphones ($1299CDN) and the Grado Professional Series metal bodied
PS1000e model ($2200CDN). Go with the stainless steel Professional model if
you're getting paid to listen critically to music; buy the wood bodied
Statement if you want to enjoy the music at home. That's the bottom line.
I've had more
than my share of Triode Lab tube amplifiers to review in the past two years
and I've enjoyed every one of them, though I do have my preferences. Since
they are mostly low-power amps, you need to use them with efficient
loudspeakers, but when you get the right combination, they really sing. One of
my favorites was a 2A3 stereo integrated so it was with much delight that I
spotted the world premiere of the 2A3 Mono Blocks—FFX version ($5999USD)
with white decks filled with the superlative Hashimoto transformers. The
elegance of the design lies in its simplicity and use of color. Knowing what
I've learned from their previous models I can give this one a rave review
just by looking at it.
As the show
wound down after 6pm the ducks in the wilderness at the Bonaventure began to
bed down for the night. Mark and I adjourned to a party where Sarah Tremblay
was given the Golden Duck Award for her years of dedication and service to the
show. Words were spoken in French to the effect of her being calm above the
surface of the water while paddling furiously below the surface to get things
done.
Mark and I hiked
over to St. Hubert's at the train station for some fine Canadian chicken. I
ordered a cut up chicken that was supposed to be their specialty. When it
arrived, it looked like the chef must have been a protégé of John Belushi.
To put it politely, it was on the dry side. Mark made out much better with a
plate of wings. Next year I pack some wings from my local Country Sweet
chicken shack in a cooler with a mix of medium and hot sauce. Back at the
hotel we tried to get to our email in the business office suite, but all the
internet instructions were in French. Up in the room I tried to finds some
Elite Eight NCAA basketball on the tele but the closest I got was hockey,
curling, and more hockey. Does anybody
play basketball in Canada? All in all, it made for a good night's sleep,
turning in early, as there was much more to come in the big rooms down the
escalator on Sunday.
Stay tuned for
more.
---> Salon Son & Image
2015 part 4 show report page.
High-Performance Audio Reviews
