Pro Design Audio
in Quebec works in wood to build effective diffusers and equipment racks that
appeared to be of very good construction. Multiple colors are achieved by
using oil, not varnish, on different species of wood.
At the BIS Audio
table I took a close look at their cables and discovered this novel way to use
a single cable to attach to a speaker that is set up for bi-wiring.
Wandering back into the hall I finally connected with Steven
Huang of Audio Sensibility in a quiet moment. He had sent me a sample of
his new Statement SE Silver digital cable ($229CDN) to compare with the
original Statement I have been using as my affordable reference. After running
it 24/7 for a week and giving it a listen with my compilation CD just before
coming to the show, I was happy to report that it seems to be a very
significant improvement. I'll be working it into a review in the future.
Other than that, the "new and good" at Audio Sensibility was a pair of
more affordable power distribution boxes. The first is a six outlet box with
Japanese phosphor bronze receptacles wired with 14 gauge Ohno continuous cast
copper with Teflon insulation. Star wiring configuration gives each receptacle
current directly from the input so noise from one receptacle isn't passed on
to the others, just like in his more expensive boxes. The input is IEC,
allowing you to select the quality level of power cord you wish to connect to
the grid. Price is $289CDM (about $220US). A second box, (also star wired, has
only four receptacles, but includes a hard wired Impact SE power cable
($139CDN as a stand-alone cable) from his entry level Impact series. It goes
for $259CDN, or about $210US. The smaller box looks to be a good way to add
receptacles to a small power conditioner to connect components that are used
less often, or for a small entry level rig. While these boxes do not compare
with the fine machining of his more expensive units, I expect they get the job
done in a cost effective way. Steve was offering show special pricing on many
items, which continues through the end of the month on his website. I also
noted that they offer 10AWG Cryo-Treated Romex cable for those of you wishing
to install a dedicated line for your audio or video system. This is something
you definitely will not find at your local electrical supply store. I bought a
couple of sheets of ERS paper for some future projects from Steven and was
prepared to hit the road for home, but I noticed another room directly behind
his table that I had not visited.
It is embarrassing enough when you miss covering a big name
room at a show like I've done in the past with Bryston, and once I missed an
entire hallway in a rather confusing hotel floor plan. But this last room, the
salon Mont-Royal, was very big. Like with a $450,000 rig comprised of some of
the very best brands in Canada. The front ends were not one, but both
turntables from Kronos. First, there was the world premiere of the Kronos Pro,
which is an upgrade of the original with two new motors, and then the more
spartan sibling, Sparta. No point in mincing words here. These are two of the
greatest turntables available in the world today with their suspended,
counter-rotating platters. The Sparta sells for something around $21,500
without arm, and people who buy the Pro don't need to know what the price
is – only that it is a bargain compared to the competition at its performance
level. The finely crafted tonearms on the tables (12" on the Pro, 9" on
the Sparta) appeared to be those of Andre Theriault of Montreal, a carbon
fiber uni-pivot design using a ball and cup design rather than a balancing
point. The cartridges were a ZYX
UNIverse II on the Kronos Pro and an Ikeda
Kai on the Sparta. The Ikeda Kai is the flagship of their line, selling for
around $10,000 and it was an honor to be able to hear it in such a fine
system. The UNIverse II is likewise the flagship of the ZYX line and sells for
around $8500. It has been very favorably reviewed, and again, a privilege to
be able to hear it. So that was the front end.
The electronics in Mont-Royal were all by Tenor
Audio with their signature wood faceplates. First was their new
phono stage, Phono 1 ($50,000), which featured a very informative window on
front. Their Line 1/Power 1 ($100,000) is a completely dual-mono unit with
separate power supply. And finally, the world premiere of their 350HP
monoblocks rated at 500 watts into 8 Ohms ($125,000/pair) that can put out
1500 watts into 2 Ohms. (A 175 wpc stereo version of this amp is also
available.) This large amount of power was necessary to drive the passive
version of the Muraudio Domain
Omni PX1 ESL ($65,000), a hybrid speaker with omni-directional electrostatic
drivers handling the signal above 450Hz and three opposing 10" bass drivers
below. I've heard this speaker at Canadian shows since its introduction in
both active and passive forms now and this is the best it has ever been,
finally achieving a rig capable of supporting it, and in a room that was
perfectly set up for its size. I think the massive amount of power
distribution (and conditioning?) that went on behind the Solid
Rack ($1950) also played a significant role, as well as the Kubala-Sosna
Elation cabling which was used all around. In fact, I didn't pay much
attention to the equipment at all because the music was so incredible. I
don't usually make a call on the very best room at a show because the room
itself is a big factor in what kind of sound can be achieved by any given rig.
With rooms (and neighboring rooms) of different sizes and playing at different
volume levels, the playing field is never level. It is hard to imagine music
sounding much better in this room than what I heard this year. It was a big
room and it was very well set up; obviously one of the very Best
Rooms at this, or any other show I've been to. The music moved
me.
It is not often that you get to hear phono cartridges in
this price range at shows and I relished the reality they presented with inner
detail, timbre, transparency and dynamics that made the leap from recorded
music to live presentation a very simple fantasy. I've never had the luxury
to put together a system with such excellence in each component, but maybe it
gets easier to do in this price league.
Louis Desjardins, who knows of my tinkering in turntable
design, treated me to a demonstration of the effectiveness of the counter
rotating platters in his Kronos turntables. He put on a mono recording of
Louis Armstrong that is frequently played at shows. There was a holographic,
three-dimensional soundstage between the speakers that measured about 30
degrees between my outstretched arms that encompassed it. Louis then
disengaged the lower, counter-rotating platter so only the top platter
rotated. With the same music, the soundstage collapsed to about a five degree
angle. Essentially, my arms were pointing straight ahead. When he re-engaged
the lower platter the monaural soundstage expanded to its original width. Of
course with a stereo record the soundstage expands even further, often beyond
the width of the speakers, but the experiment suggests that even more accurate
holographic imagery is achieved with the counter-rotating platter when stereo
recordings are played. It was clearly one of those phenomena that you didn't
know existed until you were exposed to it, and then it was taken away. It's
kind of like our knowledge of the universe. Not only are there things about it
that we don't know (and are trying to find out), but there are also things
about it that we don't know we don't know (and hence we are not even
looking for an answer). I'm a firm believer in the benefit of
counter-rotating platters and suspended turntables. I just hope the technology
trickles down to a more affordable design without losing the benefit it offers
in the Kronos tables.
With just a few minutes before the end of the show I finally
found the doors to the Meridian room open. I had doubled back to their room
several times at the top of the hour but their scripted presentations seemed
to run over and the door was closed. It is well known that they are on the
cutting edge of digital playback and the people who were lucky enough to
experience their presentation were undoubtedly treated to an impressive show.
Hopefully another reporter has sung their praise this time around. And
hopefully I will catch up with them next time around.
Some
Closing Thoughts
With the increasing competition for the time and money of
manufacturers and distributors, this year's show was less spectacular in the
measure of high-priced gear on display, but I sensed an increase in positive
energy among the presenters and the visitors. Particularly the visitors whose
demographic trended younger this year with a small but noticeable increase in
women attending. Let's hope the demographic shift continues and more young
people achieve sufficient prosperity to explore this hobby and truly savor
their chosen music.
And finally, I'd like to publicly bid a fond farewell to
Sarah Tremblay who is leaving the Montreal show after many years of excellent
service; most recently as the on-the-scene director for the Chester Group who
is the organizer for this and the New York shows. Sarah has been most kind,
helpful and supportive for which I am deeply
grateful. So, with a virtual hug from afar, I wish you much success and
happiness on your next adventure in life.
---> Back to main Salon Son & Image
2015 Show report page.
High-Performance Audio Reviews
