In short supply at the Montreal Show
were available recordings for purchase. Luckily stalwart Todd Garfinkle was on hand with a table full of his MA recordings in the Woo Room, catering to numerous formats from CDs to High Rez to vinyl pressings. Mike Sikini of Import-O-Son Record Shop was also showing a sampling of wares at his own table and in the Zone Personnel Audio there was one other table dedicated to difficult to find recordings but that was about it for traditional musical software in any variety or quantity. The live performing artists, including the lovely Anne Bisson, were selling their own material direct to the attendees at different tables. This was a clear indication of how much the software market has changed in recent years.




In likewise short supply was the 'Image' portion of the Salon Son & Image title but what was there was well done and worthwhile. One of the Sony rooms was demonstrating their remarkable ultra short-throw 4K front projector at $50'000. Operating from mere inches off the wall, it showed remarkable technical wizardry to achieve its huge clean picture without any aberrations or key stoning. Quebec Acoustique were showing another Sony product, a more traditional style $8'999 VPL-VW300-ES front projector in a very large room with a concert music video to full advantage, exhibiting rich deep blacks that would have been unheard of a few years back.


On the audio side of the equation were Golden Ear products, with the new Model Ones doing front channel duty with composed aplomb. The exhibitor even provided popcorn. Evolution Home Corp was very much concentrating on the audio end of advanced home theatre systems, demonstrating Definitive’s new upward-firing A60 add-on Atmos modules for the BP8060ST speakers. These are designed to address the playback requirements for the new more immersive Dolby Atmos format. Outside the main room was a rather impressive 2-channel wireless setup comprised of  the $7'000/pr Definitive Mythos ST-Ls, an Audio Control Rialto 400 amp DAC and a Mass Fidelity Relay Bluetooth receiver. Volumes levels on the Mythos were kept low and intimate so as not to interfere with the demonstration rig in the next room but the small combination came off sounding quite seductive.


I always enjoy checking out a good tweak and was pleased to see some interesting fresh ones. Montreal Acoustique occupied a display table on the lower levels, showing an ingenious little adjustable foam speaker stand which was simple and intuitive.


Iso Acoustics were conducting a very effective demonstration of their Aperta resonance management speaker stands with a simple A/B switch into a duplicate pair of Focal speakers, one equipped with the isolation stands, one not. The results were immediately obvious and quite spectacular, opening up transient precision and dynamic gradation significantly. The Dynaudio BM MkIII studio monitor already ships standard with a pair of their sibling Iso Acoustics feet so that should tell you something. At only $200 a pair, these looked to be a very worthwhile investment.



In the room treatment department, Pro Design Audio were displaying a different approach from the more common sound absorption method with its wood based diffusers. Seen more in the pro arena, its inclusion here offered the visiting consumer some fresh food for thought.


I then perused the various cables and accessories that were scattered throughout the show. Nordost provided a table display to see and buy product, and a listening room pairing Moon electronics with a stunning pair of Dynaudio Confidence C1 monitors.


BIS Audio products, aside from seeing use in several rooms also had a table display in the Westmount room.


Mr. Steven Huang was on hand with his wide catalogue of Audio Sensibility products. His cables, power products and accessories have received widespread high praise for their price performance ratio, and I noticed that many reviewers, including fellow 6mooner Tim Smith, did an extended detour to chat with Mr. Huang.